12 Best Eating Disorder Therapy Services You Can Find Online

The Eating Recovery Center focuses on helping individuals and families heal from the effects of eating disorders by offering virtual intensive outpatient care. The program is highly structured and dedicates three days a week to home eating disorder treatment. It can be rare to find a virtual outpatient program, so we were pleased to see that this one offers solid virtual support and uses a range of comprehensive and interdisciplinary treatment modalities. 

If you sign up for this service, you can expect to receive individual and group therapy, nutrition and meal guidance, and family therapy and education. 

The center even offers programming for alumni, like groups, events, and general support. This can be particularly important for those who are transitioning out of the program and working to learn what their new normal is. There are also various support groups for families and caregivers focusing on education, support, skills, and nutrition. 

Because Eating Recovery Center’s treatment guides you through the first step of getting help and the later stages of healing and reacclimating into life outside of treatment, it is our pick for the most comprehensive online therapy for eating disorders.

Eating Recovery Center offers a virtual intensive outpatient treatment program. You can expect treatment from a multidisciplinary team of clinicians, including therapists and registered dietitians. 

The program for the person with the eating disorder is nine hours a week total, with three-hour sessions three days a week. Within those sessions, you can expect to meet with an individual therapist for one hour, a registered dietitian for 30 minutes, and a variety of group therapies for the remaining time. These include process-oriented, evidence-based skills-building and nutrition group therapy sessions. 

Programming is available for anyone over the age of 12 years old located in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Texas, Washington, and Washington, D.C.

While we are impressed with Eating Recovery Center’s offerings, we would like to see more price transparency. After giving a call to request self-pay rates, we were informed that a patient needs to call and speak with the billing department directly to verify insurance coverage and then receive information on self-pay rates. 

What this means is that what you pay varies based on insurance coverage. Eating Recovery Center is in-network with major commercial insurance providers including UnitedHealthcare, Kaiser Permanente, Aetna, and Cigna. 

When we conducted our user survey, our responses included both the Eating Recovery Center and Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center user experiences because both organizations are part of Pathlight Behavioral Services. Pathlight Behavioral Services received an overall user satisfaction rating of 79% from the 105 users we surveyed, and 14% of those people were using eating disorder treatment services. Over half (54%) used health insurance to fund their treatment and 81% stated it was a good value for the money. In addition, 42% had discontinued therapy, but for positive reasons—the majority ended treatment because they had achieved their goals in therapy and because their mental health had improved.

Anorexia is considered one of the most severe eating disorders because it has a high mortality rate associated with it. This is why accessing adequate care is so important, and that care may include medication under some circumstances. However, physical problems caused by anorexia, like heart issues, can happen alongside psychiatric medication side effects. That’s why it is essential to work with a provider who has expertise in providing medication management to someone in recovery from anorexia. This is where Mindful Care comes in. 

The company has providers who specialize in treating eating disorders like anorexia, and can offer both talk therapy and psychiatry services to appropriately treat the condition. We appreciate the organization’s attentiveness to any contraindications that may arise in anorexia treatment, including the prescription of bupropion, which can cause seizures; we also like Mindful Care’s accessible fee structure and the wide range of in-network insurance plans. 

Mindful Care offers therapy sessions ranging from 20 minutes to 60 minutes long. If receiving medication management services, you can expect to work with a nurse practitioner or certified physician assistant, both of whom are supervised by a psychiatrist. For therapy, you will work with a licensed mental health professional. 

An individual 20-minute therapy session, which the company refers to as MicroTherapy, functions as a solution-focused therapeutic check-in. A regular individual therapy session is 40 minutes long and is perfect for ongoing support, making it a service we’d recommend to those struggling with anorexia. 

Group therapy sessions are 60 minutes long. There are various therapy groups, but none are eating disorder-specific. However, there are groups for trauma, developing emotional regulation skills, healthy relationships, building LGBTQA+ community, navigating general life stressors, and more. You may find that in addition to anorexia, you identify with one of the group topics, making it a great fit for your healing journey. 

An initial psychiatric evaluation is 40 minutes long and follow-ups are 20 minutes. 

Mindful Care does not offer any subscription plans. Instead, you pay per session booked. 

