Unburdened Eating: Healing Disordered Eating Through Internal Family Systems
Many of us know the exhausting cycles: strict rules around food, followed by periods of overwhelm or emotional eating; intense exercise routines that give way to burnout or guilt. These patterns can feel confusing, shameful, and isolating. But what if they weren’t random? What if each behavior was actually a part of you, trying to help you cope, survive, or be loved?
At Reclaiming Beauty, one approach we use is Internal Family Systems (IFS). This model is a compassionate approach to healing disordered eating—an approach beautifully explored in Jeanne Catanzaro’s book, Unburdened Eating: Reconnecting with the Wisdom of Your Body. Her work deeply affirms what we witness in our practice every day: that healing begins not with control or willpower, but with curiosity and compassion toward your internal world.
The Parts of Us That Try to Help
According to IFS, we all have an inner system made up of different “parts,” each with its own role, perspective, and emotional history. Catanzaro describes how the eating behaviors that often bring clients to therapy—restriction, binging, over-exercising, food rituals—are typically protective parts. These parts aren’t trying to sabotage you. They’ve taken on burdens—cultural messages, family trauma, or unprocessed pain—and are doing their best to protect you.
IFS invites us to turn toward these parts with loving attention. As Catanzaro writes, “Each part has a story to tell, and every part deserves to be heard.”
The Impact of Culture and Trauma
In Unburdened Eating, Catanzaro explores how diet culture, wellness obsession, and childhood environments often burden us with messages that shape how we relate to food and body. Maybe you’ve inherited a legacy of control or perfectionism around eating. Maybe food was your only source of comfort in a chaotic home. Or perhaps your worth got tied to how small, fit, or ‘disciplined’ you could be.
IFS gives us a framework to understand how these messages become internalized by our parts. At Reclaiming Beauty, we work to help you differentiate between your authentic Self and the burdens your parts are carrying. This is the doorway to freedom.
What Is Unburdened Eating?
“Unburdened eating,” as Catanzaro defines it, is not about reaching a certain weight or eating “perfectly.” It’s about healing the pain and beliefs your parts carry, so you can return to your body’s natural rhythms and wisdom. It’s about eating from a place of trust—not fear. Presence—not punishment.
Through IFS, we help your parts release outdated strategies and begin to feel safe again. Over time, food can become what it was always meant to be: nourishment, pleasure, and connection—not control or chaos.
You Deserve a Relationship with Food That Feels Free
At Reclaiming Beauty, we resonate with the work of Jeanne Catanzaro. Her book is a gentle, wise guide for anyone looking to heal their relationship with food and body—not by fixing themselves, but by listening within.
If you’re longing for peace with food, if you're tired of bouncing between restriction and rebellion, and if you're ready to approach your eating disorder with compassion rather than shame, we’re here to support you.
Get Started With IFS Informed Eating Disorder Recovery Support in Asheville, NC Today
At Reclaiming Beauty, we're here to help you on this journey. Our therapists are all IFS informed and are dedicated to providing a weight-inclusive, safe and understanding space for you to explore your own trailheads to unburdened eating. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and take a step towards your healing.
Schedule a consultation with us here so we can get to know your story and your therapeutic interests and match you with the best fit provider at our practice.
Discover more through our IFS informed blogs and podcasts.
Are you a professional interested in using IFS with your clients with disordered eating? Join our monthly consult group.
Other Services We Offer in Asheville, NC
Discover an integrative approach to well-being at Reclaiming Beauty. In addition to body-centered psychotherapy and eating disorder therapy, we offer personalized embodiment coaching to unlock the wisdom within, fostering self-compassion and resilience. Or, explore the transformative benefits of the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP). This is a non-invasive auditory intervention that enhances social engagement and reduces stress.
