Eating Disorder Counselor

“Specializing in eating disorders requires continuous training and collaboration with dieticians, physicians, and psychiatrists due to its complexity and the high mortality rates associated with some disorders.”

Eating disorders affect a large share of the population—an estimated 20 million women and 10 million men in America, according to surveys from the National Eating Disorders Association. Eating disorders are caused by a range of biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors, so it sometimes takes someone specifically skilled in the treatment of eating disorders, or possibly even a team of people, to treat them.

Eating disorders can have significant long‑term health consequences, so adequate nutrition is one of the keys to recovery for most people.

Many professionals can offer eating disorder and nutritional counseling, including nurses, doctors, professional counselors, psychologists, registered dietitians, nutritionists, and even physical therapists. The level of education can range based on the profession, but most professionals in this field hold at least a bachelor’s degree.

Nutrition counseling is an ongoing process in which professionals trained in eating disorders and nutrition work with individuals to help them develop or regain a healthy and symptom‑free relationship with food. Much as a mental health counselor addresses the specific needs that a client presents, an eating disorder and nutritional counselor does the same, except usually within the individual’s relationship to food, body image, eating and exercise habits, and whatever else is out of balance.

Read on for more information about career outlook, salary potential, and how to become an eating disorder and nutritional counselor.

Dr. Marianne Miller is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) specializing in treating eating disorders. With more than 25 years of experience as a psychotherapist, she has dedicated her career to helping individuals struggling with eating disorders reclaim their lives and develop healthy relationships with food.

Based in San Diego, Dr. Miller offers in‑person and online therapy sessions, supporting adults and teens in Scripps Ranch, Mira Mesa, and Miramar. She is renowned for her compassionate approach and commitment to providing personalized, evidence‑based treatments.

Dr. Miller’s expertise extends beyond traditional therapy settings. She is an active educator on binge eating, regularly offering her insights and knowledge to wider audiences. This passion for education led her to launch virtual binge eating recovery programs, where she discusses various aspects of eating disorders and shares coping strategies for recovering. Her work continues to impact countless lives, guiding individuals toward recovery and fostering a healthier relationship with food.

Please tell us about a time when you helped a client make a breakthrough in their eating disorder recovery journey.

Dr. Miller: A highly professional female client of mine struggled with binge eating in the afternoon, specifically on what she categorized as “bad food.” We gradually exposed her to this “bad food” (e.g., candy) in a controlled setting. Through our time together in eating disorder recovery therapy, we were able to target the belief that this food was taboo. Over time, her impulse to binge on the candy decreased as it became less forbidden, and she went from daily binges to rarely feeling the urge to binge, even being able to keep the candy in her home without incident.

A few years later, she told me she felt much happier and could experience food freedom, stating that the all-food-fits model really works for her.

What advice would you give to aspiring students of eating disorder recovery?

Dr. Miller:
As a former professor of marriage and family therapy, I found the curriculum to be lacking in addressing eating disorders. To gain the necessary knowledge, I attended weekly trainings at the University of California at San Diego’s Eating Disorder Center, read extensively, attended conferences, and got supervised by an eating disorder specialist for about a year.

Specializing…