Does it feel like there’s no middle ground with food?
Are you either “on the wagon” or “off the wagon,” being “good” or “bad” with food?
Are you often thinking about eating — what you should eat, what you didn’t eat, or what you can’t stop eating?
Do you feel guilt, shame, or embarrassment around food?
Do you sometimes eat in secret or feel disconnected from your eating once you start?
Does it feel like food thoughts are loud or overwhelming — sometimes described as “food noise”?
If this feels familiar, you may be experiencing binge eating or disordered eating patterns — and you’re not alone.
Binge eating and disordered eating are often misunderstood. Many people assume these patterns are about a lack of willpower or discipline, when in reality they’re usually shaped by a combination of dieting, restriction, stress, emotional overwhelm, and a complicated relationship with food and the body. For many people, the very strategies meant to “fix” eating (rules, plans, or trying harder to control it) end up making the cycle feel louder and more exhausting over time.
You don’t need to fit a specific diagnosis or reach a breaking point for this to be worth addressing. If food takes up more mental space than you want, or eating feels fraught rather than nourishing, support can help.
While many therapists say they treat binge eating, effective treatment requires specific training and a weight-inclusive approach. At Conason Psychological Services, binge eating disorder treatment is a core focus of our practice. Our therapists receive specialized training and supervision grounded in evidence-based, weight-inclusive care for binge eating.
Our work is informed by the expertise of Dr. Alexis Conason, a psychologist with over 15 years of experience treating binge eating disorder, who developed a mindful eating–based treatment approach for BED and is widely recognized for her work in this area.
Recovery from binge eating is possible — and with the right kind of support, change can be meaningful and lasting without having to white-knuckle your way through it.
Wondering if binge eating might be part of what you’re experiencing?
Many people worry about whether what they’re experiencing “counts” as binge eating disorder. While clinicians use specific criteria to make diagnoses, real-life experiences don’t always fit neatly into checklists.
Binge eating often involves patterns such as:
Eating in a way that feels rushed, disconnected, or hard to stop
Eating past the point of physical comfort
Eating when you’re not physically hungry
Feeling distressed, ashamed, or guilty about your eating
Feeling out of control around food, even if it doesn’t happen all the time
For some people, binge eating happens frequently and intensely. For others, it’s more situational or cyclical. Both experiences can be painful — and both deserve support.
You don’t need to meet every diagnostic criterion to benefit from therapy. In fact, many people who struggle with binge eating or disordered eating don’t meet full criteria for binge eating disorder but still experience significant distress.
If food feels overwhelming, preoccupying, or emotionally loaded — or if you’re questioning your relationship with eating — that’s reason enough to reach out.
Therapy can help you understand what’s going on and find a more sustainable way forward.
How can therapy for binge eating disorder help?
At Conason Psychological Services, we understand that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to binge eating. Our therapists are trained in a range of evidence-based treatments and work collaboratively with you to tailor therapy to what will be most helpful for your unique needs. Our approach may draw from cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness and mindful eating, psychodynamic therapy, and other modalities. Treatment is always grounded in compassion and curiosity rather than judgment.
All of our therapists are trauma-informed and practice from a weight-inclusive perspective. We recognize that binge eating does not exist in isolation and often intersects with stress, emotions, identity, relationships, and past experiences.
Together, we work to understand the why behind eating patterns while also supporting meaningful, sustainable changes in behaviors.
Therapy for binge eating disorder can support you in:
• Developing a more peaceful, flexible relationship with food and your body
• Reducing the intensity and frequency of binge eating over time
• Understanding emotional, relational, or situational factors that influence eating
• Building skills to cope with stress, emotions, and diet-culture pressure in more supportive ways
• Developing resilience to cope with “diet-culture”
• Improving body image and learning to care for yourself even on hard body image days
Help for Binge Eating in New York City
Conason Psychological Services is a therapy practice based in Manhattan. We offer in-person sessions at our Midtown East office and virtual therapy across New York State. Some of our therapists are also licensed to provide care in additional states.
We specialize in the treatment of binge eating disorder and disordered eating, as well as concerns related to body image, food noise, and experiences with weight-centric medical care, including GLP-1 medications and bariatric surgery. We offer individual, couples, and group therapy, depending on your needs.
Our therapists are trauma-informed and practice from a weight-inclusive perspective.
We take a holistic view of health focusing on mental wellbeing which is inextricably linked to our physical health. Our therapists value body diversity and are committed to helping you work towards your goals at any size.
We recognize that many people seeking our services want to lose weight and/or feel unhappy with their body—that is totally okay! In fact, it is pretty expected in a culture that teaches us that weight loss is the singular path to health, happiness, and all the good things in life. Therapy doesn’t require you to feel confident in your body or have everything figured out.
We’ll meet you where you are and work together toward goals that feel meaningful and supportive.
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation call to see if therapy at Conason Psychological Services could be a good fit for you.