What is Somatic Eating Disorder Support?
You might have done therapy before.
You may understand your patterns. You might even know exactly where they began. And yet, when it comes to food, your body still reacts in ways you can’t think your way out of.
Traditional talking therapy works with thoughts and stories.
Somatic eating disorder support works with what’s happening underneath them.
If you’re feeling stuck in cycles with food, it may not be because you haven’t tried hard enough.
It may be because your body is still in protective mode.
What does “Somatic” mean?
“Somatic” simply means relating to the body. In the context of eating disorder recovery, a somatic approach recognises that:
Eating behaviours are often linked to nervous system states
Restriction, bingeing, over-exercising or food control can be protective responses
The body must feel safe before sustainable change can happen
Rather than asking, “Why can’t I just stop?”
We gently explore, “What is my body protecting me from?”
Traditional approaches often focus on:
Meal plans
Behaviour tracking
Cognitive restructuring
Weight restoration targets
These can be helpful and necessary. But without nervous system support, they can sometimes feel overwhelming (too much, too quick, too soon) for an already depleted system.
The Nervous System and Eating Disorders
Your nervous system constantly scans for safety or threat. When it perceives threat whether emotional, relational or physical it shifts into survival states such as:
Fight (irritability, control, perfectionism)
Flight (anxiety, over-doing, over-exercising)
Freeze (numbness, shutdown, bingeing as collapse)
Fawn (people-pleasing, eating based on others)
The nervous system doesn’t respond primarily to logic or insight. It responds to cues of safety. This is why understanding your patterns isn’t always enough to change them. Your body needs to experience safety, not just think about it.
If your body is in protection mode, it makes sense that:
You may struggle to eat regularly
You may binge after restriction
You may feel panic around food
You may rely on control to feel safe
Somatic eating disorder support helps regulate the nervous system first, gently shifting you out of protection and disconnection into a more regulated, connected state, where food begins to feel less like a threat and more like a source of nourishment and healing.
A somatic approach focuses on:
Body awareness practices
Nervous system education
Gentle tracking of internal states
Understanding protective parts
Building capacity for safety and nourishment
It’s not about pushing through. It’s about increasing capacity.
What you can expect from a session:
During an online eating disorder support session, we might:
Notice what happens in your body when food rules arise
Track how your nervous system shifts throughout the day
Explore the protective role of control or restriction
Introduce small, safe moments of nourishment
Build tolerance for eating outside old patterns
The pace is gentle and collaborative, always working with your system, not against it.
Who Is Somatic Eating Disorder support for?
This approach may be helpful if:
You’ve tried traditional recovery methods and still feel stuck
You feel anxious or unsettled when you try to eat more
You struggle with binge–restrict cycles
You rely on control, exercise, or food rules to feel safe
You want a calmer, more embodied relationship with food and your body
Online Somatic Eating Disorder Support (UK)
I offer online eating disorder support for adults across the UK and internationally. My approach integrates nervous system work, somatic awareness and nutrition support to help you move from survival to steadiness.
Recovery doesn’t begin with force. It begins with safety.
If you’re curious about working together, you can book a discovery call here.