ARFID Therapy in Philadelphia and Across Pennsylvania
Specialist ARFID treatment for children, teens, and adults. In person in Philadelphia and Devon, and virtually throughout Pennsylvania.
One of the few outpatient practices in the region with dedicated ARFID expertise. Neurodivergent-affirming, weight-inclusive, and doctoral-level. We work with children from age five through adulthood.
What Is ARFID?
ARFID stands for Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. It is a recognized eating disorder in which someone eats a very limited range or volume of food, but not because of concerns about weight, shape, or body image.
That last part is what makes ARFID different from anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder, and it is the reason ARFID so often goes unrecognized for years. Families are told their child is a picky eater who will grow out of it. And adults who had ARFID assume the same about themselves. Providers who screen for body image concerns find none and conclude nothing is wrong. People end up going for years or even decades without help.
Until they finally hear from someone who is trained and deeply gets it: That something is wrong, it has a name, and it IS treatable.
The Three Presentations
ARFID generally shows up in one of three ways, and many people experience more than one at once.
Sensory sensitivity
Certain textures, smells, temperatures, colours, or tastes are genuinely intolerable. This is not preference, it is closer to revulsion, and pushing through it does not work.
Low interest in eating
Little to no appetite or hunger signalling, and eating feels like a chore rather than a pleasure. Meals get forgotten, abandoned halfway, or skipped without distress.
Fear of aversive consequences
Anxiety about what might happen while eating: choking, vomiting, an allergic reaction, or pain. This often follows a frightening incident, and it can narrow someone's diet very quickly.
Understanding which presentation you or your child is experiencing shapes the entire treatment plan, which is why assessment comes first.
What you might be noticing
Signs of ARFID
In children and teens
A very short list of accepted foods, which shrinks rather than grows over time
Distress, panic, or shutdown when new foods appear
Mealtimes becoming the most stressful part of the family's day
Difficulty eating anywhere other than home
Avoiding birthday parties, sleepovers, school trips, or restaurants
Growth or development that a pediatrician has flagged
A sudden change following a choking or vomiting incident
In adults
Eating the same handful of meals for years
Organizing work, dating, and travel around what you can eat
Shame or secrecy about eating in front of other people
Nutritional gaps or fatigue that never quite resolves
Being told your whole life that you are just fussy
If this is describing your household or yourself, a consultation call costs nothing and may be the first conversation where someone recognizes it immediately.
Is ARFID the Same as Picky Eating?
No, and the distinction matters.
Most children go through a selective eating phase. It narrows their diet temporarily, it responds to time and gentle exposure, and it does not meaningfully disrupt their life or health.
ARFID persists. It tends to narrow further rather than broaden. It affects nutrition, growth, or daily functioning. And it comes with genuine distress, for the person and usually for everyone around the table.
The most useful question is not how many foods someone eats. It is how much their eating is costing them: in health, in anxiety, in the things they cannot do.
ARFID in Adults
Adults with ARFID are one of the most underserved groups in eating disorder care. Most services are built for children, most public awareness stops at picky eating, and most adults with ARFID have spent decades assuming this is just how they are.
It is not. ARFID responds to treatment at any age.
Many of the adults we work with were never assessed as children, either because ARFID was not a formal diagnosis until relatively recently or because nobody thought to look. Some have coped successfully for years and then hit a point where it stopped working: a new relationship, a job with client dinners, a pregnancy, a health scare, or a child of their own who is starting to eat the same way.
We treat adults with ARFID as a core part of our practice, not an afterthought.
ARFID and Neurodivergence
ARFID and autism co-occur frequently, and ARFID overlaps significantly with ADHD, OCD, and anxiety.
Our care is neurodivergent-affirming, which means something specific here. We do not treat sensory sensitivity as a behaviour to be corrected out of your child. We work with a nervous system as it actually is, expanding what feels safe to eat without demanding that your child stop being autistic in order to eat lunch.
For clients with ADHD, we look at interoception and the way low appetite awareness, medication effects, and executive function interact around food. For clients with OCD or emetophobia, the fear of vomiting, we address the anxiety driving the avoidance rather than only the eating itself.
Feeding Therapy or ARFID Therapy?
Parents often arrive having been offered feeding therapy, usually through a speech-language pathologist or occupational therapist, and unsure whether it is the right fit.
Both can be right. They do different jobs.
Feeding therapy
Typically addresses the mechanics of eating: oral motor skills, chewing, swallowing, and sensory processing. It is often the right starting point for younger children and for anyone with a physical or motor component to their difficulty.
ARFID therapy
Addresses the psychological side: the anxiety, the avoidance, the fear, the learned associations, and the family patterns that build up around food over months and years.
Many children benefit from both, running alongside each other. If you are unsure which your child needs, that is an entirely reasonable thing to bring to a consultation call, and we will tell you honestly if we think another provider is the better first step.
How We Treat ARFID
There is no single protocol that fits every presentation, so treatment begins with a thorough assessment of which type of ARFID is present and what is maintaining it.
From there, your clinician may draw on cognitive behavioral therapy adapted for ARFID (CBT-AR), gradual and collaborative exposure work, anxiety-focused approaches including exposure and response prevention where fear of aversive consequences is driving the avoidance, and Family-Based Treatment for children and adolescents where parents become an active part of the work.
We also coordinate. ARFID is best treated by a team, and we work alongside pediatricians, dietitians, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and psychiatrists so that you are not left carrying information between your own providers.
Stepping down from a program?
If your child has been treated at a children's hospital or an intensive program and you are looking for outpatient support to continue the work, this is a core part of what we do. Every clinician on our team has worked in higher levels of eating disorder care.