For medication management, an initial 40-minute evaluation costs $175. Follow-ups are 20 minutes and cost $75. 

For therapy, an initial evaluation costs $150. A 20-minute individual session costs $50 and a 40-minute individual session costs $100. A 60-minute group therapy session costs $35. 

Mindful Care is in-network with major insurance providers such as Aetna, Cigna, Oscar, Optum, and United Healthcare. In some states, it also accepts Medicare. 

Mindful Care has a fantastic user satisfaction rating–92% of users give it a positive rating of good, very good, or excellent. Twelve percent of those surveyed were seeking treatment for an eating disorder. Eighty-two percent of clients surveyed stated most, if not all, of their needs were met, and 83% would recommend the service to a friend. 

Our tester of Mindful Care noted that “it has made significant strides in the telehealth world” since its inception in 2018, and explained that, while she did not find the 20-minute MicroTherapy appointments very useful, she “did receive some helpful advice” and felt that “the therapists were very knowledgeable and personable and the services felt consistent between them.”

LifeStance Health is a mental healthcare company providing medically driven treatment for adults, children, and adolescents. We appreciate its dedication to providing evidence-based treatment for bulimia, which includes therapy modalities that have been proven effective for bulimia (such as cognitive behavioral therapy, family-based treatment, and interpersonal psychotherapy) as well as medication if necessary (such as antidepressants known as SSRIs).

LifeStance is our pick for the best online therapy for bulimia because of its ability to provide treatment for the condition even when it is co-occurring with other eating disorders. On a page it has dedicated to information on bulimia, it explains that a third of those with anorexia develop bulimia and 14% of those with bulimia develop anorexia. Additionally, it acknowledges that it is also possible to have binge eating disorder along with bulimia, ultimately stating that eating disorders exist within a cycle and can co-occur with one another. This informs the treatment LifeStance provides. 

LifeStance Health has a wide range of services available. You can receive medication management for adults, children, and adolescents; therapy for individuals of all ages, couples, and families; plus neuropsychological and psychological testing. While there are plenty of providers available to provide virtual treatment, it is also possible to receive in-person care. 

To begin working with a provider, you’ll begin your journey by clicking a button on the site that reads, “Find a Provider.” From there, you will be given the option of calling the company or using the online search service. You’re able narrow down your search by provider specialties, including the therapeutic concern (such as “eating disorders”), patient age (from 0-5 to 65+), and specific type of therapy modality used (such as family therapy). Providers include clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners, doctors of osteopathic medicine, and more. 

LifeStance Health doesn’t offer any subscription plans—all services are pay-per-session. Fees vary based on insurance coverage. However, for the uninsured, the company isn’t the most transparent when it comes to pricing. There isn’t any information on the website about general rate ranges clients can expect to pay. However, we were able to clarify with the company directly that out-of-pocket costs range from $75 to $300 per session.

Sixty percent of the 105 LifeStance Health users surveyed stated they found the process of looking for a therapist through the platform easy or very easy. Ninety percent were impressed with the qualifications of LifeStance Health clinicians and 75% would recommend the platform to a friend. Thirteen percent of users reported seeking help for an eating disorder.

Our LifeStance tester said she was “delighted” with her therapist, noting that “I felt that they listened to me and were compassionate,” and ultimately was “pleasantly surprised with the quality and care of the therapist” she met with. 

Orthorexia nervosa is an often overlooked eating disorder based on an obsession with “clean,” “pure,” and “healthy” eating and involving restrictive behavior around food. It can lead to or coincide with anorexia and obsessive compulsive disorder. Octave offers a wide range of providers with diverse identities, including some that specialize in treating the spectrum of eating disorders, including orthorexia. Furthermore, the organization acknowledges that transgender and nonbinary people are disproportionately affected by eating disorders, deepening our trust that its providers are equipped to provide effective treatment to all. 

Octave also acknowledges that orthorexia can be overlooked since much of today’s culture is focused on fad diets like intermittent fasting and keto. This awareness is especially important; orthorexia can be an eating disorder that isn’t always mentioned when reviewing online treatment options. 

Octave provides individual, couples, and family therapy to adults. A variety of evidence-based modalities are used, including cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy—both proven effective when working with people with eating disorders. Providers include psychologists, marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, mental health counselors, and professional counselors. 

