Eating disorder therapy in Jacksonville Beach
Eating disorder treatment is the specialty focus at Summit Shores Counseling. Mandy Rubin, LMHC, LPC works with adults across the entire spectrum of recovery — in person in Jacksonville Beach or by telehealth anywhere in Florida.
Serious illnesses deserve specialized care
Eating disorders are serious, complex illnesses that reach into every area of a person’s life — not just the physical and emotional. They call for specialized therapeutic intervention, and often medical support and nutritional guidance alongside therapy. Mandy specializes in working with individuals across the entire spectrum of recovery, and is well connected with other eating-disorder-trained specialists so that you have a well-rounded team on the path to recovery.
Who this is for
Therapy at Summit Shores supports adults (18+) navigating concerns such as:
- Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and other restrictive or purging patterns
- Binge eating disorder and emotional eating
- ARFID (avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder) and highly selective eating in adults
- A painful or preoccupying relationship with food, weight, or body image
- “Healthy eating” that has become rigid, rule-bound, or anxiety-driven
- Recovery after a higher level of care, such as residential or intensive outpatient treatment
- Long-standing dieting cycles and body distrust — including work toward intuitive eating
If you’re not sure whether what you’re experiencing “counts,” that uncertainty is itself a good reason to reach out — early conversations help.
Signs it may be time to reach out
- Thoughts about food, weight, or your body take up a large part of the day
- Food rules keep multiplying — and breaking one feels like failure
- Eating has become secretive, shame-filled, or tightly controlled
- Your weight or shape decides your mood, your plans, or your worth that day
- Exercise feels compulsory rather than chosen
- People who care about you have said they’re worried
None of these lists is a diagnosis — they’re invitations to a conversation.
How treatment works
Work together is collaborative and values-based, drawing on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and interpersonal approaches, tailored to where you are in recovery. When a care team is appropriate, Mandy coordinates with physicians, dietitians, and psychiatric providers to keep your care connected.
Mandy has written publicly about food, body image, and diet culture — including published pieces on intuitive eating and body acceptance, and Florida-focused articles here on when healthy eating stops being healthy and body acceptance in a beach town. Comparing therapists? Her guide to choosing an eating disorder therapist gives you the questions to ask — of anyone, including her.
Outpatient therapy and levels of care
Summit Shores provides outpatient eating disorder therapy — typically weekly 50-minute sessions. Eating disorder care exists on a spectrum: outpatient therapy, intensive outpatient (IOP), partial hospitalization (PHP), and residential programs. Outpatient work is often the right fit when you are medically stable and able to function day to day; it is also where many people land after completing a higher level of care. If a higher level of care would serve you better, Mandy will say so plainly and help connect you with appropriate local and national programs — and she welcomes clients stepping down from those programs who need a steady outpatient therapist to continue recovery.
What the first session looks like
The first session is a conversation, not an interrogation: what brings you in, the history of your relationship with food and body, what you’ve tried, and what you want life to look like on the other side. From there you’ll shape a plan together — including whether a dietitian or physician should join the team. Most people leave the first session with the same feedback: it was a relief to finally say it all out loud.
Practical details
- 50-minute sessions, $125–$150 — fees & payment (private-pay practice)
- In person at 931 3rd Street N, Jacksonville Beach — location & directions (serving Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach & Ponte Vedra Beach)
- Telehealth available anywhere in Florida
- Free initial phone consultation — get started
Common questions
Eating disorder therapy, answered plainly
Can a therapist help with an eating disorder?
Yes. Psychotherapy is a core component of eating disorder treatment, and outpatient therapy with an eating-disorder-experienced clinician is often where recovery happens — alongside medical and nutritional support when needed. Mandy Rubin, LMHC, LPC has spent 15 years working with eating disorders, including in dedicated treatment programs.
Do I need a formal diagnosis before starting?
No. You don’t need a diagnosis, a referral, or certainty that your struggle “counts.” If food, weight, or body image is taking up more of your life than you want it to, that’s reason enough to start the conversation.
Do I also need a dietitian or a doctor?
Sometimes. Eating disorders often benefit from a team — therapist, dietitian, and physician. Mandy is well connected with eating-disorder-trained specialists in the Jacksonville area and coordinates care when a team approach fits your situation.
Can eating disorder therapy happen online?
Often, yes. Outpatient eating disorder therapy is available by secure telehealth to adults anywhere in Florida. When symptoms call for in-person or higher-level care, Mandy will be direct about that and help you find it — see online therapy across Florida.
What if I need more support than weekly therapy?
Eating disorder care spans outpatient therapy, intensive outpatient (IOP), partial hospitalization (PHP), and residential treatment. If a higher level of care fits better, Mandy will help you connect with appropriate programs — and continue with you as your outpatient therapist when you step back down.
Recovery is possible
Take one steady step
A free initial phone consultation is a low-pressure way to talk about what’s going on and what support could look like.
Or call 720.739.0208