Unlike many therapists who specialize in eating disorders, my background didn’t start in psychology or social work, it began in kinesiology, the study of human movement. At first, I worried that my exercise science training wouldn’t translate into the therapy room, but I quickly realized it was a strength. This foundation gives me a unique, science-based understanding of the body, the impact of movement, and how exercise shapes both physical and mental well-being.

As someone who is also a two-time Ironman finisher, I deeply understand how sports and exercise can become a central part of identity and self-worth. For many athletes, the relationship with exercise is complex: it can be a source of strength, connection, and joy, but it can also be tangled up with pressure, perfectionism, or disordered eating patterns.

I believe wholeheartedly that exercise and sport can remain a meaningful, healthy part of life during recovery. Physical activity, when approached with balance, not only supports the body but also uplifts the mind, fosters connection, and helps us engage more fully with the world around us.

It is possible to heal your relationship with exercise. My role is to walk alongside you as you reclaim that connection, helping you find a sustainable, life-giving way to move your body that honors both your health and your recovery.

Talking about food, body image, and health can feel incredibly vulnerable when you live in a larger body. You may have faced comments, judgment, or shame for much of your life, and those experiences leave a lasting impact. The truth is, much of what our culture teaches about people in larger bodies is inaccurate, but the stigma is very real.

Often, harsh comments or biases are framed as “concern for health.” But beneath that, we know what’s really happening: weight stigma. In fact, people in larger bodies face more discrimination than nearly any other group in the U.S. Unlike other marginalized identities, many find themselves more isolated, without the same built-in communities of support.

As one quote puts it:
“We don’t fear becoming fat because fat is unhealthy… We fear becoming fat because of how our society treats those in fat bodies.”

Health is far more complex than a number on a scale. Markers like fruit and vegetable intake, regular physical activity, stress levels, sleep, and social support often give us a better picture of well-being than body size ever could.

So if it isn’t really about health, what is it about? Too often, it’s about profit. Diet culture and beauty industries thrive when we feel insecure, because when we believe we aren’t enough, we’re more likely to spend money on diets, apps, programs, supplements, or products that promise to “fix” us. Sadly, these cycles of restriction and rebound eating often increase distress (and sometimes even body size) over time.

The alternative is possible: making peace with food, your body, and yourself. You deserve freedom from yo-yo dieting, body shame, and the constant mental load of worrying about food or appearance.

If body image struggles or the stigma you’ve experienced are interfering with your ability to live fully, I would be honored to support you. Together, we can work toward building a more compassionate, empowered relationship with both food and your body.

Sometimes an eating disorder can make the mind more obsessive. Other times, an obsessive mind can fuel an eating disorder. Either way, there is a path toward healing.

Obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors often feel like they reduce anxiety in the short term:

“I planned for every scenario, so nothing can surprise me, right?”

“I washed my hands enough, so I won’t get sick, right?”

“I ate perfectly today, so now I’ll be healthy, right?”

“I exercised for two hours, so I’m good now, right?”

The relief these patterns bring is real - but temporary. Over time, the “solution” becomes the problem.

“What if there’s a scenario I didn’t prepare for? “

“If I washed my hands 40 times today, wouldn’t 50 be safer?”

“If I ate cleanly today, how can I be even stricter tomorrow?”

The cycle builds until life feels consumed by anxiety and rules.

What once felt protective begins to take away joy. Hands cracked from over-washing, eating so restricted that social life disappears, exercise so constant that relationships suffer; the very things meant to bring health and safety end up making life smaller and more painful.

The good news is, there is hope. The gold-standard treatment for OCD is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). In therapy, we build an exposure hierarchy together, starting with challenges that feel difficult but manageable. You always decide what feels realistic to begin with. Step by step, the “impossible” becomes possible, and anxiety no longer controls your choices.

Recovery is about finding freedom: freedom from rules, freedom from fear, and the ability to reclaim the things that truly matter - connection, joy, and peace with your mind and body.

Perfectionism and people-pleasing often walk hand in hand with eating disorders. When our main priority is making others happy, we can lose touch with our authentic self, and that’s when diet culture and external pressures prey most on our insecurities. We bend and shape ourselves to meet impossible standards, only to feel more unfulfilled, insecure, and alone.

It can feel like perfectionism protects us — that if we meet every expectation, we’ll be safe from judgment or rejection. But in reality, perfectionism traps us. The more control we try to exert over food and our bodies, the less control we actually have. The more our true sense of self erodes.

Letting go of perfectionism and people-pleasing can feel terrifying. Perfectionism provides a false sense of security, like a protective shield. But it’s a paradox: the more we loosen our grip, the freer and more in control we actually become.

Imagine being caught in a rip current. If you fight against it, you exhaust yourself and increase your risk of drowning. The safest option is to release control, let the current carry you, and then swim to shore once you’re free. Life works the same way. The more we resist, the more stuck we feel. But when we learn to let go, adapt, and ride the waves, we conserve energy and open up new possibilities for growth and connection.

We cannot control others, and learning to accept this often strengthens our relationships instead of straining them. Through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO-DBT), we can shift from rigidity and control toward flexibility, self-compassion, and authenticity.

If perfectionism and people-pleasing are keeping you trapped, therapy can help you find a new way forward, one that feels freer, fuller, and more sustainable.