10 Eating Disorders Books That Top Experts Recommend for Recovery

Colleen Reichmann, PsyD, and Jennifer Rollin, MSW, LCSW-C, bring their combined expertise as both therapists and individuals recovered from eating disorders to this insightful guide. You’ll learn how to differentiate dieting from eating disorders, navigate the stages of recovery, and address often overlooked topics like orthorexia, exercise in recovery, and fat positivity. The book’s use of humor and personal stories makes complex issues approachable while providing practical exercises at each chapter’s end to help integrate lessons into daily life. This book suits anyone grappling with chronic dieting, negative body image, or eating disorder recovery, offering a grounded perspective that feels both authentic and relatable.

Gia Marson, a licensed psychologist with extensive experience at UCLA and specialized eating disorder programs, brings her expertise to this eight-week workbook designed to address binge eating. The book guides you through identifying personal triggers, managing emotional challenges, and dismantling the cycle of restriction and bingeing by integrating mindfulness and evidence-based strategies. It offers tailored tools rather than a one-size-fits-all solution, making it particularly useful if you’ve struggled with compulsive eating or emotional eating patterns. While it’s a solid fit for those seeking structured self-help, individuals looking for quick fixes or generic diet plans might find it less suitable.

This tailored book explores the complex landscape of eating disorder recovery with a focus on your unique background and goals. It covers essential concepts such as the psychological, nutritional, and emotional aspects of eating disorders while examining recovery pathways that align with your personal experiences and challenges. The content reveals nuanced perspectives on various disorders and strategies for sustainable management, all woven into a personalized narrative that matches your interests and learning needs. By concentrating on your specific recovery journey, this book offers a focused and tailored learning experience that bridges expert knowledge with your individual context, empowering deeper understanding and applied insight.

What happens when expertise in psychology and yoga converge on eating disorders? Catherine Cook-Cottone, a licensed psychologist and registered yoga teacher, draws from her extensive work in embodied self-regulation to offer clinicians tools that help clients reconnect with their bodies as healing resources. You’ll find practical approaches that integrate mindful self-care, yoga, and mindful eating to shift disordered cognition towards positive embodiment. Chapters on emotional regulation and physiological health provide tangible ways to support long-term recovery. This book suits professionals seeking fresh perspectives on treatment beyond traditional methods, though it assumes some clinical familiarity.

What started as a clinical challenge to deliver effective therapy within limited sessions became a focused manual in Brief Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Non-Underweight Patients. Glenn Waller, a clinical psychology professor deeply involved in eating disorder guidelines, teams up with colleagues to present a 10-session CBT approach tailored for those not severely underweight. You’ll find precise techniques, clear rationale, and adaptable strategies that clinicians can apply flexibly to individual needs, helping to reduce waiting times without compromising quality. This book suits mental health professionals aiming to apply evidence-based CBT efficiently in routine practice, balancing structure with responsiveness.

After Krista Dunham's decade-long battle with an eating disorder, she and her husband David, a biblical counselor, teamed up to explore recovery through the lens of biblical counseling. This book offers you a candid look at their intertwined journeys, detailing what Krista needed to heal and David's efforts to support her amid setbacks. You'll gain insight into the emotional dynamics between sufferers and loved ones, practical exercises for mutual support, and a framework grounded in scripture to address shame, isolation, and control. If you're seeking a faith-based approach that integrates personal experience with counseling, this book will resonate; however, those looking for clinical or secular strategies may find it less suited.

This tailored book explores a focused 30-day plan designed to accelerate progress in eating disorder recovery by providing practical tools and actionable steps that match your unique background and goals. It covers essential aspects such as understanding key challenges, managing triggers, developing coping techniques, and fostering self-compassion. The content is carefully tailored to your specific interests and recovery stage, revealing how to navigate the complex healing journey with clarity and confidence. Through this personalized approach, the book offers a pathway that bridges expert knowledge with your individual needs, helping you engage deeply with the recovery process and make meaningful, rapid progress toward wellness.

Tara L. Deliberto and Dina Hirsch bring their extensive clinical and academic expertise to develop Integrative Modalities Therapy (IMT), a flexible, evidence-based program tailored specifically for adolescents with anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorders. This book guides you through combining family-based treatment with cognitive behavioral and compassion-focused approaches, offering practical tools like meal planning and family checklists that clinicians and caregivers can readily apply. You’ll gain insight into addressing emotional and cognitive challenges throughout recovery, making it a relevant resource for mental health professionals working in both inpatient and outpatient settings. While deeply clinical, its adaptable framework benefits anyone involved in adolescent eating disorder treatment.

Robyn L. Goldberg's decades of clinical experience in eating disorders led to this accessible guide that breaks down complex medical and psychological concepts into straightforward explanations. You’ll gain clear insights into how eating disorders impact physical health, identify myths perpetuated by diet culture, and explore practical screening tools and treatment options. The chapters on lab tests and assembling effective care teams offer concrete resources for clinicians, while loved ones will find compassionate advice on supporting recovery. This book suits both healthcare providers seeking grounded knowledge and families navigating the challenges of eating disorders, offering a balanced perspective without oversimplifying the subject.

The fourth edition of this guide emerged from decades of clinical insight, led initially by Michele Siegel and further shaped by Judith Brisman and Margot Weinshel, all deeply embedded in eating disorder treatment and psychoanalytic practice. You’ll gain a psychological perspective on why change is so challenging for those affected and their loved ones, with clear explanations of the latest treatment methods and practical ways to evaluate what might work best for your situation. The book’s case examples and focus on family dynamics teach you how to support recovery while maintaining your own well-being. It’s especially useful if you’re close to someone dealing with an eating disorder and want a nuanced understanding of the emotional and relational complexities involved.

This book challenges the common one-size-fits-all approach by focusing exclusively on Black women with eating disorders, a group often overlooked in clinical literature. Drawing on the expertise of Black professionals deeply engaged in direct care, it explores how racism, trauma, and cultural pressures uniquely affect these women's experiences and recovery. You'll find chapters that examine stereotypes and acculturative stress alongside practical treatment guidelines tailored to this population's needs, offering clinicians concrete tools for more effective assessment and intervention. If you’re committed to culturally competent care or curious about the intersection of race and mental health, this volume provides essential insights rooted in both research and lived experience.

Robyn Cruze, drawing on her experience as a mental health advocate and her personal recovery journey, joined forces with therapist Espra Andrus to explore the complex realities of eating disorder recovery beyond conventional labels. This book challenges rigid concepts of "good" and "bad" foods and questions the traditional use of the term "recovered," offering instead a compassionate approach centered on soothing the self rather than battling the illness. Through updated nutritional insights and real-life stories, you’ll gain tools to confront anxiety and control issues tied to eating disorders, empowering you to reclaim your life on your own terms. It's a thoughtful guide for anyone navigating recovery, supporting loved ones, or working in treatment settings.