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Eating Disorder Treatment for Chelmsford, MA

Everyone on the Harborside team has an extensive background in treating eating disorders and the conditions that tend to travel alongside them, which means a family in Chelmsford gets informed care for a genuinely complex set of challenges, not a general referral. That matters in a town like this one, where a parent is often researching quietly on behalf of a teenager while also managing a job and a household, and where a professional trying to get care for themselves needs appointments that fit around a commute to Boston or a full calendar closer to home.

Chelmsford’s mix of established family neighborhoods and busy working adults means the people who reach out to us are rarely dealing with just one thing. An eating disorder is frequently tangled up with anxiety, depression, perfectionism, or a difficult relationship with control, and treating it well means treating the whole picture.

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Eating Disorder Treatment for people in Chelmsford, MA

Harborside Psychiatrics is based in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, and every appointment for people in Chelmsford is delivered by video. There is no waiting room and no drive. You need a private space, a stable internet connection, and a phone, tablet, or computer with a camera. That is the entire technology requirement.

A first appointment typically runs longer than a standard follow-up, giving the clinician time to understand your history, your current symptoms, and any medical or nutritional concerns that need coordination with other providers. Follow-up sessions with a prescriber are usually shorter and scheduled at an interval that fits your treatment plan, whether that’s every few weeks in an early, more intensive phase or spaced out further once things have settled into a routine. Therapy sessions are generally scheduled weekly or biweekly, depending on what the therapist and client agree on together.

If medication becomes part of your care, prescriptions are sent electronically to a pharmacy near you in Chelmsford or wherever is most convenient, the same as they would be after any other appointment. Massachusetts law permits medication management by video, including for conditions where a controlled medication such as a stimulant may be clinically appropriate, and that discussion happens directly with your prescriber based on your individual situation.

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How telehealth care actually works

We work with the full range of eating disorders, including restrictive eating patterns, binge eating, and behaviors involving purging or compensatory exercise, across adolescents and adults. We also see people whose relationship with food and body doesn’t fit neatly into a single diagnostic category but is still causing real distress or disruption.

Because eating disorders so often coexist with anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive patterns, trauma histories, or attention and focus difficulties, our clinicians are trained to look at the whole clinical picture rather than treating symptoms in isolation. That combined lens is part of what people mean when they describe Harborside as uniquely suited to this kind of complexity.

What we treat

Your first appointment is a conversation, not a checklist. Expect to talk through your history with food, body image, and any related physical or emotional symptoms, along with other areas of your mental health that might be connected. If you’re seeking care for a teenager, a parent is typically part of this conversation, at least at the start. From there, your clinician will talk with you about what ongoing care could look like, whether that’s medication management, therapy, or both working together.

What the first appointment involves

Medication management and functional psychiatry at Harborside are performed by psychiatric nurse practitioners: Rachel Egan, RN PMHNP-BC, who is also the clinical director, Emily Pardue, RN PMHNP-BC, and Kirstin Ritchie, RN PMHNP-BC. Each is qualified to evaluate, diagnose, and prescribe for mental health conditions, including the medication needs that sometimes accompany an eating disorder. Full bios and credentials for each of them are on our team page.

Therapy and eating disorder-focused clinical work are delivered by our licensed therapy team: Hannah Legesse, LICSW, Tori Mahoney, LMHC, Jacquelyn Duford, LCMHC ATR, and Lexie Carchedi, LCSW. Jacquelyn is also a registered art therapist, which can offer another way into this work for clients who find traditional talk therapy alone difficult when it comes to body image and food.

Who our clinicians are

Harborside is a private-pay practice and does not bill insurance directly for appointments. Current fees for an initial appointment and for follow-up visits are listed on our pricing page, and if you have questions about cost, we’re happy to answer them before you book anything.

What it costs

If you’re ready to move forward, or you just want to ask a few questions first, reach out and we’ll walk you through what scheduling looks like. For a broader look at how we approach this care, visit our eating disorder treatment page. If you want to understand more about how telehealth works across the state, our Massachusetts telehealth page covers that in more detail, and our Merrimack Valley page describes how we work with people throughout Chelmsford and the surrounding towns.

Getting started

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For mental health crisis support, call or text 988. Harborside Psychiatrics does not provide emergency or after-hours care.

This page is educational and is not medical advice. It does not create a provider-patient relationship. For guidance on eating disorder screening and warning signs, see the [CITATION: National Institute of Mental Health page on eating disorders, as an independent government health resource].

Clinically reviewed by Hannah Legesse, LICSW. Last reviewed: {LAST_REVIEWED}.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does Harborside treat eating disorders that haven't been formally diagnosed?

Yes. Many clients start therapy for a difficult relationship with food or body image before, or without, a formal diagnosis.

Yes, when a client is already working with one. Coordination is discussed during intake and ongoing treatment.

No. Eating disorder therapy at Harborside is talk therapy. Medical monitoring, lab work, and meal planning are handled by outside providers and coordinated with as needed.

Clients who want medication management can be connected with one of Harborside’s psychiatric nurse practitioners.

No. Outpatient therapy isn’t appropriate for every situation. If a higher level of care is needed, your therapist will discuss that directly rather than continuing with weekly sessions alone.

Currently, eating disorder treatment at Harborside is available to clients located in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

If you need help right now

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For mental health crisis support, call or text 988. Harborside Psychiatrics does not provide emergency or after-hours care.

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