To book an appointment, you will complete an intake questionnaire where you will share more about what brings you to treatment. From there, you will be matched with a provider. Keep in mind that you are not instantly matched and it can take up to 10 days to be connected with a therapist. When you are matched, you will be offered an appointment time and you can work with the Octave care navigator to ensure you are able to meet with your provider at a time that works for you.

Services are available in California, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Washington D.C. 

Octave doesn’t offer any plans. All services are pay-per-session. Individual therapy costs $170 to $250 a session. Couples and family therapy costs $190 to $275. Fees vary based on location and you can use Octave's cost estimator for a more specific idea of how much your care might cost. 

Octave is in-network with Anthem Blue Cross of California, Aetna (in all states), Health Net and Managed Health Network (MHN) in California, and UnitedHealthcare UMR plan for Mount Sinai employees. 

Seventy-four percent of users surveyed were pleased with the qualifications of Octave therapists, rating them as good, very good, or excellent. Another 70% were impressed with the diversity of the providers, and 88% said it was better than other services used in the past. Ten percent of the 105 Octave users we surveyed were seeking treatment for an eating disorder.

Our tester was impressed with the quality of care she received at Octave, reporting that “I found my provider at Octave to have an innate gift for developing rapport and providing feedback immediately.” She also noted that “I admired their ability to connect with what I was sharing and share their insights without knowing much about me,” and was so happy with her therapist that she recommended them to a friend who was seeking mental health care.

Binge eating disorder is a highly stigmatized eating disorder. This is due to our society’s predisposition towards weight stigma, with a 2021 study finding that weight stigma may be perpetuated by suspicions about eating habits. With this in mind, it is important to find a provider who has an approach that feels aligned with your treatment goals. Inclusive Therapists is a therapy directory that emphasizes non-stigmatizing treatment modalities, with its search filter offering options to receive a provider that identifies as fat, body positive, or trained in the Health at Every Size approach, which is based on the idea that any body size can be healthy and an emphasis on diet and exercise as a way to improve your quality of life rather than as a way to lose weight. This approach may be especially helpful to those in the throes of binge eating disorder who may not appear underweight or overweight, but who need to change their relationship with their body and with food.

While these approaches can be helpful, it is still important to receive care from a provider who is also versed in eating disorders. “Deep and relentless shame and guilt, compulsive restricting or purging, and a self-image so maladaptive that you effectively destroy your body are all parts of living with a serious eating disorder,” Hannah Owens, LMSW, a therapist and subject matter expert, told Health. While something like a Health at Every Size approach may be helpful, said Owens, it also may feel impossible to those that are at the height of an eating disorder. We appreciate that Inclusive Therapists has providers with eclectic modalities, meaning you can find a provider who may share an ethos that you appreciate and who is also highly skilled in treating binge eating disorder. 

Inclusive Therapists has a wide range of treatment options available, including therapy for individuals, couples, children, adolescents, and families. There is also group therapy and medication management services available.

Keep in mind that this is a therapy directory and not a direct therapy platform. Therefore, you will need to reach out to each provider individually to confirm their availability, payment options, and if they feel like a good fit. This may feel overwhelming for those who are hoping to engage in multiple forms of treatment (like therapy and medication management). Fifty-four percent of Inclusive Therapist users surveyed reached out to two or three therapists before they found a match, so be prepared to talk to a few different providers during your search.

All pricing depends upon the provider. However, most fees range from as low as $30 to over $250 per session, depending on the type of support received. Some providers do offer sliding scale rates, and many offer free consultations.

Some providers accept insurance and will list which plans they are in-network with on their profile. 

If you find that therapy is cost-prohibitive for you, Inclusive Therapists has a therapy fund for BIPOC therapy seekers that offers financial support. 

The process of finding a therapist through Inclusive Therapists can be a bit of a journey–63% of users had to reach out to multiple therapists to confirm their availability. However, many stuck with the provider they found, with 78% of users stating they are still working with their provider. Eighty-one percent of users were satisfied with the therapist options provided in the directory. Overall, 89% of the 180 Inclusive Therapist users we surveyed rated the directory as very good or good. 

