EMDR Therapy for Binge Eating, Food Addiction, and Body Image

EMDR Therapy for Binge Eating, Food Addiction, and Body Image: Healing the Mind–Body Connection

Binge eating, food addiction, and body image struggles can feel like an exhausting cycle of guilt, shame, and loss of control. Many people try countless diets, therapy programs, and self-help approaches—only to find themselves back where they started. What if the issue isn’t only about food or alleged “willpower,” but about unresolved emotional pain stored deep within the brain and body?

This is where Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy offers a powerful path to healing. Originally developed for trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), EMDR has increasingly shown to be effective in helping people overcome emotional eating, body dysmorphia, and the painful beliefs that drive these behaviors.

In this article, we’ll explore how EMDR therapy works, why it’s so effective for binge eating, food addiction, and body image issues, and what you can expect from the healing process.

Understanding the Emotional Roots of Binge Eating and Food Addiction

Binge eating and food addiction are rarely just about hunger. They often emerge as coping mechanisms for unresolved emotional distress—such as childhood trauma, neglect, bullying, or feelings of inadequacy. Food becomes a source of comfort, distraction, or control when emotions feel overwhelming or unsafe.

Many people with binge eating disorder (BED) or food addiction report experiences like:

• Growing up in critical or emotionally unavailable households
• Experiencing body shaming or bullying during childhood or adolescence
• Using food to manage stress, anxiety, or loneliness
• Feeling “numb” or detached after eating episodes
• Struggling with perfectionism, self-loathing, or fear of rejection

These patterns are not signs of weakness—they are adaptive responses to pain. The brain learns that food provides temporary relief, a temporary hit of dopamine, creating a neural loop that reinforces emotional eating even when it leads to guilt or physical discomfort later.

What Is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured psychotherapy developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s. It helps individuals reprocess distressing memories and the negative beliefs tied to them, allowing the brain to heal naturally. Unlike talk therapy, EMDR does not require in-depth verbal analysis of traumatic events. Instead, it uses bilateral stimulation—such as guided eye movements, tapping, or auditory tones—to help both hemispheres of the brain process stuck memories and emotional responses. When a memory or belief is “stuck,” it can keep triggering the same emotional and physiological reactions in the present. EMDR helps unlock this cycle, allowing you to remember the experience without reliving the pain. The result is greater calm, clarity, and self-compassion.

How EMDR Helps with Binge Eating and Food Addiction

1. Targeting the Emotional Triggers Behind Eating

EMDR helps uncover and desensitize the underlying experiences that trigger binge eating episodes. For example, someone might recall feeling rejected by a parent or teased about their weight as a child. These moments often create deeply held beliefs like “I’m not good enough” or “I’ll never be loved unless I’m thin.”

During EMDR, these memories and beliefs are safely revisited and reprocessed. Over time, the emotional charge diminishes, and healthier beliefs—such as “I am worthy and safe in my body”—emerge naturally.

2. Breaking the Reward–Guilt Cycle
Food addiction often mirrors the neurological pathways of other addictions. EMDR helps to rewire the brain’s association between emotional distress and the “reward” of eating. By processing the original pain driving the behavior, the compulsion to seek comfort through food begins to fade.

Clients often report feeling less triggered by food cues, less overwhelmed by cravings, and more in control of their eating habits after EMDR sessions.

3. Rebuilding a Compassionate Relationship with the Body
Body image issues frequently stem from trauma and social conditioning. EMDR helps reduce the emotional intensity attached to negative self-perceptions and body memories. For instance, someone who was humiliated about their body at school may carry that shame into adulthood. EMDR can help neutralize those experiences, allowing space for body acceptance and gratitude.

As the internal narrative shifts, self-compassion replaces self-criticism—making it easier to nourish and care for the body rather than punish it.

EMDR for Body Image and Self-Esteem

While EMDR is best known for trauma, it’s equally transformative for body image and self-worth issues. Many people with eating disorders describe feeling disconnected from their bodies, as if their physical self is an enemy to battle rather than a home to inhabit.

EMDR helps reintegrate this mind-body connection. By resolving the emotional wounds that fuel self-loathing or perfectionism, folks can begin to view their bodies through a lens of neutrality and appreciation. This shift not only improves mental well-being but can also lead to more balanced eating patterns and improved physical health.

