Healing your relationship with food, body, and self—one step at a time

EMDR for Eating Disorders

At Vancouver EMDR Therapy, we use a trauma‑informed, integrated approach to help you address eating disorders and body image concerns at their roots. Many clients come to us with patterns shaped by anxiety, depression, and trauma histories—and leave with skills for Attuned Eating, greater nervous‑system regulation, and a kinder relationship with themselves.

Why Eating Disorders and Trauma Are Connected

Eating disorders are complex—and often make sense in the context of what you’ve lived through. For many, disordered eating is an attempt to cope with the overwhelming symptoms of trauma or PTSD.

Some people find that hyperarousal (feeling keyed up, irritable, or easily startled) leads to binging to self‑soothe.
Others discover that purging temporarily blunts the intense emotions that can accompany flashbacks—and some do both.
A difficult or negative relationship with food, eating, weight, or body can develop after experiences where you had little control over your life.

If you carry shame, complex trauma, self‑hatred, co‑occurring addiction, or a history of abuse and pain, you are not alone. These experiences can fuel beliefs like “I’m wrong, unlovable, or unworthy.” Our work aims to help you process trauma narratives and the somatic activations that keep these patterns in place.

Getting to the root of the behavior means understanding the critical connection between early trauma and today’s coping strategies—then gently transforming them.

EMDR for Eating Disorders: How It Helps

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) helps the brain reprocess painful memories so they become less triggering in the present. In sessions, we:

Identify the memories, emotions, body sensations, and beliefs linked to eating distress and body image concerns.
Use bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tones, or gentle self‑tapping) to unlock the nervous system’s natural healing process.
Integrate the relief with practical skills for attunement, self‑nurturance, and everyday life.

Clients often notice less compulsion, reduced shame, and more choice around food and body after processing trauma that underlies the symptoms.

Our Integrated Approach

We combine EMDR with therapies that honor the whole person, including:

Somatic Therapy – Gentle, body‑based practices to help you reconnect and make peace with your body. Somatic awareness builds capacity to notice cues and regulate.
Health at Every Size® (HAES)–aligned care – Respect for body diversity and health‑promoting behaviors at any size.
Intuitive Eating & Attuned Eating – Evidence‑informed guidance to reconnect with hunger/fullness cues and internal wisdom.
Parts‑informed & Attachment work – To soften shame, cultivate secure attachment, and reclaim a compassionate self.
Collaboration – We work collaboratively with medical providers and nutritionists to support safety and comprehensive care.

All of this happens within a safe and empathetic therapeutic environment that centers around consent, choice, and pacing.

Telehealth EMDR Sessions with Corinne

Telehealth: Corinne Sudduth, LICSW (our eating disorder specialist) provides EMDR therapy exclusively via telehealth, so you can participate from home and fit sessions into your schedule.
Pacing & Safety: We prepare with grounding and resourcing before any trauma processing.
Processing: We target memories, triggers, and beliefs tied to food, body image, and self‑worth.
Integration: We translate gains into daily practices for Attuned Eating and Lasting Recovery.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What Changes Over Time?
- Greater calm and capacity in your body
- A more positive relationship with food and your body
- Less reliance on coping behaviors; more flexibility and self‑trust
- Shifts in core beliefs (from wrong/unlovable/unworthy → worthy, resilient, connected)
Our goal is to help you reclaim your body, live in alignment with your values, and experience lasting recovery—not just symptom reduction.
Is Treatment Right for Me?
More than 30 million people in the U.S. will experience an eating disorder, and many never seek help. Eating disorders are challenging, and they are treatable. If you’re navigating disordered eating, body image distress, or co‑occurring trauma, EMDR can be a powerful part of your healing.
Do I have to talk about the trauma in detail?
Not necessarily. EMDR focuses on your present‑moment experience while gently targeting past memories. You stay in control of the pace and how much you share.
Will EMDR get rid of my eating disorder?
EMDR targets the underlying trauma and beliefs that drive symptoms. Recovery is a process; EMDR can reduce triggers and compulsions while we build skills and supports for long‑term change.
Do you coordinate with other providers?

Yes. We collaborate with physicians, psychiatrists, and registered dietitians as needed.