One of our testers felt that this directory would have been very useful when she was looking for mental healthcare, noting that “having a directory that allowed me to narrow my search to the very specific needs I had at that time would have saved me hours and minimized the stress I was already experiencing.” She also explained that “navigating the website and search functions only deepens my confidence in this directory’s ability to provide further access to psychotherapy services for marginalized communities.”

Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) was first published as an official diagnosis in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) in 2013. This means it is a fairly new diagnosis, which has limited some treatment options. But Within is a virtual eating disorder treatment center that has treatment options specifically dedicated to this disorder, securing it as our top pick as the best online therapy for ARFID. 

Within is dedicated to offering treatment that is inclusive, providing a roster of multilingual and diverse providers. We appreciate its holistic approach to eating disorder recovery, offering support for experiential outings like shopping for clothes and after-hours support for those who are experiencing distress outside of their treatment sessions.

What we find especially intriguing about Within is that it offers a virtual partial hospitalization program (PHP), in addition to an intensive outpatient program (IOP). The partial hospitalization program allows up to 12 hours of care each week per patient.  

The intensive outpatient program is three to five days a week at three hours of treatment per day. Treatment activities include individual, group, and family therapy. You can also expect experiential experiences that can help you learn tools in navigating everyday experiences that may be particularly triggering, like going to the grocery store or buying new clothes. 

In addition to mental health support, Within also includes personalized meal kits delivered daily. This can be helpful for those in recovery who struggle to navigate meal planning. We also appreciate Within’s thoughtful approach to details in the treatment process: Your progress will be monitored through a numberless scale and blood pressure cuffs. This can help ensure your treatment progress stays on track but you aren’t privy to numbers that could serve as potential triggers. 

Within’s team includes registered nurses, psychiatrists, clinical social workers, mental health counselors, and registered dietitians. Services are available in all states except Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Treatment is available for both adults and teenagers.

Pricing is the greatest drawback when it comes to treatment at Within. For the intensive outpatient program, it costs $1,100 per day. The partial hospitalization program costs $2,200 per day. It is not in-network with any insurance plans, though sliding scale fees may be approved on a case-by-case basis and the company will bill insurance companies directly so that the client does not have to deal with superbills. 

We recognize that these prices are prohibitive for most people, and they are unfortunately the norm when it comes to specialized eating disorder treatment, with costs of treatment per episode reaching as high as $80,000.

We have yet to survey users of Within; however, we feel confident in this service due to its roster of highly qualified skilled clinicians who have a strong background in the treatment of all different types of eating disorders, including ARFID. We also find its treatment model to be intensive and inclusive, deepening our trust in the organization. 

“The added support of an intensive outpatient program or partial hospitalization program can mean the difference between recovery and continuing to suffer for some people,” said Owens. “Because eating disorders directly affect the body as well as the brain, having the support not only of mental health professionals but also dietitians is often imperative to a successful recovery. This makes Within stand out amongst our other choices.”

Eating disorders, like anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating disorder, are more common among members of the LGBTQIA+ population than cisgender heterosexual adults in the United States. Despite this, it can be challenging to find a provider specializing in both eating disorders and working with LGBTQIA+ folks. The TherapyDen directory makes the process of finding a provider that offers excellent eating disorder treatment to the LGBTQIA+ population much easier, thanks to its emphasis on clinicians with marginalized identities, spotlight on trans-affirming providers, and wide variety of search filters. 

TherapyDen makes beginning your search for a therapist easy. Simply head to its homepage and type in your location, insurance, and desired specialty (in this case, eating disorders). From there, you will be shown a variety of therapists who meet this criteria. You can then narrow the search by adjusting your filters, which includes a box you can check that signals the therapist is part of the LGBTQIA+ community. We appreciate this—there are many platforms that are LGBTQIA+ affirming, but some therapy seekers may prefer to see a therapist who is part of the community themselves. 

Providers on the directory offer a variety of treatments. This includes therapy for individuals, couples, families, children, teens, and groups. You can also opt for medication management. 

