Eating Disorder Therapy for Athletes in New Jersey
Eating Disorder Treatment for Athletic Performance and Recovery
Are you tired of feeling lost and disconnected from your body?
Do you fear losing fitness or strength if you try to get your period back?
Your mind is taken over by thoughts of food and how to properly fuel yourself, but you don’t know what to do.
You want to feel in control again.
The voice takes over that tells you how everything you eat will impact how fast you run. The voice that once made you feel in control, now leads you to this immense fear, your body is changing.
You have tried to listen to the voice, but only feel weak and unsettled, isolated, and alone. Team meals feel confusing and hard as you debate over how certain foods will make you feel.
These thoughts dominate your every day life from school, to work, to practice, to the nonexistent social events that you can't muster up the energy to attend.
What makes athletes more vulnerable to eating disorders?
Athletes face unique pressures that make them significantly more vulnerable to eating disorders. From performance anxiety and body image pressures to restrictive eating patterns driven by weight-class or aesthetic demands, the forces behind eating disorder development in athletes are deeply tied to sport culture itself.
Effective treatment often needs to address the whole person-athlete, individual, and human being-while coordinating care across mental health, sports medicine, and nutrition. Recovering from an eating disorder or disordered eating requires therapy that understands both the competitive mindset and the clinical realities of disordered eating.
You could benefit from eating disorder therapy if you…
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Whether you are on a team, in high school, college, elite, or enjoy being active, you are an athlete. We welcome all shapes, sizes, ages, and abilities!
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You do not need to have an eating disorder to benefit from therapy. We are here to support your unique journey.
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If you are struggling with your relationship with your body, this is the place for you. You no longer need to live with constant anxious over how you look or feel in your own skin.
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So often we feel an extreme amount of pressure to perform at a certain level. Whether this is societal pressure or internal, you deserve to love what you do. We are here to help you walk through the process of falling back in love or letting go.
Why Athletes Need Specialized Eating Disorder Therapy
The risks athletes face are compounded by training environments that normalize restrictive eating, emphasize body weight and set athletes up for relentless pressure to optimize body shape for sports performance. Let’s break down the facts:
About 1 in 4 student athletes have eating disorders
Up to 45% of female athletes struggle with eating disorders
About 35% of NCAA female athletes are at risk for Anorexia Nervosa
Around 19% of male athletes struggle with an eating disorder
Aesthetic sports, such as figure skating, gymnastics and cross country, have higher rates of disordered eating compared to those in other sports.
Health and Performance Impacts
When athletes restrict food intake below what their energy needs are, they enter a state called low energy availability. When low energy availability starts impacting the body, it is called Relative Energy Deficiency in sport (REDs). REDs can lead to:
increased injury risk
loss of period or irregular period
decreased bone density
cardiovascular health complications
impaired immune function (getting sick often)
difficulty recovering from workouts
Beyond medical complications, eating disorders can increase risk of anxiety, depression, obsessive thoughts about food, and reduced self esteem. Athletic performance suffers through reduced muscle strength, impaired recovery and difficulty managing emotions, ultimately threatening the career athletes are trying to protect.
Benefits of Specialized Therapy for Athletes and Eating Disorders
Whether you are an athlete struggling from an eating disorder, feel stress and anxiety around food or your body, or feel out of control around food, therapy can help. Eating disorder therapy for athletes helps you break free from the constant food noise. I work with folks to finally feel freedom and stop obsessing about food and how to perfectly fuel your body.
Health consists of many different factors, including emotional and physical. When working with athletes, I focus on rebuilding your relationship with your whole self. This includes your relationship to movement and your body. Together, we will work through the discomfort of rest and the pleasure of movement. Finding trust with your body and food is just as important as finding peace with how you move.
Why is it important that I talk about my sport during eating disorder recovery?
For athletes, being active or a part of a team is part of recovery. Therefore, talking about having an athletic identity will help you…
feel grounded on game day in order to perform to your highest capability.
gain more physical and emotional energy.
improve concentration and coordination
get back the enjoyment and love that brought you to the field.
allow you the energy to engage with your teammates and feel less isolated and alone.
learn to fuel your body best for your activity level.
gain acceptance of all your body can do for you in your sport, instead of what it looks like.
work through the discomfort of being injured or side-lined.
improve your relationship with your coach and teammates.
decide if you even want to continue your sport!
