Eating disorders — including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and ARFID — are serious mental health conditions with the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric diagnosis. Recovery is possible with specialist treatment. The therapies described here are adjunct support alongside specialist eating disorder services, not replacements for them.
See therapies that may helpEating disorders involve persistent disturbances in eating behaviour driven by underlying psychological difficulties. They are not about food per se — food and weight serve as a way of managing emotional pain, establishing control, or meeting deeper psychological needs.
Eating disorders affect people of all genders, ages and body sizes and are significantly underdiagnosed in men, people in larger bodies and people of colour. If you are concerned about yourself or someone else, please seek specialist assessment promptly — Beat (beateatingdisorders.org.uk) can guide you to appropriate services.
Signs of an eating disorder may include:
Eating disorders require specialist treatment. These approaches are adjunct support alongside specialist care:
Please seek specialist help promptly. Beat (beateatingdisorders.org.uk) has an adult helpline (0808 801 0677) and can direct you to specialist services. Ask your GP specifically for referral to an eating disorder service. NHS eating disorder services exist in all regions.
Showing 12 therapies linked to Eating disorder recovery support (alongside specialist care).
| Therapy | Evidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive Behavioural Therapist |
strong
|
A first-line treatment for eating disorders, helping to challenge distorted beliefs about food, weight and body image and rebuild regular eating. |
| Counsellor |
strong
|
Provides a confidential space to explore the feelings, control and self-worth issues that often sit beneath disordered eating during recovery. |
| Dietitian |
strong
|
A dietitian guides safe refeeding and balanced eating plans, helping restore nutrition and a healthier relationship with food alongside therapy. |
| Psychotherapist |
strong
|
Explores the deeper emotional roots of disordered eating, supporting lasting change in self-image and the patterns that maintain the illness. |
| Arts Therapist |
moderate
|
Art, music or drama therapy offers a non-verbal way to express feelings about body and control that can be hard to put into words in recovery. |
| EMDR Practitioner |
moderate
|
Where trauma underlies the eating disorder, EMDR can help process those memories so they hold less power over eating behaviours. |
| EFT Practitioner |
moderate
|
Some find EFT tapping helps ease anxiety around food and body image, though evidence is limited and it should support, not replace, specialist care. |
| ISTDP Practitioner |
moderate
|
ISTDP works with the buried emotions thought to drive disordered eating, aiming to reduce the inner conflict that fuels the behaviours. |
| Mindfulness Practitioner |
moderate
|
Mindfulness can build awareness of hunger, fullness and urges, helping interrupt restrictive or binge patterns as part of wider treatment. |
| NLP Practitioner |
moderate
|
NLP is sometimes used to reframe thoughts about food and body image, but evidence is limited and it is not a substitute for specialist care. |
| Nutritional Therapist |
moderate
|
Nutritional therapy may support dietary recovery, though evidence is limited and it must complement, not replace, specialist eating disorder care. |
| Relationship Therapist |
moderate
|
Relationship or family therapy helps loved ones understand the illness and support recovery, easing tensions that can affect eating patterns. |
No — eating disorders are complex mental health conditions in which food and weight serve psychological functions such as managing emotional pain or establishing control. Many people with eating disorders are not primarily motivated by thinness, and many are not visibly underweight.
Yes — approximately 25% of people with eating disorders are male, though this is likely an underestimate due to under-diagnosis. Men are less likely to be diagnosed because eating disorders are culturally associated with women. Men with eating disorders deserve and benefit from specialist care.
Yes — full recovery is absolutely possible and many people achieve it. Recovery is typically a longer process than for other mental health conditions and often involves setbacks, but the majority of people who access specialist treatment see significant improvement.
No — eating disorders occur across all body sizes. Bulimia, binge eating disorder and ARFID typically do not involve low weight. Weight is not a reliable indicator of the presence or severity of an eating disorder.
Express concern directly, describing behaviours you have observed rather than commenting on weight or appearance. Encourage them to speak to a GP or contact Beat. Be patient — ambivalence about change is normal in eating disorders, and your consistent, non-judgemental presence matters even if they do not immediately seek help.