Eating Disorder Treatment

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Eating Disorder Treatment on the Gold Coast

Comprehensive, evidence-based treatment integrating psychology and dietetics — for genuine, lasting recovery.

Dandelion seed head drifting free — eating disorder treatment on the Gold Coast
What is an eating disorder?

At Vitality Unleashed Psychology, our in-house eating disorder service provides considered, evidence-based treatment for individuals struggling with eating disorders and feeding disorders. Eating disorders — such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder — often involve distorted body image, disordered eating behaviours, and significant emotional distress. We also treat Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), a feeding disorder that impacts nutritional intake due to sensory sensitivities, fear of adverse consequences, or lack of interest in food.

Our comprehensive approach integrates both psychological therapy and dietetic support, addressing the emotional, behavioural, and nutritional factors essential for recovery. Our experienced psychologists help individuals understand and work through the underlying psychological drivers of their disorder, while our in-house Accredited Practising Dietitian provides tailored nutritional support to rebuild a healthy relationship with food.

We offer individual therapy, structured treatment plans, and psychometric assessment, delivered in person at our Gold Coast practice and online via telehealth, to help individuals regain control, confidence, and well-being on their journey to recovery.

Types we treat

Eating & feeding disorders, across all ages

We provide a collaborative treatment approach across a range of presentations. Select each to read more.

Anorexia Nervosa+

A serious and potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterised by severe food restriction, an intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted body image. Individuals with anorexia often:

✦Engage in extreme dieting, fasting, or excessive exercise to maintain a low body weight
✦Have an intense fear of weight gain, even when underweight
✦Experience body dysmorphia, seeing themselves as overweight despite being underweight
✦Engage in food rituals such as cutting food into tiny pieces, avoiding eating in public, or counting calories obsessively
✦Suffer serious health complications, including malnutrition, heart issues, osteoporosis, and hormonal imbalances
Bulimia Nervosa+

Marked by cycles of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviours such as purging, fasting, or excessive exercise. Individuals with bulimia may:

✦Consume large amounts of food in a short period, feeling out of control
✦Engage in self-induced vomiting, laxative abuse, diuretics, or fasting to prevent weight gain
✦Experience intense guilt and shame after binge episodes
✦Maintain a normal or fluctuating weight, making the disorder harder to detect
✦Suffer complications such as electrolyte imbalances, gastrointestinal issues, dental erosion, and heart problems
Binge Eating Disorder (BED)+

The most common eating disorder, involving frequent episodes of excessive food consumption, often triggered by emotional distress. Unlike bulimia, individuals with BED do not engage in purging behaviours. Symptoms include:

✦Eating large quantities of food quickly, often to the point of discomfort
✦Feeling out of control during binge episodes
✦Experiencing intense shame, guilt, or distress after eating
✦Eating alone or in secret due to embarrassment
✦Struggling with weight fluctuations and associated health risks such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease
Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorders (OSFED)+

A category that includes disordered eating behaviours that do not fully meet the diagnostic criteria for other eating disorders but still require treatment. Common presentations include:

✦Atypical anorexia — meeting all criteria for anorexia but not being underweight
✦Purging disorder — purging behaviours (e.g. vomiting, laxatives) without binge eating
✦Night eating syndrome — consuming a significant amount of food during night-time hours
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)+

A feeding disorder that differs from eating disorders as it is not driven by body-image concerns. Individuals with ARFID may avoid food due to:

✦Sensory sensitivities, such as extreme texture, taste, or smell aversions
✦Fear of choking, vomiting, or other negative consequences of eating
✦Lack of interest in food, leading to inadequate nutrition and weight loss
✦Nutrient deficiencies that can impact growth, energy levels, and overall health

Eating disorders are typically not just about trying to be “skinny” or “thin”; there is often a great deal of psychological underpinning to the behaviour — particularly the eating disorder being used as a way to regulate distressing emotions, form an identity, achieve social acceptance, or self-punish, among other functions. Our therapy works with each client on the specific functions of their eating disorder to support recovery.

