ARFID Therapy
Specialized telehealth ARFID therapy for children, teens, and adults across Maryland, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania. Evidence-based, neurodivergence-affirming, and built around how you actually live with food.
Juniper Blu Collective provides specialized telehealth therapy for ARFID for children, teens, and adults across Maryland, DC, and Pennsylvania. Our clinicians draw on principles from CBT-AR and family-based treatment, with neurodivergence-affirming care for the many people whose ARFID overlaps with autism, ADHD, or sensory processing differences. We accept CareFirst and offer concierge support for out-of-network benefits.
Want to learn more about ARFID first? Read Jamie's full guide — What Is ARFID & How Is It Different from Picky Eating? — for an in-depth look at the condition, symptoms, co-occurring conditions, and how it shows up in adults vs. children.
ARFID Care at Juniper Blu
ARFID — Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder — is more than picky eating. It can show up as sensory sensitivity, fear of choking or vomiting, or low interest in food, and it often persists into adulthood without support.
At Juniper Blu, ARFID care is one of our specialty areas. The practice was founded in 2013 around eating disorder support, and ARFID has been part of that work from the beginning.
When to Reach Out
If meals consistently cause distress, if you're seeing weight loss or stalled growth, if eating is shrinking your child's social world, or if you've been quietly managing a restrictive eating pattern for years — those are reasons enough to talk to someone.
You don't need a formal diagnosis to start therapy. Many people reach out before they're sure what's going on, and we can help you figure out the next step.
ARFID, Autism, and Neurodivergence
ARFID and autism overlap often. Sensory processing differences, interoceptive challenges, and rigid routines can all contribute to restrictive eating, and ARFID frequently co-occurs with ADHD as well.
At Juniper Blu, neurodivergence-affirming care is core to how we work with ARFID. We don't treat sensory sensitivities as something to override. We build treatment around the way your brain and body actually work — expanding food range without forcing distress, and recognizing that autonomy and self-trust are part of recovery.
How We Treat ARFID
ARFID care at Juniper Blu Collective is individualized. Our therapists draw on principles from the leading evidence-based ARFID treatments, including cognitive behavioral therapy for ARFID (CBT-AR) and family-based treatment for ARFID (FBT-ARFID), alongside attachment-based, trauma-informed, and neurodivergence-affirming approaches.
Because ARFID often touches medical, nutritional, and developmental concerns, we collaborate with dietitians, pediatricians, primary care physicians, and other healthcare providers when team-based support is needed.
Looking for broader eating disorder support?
ARFID is one of several eating disorders we treat. Visit our Eating Disorder Therapy page for our approach to anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and disordered eating patterns.
What to Expect from ARFID Therapy
Assessment & rapport
The first few sessions are about understanding your eating history, sensory profile, medical context, and goals. No pressure, no food challenges. We're listening, mapping, and building the relationship that makes the rest of the work possible.
Psychoeducation & nutrition
Understanding how ARFID works in your specific case, addressing nutritional gaps with a dietitian when needed, and stabilizing energy and mood. For families, this often includes coaching parents on how to support without escalating mealtime stress.
Gradual exposure & skill-building
Slowly expanding food range using exposure approaches matched to your ARFID type, paired with skills for anxiety, sensory regulation, and family support. This is where the work feels most active, and progress is measured in small, real-life wins.
Relapse prevention & maintenance
Consolidating progress, planning for travel, transitions, and life events that have historically been hard, and tapering toward less frequent sessions as you build confidence.
Therapists Who Specialize in ARFID
Jamie L. Jones
Founder · LCPAT, LCPC, ATR-BC
Eating disorder & body image specialist with Children's Hospital training in food sensitivities and Celiac disease.
View full bio →
Batya H. Erickson
Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor
Attachment-based, mindfulness-informed support for eating disorders, body image, and disordered eating across all ages.
View full bio →
Malca R. Gottlieb
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
C-DBT and EMDR-trained clinician offering relationship-centered psychotherapy for eating disorders, trauma, and a wide range of life challenges.
View full bio →
Megan M. Herbets
Licensed Professional Counselor
DBT-trained with eating disorder treatment training and 2 years of autism-focused special education experience.
View full bio →
Michelle R. Scudero
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Specialized training in eating disorders across the lifespan, including children and individuals with special needs.
View full bio →
Stacey C. Cooperman
Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor
Certified Trauma, Mindfulness, and Grief-Informed Professional with specialized training in eating disorders, anxiety, and depression. Bilingual in English and French.
View full bio →Insurance & Cost
Juniper Blu accepts CareFirst insurance. For other plans, we offer concierge support to help you make the most of your out-of-network benefits, and we commonly work with PPO, HMO, POS, and federal plans.
Visit our Insurance & Payment Options page for full details.
Areas We Serve
Juniper Blu Collective offers ARFID therapy via secure telehealth across Maryland, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania. As long as you're located in one of these states during your session, you can meet with your therapist from the comfort of home.
Maryland
Chevy Chase, Bethesda, Silver Spring, Rockville, Potomac, Annapolis, Baltimore, Columbia, Frederick, Gaithersburg, Towson & statewide
Washington DC
All wards, including Capitol Hill, Georgetown, Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan & surrounding neighborhoods
Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Allentown, Erie & statewide
Frequently Asked Questions
For background on what ARFID is, see Jamie's full guide.
No. You don't need an ARFID diagnosis to start therapy at Juniper Blu. Many people reach out because they recognize a pattern — restrictive eating, mealtime distress, or food-related anxiety — without being sure what's going on. Your therapist can help you understand what you're experiencing as part of the early sessions.
Most new clients have an initial consultation within one to two weeks of reaching out. After the consultation, we match you with a therapist whose training and approach fit your needs, and we typically schedule your first full session within the following week.
Yes. ARFID therapy is relational — the work depends on trust between you and your therapist. You'll be matched with one therapist who works with you consistently throughout treatment. We coordinate with other providers as needed, but your primary therapist stays the same.
Yes. Several of our therapists work with ARFID across age groups. Jamie L. Jones and Michelle R. Scudero have specialized training in pediatric eating concerns, and Megan M. Herbets brings autism-focused experience that often supports adolescent and adult clients. We'll match you with the right therapist for your age and needs.
Sessions happen over a secure video platform from wherever you're most comfortable — usually home. For ARFID work specifically, telehealth can be an advantage: exposure and skill-building can happen in your kitchen, where eating actually occurs, with your therapist guiding you in real time. For families, parents and child can join from the same room or separately.
Yes. ARFID often touches medical and nutritional concerns, so coordinated care is part of how we work. With your written consent, your Juniper Blu therapist will communicate with your pediatrician, dietitian, primary care physician, or other providers to make sure everyone supporting you is working from the same plan.
Juniper Blu accepts CareFirst insurance. For other plans, we offer concierge support to help you make the most of your out-of-network benefits, and we commonly work with PPO, HMO, POS, and federal plans. We do not accept Medicaid or Medicare at this time.
That's a common starting point. ARFID is often missed for years, especially in adults, and many people reach out before they have language for what's going on. The early sessions of therapy include space to explore what you're experiencing, and your therapist can help you understand whether ARFID fits, and what kind of support makes sense regardless.
You can begin by visiting our contact page or calling (202) 244-0818 to schedule an initial consultation. We'll talk through what you're experiencing, answer your questions, and help you decide if one of our therapists feels like a good fit, with no pressure to commit before you're ready.
Start ARFID Therapy with Juniper Blu Collective
If you or someone you love is navigating ARFID, you don't have to figure it out alone. Reach out today to talk through what support could look like.
Connect With Us