What Is Eating Disorder Therapy?
Eating disorders are complex mental health conditions that affect how a person thinks, feels, and behaves around food, eating, and body image. They include diagnoses such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder (BED), and ARFID (avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder), as well as patterns that don't fit neatly into a single category but still cause significant distress or health consequences.
Effective treatment combines evidence-based therapeutic approaches with a clear understanding of the medical and psychological factors that maintain these patterns. The goal is not simply to change eating behaviors in isolation. It is to understand what drives them and to develop a more workable relationship with food, body, and self.
People seek eating disorder therapy for many reasons: a new diagnosis, long-standing patterns they want to address, a relapse, or a feeling that something is off even without a formal label. Therapy is appropriate for teens 16 and up, adults, and college students.
How Erin Approaches Eating Disorder Treatment at Nido Waco
Erin McGinty Fort, MS, MHA, LPC-S, CEDS-S, has worked exclusively in eating disorder treatment for nearly 20 years, across inpatient, residential, and outpatient settings nationwide. The CEDS-S designation, Certified Eating Disorder Specialist Supervisor, is the highest clinical credential in the field and is held by relatively few therapists in Texas.
At Nido Waco, treatment is individualized and draws on CBT, ERP, IFS, and DBT depending on what fits the person and the presentation. Erin also brings specialized training in ARFID, binge eating disorder, and the overlap between eating disorders and OCD, which is more common than many providers recognize. Her former role as Eating Disorder Specialist at Baylor University's Counseling Center means she has direct, practical experience with college-age clients and the pressures that often drive eating concerns in that population.
What to Expect from Eating Disorder Therapy at Nido Waco
Initial Assessment
Ongoing Treatment
Coordination and Continuity
What Eating Disorder Therapy Can Help You Work Toward
Clients working with Erin on eating disorders typically report progress in three areas:
Reduced preoccupation with food and body. The mental bandwidth that eating disorder thoughts consume tends to decrease as treatment progresses, freeing up focus for other parts of life.
More consistent and less distressed eating. Whether that means reducing restriction, stopping binge-purge cycles, or expanding a limited food repertoire, therapy aims at functional, sustainable change.
Clearer understanding of what is driving the pattern. Most eating disorders are not really about food. Understanding what they are about, and addressing that directly, is where lasting change comes from.
Frequently Asked Questions about Eating Disorder Therapy
No. Many people who seek eating disorder therapy do not have a formal diagnosis, and some never will. If your relationship with food, eating, or your body is causing distress or affecting your daily life, that is enough reason to reach out.
Nido Waco is a private pay practice. If you have out-of-network benefits through your insurance plan, you may be able to apply them toward sessions. Erin can provide a superbill to support that process.
Yes. Erin works with clients ages 16 and up. Parents of younger teens are welcome to reach out to discuss whether therapy at Nido Waco is a good fit or whether a referral to a different level of care makes more sense.
ARFID, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, is not driven by body image concerns. It typically involves extreme food selectivity, sensory sensitivities, or fear of adverse eating experiences such as choking or vomiting. Treatment approaches for ARFID differ from those used for anorexia or bulimia, and Erin has specific training in this presentation.
That depends on the complexity of the presentation, how long the patterns have been established, and what your goals are. Some clients see meaningful change within a few months. Others work over a longer period. Erin will give you an honest picture of what to expect after the initial assessment.
Start with a Conversation
If you are looking for a therapist with deep, specialized experience in eating disorders, not a generalist who sees the occasional case, this is the right place to start.
Nido Waco Counseling & Consulting
1615 Wooded Acres Dr, Suite CWaco, TX
76710-2863 View Staff & Treatments