What an EMDR Session for Binge Eating Looks Like

Each EMDR session follows a structured process, guided by a trained therapist:

• History and Assessment: The therapist helps you identify the memories, triggers, and negative beliefs connected to your eating behaviors or body image.
• Preparation: You learn grounding and relaxation techniques to ensure emotional safety during the process.
• Desensitization: The therapist guides you through bilateral stimulation while you focus on specific memories or emotions.
• Reprocessing: As your brain reprocesses the experience, new insights and positive beliefs naturally arise.
• Installation: The therapist reinforces these new beliefs (e.g., “I can trust myself with food” or “My body deserves kindness”).
• Closure and Reflection: You’ll discuss any remaining sensations, thoughts, or shifts that occur after each session.

Typically, EMDR therapy is done over several sessions, and progress can be profound—even for people who have struggled for decades with food-related issues.

Is EMDR Right for You?

EMDR can be a life-changing therapy if you:

• Feel stuck in a cycle of emotional eating, guilt, and self-criticism
• Have a history of trauma, neglect, or emotional abuse
• Struggle with negative body image or low self-worth
• Find that traditional talk therapy hasn’t fully addressed your eating issues
• It’s important to work with a licensed therapist who is certified in EMDR and experienced in treating eating disorders. This ensures that sessions are conducted safely and effectively.

The Takeaway: Healing Beyond Food

Binge eating and food addiction are not about lack of alleged willpower—they are symptoms of emotional pain that can heal. EMDR therapy offers an effective way to release the shame, pain, and fear that keep you trapped in unhealthy patterns.

As you process and reframe old experiences, you open space for compassion, balance, and freedom around food. You begin to relate to your body not as a source of shame, but as your forever “home” that you reside in.

If you’ve been searching for a new way to heal your relationship with food, EMDR therapy could be the missing link between survival and genuine self-love.

Interested in learning more? Schedule a free 15 minute consult to learn how we, at EMDR Center of Denver, can help.

Additional Research Supporting Effectiveness of EMDR for Binge Eating, Food Addiction, and Body Image

Beer, R. (2019). Protocol for EMDR therapy in the treatment of eating disorders. In M. Luber, (Ed.), Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy scripted protocols and summary sheets: Treating eating disorders, chronic pain, and maladaptive self-care behaviors (pp. 11-64). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Co.

Forester, D. (2019). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). In A. Seubert and P. Virdi (Eds.), Trauma-informed approaches to eating disorders (pp. 165-178). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Co.

Seijo, N. (2019). The rejected self EMDR therapy protocol for body image distortion. In M. Luber, (Ed.), Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy scripted protocols and summary sheets: Treating eating disorders, chronic pain, and maladaptive self-care behaviors (pp. 217-238). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Co.

Zaccagnino, M. (2019). EMDR therapy protocol for the management of dysfunctional eating behaviors in anorexia nervosa. In M. Luber, (Ed.), Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy scripted protocols and summary sheets: Treating eating disorders, chronic pain, and maladaptive self-care behaviors (pp. 79-126). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Co.

Balbo, M., Zaccagnino, M., Cussino, M., & Civilotti, C. (2017). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and eating disorders: A systematic review. Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 14(5), 321-329.

Bloomgarden, A., & Calogero, R. M. (2008). A randomized experimental test of the efficacy of EMDR treatment on negative body image in eating disorder inpatients. Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention, 16(5), 418-427.

Brewerton, T. D. (2018). An overview of trauma-informed care and practice for eating disorders. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 1-18.

Brown, K. W., McGoldrick, T., & Buchanan, R. (1997). Body dysmorphic disorder: Seven cases treated with eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 25(2), 203-207.

Cardazzone, E., Gallucci, M., Callerame, C., Cussino, M., Gelo, O., Pasca, P., & Zaccagnino, M. (2021). Linguistic changes during EMDR sessions: A preliminary single-case study. Counselling & Psychotherapy Research, 12394.

Dziegielewski, S., & Wolfe, P. (2000). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) as a time-limited treatment intervention for body image disturbance and self-esteem: A single-subject case study design. Journal of Psychotherapy in Independent Practice, 1(3), 1-16.

