Health at Every Size® Healthcare Provider Listing
Emily Rich, MS, LMFT, MedFT
(she/her)
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Enrichment Counseling and Wellness
Seattle,
Washington,
United States
Contact Me:
Make an Appointment:
Specialties & Areas of Focus:
- Eating disorders
- Body image
- Diet culture
- Disordered eating
- Trauma
- Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD)
- Relationship issues
- Dancers
- Chronic illness
Modalities & Theoretical Lenses:
- Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
- Somatic therapy
- Body-based trauma work
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Family Systems Theory
- Internal Family Systems (IFS)
- Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST)
- Lifespan Integration
- Medical Family Therapy
- Attachment-Based
Age Groups Served:
- Teens (13-18 years old)
- Adults (18 years old and up)
- Older Adults (65+ years old)
- Teens (13-18 years old)
- Adults (18 years old and up)
- Older Adults (65+ years old)
Additional Populations Served & Allied Groups:
- LGBTQIA+
- BIPOC folks
- Perfectionists
- High achievers
- Dancers
- Athletes
- Hypermobile/EDS/POTS
Languages Services Offered In:
- English
- English
My Philosophy of Care
I use a person-centered approach with an integration of several different theories including family systems, emotionally focused theory, internal family systems, and body-based approaches from a biopsychosocial-spiritual perspective. Drawing from both Internal Family Systems and TIST (Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment), I often use "parts" work.
Food and body struggles tend to be somewhat complex as they are influenced by mental, emotional, cognitive, relational, and societal factors. Because of this, the healing work often needs to go beyond simple behavior change and talk therapy. I help clients address the deeper layers below the eating disorder’s thoughts and behaviors by working with the body as well as the mind and heart. This can involve looking at and addressing one’s trauma and attachment history in a holistic way, acknowledging the eating disorder may have developed as a brilliant survival mechanism when options seemed limited.
We all have protective parts that develop to help us survive stressful or traumatic life experiences. By using “parts work” (through the Internal Family Systems model and the Trauma-Informed Stabilization we can explore your survival system, which “parts” are being activated, and how we can update these parts. Sometimes our survival systems are working as if we are still living in past trauma and need some help with being brought to the present.
In all the work I do, I come from a fat-positive, anti-diet approach.
Food and body struggles tend to be somewhat complex as they are influenced by mental, emotional, cognitive, relational, and societal factors. Because of this, the healing work often needs to go beyond simple behavior change and talk therapy. I help clients address the deeper layers below the eating disorder’s thoughts and behaviors by working with the body as well as the mind and heart. This can involve looking at and addressing one’s trauma and attachment history in a holistic way, acknowledging the eating disorder may have developed as a brilliant survival mechanism when options seemed limited.
We all have protective parts that develop to help us survive stressful or traumatic life experiences. By using “parts work” (through the Internal Family Systems model and the Trauma-Informed Stabilization we can explore your survival system, which “parts” are being activated, and how we can update these parts. Sometimes our survival systems are working as if we are still living in past trauma and need some help with being brought to the present.
In all the work I do, I come from a fat-positive, anti-diet approach.
About Me & My Practice
I have been doing clinical work since 2015 and have grown a deep love for working with trauma and the body. My training as a Marriage and Family Therapist enables me to work with individuals, couples, families, and groups as well as providing a systemic lens, through which I consider the many systems in which a client lives.
I am a retired dancer whose dance career ended with a major hip surgery, so I especially understand the experience of what it’s like to be immersed in the intense and competitive world of an athlete, as well as shifting identities when retiring from an athletic career.
I am excited by the power our bodies hold, including the incredible ways our bodies help us survive trauma and oppression. Similarly, I see great healing happening when the body is included in therapeutic work, restoring a sense of safety from within. As someone in a straight size body, I work hard to be responsible for the undue power I hold and to create a safe space for people of all sizes. I work hard to educate and collaborate with other providers to fight weight stigma and discrimination in healthcare settings. My training as a Medical Family Therapist has taught me how to effectively work with other medical providers/settings, health issues, and families in a way that bridges some of the gaps in our medical system.
Aside from all of this, two words that are often used to describe what I bring to the room are humor and warmth.
I am a retired dancer whose dance career ended with a major hip surgery, so I especially understand the experience of what it’s like to be immersed in the intense and competitive world of an athlete, as well as shifting identities when retiring from an athletic career.
I am excited by the power our bodies hold, including the incredible ways our bodies help us survive trauma and oppression. Similarly, I see great healing happening when the body is included in therapeutic work, restoring a sense of safety from within. As someone in a straight size body, I work hard to be responsible for the undue power I hold and to create a safe space for people of all sizes. I work hard to educate and collaborate with other providers to fight weight stigma and discrimination in healthcare settings. My training as a Medical Family Therapist has taught me how to effectively work with other medical providers/settings, health issues, and families in a way that bridges some of the gaps in our medical system.
Aside from all of this, two words that are often used to describe what I bring to the room are humor and warmth.
Accessibility Considerations
I am only providing Telehealth sessions at this time. There may be accessibility issues around using my Telehealth platform, which unfortunately does not include a feature of creating subtitles. I am happy to use voice-only sessions when this is useful.