Eating Disorder Psychiatrist for Women in Pennsylvania
Online Psychiatry for Eating Disorders
Eating disorders can show up in many ways: constant thoughts about food, weight, or body shape; rigid rules around eating; episodes of eating that feel out of control; guilt or shame after meals; or a sense that food has become a way to manage difficult emotions. For many women, these patterns develop gradually and can be hidden, even from the people closest to them.
Eating disorders often exist alongside anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, or trauma, and they can be affected by life stages such as pregnancy, the postpartum period, and perimenopause. Because of this, recovery works best when care addresses the whole person, not just eating behaviors.
At Sunstone Psychiatry, our eating disorder psychiatrists provide individualized, compassionate psychiatric care for women throughout Pennsylvania, working in collaboration with your broader treatment team. Our goal is to help you understand what you’re experiencing, treat co-occurring conditions, and support you on a sustainable path toward recovery.
What Are Eating Disorders?
Eating disorders are serious but treatable mental health conditions that affect a person’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors around food, eating, and body image. They can affect women of any age, background, or body size. You don’t have to look a certain way or be at a certain weight to be struggling, and you don’t have to be “sick enough” to deserve care.
Many women with eating disorders also experience anxiety, depression, or OCD, and these conditions can make eating disorder symptoms harder to manage. Hormonal shifts and major life changes, including pregnancy, the postpartum period, and perimenopause, can also bring new or returning concerns about food and body image.
Treatment for Eating Disorders
Recovery is possible. Effective treatment usually involves a coordinated team, often including a therapist, a registered dietitian, a primary care physician, and a psychiatrist, each supporting a different part of your health. At Sunstone Psychiatry for Women, our eating disorder psychiatrists can work with your care team to ensure seamless support.
Common Signs & Symptoms of an Eating Disorder
- Frequent, intrusive thoughts about food, weight, or body shape
- Strict food rules or avoiding entire groups of foods out of fear or anxiety
- Episodes of eating that feel out of control, followed by guilt or shame
- Using food, or avoiding it, to cope with stress or difficult emotions
- Feeling anxious about eating in front of others
- Self-worth that feels closely tied to weight or appearance
- Physical changes such as fatigue, dizziness, or changes in your menstrual cycle
When to Seek Treatment for an Eating Disorder
Many people have complicated feelings about food and their bodies. When thoughts about eating, weight, or body image take up a lot of your time or energy, affect your health or relationships, or feel difficult to change on your own, it’s a good time to reach out. The earlier eating disorders are addressed, the better the outcomes tend to be. A psychiatric evaluation can help clarify what you’re experiencing, identify any co-occurring conditions, and determine the mental health treatment and level of care that best fit your needs. At Sunstone, our eating disorder psychiatrists work with you and your care team to create a fully customized treatment plan.
Eating-Related Concerns We Treat
Our team provides psychiatric evaluation, medication management, and coordinated outpatient care for a range of eating-related concerns, including:
Binge Eating Disorder
Bulimia Nervosa
Anorexia Nervosa
ARFID (Avoidant/ Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)
Disordered Eating With Anxiety, Depression, or OCD
Eating & Body Image Concerns Across Life Stages
Support for new or returning struggles with food and body image during pregnancy, the postpartum period, and perimenopause.
Body Dysmorphia
Disordered Eating
How Sunstone Can Help
Our approach to eating disorder psychiatry in Pennsylvania begins with understanding your history, your current symptoms, and the support you already have in place. From there, we develop a personalized treatment plan that reflects your needs and goals.
01
Psychiatric Evaluation
A comprehensive, non-judgmental psychiatric evaluation where we talk through your relationship with food, your mental and physical health history, and what daily life has felt like for you.
02
Treatment Planning
We'll help determine the level of care that's right for you. If medication is clinically appropriate, we'll review options together, and we'll coordinate with your therapist, dietitian, and primary care physician or help you build that team.
