Gently Expanding Your Food World, Step by Brave Step

Compassionate, gradual support to help you overcome food fears and build confidence with eating—at your own pace.

What Is Food
Exposure Therapy?

Food exposure therapy is a specialized, evidence-based approach designed to help individuals gradually and safely expand their relationship with foods that feel challenging, scary, or overwhelming.

This therapeutic process involves systematic, supported exposure to new or feared foods in a way that builds confidence while respecting your individual pace and comfort level.

Unlike forcing yourself to eat foods that feel impossible, food exposure therapy recognizes that our relationships with food are complex and often rooted in past experiences, sensory sensitivities, medical history, or trauma. We work together to understand what makes certain foods feel difficult and create a gentle pathway toward greater food freedom.

The process often begins with non-threatening interactions with foods—perhaps simply looking at them, touching them, or smelling them—before gradually progressing toward tasting and eventually eating. Every step is voluntary, supported, and celebrated as part of your unique journey toward food expansion.

Food exposure therapy is particularly effective for individuals with ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), severe picky eating in adults or children, food phobias, eating disorders, or anyone whose limited food repertoire is impacting their health, social life, or overall well-being.

OUR APPROACH TO FOOD EXPOSURE THERAPY

Gradual, Gentle, & Completely Individual

Our food exposure approach is based on the understanding that meaningful change happens when you feel safe, supported, and respected throughout the process. We never use force, pressure, or shame; instead, we create conditions where natural curiosity and courage can emerge.  For children, we often teach parents ways to achieve this through play.

How We Structure Exposure:

  • Assessment and Planning: We start by understanding your or your child’s current relationship with food, identifying specific challenges, and setting realistic, meaningful goals together

  • Hierarchy Development: We create a personalized "food ladder" that starts with foods that feel more manageable and gradually progresses toward more challenging ones

  • Sensory Exploration: We use hands-on techniques that allow you to explore foods through all your senses in non-threatening ways

  • Gradual Progression: Each step builds upon the previous one, moving at your individual pace without pressure or timelines

  • Skill Building: We teach coping strategies, relaxation techniques, and confidence-building tools throughout the process

  • Real-World Application: We practice new skills in various settings to build lasting confidence and flexibility

WHAT MAKES OUR APPROACH UNIQUE

  • We honor your autonomy and choice at every step

  • We address underlying factors that contribute to food avoidance

  • We celebrate every small victory and forward movement

  • We provide tools for managing anxiety and discomfort that naturally arise

  • We adapt our approach based on your individual needs, sensitivities, and preferences

  • We work collaboratively with other members of your care team when appropriate

WHO IS IT FOR

Food Exposure Therapy Is Ideal If You:

  • Have been diagnosed with ARFID or experience symptoms of avoidant/restrictive eating

  • Consider yourself an extremely picky eater with a very limited food repertoire

  • Have specific food phobias or strong aversions that impact your daily life

  • Experience significant anxiety around trying new foods

  • Have sensory sensitivities that make many foods feel overwhelming

  • Want to expand your diet for health, social, or practical reasons

  • Feel frustrated or limited by your current food preferences

  • Have had negative food experiences that created lasting avoidances

  • Need support working through food-related trauma or medical experiences

  • Are a child whose growth has been negatively impacted by limited food intake

  • Feel ready to challenge themselves but need professional support and guidance

  • Have tried to expand their diet on their own without success

  • Want a structured, evidence-based approach to food expansion

  • Need help managing the anxiety that comes with food challenges

  • Want to improve their quality of life through greater food freedom

  • Are motivated to change but feel overwhelmed by where to start

How You Will Benefit

✔ Reduced Food Anxiety

Feel calmer and more confident around challenging foods

✔ Increased Food Freedom

Enjoy a wider variety of foods and eating experiences

✔ Greater Independence

Feel more confident eating in various settings and situations

✔ Enhanced Social Life

Participate more fully in social eating situations

✔ Increased Confidence

Build general confidence and resilience that extends beyond food

✔ Reduced Stress

Experience less anxiety around meal planning, grocery shopping, and eating out

✔ Improved Nutrition

Access a broader range of nutrients through varied foods

✔ Better Quality of Life

Enjoy more freedom, flexibility, and joy around food and eating

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The timeline varies greatly depending on individual factors like the severity of food avoidance, underlying causes, motivation level, and personal goals. Some people see meaningful progress within weeks or months, while others benefit from longer-term support. We work at your pace and regularly assess progress together.

  • Absolutely not. Food exposure therapy is entirely voluntary and proceeds only with your consent at each step. We believe that lasting change happens when you or your child feels empowered and in control of the process, not when pressured or forced.

  • We support you through any challenging emotions or physical reactions that may arise. We utilize specific techniques for managing anxiety and panic throughout the process.

  • Yes, we have experience working with individuals whose food avoidance is related to medical conditions, past medical trauma, or ongoing health issues. We work collaboratively with your medical team to ensure safe, appropriate interventions.

  • Food exposure in the context of meal support therapy can be a valuable component of eating disorder treatment, particularly for individuals whose eating disorders include significant food avoidance or restriction. We work closely with eating disorder treatment teams to provide coordinated care.

  • Every attempt is considered a success, regardless of the outcome. If you can't complete a particular exposure, we process what happened, adjust our approach if needed, and try again when you feel ready. There's no failure in this process, only learning and gradual progress.

  • Yes, we have specialized experience working with young people who have food avoidance. Our approach with children and teens includes appropriate family involvement and is adapted to be developmentally appropriate and engaging.

  • Food exposure therapy provides structured, evidence-based techniques for managing anxiety, gradual progression strategies, professional support during challenging moments, and tools for building lasting change. Having professional guidance often makes the difference between success and continued frustration.

Ready to Expand Your Food World?

You deserve to feel free, confident, and joyful around food—not limited, anxious, or restricted.