Eating Disorder Treatment for Dover, MA
Every clinician at Harborside has an extensive background in treating eating disorders and the anxiety, depression, and perfectionism that often travel alongside them. That depth matters because eating disorders are rarely just about food. They tend to show up wrapped around academic pressure, sport, family expectation, and a young person’s sense of control, and a clinician who has only a surface understanding of the condition will miss what is actually driving it.
In Dover, that pressure often has a particular shape. Families here tend to be well-resourced and highly educated, with kids balancing rigorous academics, competitive athletics, and a school culture where achievement is closely watched. Parents in Dover are frequently the ones making the first call, and they are usually looking for a clinician who can hold the clinical complexity and speak to a teenager or young adult without over-simplifying what they are going through.
Eating Disorder Treatment for people in Dover, MA
Harborside is based in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, and delivers care to patients across the state by live video. For a Dover household, this means no drive, no waiting room, and no time lost to travel around a school or work schedule that is already full.
Here is what it looks like in practice. You need a private space, a stable internet connection, and a phone, tablet, or computer with a camera. Sessions happen through a secure telehealth platform, and you receive a link ahead of each appointment. Initial evaluations typically run longer, giving the clinician time to understand history, current symptoms, and any prior treatment. Follow-up medication management appointments are shorter and focus on how things are going and whether any adjustments are needed. Therapy sessions are generally scheduled weekly or every other week, depending on what the clinician and patient decide together.
If medication is part of the plan, prescriptions are sent electronically to a pharmacy of your choosing near Dover, the same way an in-person provider would send them. You pick up locally. The clinician stays in the loop through scheduled follow-ups, and you can raise concerns as they come up during a normal appointment.
How telehealth care actually works
This service addresses the range of eating disorders and disordered eating patterns that bring people to treatment: anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and avoidant/restrictive food intake patterns, along with the body image concerns and rigid food rules that can precede a formal diagnosis. Many patients are also managing anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive patterns, or trauma alongside the eating disorder, and treatment accounts for how those conditions interact rather than treating each in isolation.
For some patients, care involves medication management. For others, it is therapy alone, or a combination of both, coordinated between a prescriber and a therapist so the two sides of care are not working from different pictures of what is going on.
What we treat
The first appointment is an evaluation, not a treatment session. The clinician asks about eating patterns, weight history, mood, family history, and how symptoms are affecting school, work, or relationships. If you are booking for a teenager, a parent is typically part of this conversation, at least for a portion of it.
By the end of the appointment, you should have a clearer sense of what the clinician is seeing, what a reasonable next step looks like, and whether medication, therapy, or both make sense. Nothing is decided or prescribed without that conversation happening first.
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 Harborside’s 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 medications sometimes used alongside eating disorder treatment for co-occurring anxiety, depression, or attention difficulties. Full bios and credentials for each clinician are on the team page.
Therapy and eating disorder work are delivered by Harborside’s 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 be a useful entry point for patients, particularly younger ones, who find it hard to talk directly about body image or food. Across the team, therapy and medication management are coordinated so both sides of a treatment plan reflect the same understanding of what a patient needs.
Who our clinicians are
Harborside is a private-pay practice and does not bill insurance directly for appointments. Current fees for an initial evaluation and for follow-up appointments are listed on the pricing page. If you have questions about cost, you can ask before anything is booked.
What it costs
If you are ready to schedule, you can request an appointment through Harborside’s intake process, which asks a few questions up front so the right clinician is matched to your situation. Dover families often start with a call to sort out whether the concern is best addressed through medication management, therapy, or both, and that call does not commit you to anything.
You can also review the eating disorder treatment service page, the Massachusetts telehealth hub, or the MetroWest, MA region page for more detail on how care is delivered across the state before you reach out.
Getting started
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For mental health crisis support, call or text 988. Harborside 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. Care decisions should be made with a licensed clinician who knows your full history.
According to the [CITATION: National Eating Disorders Association or NIH page on eating disorder statistics and health risks], eating disorders carry serious physical health risks and are treatable with appropriate clinical support.
Clinically reviewed by Lexie Carchedi, LCSW. Last reviewed: {LAST_REVIEWED}.
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.
Will my therapist coordinate with my doctor or dietitian?
Yes, when a client is already working with one. Coordination is discussed during intake and ongoing treatment.
Does Harborside provide medical monitoring or meal planning?
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.
What if I also need medication for anxiety or depression?
Clients who want medication management can be connected with one of Harborside’s psychiatric nurse practitioners.
Is this a fit for someone who needs a higher level of care?
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.
Is this service available outside Massachusetts and New Hampshire?
Currently, eating disorder treatment at Harborside is available to clients located in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.