Halvgaard, K. (2015). Single case study: Does EMDR psychotherapy work on emotional eating? Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 9(4), 188-197.

Kazen, M., Baumann, N., Twenhofel, J. F., & Kuhl, J. (2019). When do anorexic patients perceive their bodies as too fat? Aggravating and ameliorating factors. PLOS ONE, 14(2), e0212612.

Seubert, A. (2018). Becoming known: A relational model utilizing Gestalt and ego state-assisted EMDR in treating eating disorders. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 12(2), 71-86.

Yasar, A. B., Abamor, A. E., Usta, F. D., Taycan, S. E., & Kaya, B. (2019). Two cases with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID): Effectiveness of EMDR and CBT combination on eating disorders (ED). Turkish Journal of Clinical Psychiatry [Klinik Psikiyatri Dergisi], 22(4), 493-500. DOI: 10.5505/kpd.2019.04127

Yasar, A. B., Usta, F. D., Abamor, A. E., Taycan, S. E., & Kaya, B. (2017). EMDR therapy on trauma-based restrictive eating cases. European Psychiatry, 41, S560-S561.

Zaccagnino, M., Cussino, M., Callerame, C., Civilotti, C., & Fernandez, I. (2017). Anorexia nervosa and EMDR: A clinical case. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 11(1), 43-53.

Cooke, L. & Grand, C. (2009). The neurobiology of eating disorders, affect regulations skills, and EMDR in the treatment of eating disorders. In R. Shapiro (Ed.), EMDR solutions II: For depression, eating disorders, performance, and more (pp. 129-150). New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Forester, D. (2009). Treating bulimia nervosa with EMDR. In R. Shapiro (Ed.), EMDR solutions II: For depression, eating disorders, performance, and more  (pp. 151-164). New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Gross, L., & Ratner, H. (2002). The use of hypnosis and EMDR combined in the treatment of phobias and dissociative, posttraumatic stress, and eating disorders. In F. P. Gallo (Ed.), Energy psychology in psychotherapy: A comprehensive sourcebook (1st ed., pp. 219-231). New York, NY: W. W. Norton

Lidov, C. (2009). Desensitizing desire: Nonverbal memory and body sensations in the EMDR treatment of eating disorders. In R. Shapiro (Ed.), EMDR solutions II: For depression, eating disorders, performance, and more (pp. 183-192). New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

McGee, J. (2009). Addressing retraumatization and relapse when using EMDR with eating disorder patients. In R. Shapiro (Ed.), EMDR solutions II: For depression, eating disorders, performance, and more (pp. 175-182). New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Scholom, J. (2009). Integrating eating disorders treatment into the early phases of the EMDR protocol. In R. Shapiro (Ed.), EMDR solutions II: For depression, eating disorders, performance, and more (pp. 114-128). New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Schulherr, S. (2005). Exiting the binge-diet cycle. In R. Shapiro (Ed.), EMDR solutions: Pathways to healing (pp. 241-262). New York, NY: W. W. Norton  & Company, Inc.

Seubert, A. (2009). The why of eating disorders. In R. Shapiro (Ed.), EMDR solutions II: For depression, eating disorders, performance, and more.  (pp. 109-113). New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Seubert, A. & Virdi, P. (Eds.). (2019). Trauma-informed approaches to eating disorders. New York: Springer Publishing Company.

Zaccagnino, M., Cussino, M., Callerame, C., Civilotti, C., & Fernandez, I. (2017). EMDR in anorexia nervosa: From a theoretical framework to the treatment guidelines. In I. Jauregui-Lobera (Ed.), Eating disorders – A paradigm of the biopsychosocial model of illness (pp. 195-213). Rijeka, Croatia: InTech. DOI: 10.5772/65695 Open access: https://www.intechopen.com/books/eating-disorders-a-paradigm-of-the-biopsychosocial-model-of-illness/emdr-in-anorexia-nervosa-from-a-theoretical-framework-to-the-treatment-guidelines

Boghosian, J. (2020, Oct 29). Complex-PTSD, eating disorders, and the role EMDR plays. Eating Disorder Hope.

Cameron, V. L. (2013). EMDR: Promising treatment for co-occurring eating disorders and childhood sexual abuse [Masters thesis, St. Catherine University].