In Australia

Eating disorders are a significant public health concern

1.1M
Australians (4.5%) currently living with an eating disorder
10.5%
will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime (2.7M+ people)
27%
of those affected are aged 19 or younger (up from 15% in 2012)
8.4%
of women & 2.2% of men affected in their lifetime
$67B
annual social & economic cost (~$60,700 per person)
Our approach

Comprehensive, integrated & multidisciplinary

Experienced psychologists

Extensive experience treating eating disorders with research-backed interventions — CBT-E, Family Based Treatment (FBT), DBT, Schema Therapy and ACT.

Dietitian-supported recovery

Our in-house Accredited Practising Dietitian, Tegan Tudor, provides individualised nutrition therapy — restoring balanced eating while reducing food-related anxiety, and developing intuitive eating skills.

Assessment & monitoring

We use evidence-based psychometric assessment to guide treatment, assess progress, and tailor interventions, drawing on an extensive in-house testing library.

In-person & telehealth

Face-to-face appointments at our Gold Coast practice, as well as secure telehealth sessions Australia-wide.

Evidence-based treatments

Therapies we may draw on

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT / CBT-E)+
A leading treatment for bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, with adapted versions for anorexia nervosa. It focuses on identifying and changing distorted thoughts about food, weight, and body image, while establishing regular eating patterns — using self-monitoring, cognitive restructuring, and gradual exposure to feared foods to break the cycle of restriction, bingeing, and purging.
Family-Based Treatment (FBT / Maudsley)+
One of the most effective treatments for adolescents with anorexia nervosa, and also useful for bulimia nervosa. Parents take an active role in supporting their child’s eating to enable weight restoration and interrupt disordered behaviours. Over time, control is gradually returned to the adolescent, with a focus on long-term recovery and autonomy.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)+
Effective for binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa, especially where emotion regulation is a struggle. DBT teaches four key skills — mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness — helping individuals manage distressing emotions without resorting to bingeing, purging, or restriction.
Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)+
Addresses how relationship conflicts, social isolation, or life transitions contribute to eating disorders. It focuses on identifying problematic interpersonal patterns and improving communication to reduce stress-related disordered eating — particularly effective for binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)+
Helps individuals accept difficult emotions and thoughts without trying to suppress or control them. It promotes mindfulness, self-compassion, and values-based living — encouraging a focus on meaningful life goals rather than rigid dieting or weight control. Beneficial for chronic eating disorders and body-image concerns.
Schema Therapy+
A longer-term therapy that targets deep-rooted maladaptive schemas (core beliefs) formed in childhood that contribute to eating disorders. Particularly useful for chronic presentations, trauma histories, or co-occurring personality difficulties, it helps recognise and reprocess negative schemas (e.g. “I’m not good enough,” “I must be perfect”) through imagery rescripting, reparenting, and cognitive restructuring.

Each therapy is tailored to the individual’s needs to reach their treatment goals in the most effective way possible.

Online therapy

Convenient, effective telehealth

We offer online telehealth eating disorder treatment for clients across Australia. Telehealth has been shown to be as effective as face-to-face therapy for many mental health conditions, allowing you to receive professional support from the comfort of home.

✦Accessible from anywhere in Australia
✦No need to travel for appointments
✦Private and secure video consultations
✦Flexible scheduling options

Take the first step towards recovery

Eating disorders are treatable, especially with early support — and you don’t have to go through it alone. If you’re struggling with an eating disorder or disordered eating, contact us today to book an assessment and start your journey to better health.

Continue exploring

Related support & next steps

Eating Disorder DietitianSpecialist nutrition support alongside therapy.Learn more
Individual TherapyOne-on-one psychology sessions tailored to you.Learn more
Our Dietetics ServicesAccredited Practising Dietitian care on the Gold Coast.Learn more
Psychology Fees & Medicare RebatesFees, Mental Health Care Plans and rebates explained.Learn more
Dietitian Fees & RebatesCosts and rebate options for dietetics.Learn more