However, keep in mind that you will need to reach out to each provider directly to confirm availability. Since this is a therapy directory, and not a therapy platform, you will need to take some extra steps to find the right provider for you. Also, because this is a platform that therapists can join for free, there may not be as much vetting that goes into the process of being listed. You’ll want to make sure the provider you’re contacting has a badge reading “verified” on their profile. This ensures that TherapyDen has properly vetted their credentials. 

Session fees vary by provider and can range from just $10 to over $300. Fees also depend on the type of treatment received (for example, medication management will cost more than a single group therapy session), if the provider offers sliding scale rates, and if they accept insurance. TherapyDen providers offer a free consultation, which you can set up through the website. 

Overall, TherapyDen users are happy with their experience, with 80% giving it a positive rating of good or very good. Seventy percent would recommend the directory to a friend, and 65% said it beat out other companies they’ve used in the past. Almost 9% of the 180 TherapyDen users we surveyed told us they turned to the directory to find a therapist who could treat an eating disorder.

Our TherapyDen tester was especially impressed with the range of services provided, explaining that “if you are looking for a therapist, TherapyDen is a great starting point, especially if you have a specific idea about the type of therapist you want to see or the techniques they utilize in their practice,” such as an LGBTQIA+ identifying therapist who treats eating disorders.

According to the American Psychological Association, nearly 81% of the U.S. psychology workforce identifies as white. About 8% identify as Hispanic, 5% as Black, 3% as Asian, less than 1% as American Indian/Alaska Native and just 0.03% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. These figures speak to the overwhelming lack of diversity in the psychology workforce, leading many BIPOC therapy seekers to feel frustrated when looking for support from someone who understands their experience. However, Therapy for Black Girls makes the process of finding a BIPOC therapist much easier. 

Therapy for Black Girls is an online directory featuring over 2,400 therapists from across the country who specialize in treating a variety of issues, including eating disorders. In fact, BIPOC therapists can offer a special understanding of the way eating disorders affect BIPOC folks specifically, making treatment for an eating disorder more likely to be successful.

While this directory focuses on Black girls and women, other people of color who would prefer to work with a Black clinician could certainly find their fit here. Additionally, Black men may find this directory helpful, too. We love that there is a wide range of services available and it are easily accessible in all 50 states. To get started, you simply enter your ZIP code and if you’d prefer in-office or virtual services. From there, you’ll be shown a roster of providers and then can refine the search results to include therapists and psychiatrists who specialize in disordered eating. 

Keep in mind that Therapy for Black Girls is a directory and not a therapy platform. It features providers that offer therapy for individuals, couples, children, teens, families, and groups. It also features psychiatrists that offer medication management services. In addition to eating disorders, you can expect to find providers that specialize in trauma, transitions, race-related stress, and more. 

It is free to use the Therapy for Black Girls directory. All fees vary by provider and service rendered. Unfortunately, providers aren’t required to disclose their fee range on their profile, thus requiring therapy seekers to reach out to providers directly to learn about financial logistics. Insurance plans accepted vary by provider as well. 

Therapy for Black Girls has a fantastic user rating; 91% of users surveyed rated the platform as good or very good. Forty-eight percent of users we surveyed identified finding a therapist with a similar identity or cultural background as a key need in their search. Another 39% were focused on finding a therapist with particular qualifications and expertise. Seventy percent stated they were able to find a therapist that met all of their needs, and 4% of our 180 users reported seeking treatment for an eating disorder. 

Finding a therapist can be an exhausting process. Multiple consultations in hopes of finding the right fit, fielding different pricing options, and finding the right type of therapy can all add up to be so frustrating, some may be turned off by the idea of therapy altogether. Talkspace's subscription model simplifies the process of entering therapy, offering four sessions a month for a flat fee. You will be matched with a therapist who can meet your needs based on information you share during the intake process, including setting you up with a provider who can treat eating disorders. You can opt to have your weekly sessions either through text messaging or video sessions. 

While we appreciate the convenience Talkspace offers, the company has been embroiled in public controversy over allegations of client data misuse. Read through its privacy policies (a wise practice for any therapy platform you use) to ensure this platform is the right fit for you. 

Talkspace offers therapy either through unlimited messaging with a licensed therapist or weekly 45-minute therapy sessions. Additionally, you can work with a psychiatrist on a pay-per-session basis. While this deviates from the platform’s subscription model, you can opt to bundle sessions to streamline your treatment planning. 

