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Eating Disorder Treatment for Dedham, MA

Every clinician at Harborside has an extensive background in treating eating disorders and the conditions that tend to travel alongside them, from anxiety to mood concerns to trauma histories. That depth matters because eating disorders are rarely simple. They come with layers, and care that only addresses one layer tends not to hold. Our team is built to look at the whole picture.

People in Dedham tend to want a straight answer before they commit to anything. This is a town with settled families, strong local identity, and a preference for the practical over the polished. So instead of a page that talks around the subject, here is what care with Harborside actually involves, what it costs, and how to get started, without the runaround.

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Eating Disorder Treatment for people in Dedham, MA

Harborside Psychiatrics is based in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, and delivers care by video to people across the state, including Dedham. Here is what that looks like in practice.

  • Technology: you need a smartphone, tablet, or computer with a camera and microphone, and a private, reasonably quiet space for your session.
  • Session length: initial appointments typically run longer than follow-ups, since your clinician needs time to understand your history and current concerns. Follow-up sessions, whether therapy or medication management, are shorter and more focused.
  • Frequency: how often you’re seen depends on your care plan. Therapy for eating disorders is often weekly, at least at the start. Medication follow-ups are usually spaced further apart once things are stable.
  • Prescriptions: if medication is part of your plan, prescriptions are sent electronically to a pharmacy of your choosing, including pharmacies in or near Dedham.
  • Coordination: if your care involves both a prescriber and a therapist, they coordinate with each other so you’re not repeating yourself or getting mixed messages.

Video care does have limits. Some presentations, particularly those involving medical instability tied to restriction or purging, need in-person monitoring that a video appointment can’t provide. Your clinician will talk with you directly about whether telehealth is a good fit for where you are right now, and will be honest with you if it isn’t.

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How telehealth care actually works

We work with the range of eating disorders, including restrictive eating patterns, binge eating, purging behaviors, and disordered eating that doesn’t fit neatly into a single diagnostic box but still affects your health and daily life. We also treat the conditions that frequently show up alongside eating disorders: anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive patterns, trauma-related symptoms, and body image concerns that predate or outlast the eating disorder itself.

We do not treat every eating disorder presentation by video. Severe medical instability, situations that require inpatient or residential level care, or acute risk need a higher level of care than a video appointment can offer. Part of the first appointment is figuring out, honestly, whether outpatient telehealth care is the right level of care for you or someone you love.

What we treat

The first appointment is longer than a typical follow-up because your clinician needs a full picture before building a plan. Expect questions about your eating patterns, your relationship with food and your body, your medical history, and what else is going on in your life, including work, family, and any other mental health concerns. If medication is a relevant option, your prescriber will walk through what that could look like and what it would not address on its own. If therapy is the right starting point, your therapist will talk about approach and pacing.

You don’t need to have language for everything before that first call. Bring what you know and let the appointment do the rest of the work.

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 therapy for eating disorders and related conditions. Full bios and credentials for each of them are on the team page.

Therapy and eating disorder 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 adds a different entry point for clients who find that talk therapy alone doesn’t reach everything that needs reaching. Between the prescribing and therapy teams, care for eating disorders and their common companions is handled by clinicians who work with this material regularly.

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 appointments are listed on the pricing page, and you’re welcome to ask questions about cost before you book anything.

What it costs

If you’re in Dedham and thinking about care for yourself or someone in your household, the next step is a first appointment, not a decision about the rest of your care. That gets sorted out together, based on what you actually need. Reach out to schedule, or to ask what to expect before you commit to anything.

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 does not constitute medical advice. It does not create a provider-patient relationship. For guidance on eating disorder warning signs and levels of care, see the [CITATION: National Eating Disorders Association or NIMH resource page on eating disorders, for general public education on symptoms and levels of care].

Reviewed by Lexie Carchedi, LCSW. 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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