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Telehealth • DC, Maryland & Virginia • Insurance Accepted

Eating Disorders & Body Image Care

At Mendem Integrative Psychiatry, we provide thoughtful, evidence-based care for individuals struggling with eating disorders, disordered eating, body image distress, emotional eating, and the mental health challenges that often accompany them. Our approach combines psychiatry, lifestyle medicine, trauma-informed care, and principles of functional psychiatry to support healing beyond food and weight alone.

Image by Henrik Dønnestad

You Are More Than a Number on a Scale

Eating disorders and body image struggles can quietly impact every area of life — relationships, confidence, physical health, concentration, mood, sleep, and emotional well-being. Many individuals feel trapped in cycles of restriction, binge eating, obsessive thoughts about food, compulsive exercise, shame, or anxiety surrounding appearance.

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At Mendem, care is approached with compassion, curiosity, and respect. We work to understand the emotional, biological, lifestyle, and environmental factors contributing to your symptoms while helping you build a healthier relationship with food, movement, and yourself.

Conditions We Commonly Support

Eating Disorders

Body Image & Related Concerns

  • Negative body image

  • Weight and appearance-related anxiety

  • Obsessive calorie tracking or food rules

  • Exercise guilt or compulsive exercise

  • Perfectionism

  • Shame related to eating or appearance
     

Mental Health Conditions That Commonly Overlap

  • Anxiety Disorders

  • Major Depressive Disorder

  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

  • Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

  • Trauma-related symptoms

  • Low self-esteem

  • Burnout and chronic stress

Textured Blue Surface

Our Approach to Eating Disorder Care

Whole-Person Psychiatry

 

Mental health symptoms rarely occur in isolation. Eating disorders and body image concerns may be influenced by:

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  • Trauma and nervous system dysregulation

  • Chronic stress and cortisol imbalance

  • Sleep disruption

  • Nutritional deficiencies

  • Perfectionism and high achievement pressure

  • Hormonal fluctuations

  • Social media and cultural pressures

  • Anxiety, depression, or ADHD symptoms

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Treatment may include a combination of:

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  • Psychiatric evaluation and medication management

  • Supportive psychotherapy

  • Lifestyle psychiatry strategies

  • Nervous system regulation techniques

  • Functional lab evaluation when appropriate

Functional & Lifestyle Psychiatry Considerations

For individuals interested in a deeper integrative approach, we may discuss areas such as:

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  • Iron and ferritin status

  • Vitamin D deficiency

  • Sleep quality and circadian rhythm health

  • Stress physiology and cortisol patterns

  • Gut health considerations

  • Movement and exercise balance

  • Nutritional adequacy

  • Substance use impacts on mood and appetite

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Our philosophy is simple:

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Test. Don't Guess.

Image by Steve A Johnson

Body Image Healing

Body image healing is not about achieving perfection. It is about learning to experience your body with greater safety, neutrality, respect, and compassion.

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Treatment may focus on:

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  • Reducing obsessive thoughts about food or appearance

  • Improving emotional regulation

  • Building sustainable self-care habits

  • Decreasing shame and self-criticism

  • Reconnecting with identity outside of appearance

  • Supporting confidence and resilience

Care for Teens & Adults

We work with:

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  • Teens struggling with food restriction, binge eating, or body image concerns

  • College students navigating stress and appearance pressure

  • Adults experiencing chronic dieting cycles

  • Women impacted by hormonal changes, pregnancy, or postpartum body image shifts

  • Individuals recovering from trauma-related eating behaviors

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Telepsychiatry allows individuals to receive care privately and conveniently from home.

Frequently Asked Questions

Thoughtful answers to help you better understand our approach to eating disorder recovery, body image healing, and integrative psychiatric care.

  • Medication may be considered when appropriate to support symptoms such as anxiety, depression, obsessive thoughts, binge eating behaviors, or mood instability. Treatment recommendations are individualized and discussed collaboratively.

  • Supportive psychotherapy is incorporated into psychiatric care. Many patients also benefit from ongoing work with a therapist specializing in eating disorders, trauma, or body image healing.

  • Our approach prioritizes mental, emotional, and physical well-being rather than appearance-based goals alone. We focus on sustainable health, emotional wellness, and nervous system stability.

  • For some individuals, additional laboratory testing may help identify nutritional, inflammatory, hormonal, or metabolic factors contributing to mood, fatigue, anxiety, or eating-related symptoms.

  • Virtual psychiatry can provide accessible support, medication management, psychoeducation, and care coordination. Individuals requiring higher levels of care may also be referred to specialized eating disorder programs when medically necessary.

Healing Your Relationship with Food, Mind, and Body Starts Here

You do not have to navigate eating disorder recovery or body image struggles alone. Mendem Integrative Psychiatry provides compassionate telepsychiatry care designed to support both mental and physical well-being through a personalized, integrative approach.

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