What is DBT for Eating Disorders?

6 Nov

If you’ve ever felt trapped in an emotional tug-of-war with food, your body, or your thoughts, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) might be the bridge or the balance between feeling out of control and learning how to cope with compassion.

Originally developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan for people experiencing intense emotions and self-destructive behaviours, DBT has since been adapted for eating disorders, including binge eating, bulimia, and restrictive presentations. It’s now widely recognised as an effective, and evidence-based therapy for individuals who feel stuck in cycles of emotional dysregulation, shame, and control.

(National Eating Disorders Collaboration – NEDC and Butterfly Foundation)

So, What Exactly Is DBT?

DBT is a structured, skills-based therapy that helps people learn how to manage overwhelming emotions, reduce impulsive behaviours, and build a life that feels meaningful.

It blends two key ideas:

Acceptance: learning to validate and understand your emotions without judgment. AND
Change: developing new skills and behaviours to replace patterns that no longer serve you.

In eating disorder recovery, this means acknowledging the pain that may be driving the behaviours, while also learning more adaptive ways to meet emotional needs and regulate distress.

How Can DBT Help People with Eating Disorders?

Eating disorders often develop as a way to cope with unbearable feelings, whether that’s sadness, anger, shame, or fear. DBT offers practical skills or ways to help regulate those emotions without turning to restriction, binges, or compensatory behaviours.

Some of the most helpful DBT skills for eating disorders include:

1. Emotion Regulation: Understanding and managing intense emotions that often trigger disordered eating behaviours.
2. Distress Tolerance: Learning how to get through difficult moments without acting impulsively or using food for control.
3. Mindfulness: Developing awareness of body cues, urges, and emotions without judgment, an important skill for rebuilding self-trust.
4. Interpersonal Effectiveness: Strengthening relationships, setting boundaries, and asking for needs in adaptive ways (which can reduce shame and isolation).

🌱 The Link Between DBT and Trauma

Many clients with eating disorders have a history of trauma, invalidation, or chronic emotional overwhelm. DBT provides a safe, structured way to build emotional resilience to help process deeper issues.

In this sense, DBT is trauma-informed; it doesn’t force people to talk about their trauma right away. Instead, it helps stabilise your emotional world so that you feel safe enough to explore what’s underneath.

DBT skills like grounding, self-soothing, and radical acceptance are particularly effective for trauma-related eating behaviours, helping people learn that their emotions are not dangerous and that control can come from self-understanding rather than restriction.

DBT in Practice for Eating Disorders

DBT can be delivered in different formats:

Individual Therapy: where you explore your personal triggers, goals, and emotional patterns.
Group Skills Training: where you learn and practise DBT skills alongside others on a similar journey.

At recoverED Clinic, our clinicians are trained in a variety of evidence-based modalities, including DBT. They may either incorporate DBT skills into other therapy approaches or use DBT on its own to help build your emotional resilience, tailoring support to each individual’s needs.

Research shows DBT reduces binge episodes, purging, and self-harm behaviours while improving emotional regulation and quality of life (Linehan et al., 2015, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology).

When DBT Might Be Right for You

DBT may be particularly helpful if you:

Feel stuck in all-or-nothing patterns around food or body image.
You engage in unhelpful coping mechanisms when faced with distress
Experience strong urges to binge, purge, or restrict when emotional.
Struggle with perfectionism, shame, or self-criticism.
Have a history of trauma or difficulty trusting yourself and others.

If this resonates, you don’t need to face it alone. With the right guidance and compassion, it’s possible to build emotional stability/ capacity and self-trust, one skill at a time.

Final Thoughts

Recovery from an eating disorder isn’t about control ( or lack thereof); it’s about learning to feel safe in your emotions and body again.
DBT can offer a practical roadmap to do just that: to manage distress, connect with yourself, and begin creating a life worth living, one that’s not ruled by food, fear, or shame.

At recoverED Clinic, we offer online therapy to individuals across Australia, using DBT-informed, trauma-sensitive care tailored to your unique story. If you are looking to learn more or get started with breaking the cycle of over vs under control, reach out to us to have a chat. You can also email us at admin@recoveredclinic.com.au

Note: The information provided in this blog is for educational purposes only and is NOT intended as medical /psychological advice. Please consult a healthcare professional for personalised guidance