You are ready for change.
At Serendipity Counseling Services, I understand athletes face unique challenges regarding their mental health and physical well-being. My approach combines individual therapy with a deep understanding of sports culture, ensuring athletes receive the support they need to thrive both in and out of their sport.
Why Choose Serendipity for Eating Disorder Therapy as an Athlete?
Expertise: Hi! I am Kate Ringwood, an eating disorder therapist in Cherry Hill, NJ. I specialize in working with eating disorders, while combining clinical knowledge with an understanding of sports psychology.
Individualized Treatment: Every athlete is unique, which is why I work with you to find goals based on your own values, to address individual needs.
Holistic Approach: I focus on healing the mind and body in unison, promoting overall wellness and peak performance.
Confidentiality: I prioritize privacy and confidentiality, creating a safe space for athletes to explore their challenges and seek support through HIPPA-compliant software.
Collaborative Care: I work closely with coaches, trainers, dietitians, and medical professionals to ensure a comprehensive approach to treatment.
But Starting Eating Disorder Therapy is Scary...
Fear of Change
You know how comfortable we get with our routines, even if they're not the healthiest? Well, imagine having to break away from those routines entirely. It's like stepping into the unknown, and that uncertainty can be really scary, especially when it feels like those routines are the only things keeping me grounded.
Loss of Control
Controlling your intake feels like a way to feel strong. Yet at this point the thing that has made you feel strong, is leaving you feeling out of control. That only makes you want more control and more power and giving up the thing that has made you feel strong, feels way to scary if all you want is that control back.
Body Changes
You have put so much time into trying to make your body smaller. The thought of it changing is absolutely terrifying. You fear that therapy might lead to changes in your body, whether it's gaining weight or losing control over how you look. The uncertainty feels crippling.
Not Sick Enough
Sometimes, you look around and see stories of people who seem to be struggling much more intensely than you. It makes you wonder if you are just overreacting or if your struggles aren't valid enough for therapy. It's this constant comparison game, questioning if you are deserving of help or if you should just tough it out on your own. It's like feeling stuck between feeling like you need help but also feeling like you don't deserve it.
Stigma and Shame
You know how we sometimes worry about what others think of us? Well, imagine that, but multiplied by a hundred. There's this fear of being judged or looked down upon because of something that feels like it's beyond your control. It's like carrying around this heavy weight of shame everywhere you go.
Changes in Performance
You love being active and have put years into getting in shape. You fear that focusing on recovery, could lead to a decrease in speed or strength. Your athletic ability has defined so much of who you are. Taking time off is not something you are comfortable with for so many reasons.
Eating disorder treatment for athletes can help you…
reduce guilt and shame
increase concentration
eliminate black and white thinking
confidence
reduce loneliness and isolation
improve relationships
increase your ability to manage emotions on and off the field
eliminate preoccupation with food
increase coordination
improve sleep
enjoy rest days
decrease compulsive exercise, binging, or purging
enjoy engaging with others or attending social events
cope with injuries or set-backs
Addressing Your Fears as a Competitive Athlete
Will you make me stop my sport?
As a virtual eating disorder therapist, I do not weigh my clients. I do however, often communicate with medical providers who do, but I will always help advocate for blind weights, if weights are needed. Otherwise, I will help you advocate to not get weighed!
Will you weigh me?
My goal as an eating disorder therapist for athletes is to help you improve your relationship with your sport. If you want to keep training, I want you to keep training. If there are high risks for your health, however, I will need to take that into consideration. Some athletes can continue modified training with adjusted volume and expectations, while treatment may require athletes to take a break from sport if medical stability is a concern. Sometimes temporary rest is about protecting your long-term athletic career and physical activity capacity. The goal is always a safe, guided return to the physical activity you love.
Depending on your unique situation, will depend on what I recommend. It is often helpful to have a registered dietitian, along with a therapist to help with recovery. I will always do my best to find someone that I feel would be a good fit for you.
Will I need to see a dietitian?
This is a fear of so many individuals. I cannot promise you that you will gain or lose weight. I can tell you that whatever changes occur, I will be by your side supporting you through the discomfort.
Will I gain weight?
