3 Recommended San Diego Eating Disorder Therapists—No Waitlist
Struggling with food, body image, and the painful thoughts that surround them can feel isolating and overwhelming. At Healing Balance Therapy, our experienced eating disorder specialists understand the complex relationship between trauma, emotions, and eating behaviors, offering compassionate, evidence-based treatment to help you find peace with food and your body.
Meet our team
Amber Monroe, LMFT
Amber brings over 15 years of expertise to eating disorder treatment. She uses trauma-informed methods like EMDR and IFS to help clients address the underlying emotional wounds that often contribute to disordered eating. Her approach focuses on nervous system healing and removing shame while building lasting recovery skills through compassionate, highly skilled treatment.
Credentials: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Clientele: Adults
Location: 5520 Wellesley St. Ste 110, La Mesa, CA 91942
Virtual therapy: Yes
Christine Alvarenga, LPCC
Christine has specialized expertise in both eating disorders and trauma. She uses EMDR and draws on her previous role providing DBT skill coaching to help people process painful past experiences, regulate their emotions, and have more fulfilling relationships. Christine also has experience working across all levels of eating disorder care from residential to outpatient settings.
Credentials: Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor
Clientele: Adults
Location: 5520 Wellesley St. Ste 110, La Mesa, CA 91942
Virtual therapy: Yes
Vivianne Noetzel, LCSW
Vivianne creates a supportive, non-judgmental space where clients can explore their relationship with food and body image. She uses a holistic, evidence-based approach, combining methods like ACT and DBT with somatic practices for healing that emphasizes both the mind-body connection and developing practical coping strategies for recovery.
Credentials: Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Clientele: Teens, adults, couples
Location: 5520 Wellesley St. Ste 110, La Mesa, CA 91942
Virtual therapy: Yes
FAQs about eating disorder therapy
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Eating disorder recovery is often most effective with an interdisciplinary team approach. This typically includes a specialized therapist for the emotional and psychological aspects, a medical doctor to monitor physical health, and a registered dietitian for nutritional support. This collaborative, holistic approach ensures that all aspects of your health and well-being are considered during your recovery journey.
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If you find yourself preoccupied with food, weight, or body image in ways that interfere with your daily life, relationships, or overall quality of life, therapy can help. Other common warning signs include:
Restrictive eating,
Binge eating,
Purging behaviors,
Excessive exercise,
Body dysmorphia, and
Using food to cope with emotions.
If you’re not sure whether therapy makes sense for you right now, contact us for a free consultation so we can discuss your situation directly.
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Therapy addresses the underlying thoughts, emotions, and experiences that can contribute to disordered eating behaviors. Through evidence-based approaches like EMDR, IFS, and DBT, you can process past trauma, develop healthy coping skills, rebuild your relationship with food, and cultivate self-compassion.
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Our therapists treat all types of eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, ARFID, and other specified feeding or eating disorders (OSFED). We also work with disordered eating patterns, body dysmorphia, emotional eating, and food-related anxiety that may not meet full diagnostic criteria but still impact your life.
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We use a trauma-informed lens with eating disorder care, recognizing that past experiences and unprocessed emotions are often underlying causes for disordered eating.
We also value a holistic approach that combines evidence-backed modalities like EMDR, IFS, and DBT with mind-body elements like somatic practices and mindfulness. This helps us to address both the presenting challenges and deeper drivers of eating disorders to help you find deep, lasting relief.
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Initially, we'll focus on building trust and safety, understanding your relationship with food and body, and identifying underlying patterns and triggers.
As therapy progresses, we'll work through past experiences using trauma-informed approaches while also developing practical skills for managing emotions, improving body image, and rebuilding a healthy relationship with food and yourself.
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Beyond individual therapy, we offer specialized support groups, including our Body Image & Food Support Group for adults and Parent Eating Disorder Support Group for families. These groups provide peer support, education, and practical tools while working through the emotional triggers and shame associated with eating and body image struggles.
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Our practice is ideal if you're seeking compassionate, highly skilled therapists who understand the complex relationship between trauma and eating disorders. We're especially well-suited for clients ready to do deeper emotional work, address underlying trauma, and move beyond symptom management toward lasting healing and peace with food and body.
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Getting started is simple—book a free consultation call where we'll discuss your concerns, answer questions about our approach, and determine if we're a good fit. During this call, we'll learn about your goals and match you with the most appropriate therapist based on your specific needs and preferences.