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Eating Disorder &
Body Image Therapy in Acton, MA
Dr. Smith's Background in this Area
Dr. Smith specializes in treating eating disorders, body image concerns, and the stress of chronic dieting or overexercise. She works with individuals across the lifespan, including teens, adults, and those who have spent years (or decades) struggling with food, weight, or body image without ever having language for it.
Her background includes training at McLean Hospital / Harvard Medical School’s Klarman Eating Disorders Center and Monte Nido (formerly Walden Behavioral Care). In addition to treating patients individually at these specialty clinics, she has also facilitated Intuitive Eating groups, body image groups, parent support groups (of teens with eating disorders), and media literacy groups (as it pertains to eating and body image).
Treatment at Lightlist Psychological Services
Treatment at Lightlist is offered on an outpatient (once per week psychotherapy) basis. Clients may come to therapy from different starting points:
Functioning well outwardly, but internally feeling preoccupied, rigid, or disconnected from their body
Stepping down from a higher level of care and wanting continued, specialized outpatient support
Feeling stuck in chronic dieting, body dissatisfaction, or food-related stress
If your relationship with food, your body, or exercise feels complicated, consuming, or unsustainable - you don’t necessarily need to come in with an eating disorder diagnosis to benefit from therapy.
Who This Is For
Dr. Smith works with individuals navigating a wide range of eating and body-related concerns, including:
Those already diagnosed with eating disorders, or looking to be evaluated for the diagnoses of any of the following:
Anorexia nervosa
Bulimia nervosa
Binge eating disorder
Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)
Atypical anorexia and subclinical or mixed presentations
You may also recognize yourself here if you are:
Stuck in binge–purge or restrict–overeat cycles
A lifelong or chronic dieter who feels burned out, frustrated, or confused
Frequently thinking about food, weight, or appearance
Struggling with body image, comparison, or dissatisfaction
Feeling conflicted about exercise (rigid, compulsive, or avoidant patterns)
Experiencing persistent stress about perceived flaws, including body dysmorphic disorder (which may or may not involve weight or shape concerns)
Dr. Smith also frequently works with:
Athletes navigating performance, fueling, and body image
Adults who are only later in life recognizing longstanding patterns with food or body image
Individuals using or considering GLP-1 medications who feel unsure how to think about food, weight, and health, and want support maintaining a more stable and grounded relationship with food and their bodies
Teens or adults who aren’t sure what level of support they need and would benefit from guidance and referrals, if appropriate
Dr. Smith’s Approach
Dr. Smith provides individualized, evidence-based treatment for eating disorders and body image concerns, grounded in CBT-E and informed by ACT, intuitive eating, and a Health at Every Size (HAES) framework. Her work focuses on helping clients move out of rigid, exhausting patterns with food, body image, and exercise, and toward a more flexible, sustainable, and values-aligned way of living.
Treatment addresses both the behaviors themselves (such as restriction, bingeing, purging, or compulsive exercise) and the underlying factors that may keep them going, including perfectionism, self-criticism, shame, past or relational experiences (such as trauma or bullying), and/or the broader messages we may have absorbed about bodies, food, and worth.
For individuals with body dysmorphic disorder or more severe body image concerns, Dr. Smith also incorporates structured CBT and exposure-based interventions.
When helpful, Dr. Smith refers clients to and collaborates with other providers (e.g., dietitians, medical providers, prescribers) to support comprehensive and team-based care.
Getting Started
If you’re looking for eating disorder or body image therapy in Acton, MA, you can contact Dr. Smith to learn more or get started.
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