Binge Eating Treatment
Binge eating disorder is a complex mental health condition characterized by recurrent episodes of consuming large amounts of food in a short period, often accompanied by feelings of loss of control, guilt, or shame. It is one of the most common eating disorders, affecting both adolescents and adults, and is often linked to underlying emotional distress, trauma, or difficulties in managing emotions.
Recovery requires addressing both the behavioral and emotional components of the disorder through compassionate and evidence-based treatment. As an LMFT specializing in eating disorders in Marin and San Francisco, I integrate a range of therapeutic modalities tailored to each individual and their family system.
Family-Based Therapy focuses on empowering parents to take an active role in helping their child repair their relationship with food. This modality is particularly effective for adolescents struggling with binge eating, as it strengthens the family unit and fosters collaboration in the recovery process. The therapist works closely with the family to create structured meal routines, reduce secrecy around food, and encourage open communication. Over time, responsibility for eating behaviors gradually transitions back to the individual as they develop confidence and healthier coping strategies.
FBT helps families move away from blame and toward understanding the disorder as an external problem that can be managed collectively. By involving parents and caregivers, this approach supports accountability, reduces isolation, and helps the adolescent feel supported rather than judged.
Emotionally Focused Family Therapy centers on healing emotional bonds and improving attachment within the family system. Many individuals with binge eating disorder use food as a way to soothe painful emotions or to cope with feelings of disconnection. EFFT helps family members identify these patterns and respond with empathy rather than criticism or frustration. Through guided conversations, the therapist helps the teen and her family members express their underlying needs for love, safety, and acceptance.
EFFT teaches families to attune to one another’s emotions and to respond in ways that promote connection and emotional security. When emotional closeness is restored, the need to turn to food for comfort diminishes. This therapy can be particularly powerful for families who have experienced tension, conflict, or emotional distance due to the strain of the eating disorder.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy is an evidence-based approach designed to help individuals regulate intense emotions and reduce impulsive behaviors such as binge eating. DBT combines mindfulness with practical skills in emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. Clients learn to recognize the emotional triggers that precede binge episodes and to develop healthier ways to manage them.
DBT encourages acceptance and change—two core principles that help clients acknowledge their struggles while taking active steps toward recovery. The structured nature of DBT, which often includes individual sessions and skills groups, helps clients build resilience, reduce shame, and replace binge eating with more adaptive coping mechanisms. Over time, DBT helps individuals cultivate self-compassion and a greater sense of control over their emotional world.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is one of the most widely used treatments for binge eating disorder. It focuses on identifying and challenging the negative thought patterns and beliefs that contribute to disordered eating. Many individuals with binge eating disorder experience distorted thinking related to body image, self-worth, or control. CBT helps them reframe these beliefs, understand the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, and develop healthier patterns.
In therapy, clients learn to track their eating behaviors, recognize emotional triggers, and interrupt automatic binge cycles. CBT often includes strategies for meal planning, stress management, and relapse prevention. This evidence-based approach helps individuals break free from cycles of guilt and shame, promoting long-term behavioral and emotional change.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy emphasize embracing one’s emotions and experiences rather than attempting to control or avoid them. Individuals with binge eating disorder often struggle with perfectionism or avoidance of difficult feelings, which can perpetuate the cycle of bingeing. ACT helps clients develop mindfulness skills and commit to actions aligned with their values, even in the face of discomfort.
Through ACT, clients learn to view thoughts and urges as temporary experiences rather than as commands that must be acted upon. This shift reduces the power of cravings and emotional distress. By fostering self-compassion and psychological flexibility, ACT helps individuals build a more balanced relationship with food and with themselves.
Family Systems Theory views binge eating disorder not as an isolated problem within one individual, but as a symptom of larger patterns within the family system. This approach helps uncover the roles, communication styles, and emotional dynamics that may be maintaining the disorder. The therapist collaborates with family members to identify unspoken rules, power dynamics, or emotional avoidance that may contribute to stress or tension.
By improving communication and restructuring family interactions, Family Systems Therapy helps create a more supportive environment for recovery. When family members better understand how their relationships influence the individual’s behaviors, they can work together to promote healing and lasting change.
Psychodynamic Therapy delves into the unconscious emotions, early experiences, and internal conflicts that shape current behaviors. For individuals with binge eating disorder, this might involve exploring how past experiences with attachment, neglect, or trauma influence their relationship with food and self-image. The goal is to uncover the root causes of emotional distress and develop greater insight into how these unresolved issues manifest as binge eating.
Through this deeper self-awareness, clients begin to understand how patterns of self-criticism, guilt, or unmet emotional needs drive their eating behaviors. Psychodynamic therapy provides a space for healing these emotional wounds and developing a more compassionate and integrated sense of self.
Internal Family Systems is a therapeutic model that views the mind as composed of different “parts,” each with its own emotions, roles, and intentions. In binge eating disorder, one part may feel driven to binge to soothe pain, while another may feel ashamed or critical afterward. IFS helps clients access their “Self,” the compassionate and calm center of the mind, to understand and heal these conflicted parts.
Through gentle exploration, clients learn to acknowledge the protective roles of each part rather than fighting them. This process fosters internal harmony, reduces self-blame, and promotes sustainable change. IFS is particularly effective for individuals who experience internal conflict, trauma, or emotional fragmentation linked to their eating behaviors.
Healing from binge eating disorder is not about willpower—it is about understanding the underlying emotional, relational, and psychological factors that drive the behavior. Each therapeutic modality offers a unique path toward recovery, whether by strengthening family relationships, regulating emotions, challenging unhelpful thoughts, or healing from past experiences.
If your teen or loved one is struggling with binge eating in Marin or San Francisco, compassionate and evidence-based support is available. Arin Bass, LMFT, offers individualized care for adolescents, adults, and families navigating eating disorders. She provides a safe, nurturing environment where clients can explore their experiences and begin to heal. Contact Arin today to schedule a consultation and help your child take the first step toward recovery and emotional well-being.
At a Glance
Arin Bass, LMFT
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Marin County
- 20 years of experience
- Eating Disorder Recovery Support (EDRS) Sponsorship Chair
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