- 1817 Queen Anne Ave, Suite 202, Seattle, WA
- 707-440-9288
- ian@ianmackelvie.com
- 707-440-9288
- ian@ianmackelvie.com
Food and body struggles often begin quietly, but they can take over everything. I work with clients in Seattle who want to understand the deeper roots of their relationship with control, self-image, and identity—and move toward something more whole.
Eating disorders, disordered eating, and body dysphoria rarely start with the body. They often begin with a deeper sense of overwhelm. A need to feel safe, to feel in control, to quiet something that feels too big or too unformed inside.
Maybe you restrict, binge, or obsess over food. Maybe your image in the mirror feels unbearable or unreal. Maybe you vacillate between discipline and collapse, trying to manage emotions through routines, numbers, or rituals. Maybe you’re just tired of the constant noise in your head.
This is not about vanity. This is about survival. And there’s a reason it started.
You’re not broken. You’re not weak. These patterns developed for a reason. Often, they helped you get through something. They gave you a sense of order when things felt chaotic. They helped you feel strong when you felt unseen or unsafe.
But they came at a cost.
Therapy gives you space to understand what these patterns have been protecting—and to begin meeting those needs in new ways.
My approach goes beyond symptom management. Together, we’ll explore what lives underneath the food rules, the body checking, the pressure to disappear or control. We’ll look at what shaped your relationship with your body and how that’s impacted your sense of self.
We’ll also work with the body directly. Noticing what you feel, where you go numb, where tension lives, and how you respond to vulnerability or contact. As that awareness grows, you gain more choice, more breath, more presence.
This work doesn’t just change your relationship with food or your reflection—it can spill over into how you hold boundaries, how you connect with others, how you live your life.
No middle man, you talk directly to me from the very beginning. We will schedule your first meeting.
On the first session we will get to the bottom of your goals and your own problems. We will get to know each other and you can see that if you want to keep working with me.
If you decide to work with me on a long-term basis, I will create you tailored plan with weekly / monthly meetings.
Yes. I meet people where they are. The goal is to understand what function the behaviors serve and begin developing inner resources that help you feel more choice and clarity over time.
Both. While we want to reduce harm and improve health, my focus is on the emotional and relational roots, often involving self-worth, control, shame, or disconnection from the body. But this can also plunge deeper into Family of Origin (FOO!) issues. Addressing these can change not just symptoms, but how you live.
Yes, when needed. I support integrative care and can help coordinate with other professionals if you want to build a treatment team.
Use the Contact Form to give me some brief details of what you’re experiencing. You can also call or email me. I try to respond to all contacts and inquiries within 24 hours, Monday thru Thursday.
