EVIDENCE-BASED THERAPY

For
Eating Disorders, & Negative Body Image

IN CALIFORNIA, FLORIDA, & NEW YORK

Helping you expand your life beyond food and body obsession.

DOES ANY OF THIS SOUND FAMILIAR?

You feel frustrated, ashamed, and exhausted because you haven’t been able to get your eating under control. You try to be “good” by avoiding certain foods only to end up losing control and overeating or binging on those very same foods over and over again. This cycle of dieting and binging has you feeling stuck in a rut. You might also try to make up for binge eating by vomiting, using laxatives or diuretics, or exercising too much. You may be hiding that you’re struggling from the people in your life because you’re afraid that they'll judge you. Despite all your accomplishments, you just can’t seem to “willpower” your way out of overeating, binge eating, or emotional eating. (Read my blog to learn about the restrict-binge cycle.)

You struggle with negative thoughts about your body. Your self-worth is rooted in what you look like and what others think of you. You find yourself obsessing about your appearance and constantly comparing yourself to others. Your self-esteem is tied to the number on your scale. You may be putting your life on hold until you lose weight or look better. You may be skipping out on parties, dating, certain clothes, photos, swimming, hobbies, or new experiences. Your relationships and ability to enjoy life may be suffering as a result. Deep down, you yearn for a more peaceful, connected, and fulfilling life where your time and energy go to the things that truly matter.

I can help you overcome binge eating disorder (BED), emotional eating, orthorexia, anorexia, bulimia, disordered eating, and negative body image using approaches such as Health at Every Size® (HAES), Intuitive Eating (IE), Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). I will support you in cultivating intrinsic self-worth and body respect. You will learn to be kinder to yourself and redirect your energy to what fills you with purpose and joy.

Dr. Regina Lazarovich reading a self-compassion book, an important part of addressing binge eating, negative body image and body dysmorphia

MEET YOUR THERAPIST

Hi, I’m Dr. Regina Lazarovich, PhD

Clinical Psychologist specializing in the treatment of eating disorders & body image issues in CA, FL, & NY

I can help you make peace with food and be more present in your life.

I use several evidence-based approaches to help clients heal from binge eating disorder (BED), bulimia, anorexia, orthorexia, and disordered eating. I also help clients break free from body image struggles.

I base my approach to disordered eating and body image concerns on Health at Every Size® (HAES) principles. This weight-inclusive framework helps people of all sizes adopt healthy behaviors instead of focusing on body size. As a HAES-aligned therapist, I firmly believe that every body deserves care, compassion, and respect. I acknowledge the structural forces that influence my clients' well-being and help them navigate those systems.

Your struggles with food and body image are not your fault. Society and the people around you influence your thoughts about your body and worth. With Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), I'll help you shift your beliefs. We will work together to build up your confidence so you can do the things you've been postponing and live the life you want.

I will guide you toward becoming more attuned to your body by incorporating Intuitive Eating principles. I'll help you reconnect with your body's hunger, fullness, and satisfaction signals. You will learn how to become more embodied and stop feeling guilty about how you eat.

I will teach you skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). By practicing mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness, you will develop healthier ways to handle difficult emotions.

With the help of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), you will learn to align your actions with your authentic values.

I will help you be kinder to yourself and become more emotionally resilient through Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC). Numerous studies show that being mindful and compassionate reduces perfectionism and shame and boosts self-confidence. Self-compassion practice will help you find your way to self-acceptance.

I can also help with anxiety, phobias, panic attacks, OCD, and ADHD.

How It Works

STEP ONE

Click Request an Appointment and let me know what you're struggling with. We begin with a free 20-minute consultation to determine whether we're a good fit to work together.

STEP TWO

If we’re a good fit, we’ll schedule an intake session. The initial 50-minute session will focus on getting to know you and gathering information. We'll set goals based on your values and priorities. I'll create a treatment plan to help you reach them.

