Supporting Athletes with Eating Disorders: A Nuanced Approach to Recovery in Philadelphia, PA
Written by Dr. Colleen Reichmann, owner and clinical director of Wildflower Therapy
At Wildflower Therapy, a group therapy practice based in Philadelphia, we work with individuals navigating eating disorders from all walks of life. One group that we believe to be very high risk, yet so often overlooked? Student-athletes.
When you are an athlete (of any capacity) and an eating disorder develops, the path to healing can feel complicated. How do you get better when your sport demands so much from your body? Can you pause your sport for recovery and then pick up when you are feeling ready? Can you continue training while work on recovery?
The answer, unfortunately, cannot be found in a blog post. Because it is going to be so unique for you and your specific situation. That’s why at Wildflower Therapy, we offer eating disorder therapy that meets athletes with both honesty and compassion. We take a nuanced approach that takes into account “best practice” therapy in the eating diorders field, and situates it into an understanding of how deeply personal and important the athlete identity can feel for some people. We never want anyone to have to choose between healing and being who they are.
The Silent Struggle: Why Athletes Are at Risk
Eating disorders don’t discriminate. They can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, size, or background. But research consistently shows that athletes-especially those in sports that emphasize leanness, endurance, or aesthetics- face increased risk. This includes:
Track and field
Gymnastics
Wrestling
Dance
Rowing
Cheerleading
Swimming
Cross-country
Figure skating
Part of the issue is the culture around performance. In these environments, discipline is celebrated. Thinness may be praised. “Pushing through pain” becomes a badge of honor. Combine that with intense training schedules, high expectations from coaches and parents, and a lack of education around disordered eating, and you have the perfect storm.
What starts as “clean eating” or “just trying to be faster” can quickly spiral into something much more serious-and it can be SO much harder to spot in a typical athlete environment! Often, eating disorders in athletes are missed entirely because the symptoms are masked as dedication.
Common Warning Signs in Athletes
So what should you look for? These are just some signs that an athlete may be struggling:
Sudden or rapid weight loss
Obsession with food, calories, macros, or “clean eating”
Fatigue or frequent injuries
Irregular or missing periods
Avoiding team meals or eating alone
Increased anxiety around competitions or weigh-ins
Preoccupation with body image, especially “performance body” ideals
Training beyond prescribed levels, often in secret
And here’s something important: eating disorders usually do not look like emaciation. Many athletes struggling with disordered eating have BMI’s that are “normal” (whatever that even means..) or are in larger bodies. Some are even praised for their “grit” or “transformation” when they lose weight, or are told by coaches that this will improve performance. But inside, they may be silently suffering.
What Recovery Looks Like for an Athlete
At Wildflower Therapy, we take a nuanced, individualized approach to recovery, especially when working with athletes. Eating disorder treatment is never one-size-fits-all, and that’s especially true for student-athletes.
Here’s what we focus on:
1. Understanding the Role of the Athlete Identity
For many clients, being an athlete isn’t just something they do-it’s who they are. It’s a core identity. When treatment asks someone to step away from their sport entirely, it can feel like being asked to lose a part of themselves.
At Wildflower, we never pathologize this attachment. Instead, we honor it. We help athletes explore how their sport has shaped their values, routines, and sense of self, and we support them in reconnecting with that identity in ways that support rather than harm their body and mental health.
Recovery doesn’t mean you have to give up being an athlete forever. Sometimes, it means redefining what that identity looks like, in a more sustainable, compassionate way.
2. Collaborative Decision-Making Around Exercise
We know that movement can be a joyful, meaningful part of life. We also know it can become compulsive or harmful, especially when tied to rigid food rules or body image distress.
We work collaboratively with athletes, families, and (when appropriate) coaches or athletic trainers to assess when and how movement can safely remain a part of life during recovery. Sometimes, this means a temporary pause. Other times, it means modifying the intensity or frequency. But it’s never about punishment-it’s about helping the client stay connected to their values-based long-term goals.
3. Education Around Fueling and Performance
Many athletes don’t realize how deeply under-fueled they are. Not eating enough, whether intentionally or not, impacts everything from endurance to cognition to injury recovery. For those in recovery, learning about the relationship between adequate nutrition and optimal performance can be a game-changer.
Our therapists and dietitian partners provide psychoeducation around fueling the body for sport and life. We help clients reframe nourishment as an act of support, not sabotage.
The Role of Therapy in Athlete Recovery
Therapy can be a safe place for athletes to untangle the complicated web of pressure, perfectionism, identity, and fear. It can also be a space to:
Process grief around injuries or lost seasons
Rebuild body trust and interoceptive awareness
Set boundaries with coaches or teammates
Develop distress tolerance tools that don’t involve food or exercise
Cultivate self-worth that isn’t tied to performance or appearance
At Wildflower Therapy, we use evidence-based approaches, including CBT, DBT, ACT, and IFS, through a trauma-informed, weight-inclusive lens. We also center the client’s lived experience, recognizing the cultural and systemic factors at play, including racism, sexism, and anti-fat bias in athletic environments.
We Work With Athletes Across Pennsylvania(and other states!)
Wildflower Therapy offers in-person eating disorder therapy in Philadelphia and virtual sessions for anyone in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Delaware, Ohio, South Carolina, Florida, Virginia, or Vermont. We frequently work with student-athletes from:
University of Pennsylvania
Temple University
Drexel University
Villanova University
Saint Joseph’s University
Rutgers University
Rowan University
West Chester University
Swarthmore College
University of Delaware
We also provide consultation and support for families, coaches, and athletic departments seeking to better understand and support athletes in recovery.
A Message to the Athlete Who’s Struggling
If you’re reading this and wondering if your relationship with food or your body has gotten out of control- if you’re starting to feel like you took discliplining your body too far, and now the thoughts are in control of you- please know you’re not alone. And you don’t have to give up your passion to get better.
Healing is possible. You can be strong, driven, and competitive-and still worthy of care, rest, and nourishment.
AND you are more than your sport. You are a whole human being.
We’re here to support every part of you.
Interested in Therapy?
Wildflower Therapy offers eating disorder treatment for athletes and non-athletes alike in Philadelphia and throughout several states. Whether you’re looking for virtual support or in-person therapy, our team of compassionate clinicians is here to help.