There is no single timeline. Severity, duration of the eating disorder, sport type, age, comorbidities, and readiness for change all influence duration. Rushing the recovery process risks relapse. I emphasize that effective treatment takes time and commitment to be successful and I am here to support you through every phase.
How long does eating disorder therapy for athletes typically take?
Yes! Research shows that collaboration with athletic support teams is important for recovering from an eating disorder in athletes. I offer education and consultation for coaches, trainers and team staff, with your consent. Coaches should emphasize skill over weight and body shape and communication among team members reduces eating disorder risk. My goal is to help your entire support system understand how to recognize warning signs and create an environment that supports eating disorder recovery.
Do you work with coaches and sports teams?
Working with an eating disorder therapist will look like…
First, I want you to feel safe as we work on building a trusting relationship. That is my number one goal in the therapy room.
As we develop trust, we will talk about how you got to this point in your journey. There may not be one root cause that led you here.
We will work together to create attainable goals to work on, in and outside of session.
You will feel compassion and learn to trust yourself.
You will learn how self-compassion and vulnerability can lead to change.
Gaining skills on how to listen to your body and set boundaries with others.
You will see how sitting through hard emotions can lead to less anxiety and overwhelm.
Our Treatment Process for Athletes
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Schedule a free consultation.
Reach out to schedule a free 15-minute time slot with me to chat and see if we are a good fit! Ask me any questions you may have about eating disorder therapy.
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Schedule our first session!
The first session is a time for us to get to know each other. This is a casual conversation about what brought you to eating disorder therapy and what your goals are for our time together.
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Follow up.
Starting therapy is sometimes the hardest part. However, a lot can come up in the beginning that makes it scary to come back. We will start with meeting weekly in order to better build our relationship and work towards your goals, then can move to biweekly if we agree it is best.
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, we're here to help. We offer additional therapy services, such as therapy for runners, family-based therapy, therapy for Relative Energy Deficiency in sport, body image therapy, speaking engagements, and support groups. Contact us today to learn more about our specialized eating disorder therapy for athletes in New Jersey & throughout Pennsylvania.
Still not sure if you need support?
Check out this quick and easy assessment to see how your relationship with food, body, and movement is.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Supporting an athlete with an eating disorder starts with approaching them with compassion rather than focusing on weight, appearance, or performance. Encourage open conversations and connect them with professionals who understand both eating disorders and athletics, such as a therapist, dietitian, and medical provider. Recovery is most effective when the athlete feels supported as a whole person, not just as a performer.
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Eating disorders can significantly impact an athlete’s physical health, mental wellbeing, and performance. Athletes may experience low energy, increased risk of injury, poor recovery, difficulty concentrating, hormonal disruptions, and decreased endurance or strength due to inadequate fueling. Over time, the constant stress around food, body image, and performance can also take the joy out of sport and increase anxiety, burnout, and isolation.
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Eating disorders can negatively affect athletic performance by limiting the body’s ability to properly fuel, recover, and adapt to training. Athletes may notice decreased strength, endurance, focus, coordination, and consistency, along with more frequent injuries, fatigue, and slower recovery times. Even when an athlete appears to be performing well temporarily, underfueling and disordered eating often lead to long-term physical and mental burnout.
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Eating disorders can affect athletes at every level and in every sport, regardless of gender, body size, or ability. They are more common in sports that emphasize appearance, weight, endurance, or performance standards, such as running, gymnastics, wrestling, dance, swimming, and bodybuilding, but any athlete can struggle. Many athletes appear highly successful on the outside, which can make eating disorders harder to recognize and delay getting support.
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Athletes can develop eating disorders for many different reasons, including pressure to perform, body image concerns, perfectionism, comparison, and beliefs about weight affecting success in sport. Sports cultures that emphasize leanness, weight classes, appearance, or “clean eating” can increase the risk, especially when combined with stress, anxiety, injury, or low self-worth. Eating disorders are complex mental health conditions, not a lack of discipline or willpower, and often develop as a way to cope with emotional distress or regain a sense of control.
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Working with me is collaborative, supportive, and direct. I strive to create a space where athletes feel understood beyond their sport while also being gently challenged to move toward recovery, flexibility, and confidence with food, body image, and performance. My approach blends compassion with practical tools so clients can build a healthier relationship with both themselves and their sport.