Eating Disorders

Eating disorders appear in different forms. Recognizing the specific type is an important step toward healing.

• Anorexia Nervosa: Intense fear of weight gain, restrictive eating, and distorted body image.
• Bulimia Nervosa: Cycles of binge eating followed by purging behaviors.
• Binge Eating Disorder: Frequent episodes of consuming large amounts of food with feelings of loss of control.
• Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID): Limiting food intake without concerns about body image.
• Other Disordered Eating Patterns: This includes emerging or less-defined patterns, such as emotional eating, orthorexia (unhealthy obsession with "clean" eating), or behaviors that cause distress but do not yet meet the criteria for a full diagnosis.

Eating disorders reach far beyond meals and numbers on a scale. Here is how they can affect the various aspects of your health and life. 

• Psychological Health: Constant stress, anxiety, depression, irritability, and obsessive thinking about food and body image.
• Physical Health: Malnutrition, digestive issues, weakened bones, heart concerns, fatigue, dizziness, or menstrual irregularities.
• Relationships: Avoiding family meals, pulling away from friends, and experiencing tension in relationships due to secrecy or conflict around food.
• Quality of Life: Difficulty concentrating in school or at work, lack of energy for hobbies, and loss of joy in everyday experiences.

Therapy provides a safe, judgment-free space to uncover the root causes of your struggles and build lasting, healthy coping mechanisms. Our approach integrates proven modalities to support both immediate progress and long-term change. 

• Break free from cycles of restriction, bingeing, or purging
• Challenge and reshape harmful beliefs about food and body image
• Reduce shame and guilt that fuel secrecy and isolation
• Learn healthy coping skills for stress, sadness, or anxiety
• Strengthen resilience, compassion, and confidence
• Build self-worth beyond appearance or eating habits
• Reconnect with family, friends, and life goals

Reach out to our team to schedule your first session this week.

For more than 25 years, Alliance Psychology has been a trusted provider of compassionate mental health care in Utah County. Our deep roots in the community and commitment to clinical excellence ensure you receive the highest level of care.

• Specialized Team: We have a large, collaborative team of PhD Psychologists, clinical mental health counselors (CMHCs), licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs), and PhD candidates.
• Same-Week Appointments: We strive to remove barriers to care and often have same-week appointments available.
• Local & Veteran-Owned: Proudly locally owned and veteran-owned, committed to our community.
• Convenient Telehealth: Secure telehealth counseling options are available for new and existing patients across Utah.
• Collaborative Care: We coordinate care directly with medical physicians, psychiatrists, and nutritional specialists when required.

Children and adolescents face unique pressures that make them especially vulnerable to eating disorders. Our providers are specially trained to work with late teenagers and adults and their families through the complex challenges they face.

• Body Image Pressures: Social media, peer comparisons, and cultural messages can create unhealthy expectations.
• Developmental Changes: Puberty brings weight and shape changes that can trigger anxiety about appearance.
• Perfectionism & Achievement Pressures: Many teens push themselves hard in academics, sports, or activities, increasing risk for disordered eating as a form of control.
• Emotional Challenges: Bullying, trauma, or difficulties at home can fuel harmful patterns with food.

If you suspect your child may be struggling, reach out to our team for a same-week appointment.

Eating disorders usually develop quietly and go unnoticed until the behaviors are well-established. If you notice any of these signs in a family member or friend, it is time to seek professional support.

• Dramatic changes in eating habits (skipping meals, restrictive diets, hiding food)
• Rapid weight loss or weight fluctuations
• Preoccupation with calories, body size, or dieting
• Skipping meals or avoiding social situations that involve food
• Mood changes, such as irritability, anxiety, or depression
• Evidence of binge eating (disappearing food) or purging behaviors (frequent trips to the bathroom after meals)

If these signs feel familiar, trust your instincts. Families often play a key role in getting a loved one the help they need.

At Alliance Psychology, we know that eating disorders are about the underlying emotions, experiences, and beliefs that shape how you see yourself and the world. 

That’s why our approach focuses on helping you change those harmful beliefs and ways of thinking. 

• We understand the “why” behind behaviors. Many eating disorders are rooted in perfectionism, anxiety, trauma, or difficulty managing emotions. We work to uncover these drivers so lasting healing can begin.
• We help you heal your relationship with food. Recovery is not about rigid rules or “good” and “bad” foods. It’s about creating flexibility, balance, and freedom in eating patterns without shame or fear.
• We help rebuild your self-esteem. Eating disorders often thrive on harsh self-criticism. Therapy helps patients replace self-blame with self-compassion and see their worth as more than a number on the scale.
• We help strengthen family and social connections. Recovery doesn’t happen in isolation. We encourage healthier communication and boundaries within families, friendships, and relationships.
• We support long-term strategies. Relapse prevention is a key part of our work. We teach practical skills that patients can rely on when life feels stressful or overwhelming.

At Alliance Psychology, we believe in removing barriers to your care and making the process straightforward, supportive, and reassuring. 

• Reaching Out: Call our office at (801) 224-2313. Our intake team listens carefully to your concerns. We know it can be hard to talk about eating disorders, so we approach every conversation with empathy and respect.
• Matching with the Right Provider: With more than 15 highly trained providers on our team, we are able to match you with someone who has experience treating your specific needs.
• Your First Session: This collaborative conversation focuses on your unique story, struggles, and goals. It is a no-pressure appointment dedicated to understanding your needs.
• Developing a Personalized Plan: Together, you and our therapist will set a path for treatment. This might include individual therapy, family sessions, or coordination with medical providers or nutritionists when appropriate.
• Ongoing Support: We are here to celebrate progress, work through setbacks, and ensure your plan adjusts as you heal. Our goal is sustainable, long-term healing.

Sessions can take place in person at our Orem or Spanish Fork offices, or through secure telehealth if that’s more convenient.

Without support, eating disorders can escalate and create long-term complications. However, with timely treatment, recovery is possible.

Call us today at (801) 224-2313 or complete our online form to request your appointment.