Why Families Choose Wildflower
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Genuine ARFID expertise
ARFID is a specialism here, not a line on a list of conditions. Very few outpatient practices in the Philadelphia region offer it at all.
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We see the whole age range
Children from age five, teens, college students, and adults.
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Doctoral-level training
Our founder is a licensed clinical psychologist and published author, and several clinicians hold doctoral degrees. Every clinician has worked in higher levels of care.
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Neurodivergent-affirming and Weight-inclusive
By default, on every page and in every room, not as an add-on. We work from a Health at Every Size lens, and we will never make your child's body the subject of their treatment.
Where we see you
In person in Philadelphia and on the Main Line,
virtual across Pennsylvania
Philadelphia
1315 Walnut Street, Suite 802
Our Philadelphia office is in Center City at 1315 Walnut Street, in the heart of the Gayborhood, easy to reach from anywhere in the city.
Devon, Main Line
237 Lancaster Avenue, Suite 253
Our Devon office serves families across the Main Line, including Wayne, Villanova, Ardmore, Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Radnor, Berwyn, and the surrounding towns.
Do you offer virtual ARFID therapy in Pennsylvania?
Yes, across the entire state. For ARFID in particular this can be an advantage, because sessions can happen in the kitchen where the eating actually occurs.
We are additionally licensed in NJ, DE, FL, MA, VA, SC, OH, and VT, including students living in any of these states even if their parents live elsewhere.
In their words
What colleagues and clients say
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I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with this practice professionally and have been consistently impressed by their team. Their therapists are incredibly knowledgeable, compassionate, and impactful in the eating disorder space. I always feel confident working with Colleen and her team. If you're looking for an eating disorder therapist, look no further!
– Hannah Pfohl
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Colleen and her team at Wildflower Therapy are experts in eating disorder therapy and truly understand what it means to be neurodiversity affirming. They are also expert at understanding the nuances that come with providing quality care for folks navigating IVF, infertility, and other reproductive care concerns. They are my go-to recommendation for eating disorder therapists in Center City, Philadelphia- relatable, smart, down to earth, kind. You or your family member will be in good hands!
- Katie Fries
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As a Registered Dietitian working in the field of eating disorders, I work with (and refer to!) therapists every day. The entire team at Wildflower Therapy is such a warm, inviting, and talented group of individuals. I love sharing clients with the folks there because I know they are in the best hands possible. Wildflower Therapy is a special place that offers nonjudgmental, human-centered care like no other. If you are a clinician looking to refer (and make great friends in the process) or a client looking for a safe space to share your experiences, look no further!
- Emily Craft
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The team at Wildflower Therapy is incredible! They are so talented, compassionate and true experts in the field of eating disorders and body image. As a therapist myself I have shared clients with them and know first hand how helpful they are. I would absolutely not hesitate to send my own family here.
- Allyson Ford
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Colleen and her team are truly remarkable. Their compassion, competence, and caring when working with therapy clients is unmatched. Highly recommend!
- Nicole McNelis
Our clinicians
Meet Our ARFID Therapists
Our clinicians bring doctoral-level training, specialized ARFID experience, and genuine warmth. Get to know each therapist, their specializations, and their credentials on our team page.
Dr. Colleen Reichmann
Psychologist, Founder
Samantha Palmer
LPC
Dr. Ilana Levin
Psychologist, Supervisor
Zia Klein
LCSW
Dr. Yvette Karvay
Postdoctoral Fellow
Casey Harvey
LCSW
Dr. Brooke Schleyer
Postdoctoral Fellow
Erika Zaslow
LPC
Investment and Insurance
We are a private-pay practice, which lets us keep caseloads small and tailor treatment to each client. We provide superbills for out-of-network reimbursement, and many families receive partial reimbursement from their plans. We will explain exactly how this works on your consultation call.
Three steps
Getting started is simple
Step one
Reach out
Contact us through our contact page or call (215) 668-9356 to schedule a free 30-minute consultation.
Step two
We match you
We match you with the clinician whose ARFID experience best fits your situation.
Step three
Begin
In Philadelphia, in Devon, or virtually from anywhere in Pennsylvania.
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ARFID stands for Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. It is an eating disorder involving a severely limited range or amount of food, driven by sensory sensitivity, low appetite, or fear of aversive consequences such as choking or vomiting, rather than by concerns about weight or body image.
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No. Picky eating is common in childhood and usually resolves. ARFID persists, tends to narrow further over time, and affects nutrition, growth, or daily functioning, with real distress attached.
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Yes. ARFID affects people of every age, and adults are among the most underserved. Many were never assessed as children. Treatment works at any age.
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Feeding therapy usually addresses the mechanics of eating, such as oral motor skills and sensory processing. ARFID therapy addresses the psychological side: anxiety, avoidance, fear, and the family patterns that form around food. Many children benefit from both.
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ARFID co-occurs frequently with autism, and overlaps with ADHD, OCD, and anxiety. Our care is neurodivergent-affirming, meaning we work with a person's sensory system rather than against it.
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Children from age five, teens, college students, and adults.
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Yes, across the whole state, alongside in-person sessions in Philadelphia and Devon. Virtual sessions can be especially useful for ARFID because they can take place at home.
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We are a private-pay practice and provide superbills for out-of-network reimbursement. We will explain how this works on your free consultation.
Questions people ask us
Frequently asked questions
Start your journey here
Wildflower Therapy
1315 Walnut Street, Suite 802, Philadelphia, PA 19107
237 Lancaster Ave, Suite 253, Devon, PA 19333
(215) 668-9356
Free 30-minute consultation · Philadelphia, Devon, or virtual across PA