To ensure you get the most out of your treatment, we recommend opting for the weekly 45-minute therapy sessions. Talkspace has plenty of clinicians on staff who specialize in treating eating disorders, so if you don’t connect with the first one you meet, don’t be afraid to switch to a new one. That being said, 50% of surveyed users haven’t had to switch therapists and 30% have had to do so just once. 

Talkspace offers four different therapy plans:

• Unlimited messaging with a licensed therapist: $276 a month
• Unlimited messaging and weekly 45-minute therapy sessions: $396 a month
• Unlimited messaging, weekly 45-minute therapy sessions, and access to weekly mental health workshops: $436 a month
• Unlimited messaging and weekly 45-minute sessions for couples: $436 a month

Psychiatry services are paid per session, with the first evaluation costing $299 and all subsequent sessions costing $175.

Talkspace is in-network with major insurance companies including Cigna, Oscar, and Aetna. 

Ninety-seven percent of users stated Talkspace beats out other services they’ve used in the past. Seventy-five percent would return to the platform if they needed to find a new therapist again and 90% were impressed with the diversity of providers. Another 92% gave the therapist qualifications a positive rating from good to excellent. Eighteen percent of our 105 surveyed users of Talkspace reported that they were seeking help with an eating disorder—one of the highest percentages across all 55 companies we researched.

Our Talkspace tester appreciated the speed of the therapist matching process, noting that “for me, it took less than an hour for Talkspace to match me, which impressed me.” However, she experienced disruptive technical difficulties during her sessions, explaining that “when I initially began my video session, I noticed the video was lagging, and the audio made a crackling noise. The audio and video quality remained the same during my full session, though the video was not blurry. I felt distracted by the technical issues.”

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of therapy that focuses on changing unhealthy reactions to triggers by shifting negative thought patterns. This evidence-based practice is considered a first-line treatment option for those experiencing eating disorders, including bulimia and binge-eating disorder. With this in mind, it’s very important to find a therapist specializing in CBT and who has extensive experience treating eating disorders. Enter Zencare, a BIPOC-founded online directory that is dedicated to connecting individuals to therapists that provide quality care. We appreciate the variety of search filters that include options to search specifically for therapists who use CBT as their preferred approach and who specialize in eating disorders. 

If you need to tailor your search based on your budget, be sure to click the session fee tab. From there, you will see an option to edit your search based on fee. This applies even if you're paying out-of-pocket.

Furthermore, Zencare has plenty of resources on its website that can help therapy-seekers navigate the process of finding a therapist. Topics include how paying for therapy works, the different kinds of mental health providers available, and how to make an appointment with a therapist. Zencare does vet some of its therapists, but not all. You can tell who has been vetted by the company by a badge on their profile reading “Zencare Vetted.”

Zencare features providers offering online and in-person therapy for individuals, couples, children, teens, and families in all 50 states. Some clinicians also provide medication management and you can even seek out life coaching through the directory. 

Since this is a directory and not a therapy platform, you will need to reach out to each provider individually to confirm pricing and availability. 

Zencare is free to use for the therapy seeker. However, session fees vary by provider and service rendered. Not all providers take insurance and the plans they’re in-network with will also vary. Luckily, you can book a free consultation call with Zencare clinicians to get all of these details ironed out.

Seventy-four percent of Zencare users surveyed found the process of finding a therapist that met their needs to be easy or very easy. In fact, 71% of users stated the therapist they found met all of their needs. It was a bit of a process for half of the users; 51% needed to reach out to multiple therapists to confirm their availability. Six percent of the 180 users of Zencare we surveyed were looking for help with an eating disorder.

One of our Zencare testers appreciated the directory’s simple and straightforward approach to care, reporting that “Zencare believes in cost transparency and requires every therapist to include cost under their biographical information.” She notes that this “bodes well for users who, like me, need to know the price tag before agreeing to meet a therapist.” She emphasized that “the numerous search filters on the site reflect the company’s mission to make high-quality, well-matched therapists available to all,” and even told us that “the moment I landed on Zencare’s site, I knew I was in good hands.”

