KETAMINE THERAPY, PSYCHOTHERAPY & MEDICATION MANAGEMENT FOR TEENS AND ADULTS IN RALEIGH / DURHAM / CHAPEL HILL, NC
EXPERIENCE HEALING from EATING DISORDERS and BODY DYSMORPHIA
When food & the body become the language of deeper struggles
Eating disorders are complicated.
Have you been suffering with any of the following symptoms of an eating disorder?
An intense preoccupation with food, calories, weight, or body shape that takes up significant mental space
Using food restriction, binging, purging, or excessive exercise to cope with difficult feelings
Feeling like your worth is tied to what you eat, how you look, or the number on a scale
A voice in your head that's harsh and critical about your body or eating choices
Feeling out of control around food, or feeling like you must maintain rigid control
Eating disorders show up differently in different people:
Some involve severe restriction and intense fear of weight gain
Others cycle between periods of restriction and episodes of binge eating
Many include purging behaviors like vomiting, laxative use, or excessive exercise
Some focus intensely on eating only "clean" or "healthy" foods
Others involve eating large amounts of food while feeling out of control
Many people experience combinations of these behaviors at different times
YOU’RE NOT ALONE.
You’re struggling.
You deserve to feel like yourself again - there’s another path forward.
Understanding Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are often misunderstood as simply being "picky" about food or wanting to look a certain way. In reality, they're complex conditions where food, eating, and body image become the battleground for deeper struggles with control, self-worth, trauma, or overwhelming emotions.
Eating disorders aren't about vanity or willpower. They're often attempts to manage pain, trauma, or overwhelming emotions through the one thing that can feel controllable: food and your body.
When Your Relationship with Food Becomes Complicated
Food is supposed to nourish and sustain us, but eating disorders turn this basic human need into something fraught with anxiety, guilt, and complicated rules. Meals might trigger intense anxiety, social situations involving food become something to avoid, and your inner dialogue around eating becomes harsh and punitive.
You might find yourself:
Categorizing foods as "good" or "bad" and feeling guilty about eating certain things
Eating in secret or feeling ashamed about your eating behaviors
Using food to numb difficult emotions or, conversely, restricting food as a way to feel in control
Spending hours thinking about what you've eaten, will eat, or shouldn't eat
These patterns develop for reasons that make sense given your experiences, even when they're causing distress now.
The Body That Feels Like a Stranger
Eating disorders often involve a complicated relationship with your own body. You might feel disconnected from physical sensations like hunger and fullness, or you might be hyperaware of every physical sensation and interpret them through the lens of the disorder.
Body image distortion can make it difficult to see yourself clearly. What you see in the mirror might not match what others see, or how you feel about your body might change dramatically from day to day, or even moment to moment.
Your body is trying to support you, even when the eating disorder makes it feel like the enemy. Healing involves rebuilding trust and connection with the body that's been carrying you through life.
You are not your eating disorder.
Perhaps the most important thing to understand about eating disorders is that the critical voice in your head—the one making harsh judgments about your body, your eating, your worth—is not your true voice. That's the eating disorder talking, not the wise, compassionate part of you that deserves care and nourishment.
Underneath the disorder is a person with valid needs, feelings, and desires that got expressed through food and body control because other ways of coping weren't available or didn't feel safe.
Recovery involves rediscovering who you are beyond the eating disorder and learning new ways to meet your emotional needs that don't involve food or body manipulation.
You deserve to have a peaceful relationship with food and a body that feels like home, not a battleground.
How We Help
Ketamine-Assisted Therapy
Ketamine therapy for eating disordersoffers rapid relief by helping your brain form new neural connections. Many clients describe feeling like they can "breathe again" or access parts of themselves that the eating disorder had made unreachable—often within days rather than months. This isn't about eliminating difficult emotions; it's about reclaiming your capacity to feel, connect, and engage with life.
Traditional Therapy
Sometimes the gentle, steady work of talk therapy is exactly what you need to get relief from your eating disorder. We offer evidence-based approaches in a warm, supportive environment where you can explore patterns, build coping skills, and create lasting change at your own pace.
Medication Management
When thoughtfully chosen and carefully monitored, medication for eating disorders can be one of the most powerful tools for healing. We take time to understand your unique experience and work collaboratively to find what supports your wellness goals.
You can learn to nourish both your body and your spirit in ways that support your overall well-being and help you feel truly alive.
You Might Benefit From Our Approach If:
Food and eating feel overwhelming, stressful, or take up significant mental space
You use food restriction, binging, purging, or excessive exercise to cope with difficult emotions
Your self-worth feels tied to your weight, appearance, or eating behaviors
Social situations involving food create anxiety or isolation
You feel disconnected from hunger, fullness, or other body signals
Traditional eating disorder treatment hasn't provided the deeper healing you're seeking
You're ready for care that addresses both the symptoms and the underlying emotional needs
What Healing Can Look Like
Eating disorders don't have to define your story. With the right support, you can:
Develop a peaceful, nourishing relationship with food
Feel comfortable and confident in your own body
Eat socially without anxiety or complicated rules
Use healthy coping strategies for difficult emotions
Trust your body's signals for hunger, fullness, and what feels good
Reclaim mental space that was consumed by food and body thoughts
Feel worthy of care and nourishment regardless of your weight or appearance
Find joy in movement that feels good rather than punitive
About Canto Integrative Psychiatry’s Owner & your Provider
Welcome, I’m Sarah.
Welcome to Canto Integrative Psychiatry. If you've found your way here, you're likely looking for something different—mental health care that feels genuine, accessible, and deeply supportive. I’ve created this practice because I believe healing happens best in spaces that feel safe, warm, and authentically human.
Whether you're struggling with depression, anxiety, relationship challenges, or simply feeling stuck in patterns that no longer serve you, we're here to walk alongside you. Our approach combines evidence-based treatments like ketamine-assisted psychotherapy with the kind of compassionate, individualized care that honors your unique story and goals. You won't get lost in phone trees or feel rushed through appointments—instead, you'll find providers who respond promptly, take time to truly understand your experience, and surround you with the area's most trusted professionals when additional support is needed..