Tom Wooldridge, "Eating Disorders: A Contemporary Introduction" (Routledge, 2022)

Sep 5, 2025

Tom Wooldridge, Chair in the Department of Psychology at Golden Gate University and a licensed psychologist, delves into the complexities of eating disorders through a psychoanalytic lens. He emphasizes structural diagnosis, exploring individual cases and family dynamics, while advocating for multidisciplinary treatment. The conversation also highlights the intricate interplay of body image and early attachment experiences, plus the evolving role of online support communities. Wooldridge stresses the importance of embracing vulnerability in treatment, especially in today's post-COVID landscape.

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INSIGHT

Diagnosis Hides Diverse Profiles

Eating-disorder diagnoses hide heterogeneous underlying character structures that change treatment needs.
Two people with anorexia may require very different therapeutic approaches based on personality and regulation styles.

ADVICE

Use A Multidisciplinary Team

Use a multidisciplinary treatment team including physician, nutritionist, psychiatrist, and family therapist when needed.
Combine medical stabilization with psychodynamic work rather than relying on a single modality.

ADVICE

Prioritize Early Weight Restoration

Prioritize early weight restoration for adolescents with anorexia using family-based approaches when feasible.
Restoring weight sooner is associated with better prognosis and creates a safer platform for psychodynamic work.

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Eating Disorders: A Contemporary Introduction (Routledge, 2022) presents an accessible introduction to the conceptualization and treatment of eating disorders from a psychoanalytic perspective.

Each of the chapters offers a different perspective on these difficult-to-treat conditions and taken together, illustrate the breadth and depth that psychoanalytic thinking can offer both seasoned clinicians as well as those just beginning to explore the field. Different aspects of how psychoanalytic theory and practice can engage with eating disorders are addressed, including mobilizing its nuanced developmental theories to illustrate the difficulties these patients have with putting feelings into words, the loathing that they feel towards their bodies, the disharmonies they experience in the link between body and mind, and even the ways that they engage with online Internet forums.

This is an accessible read for clinicians at the start of their career and will also be a useful, novel take on the subject for experienced practitioners.

Tom Wooldridge, PsyD, ABPP, CEDS-S is Chair in the Department of Psychology at Golden Gate University as well as a psychoanalyst and board-certified, licensed psychologist. He has published numerous journal articles and book chapters on topics such as eating disorders, masculinity, technology, and psychoanalytic treatment. His first book, Understanding Anorexia Nervosa in Males, was published by Routledge in 2016 and has been praised as “groundbreaking” and a “milestone publication in our field.” His second book, Psychoanalytic Treatment of Eating Disorders: When Words Fail and Bodies Speak, an edited volume in the Relational Perspectives Book Series, was published by Routledge in 2018, and has also been well reviewed. In addition, Dr. Wooldridge has been interviewed by numerous media publications including Newsweek, Slate, WebMD, and others for his work. He is on the Scientific Advisory Council of the National Eating Disorders Association, Faculty at the Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California (PINC) and the Northern California Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology (NCSPP), an Assistant Clinical Professor at UCSF’s Medical School, and has a private practice in Berkeley, CA.

Helena Vissing, PsyD, SEP, PMH-C is a Licensed Psychologist practicing in California. She is associate professor at California Institute of Integral Studies. She can be reached at contact@helenavissing.com. She is the author of Somatic Maternal Healing: Psychodynamic and Somatic Treatment of Trauma in the Perinatal Period.

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