Eating Disorders

Societal pressures oftentimes reinforce the beliefs that for an individual to struggle with an eating disorder it must be physically apparent and symptoms must be "extreme." All-or-nothing thinking fuels engagement in eating disorder behaviors. Whether it is restriction, bingeing, bingeing & purging, and/or focus on eating "healthy" foods, I believe that each person's recovery will be unique. My philosophy is that all foods fit. Orthorexia

As a certified eating disorder specialist and certified intuitive eating counselor, I am equipped to help individuals navigate body image and food struggles.

Food is one of the earliest ways we humans experience nurturance and interaction with a caring adult. food takes on many meanings about relationships, needs, control, and the value of self. The development of an eating disorder signals a problem in one or several of these areas; it arises as an attempt to solve this problem, by drawing attention to the problem, by pulling the family together to address symptoms of the eating disorder; or expressing/repressing feelings related to current problem.

I have 11 years experience working in Eating Disorder Treatment. I worked 7 years at Children's Hospital Colorado as a primary therapist in their Eating Disorder Program in all levels of care from medical admission, inpatient, partial hospitalization and outpatient. When working with teens with eating disorders I utilize the evidence based, Family Based Treatment, where parents and caregivers are included in the therapy and treatment. For adults, I aim to empower you to take action in recovery.

I have focused on learning to provide care for those who struggle with eating disorders/disordered eating over the span of 4 years specifically. My particular areas of interest include Binge eating disorder, bulimia and generalized difficulty with food relationships.

I will help you heal your relationship with food & body size and help you explore the underlying messages that contributed to & maintain the eating disorder.

As a certified eating disorder specialist and certified intuitive eating counselor, I am equipped to help individuals navigate body image and food struggles.

I believe that everyone has the wisdom in them to recover and to live a full life. Our work together will revolve around guiding you back to the body trust you once had, so you can release any shame you may have around food, your body, and yourself. Together we will get to the root of and process the messages you learned about food and your body, unlearn the diet culture b.s, and create your unique path to healing.

We treat issues relating to ARFID, binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and night eating syndrome. Dr. Sala is trained in Family Based Treatment for children/adolescents with eating disorders. We also treat eating disorders using Dr. Fairburn's Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Treatment.

I have worked extensively with those struggling with eating disorders for over three years now as a Recovery Coach and Program Therapist. I have a working knowledge of the cultural, societal, and familial issues that go into the treatment of an eating disorder and how this impacts the individual client.

Eating disorders are typically a symptom of something much bigger we have struggled with in our lives. Living with an eating disorder typically looks like constantly maintaining control in a world where you constantly feel out of control. You may filter "food noise" every moment of the day, whether that's counting down to the next time you eat or guilting yourself for the last thing you ate. Healing looks like control in healthy ways and freedom from the noise.

I have personal and professional experience in the treatment of eating disorder recovery. I have experience as a therapist and a Body Image Specialist in an eating disorder treatment program. You do not need to have a full-blown eating disorder to seek help. If you feel that you have an unhealthy relationship with food, you are deserving of treatment. Reach out for more information.

I am a certified eating disorder specialist, trainer and educator

I have been able to work with individuals struggling from anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and ARFID ranging in level of care from outpatient to serving as Clinical Director of Center for Discovery's Eating Disorder Residential Treatment Center to writing curriculum for the treatment of eating disorders in LGBTQIA+ individuals. I have experience working with the intersectionality of co-morbid disorders including depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders.

An eating disorder is a mental disorder defined by abnormal eating behaviors that adversely affect a person's physical or mental health. Common types include binge eating disorder, where a person eats a large amount in a short period of time; anorexia nervosa, where the person has an intense fear of gaining weight and restricts food or overexercises to manage this fear; bulimia nervosa, where individuals eat a large quantity (binging) then try to rid themselves of the food (purging).

I follow the Health at Every Size (HAES) model and utilize intuitive eating tools to help people reconnect with their bodies and take care of themselves in whatever way is most life giving for them.

I have over 10 years experience working with eating disorders and am a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist where I must be active in continuing education as the field grows and we learn more about the body and eating disorders. I work in a treatment team approach and often refer to trained dietitians and medical professionals to more fully support someone struggling with an eating disorder. I also provide support therapy via family therapy or parent sessions to support a loved on in recovery.

Getting help for an eating disorder or disordered eating can feel daunting. I believe that eating disorders are developed as a coping skill to help people get through difficult times in their lives. While they're effective, they're often harmful, and treatment sometimes looks like replacing them with more adaptive techniques and skills. I will work to go at a pace you're comfortable with, and we can slowly work to find stability with food, your body, and your sense of self.

Most of my clients experience some degree of distress and dissatisfaction with their relationship to food, which is often connected to broader patterns of self-criticism and shame. Therapy may be for you if you find yourself frequently thinking about food, yet find mealtimes stressful or overwhelming, you judge yourself for how you look and fear everyone else does too, and feel like no one really 'gets' how you feel inside.