Eating Disorders, Autism, and the Role of Parts Work (IFS)
Eating disorders often carry layers of shame, self-criticism, and secrecy. For autistic clients, these struggles can be further complicated by sensory sensitivities, routines, and a lifetime of masking. Many people I work with tell me: “It’s not just about food — it’s about control, comfort, and survival.”
When eating disorders and autism intersect, therapy must go beyond symptom management. It needs to create a space that is affirming, trauma-informed, and flexible enough to honor the many “parts” at play.
Why Eating Disorders Show Up Differently in Autism
Research shows that autistic people are at higher risk of developing eating disorders. Some reasons include:
Sensory experiences: certain textures or tastes may feel intolerable, leading to restrictive eating.
Rigid routines: food rituals can bring predictability but also become limiting.
Masking and shame: years of feeling “different” may lead to controlling food as a way to cope.
Anxiety and overwhelm: food can become either a grounding tool or a source of distress.
These experiences are not signs of weakness. They reflect how autism and eating struggles overlap in complex, deeply human ways.
How Parts Work Can Help
Parts work, at times called Internal Family Systems (IFS-inspired), offers a way of approaching eating disorders with compassion instead of blame. The process sees the mind as made up of many “parts,” each with its own role.
In eating disorder treatment, this might look like:
Meeting the protective part that uses food rules to create safety.
Understanding the critical part that demands control or perfection.
Honoring the exhausted part that feels burned out from constant masking.
Listening for the authentic part that wants freedom, nourishment, and ease.
By gently exploring these parts, clients begin to see that their eating struggles are not the whole story — they are strategies developed for survival. This shift often reduces shame and opens the door to real healing.
Moving Toward Healing
For autistic clients, eating disorder recovery is not about forcing “normal” eating or erasing parts. It’s about learning to recognize what each part needs, finding new ways to self-soothe, and slowly building trust with the body.
In therapy, we work collaboratively: combining psychodynamic depth, parts work, and evidence-based approaches like EMDR and CBT. My goal is always to create a neurodivergent-affirming space where clients feel seen, safe, and supported.
If you’re living with both autism and an eating disorder, you are not alone. Healing is possible, and every part of you has a role in that process!
nancy@paritywell.com | (845) 445-8016