Interpersonal psychotherapy is a form of brief talk therapy that focuses on the social and relational aspects of eating disorders. It works because within the experience of having an eating disorder, there are relationships, scenarios, and circumstances that led to the eating disorder developing and being maintained—so this type of therapy helps you develop tools that you can use to navigate life in recovery with all of these aspects in mind. That’s why we recommend the providers on Grow Therapy, who specialize in providing interpersonal psychotherapy and who treat eating disorders.

Grow Therapy is a platform that makes finding quality in-person and online therapy easier by accepting a wide range of insurance plans. It offers a unique model by supporting independent therapists through helping them get credentialed with insurance companies and providing administrative help. In turn, this allows the platform to feature various therapists who accept insurance and have a diverse range of specializations. 

While this does mean that pricing isn’t consistent across all providers, the pros outweigh the cons since Grow Therapy is ultimately increasing accessibility to treatment for therapy seekers, including for those living with eating disorders. But we wish the search filters on Grow Therapy were more detailed. You cannot filter your search based on therapy modality, which makes the search process a bit cumbersome. 

Grow Therapy offers therapy for individuals, couples, children, and adolescents. Some providers also offer medication management services. Providers have a wide range of specialties, including eating disorders, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and working with LGBTQIA+ individuals. 

To learn more about the specific treatment modality each provider uses, you’ll have to head to their profile. Along with interpersonal psychotherapy, other commonly used modalities include cognitive behavioral therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and dialectical behavioral therapy. 

Pricing for treatment at Grow Therapy varies widely and is dependent upon the provider. Grow Therapy providers are in-network with major insurance companies, including Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, Humana, and UnitedHealthcare. You’ll be prompted to identify the insurance company you use when beginning your search to ensure your search results show therapists within your network.

Eighty-two percent of Grow Therapy users surveyed gave the platform a positive rating. Sixteen percent of those we reached out to sought treatment for an eating disorder and 71% stated their provider met most, if not all, of their needs. Seventy-five percent of users were especially impressed with the therapist qualifications amongst providers on the site.

Our Grow Therapy tester was impressed with her first therapist, noting that she “was professional; she listened, and then responded with thoughtful answers.” Our tester especially liked that her therapist “did not suggest she could solve my problem, but did provide practical suggestions I could put into place immediately,” and shared that “I found her helpful and, had I been looking for a long-term therapist, I would have been happy to continue with her.” 

When it comes to adolescents experiencing anorexia, family-based treatment is considered a critical aspect of one’s overall recovery. This is also beginning to ring true for young people suffering from bulimia, with mounting evidence suggesting that treating the whole family system is what leads to lasting healing. This type of therapy doesn’t put the onus on the individual struggling with the eating disorder; instead, it involves the entire family system in the healing process, providing support to the person struggling with an eating disorder and examining the ways in which the family is affected and how they can help. Equip specializes in family-based treatment for people of all ages. 

Kristina Saffran and Erin Parks, PhD, founded Equip in 2019, influenced by their own experiences with family-based treatment as young people. This personal connection to eating disorder recovery is evident within the treatment model: Every patient will work with a peer mentor who has recovered from an eating disorder and every family will work with a parent who has supported their child through eating disorder recovery.

Equip offers one standard treatment program. For the first four months, the family is in weekly treatment with a therapist, dietitian, and medical provider. Additionally, the family and the patient have separate peer mentors to serve as supporters and emblems of hope that recovery is possible. After the first four months, treatment will then shift into eight months of relapse prevention and skill development. 

Equip providers include clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, psychologists, nurse practitioners, psychiatrists, registered dietitians, family mentors, and peer mentors.

Equip's prices are not available without calling for a consultation. However, Equip is also in-network with major insurance providers such as Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Regence, and Optum. 

We have not yet been able to survey Equip users. However, we are impressed by the organization’s robust clinical team, unique treatment model, and positive press received thus far and so felt like it deserved a place on our list. 

“Family support is often the key to eating disorder treatment,” said Owens, “and understanding the patient’s struggle and how the family system can help the person living with the eating disorder is essential. Additionally, examining how family relationships are affected by the eating disorder can help family members address their feelings and move forward with treatment in a healthy and open way.”