This page explains the philosophy behind my trauma-informed, shame-free approach to therapy — and how it shapes the way I work with adults navigating eating disorders, trauma, anxiety, and emotional burnout.
I don’t believe people need to be fixed.
I believe they need to be understood, supported, and met with honesty and care.
My philosophy is grounded in the understanding that eating disorders, trauma responses, anxiety, and burnout do not happen in a vacuum. They develop in bodies and nervous systems shaped by lived experience, culture, power, and survival.
Therapy, as I practice it, is not about control, compliance, or perfection. It’s about creating enough safety and clarity for meaningful change to become possible.
I see symptoms as signals, not failures
I view symptoms as intelligent responses to overwhelming conditions – not evidence that something is wrong with you.
Eating disorder behaviors, trauma responses, anxiety, and overcontrol often begin as ways to cope, survive, or maintain some sense of safety or order. They may no longer be serving you – but they once did.
This perspective shapes how I work. We don’t shame symptoms or rush to remove them. We work to understand what they’ve been doing for you, and what you might need instead.
What this means in practice
In sessions, this philosophy looks like:
- A collaborative, non-hierarchical relationship
- Clear, direct communication without pressure or sugarcoating
- Respect for your autonomy and pacing
- Attention to nervous system safety and capacity
- Willingness to name systemic harm and context where it matters
I don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach, and I don’t rely on rigid protocols without considering the person in front of me. Clinical skill matters — and so does attunement.
Inclusivity & individual context in therapy
What I can offer is a commitment to seeing you as an individual — not a diagnosis, not a stereotype, and not a problem to be fixed. Therapy here is grounded in respect for your autonomy, your context, and the many ways people adapt to survive. There is no single “right” way to heal, and meaningful change looks different for different people.
Much of my formal training has been grounded in traditional models of recovery. At the same time, I practice with an awareness that many dominant narratives about mental health and eating disorders are incomplete — and that the myths surrounding them persist, even when we know they’re not accurate.
I believe ethical therapy requires ongoing reflection, humility, and a willingness to question bias — both personal and systemic. People come to therapy with vastly different histories, identities, bodies, resources, and constraints, and no single model or pathway can account for that complexity.
I work with openness and non-judgment, and I aim to provide care that is responsive rather than prescriptive. This includes being attentive to how power, access, culture, and lived experience shape both distress and recovery.
I also recognize the limits of my own lived experience. As a white, cisgender woman with access to education and resources, there are realities I have not personally lived. That awareness matters. It informs how I listen, how I stay curious, and how I remain accountable to continued learning rather than assuming expertise over experiences that are not mine.
Evidence-based, without being rigid
My work is grounded in evidence-based approaches, including evidence-based care, trauma-informed frameworks, and eating-disorder-specific treatment models like DBT, RODBT, and MSC.
At the same time, I’m attentive to how these approaches land in real bodies and real lives. Evidence matters – and so does discernment. We adapt tools to fit your nervous system, your context, and your goals.
Fit and ethical care
This philosophy also means being honest about fit.
Therapy with me may not be a good match if you’re looking for meal plans, weight-focused treatment, or a highly directive, compliance-based approach. My work centers dignity, collaboration, and long-term change rather than quick fixes.
If outpatient therapy isn’t the right level of care, I’ll talk that through with you and help you consider appropriate next steps.
If this approach resonates with you, the next step is a free 15-minute consult.
We can talk about what you’re dealing with, what you’re looking for, and whether working together makes sense.
The most important thing is that the client connects with and trusts the therapist they are working with in order to get the most out of the therapy process.
More about me, or you can email information@windoverwater.net
Eating Disorder Care
As a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist–Consultant (CEDS-C), I’ve worked with individuals navigating eating disorders since 1997. My approach to eating disorder care centers recovery that is sustainable and integrated into real life — not recovery at the expense of everything else.
I see eating disorder symptoms as meaningful responses to underlying needs, not problems to be managed in isolation. My work focuses not only on reducing symptoms, but on understanding the contexts, patterns, and experiences that shaped them.
I am Health at Every Size®–informed and actively work to address weight stigma in eating disorder treatment and healthcare. Care here does not rely on body size, weight targets, or narrow definitions of recovery.
Values that guide my work
Three values consistently guide my work as a therapist:
- Genuineness
- Knowledge
- Compassion
- Candor
- Creativity
These values shape how I show up in the room – how I think, how I listen, and how I adapt care to the person in front of me. You might also want to check out the blog on CIRCA – the therapy framework that I follow that helps focus sessions.
Approach & modalities
My work is grounded in evidence-based approaches, including DBT-informed care, RO-DBT, trauma-focused therapies, self-compassion–based work, and mindfulness practices.
Rather than applying protocols rigidly, I use these frameworks flexibly — guided by clinical judgment, nervous system capacity, and the individual’s goals and context.
If this philosophy resonates with you, the next step is a free 15-minute consult.
We can talk about what you’re dealing with, what you’re looking for, and whether working together makes sense.
If you’re looking for shame-free, evidence-based eating disorder therapy…