03
Continued Care
We monitor your progress, adjust treatment when needed, and stay in communication with your care team so your treatment continues to reflect your changing needs over time. Throughout treatment, you'll have time to ask questions, discuss your concerns, and participate in decisions about your care. Recovery isn't a straight line, and your treatment plan can change with you.
Eating Disorder Psychiatry FAQs
What does an eating disorder psychiatrist do?
An eating disorder psychiatrist evaluates and treats the mental health side of an eating disorder, including co-occurring conditions such as anxiety, depression, or OCD. Psychiatrists can prescribe and manage medication when appropriate and help determine the right level of care. We work alongside therapists, dietitians, and primary care physicians as part of a coordinated team.
How do I know if my relationship with food is an eating disorder?
If thoughts about food, eating, weight, or body image are taking up significant time and energy, or affecting your health, mood, or relationships, it’s worth talking to a professional. Eating disorders affect people of every body size, and you don’t need a formal diagnosis to ask for help. Learn more about eating disorder signs and symptoms.
Is outpatient psychiatry enough to treat an eating disorder?
Do I need a therapist or a dietitian in addition to a psychiatrist?
In most cases, yes. Eating disorder recovery works best with a team that typically includes a a specialized therapist, a registered dietitian, and a primary care physician. If you already have providers, we’ll coordinate with them. If not, we can help you think through the next steps.
Can medication help with an eating disorder?
Medication can be a helpful part of treatment for some eating disorders and for co-occurring anxiety, depression, or OCD, but it isn’t a stand-alone treatment. If appropriate, we’ll discuss options, benefits, and possible side effects with you before starting anything. Learn more about our psychiatry and medication management services.
Can pregnancy, the postpartum period, or perimenopause affect eating disorder symptoms?
Yes. Body changes, hormonal shifts, and the stress of major life transitions can bring up new eating concerns or cause past symptoms to return. We offer care that considers these life stages and supports you through them. Discover how our perinatal and postpartum psychiatry can help.
Is your practice accepting new patients, and how do I schedule an appointment?
Yes, we are currently accepting new patients. To begin, submit our secure online inquiry form. After reviewing your submission, we’ll email you with instructions for completing the intake process and booking your appointment.
Do you offer telepsychiatry for eating disorders, and can I receive care if I live outside Pennsylvania?
We provide outpatient telepsychiatry services but require patients to be physically located in Pennsylvania during appointments. Because eating disorders can affect physical health, we’ll also ask that you have a primary care physician who can complete in-person monitoring as needed. If you’re outside Pennsylvania, we unfortunately cannot offer care at this time. Learn more about our online psychiatry services.
What makes Sunstone Psychiatry for Women different from other eating disorder treatment options?
Our women-led practice understands how hormonal health, reproductive experiences, and life stages can shape a woman’s relationship with food and her body. We provide individualized psychiatric care that works hand in hand with your broader treatment team. Learn more about our team.
What if I am in crisis or experiencing an emergency?
Sunstone Psychiatry for Women does not provide emergency or crisis services. If you are experiencing a psychiatric or medical emergency, including fainting, chest pain, a racing or irregular heartbeat, or thoughts of self-harm, please call 911, go to your nearest emergency room, or contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Our practice is designed for outpatient care and ongoing management rather than urgent crises.
Eating Disorder Recovery Can Start Here
An eating disorder can make it feel like food and your body are always on your mind, leaving little room for anything else. When these thoughts and patterns become difficult to manage on your own, you deserve care that is compassionate, free of judgment, and considers the full picture of your life.
At Sunstone Psychiatry for Women, we take a thoughtful, individualized approach to eating disorder psychiatry and work with you and your care team to create a path forward that feels realistic and sustainable. Wherever you are in your relationship with food, we’re here to help you take the next step.
Let’s get you started. We’re here to help.
Whether you’re navigating anxiety, hormonal shifts, or the challenges of the peripartum and perimenopausal years — or simply feeling overwhelmed — Sunstone Psychiatry for Women is here for you.
have questions before submitting an inquiry form?
If you’re unsure whether our practice may be a good fit, we’re happy to answer questions before you complete an inquiry form.