A deeper path to healing.

Eating Disorder & Body Image Therapy

Newport Beach, CA

A deeper path to healing.

Eating Disorder & Body Image Therapy

Newport Beach, CA

You're tired of fighting with food and your body.

It’s taking up more space than you want it to—the constant noise in your head, checking your body throughout the day, or maybe it's the guilt and shame that linger long after you’ve eaten. Even when you try to do things differently, you find yourself pulled back into the same exhausting patterns.

Healing doesn't come from trying harder.

Our relationship with food is rarely just about food. It's shaped by our experiences, the ways we've learned to cope, and the beliefs we carry about ourselves. While practical tools are an important part of recovery, lasting change comes from understanding and healing what's beneath the struggle.

Together, we'll make sense of what's underneath while helping you build a more trusting relationship with food, your body, and yourself.

Imagine having more mental space for the parts of life that matter to you.

Picture sitting down to a meal and being able to actually enjoy the conversation instead of getting stuck in your head. Imagine feeling more at home in your body and having more energy to invest in your relationships, your work, and the experiences that make your life feel meaningful.

Sara Burchfiel, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Eating Disorder Specialist, Newport Beach,

Hi, I'm Sara.

I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Eating Disorder Specialist with over 15 years of experience supporting people through meaningful, lasting change. My approach is relational, trauma-informed, and depth-oriented, grounded in compassion, curiosity, and a belief that healing is possible.

I welcome clients from all backgrounds and walks of life, including people of all identities, neurotypes, faiths, and body sizes. I'm intentional about creating a space where you can show up as your full self—without needing to edit, hide, or shrink parts of who you are.

Therapy is shaped around you—your history, relationships, nervous system, and what healing looks like in your life. Together, we'll look beneath the surface to understand what your symptoms and patterns may be trying to communicate. Moving at a pace that feels supportive and attuned, we'll cultivate greater insight, self-trust, and meaningful change.

More About Me

You’re ready for life to feel bigger than the struggle.

Reach Out

Send a message or schedule a free 20-minute consultation. This is a chance to connect, ask questions, and see if we might be a good fit.

Begin Together

Your first session is a place to share what’s been weighing on you and begin making sense of what brought you to therapy. We’ll move at your pace, with curiosity, care, and compassion.

Move Towards Healing

Over time, we’ll explore the patterns that have shaped your experiences, strengthen your sense of self-trust, and create more space for the life you want to live.

Common Questions

How do I know if working together would be a good fit?

I invite you to reach out for a brief consultation call where you can share what’s bringing you in, ask any questions, and get a sense of me and how I work.

As we talk, try to notice your own inner experience and first impressions: does it feel like I am someone you could open up with? Starting therapy can feel like a big step, and it’s important that you feel able to talk openly — and that you’re met with genuine interest, understanding, and care.

We can also talk about what has felt helpful — and unhelpful — in past therapy, or in your efforts to navigate what you’re going through now.

If at any point I have the sense that you might be better supported by a different therapist or approach, I’ll be open about that and offer referrals to help guide you in the right direction.

My hope is that you feel respected, understood, and met in the fullness of who you are and the experiences that have shaped you. There’s no pressure to make a decision on the spot — the goal is simply to see whether it feels like a supportive fit.

Do you only work with people with eating disorders?

No. While eating disorder recovery is a central focus of my practice, I also work with concerns like anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship struggles, life transitions, and feeling stuck or disconnected.

Often, what brings people to therapy isn’t just the surface issue, but patterns underneath — ways of coping, relating, or responding that once made sense, but no longer feel like they’re working.

In our work together, we focus less on labels and more on understanding these patterns in the context of your life — how they developed, what they’re trying to protect, and how they may be keeping you stuck. From there, we begin to open up space for relief, clarity, and meaningful change.

If you’re wondering whether your concerns are a fit, you’re always welcome to reach out or visit the Services page to learn more.

What can I expect in the first therapy session?

Your first session is a chance for us to begin getting to know one another and to start understanding what you’d like help with. I’ll invite you to share what’s been weighing on you, along with anything else that feels important for me to know. We’ll approach this as an open conversation, with some gentle structure if needed, and find a rhythm together that feels comfortable for you.

You’re encouraged to speak as openly as you can, but there’s no pressure to get everything “right” or cover it all in one session. It’s completely okay if things feel unclear or hard to put into words at first—this is something we come to understand over time.

This first meeting is simply a starting point. Together, we’ll begin making sense of what’s going on and what you’re hoping might feel different.

Some of the questions we’ll begin to explore include:

What’s been going on?
How do you hope therapy can help?
What's led you to reach out now?

Before we meet, you’ll complete intake paperwork through a secure online portal so our time together can stay focused on what matters most to you.

What if I’ve tried therapy before and still feel stuck?

That’s more common than you might think—and it doesn’t mean you’ve failed or that therapy “didn’t work.”

Many people come to therapy with insight. You may already understand your patterns, know where they come from, and genuinely want something different—yet still find yourself pulled into the same loops.

Often, this isn’t about a lack of effort or awareness. It can mean there are deeper emotional or relational layers that haven’t yet been fully understood or worked through.

Our work isn’t about pushing harder or trying to override those patterns. Instead, we slow down and get curious about what’s underneath them—what they’ve been protecting, expressing, or holding in place.

From there, change tends to feel less forced and more like something that unfolds from within—creating a deeper, more lasting shift.

What is your fee and do you take insurance?

My fee is $215 per session. Sessions are 45 minutes in length. I reserve a limited number of slots at a reduced fee - please inquire if finances are a concern for you.

I’m out of network with all insurance companies.

Many of my clients use PPO plans with out-of-network benefits, and I provide a monthly superbill for possible reimbursement. A superbill is documentation similar to a receipt that also includes medical codes your insurance carrier will need to process the claim. Please speak with your carrier to learn what mental health benefits they offer and what your deductible will be.

Sara Burchfiel, LMFT

A deeper path to healing.

A deeper path to healing.

In-person therapy in Newport Beach | Telehealth throughout California & Texas

You're tired of fighting with food and your body.

Hi, I'm Sara.

Areas I commonly support:

You’re ready for life to feel bigger than the struggle.

Reach Out

Begin Together

Move Towards Healing

Common Questions

Reach Out

I'd Love To Hear From You!

Sara Burchfiel, LMFT

A deeper path to healing.

A deeper path to healing.

In-person therapy in Newport Beach | Telehealth throughout California & Texas

You're tired of fighting with food and your body.

Hi, I'm Sara.

Areas I commonly support:

You’re ready for life to feel bigger than the struggle.

Reach Out

Begin Together

Move Towards Healing

Common Questions

Reach Out

I'd Love To Hear From You!

Sara Burchfiel, LMFT

This website uses cookies.