STEP THREE

We'll meet weekly for 50-minute sessions. While this frequency allows us to build momentum, we can discuss the session frequency that best suits your needs. Together, we will work on helping you feel better and more engaged in what matters most to you.

Common Questions About Disordered Eating & Body Image Concerns

  • You do not need to meet the full criteria for an eating disorder to benefit from therapy at Compass CBT. If you struggle with eating or body image issues you deserve support. I would be honored to help you make peace with food and your body and to become more present in your life.

  • According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the category of other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED) applies to individuals whose eating disorder symptoms are not sufficient to meet criteria for an eating disorder but are resulting in a lot of distress and are interfering with their ability to function well in social, occupational, or other important areas of life. Examples of symptoms that would fall under the OFSED category include binge eating disorder of low frequency or limited duration and night eating syndrome.

  • According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), a binge eating episode is defined as:

    • Eating a larger amount of food than what most people would eat during a similar discrete period of time.

    • Experiencing a loss of control over the eating episode (e.g., feeling that one cannot stop eating or control what food or the amount of food being consumed).

    • The binging episode is associated with at least three of the following symptoms:

      • Eating much faster than normal.

      • Eating until the point of uncomfortable fullness.

      • Eating large amounts of food in the absence of physical hunger.

      • Eating alone or in secret due to feeling embarrassed by how much one is eating.

      • Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, ashamed, or very guilty afterward.

  • According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), symptoms of binge eating disorder (BED) include:

    • Recurrent episodes of binge eating (as defined above).

    • Feeling very upset about the binge eating.

    • Binge eating occurs, on average, at least once a week for 3 months.

    • Binge eating episodes are not followed by compensatory behaviors such as purging or using laxatives or exercising excessively and do not occur exclusively during the course of bulimia nervosa or anorexia nervosa.

  • According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), symptoms of bulimia nervosa (BN) include:

    • Recurrent episodes of binge eating (as defined above).

    • Recurrent inappropriate compensatory behaviors in order to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting; misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or other medications; fasting; or excessive exercise.

    • The binge eating and inappropriate compensatory behaviors both occur, on average, at least once a week for 3 months.

    • Self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight.

    • The disturbance does not occur exclusively during episodes of anorexia nervosa.

  • According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), symptoms of anorexia nervosa (AN) include:

    A. Restriction of energy intake relative to requirements.

    B. Intense fear of weight gain, or persistent behavior that interferes with weight gain.

    C. Disturbance in the way in which one’s body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation.

  • While orthorexia is not included in the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), it is increasingly being recognised by mental health professionals. Orthorexia is defined as an obsession with healthy or clean eating. Common signs and symptoms of orthorexia include:

    • Excessive worry about the healthfulness, cleanliness, or purity of different foods and ingredients.

    • Avoidance of foods perceived to be unhealthy, harmful, or impure.

    • Compulsive checking of ingredient lists and nutritional labels.

    • Cutting out an increasing number of food groups (all sugar, all carbs, all dairy, etc…).

    • Spending hours per day thinking about what food might be served at upcoming events.

    • Experiencing a lot of distress when "safe" or "healthy" foods are not available.

    • Obsessive following of food and “healthy lifestyle” blogs on social media.

    • Paying a lot of attention to what others are eating.

    • Body image concerns may or may not be present.

  • According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) include:

    • Feeling preoccupied with one or more perceived defects or flaws in physical appearance that are not observable or appear slight to others.

    • At some point during the course of BDD one had to have engaged in repetitive behaviors (e.g., mirror checking, excessive grooming, skin picking, reassurance seeking) or mental acts (e.g., comparing one's own appearance to those of others) in response to the appearance concerns.

    • The preoccupation with appearance disrupts important areas of life such as relationships or career.

    • The preoccupation cannot be attributed to a medication, drug, medical condition or another mental health condition.

Have more questions? Read my General FAQ here.