Body image & eating disorder therapy for gay men
Sessions online across ma, me, NY & FL
Sound like you?
You know this takes up more headspace than it should.
You open Grindr and the first thing you notice isn't a face. It's a torso. Or the absence of one in your own photos. You go to the gym — maybe a lot — and still leave feeling like you didn't push hard enough. At brunch, at the beach, at Pride, you're scanning bodies without meaning to.
Maybe you've cycled through cutting, bulking, tracking, restricting. You tell yourself it's about health, about discipline — and sometimes you believe it. But underneath, it's more like: if I can just fix this one thing, I'll finally feel okay. The bar keeps moving and the relief never comes.
If you've spent time in gay spaces, you already know how much emphasis gets put on how you look. Bodies are currency. Most of us just absorb that over time, until it stops feeling like outside pressure and starts feeling like how things actually are — shaping how you see yourself and what you think you deserve.
What life could feel like instead.
Picture going to the gym because moving your body feels good - not to manage anxiety or change your physique. Picture scrolling through your phone without being hit with waves of shame and envy. Eating dinner without running calculations in your head. Being on a date and actually being there.
This isn't about learning to love every part of your body all the time. It's about not being ruled by it. Getting your headspace back. Feeling more like yourself and less like a project you can't finish.
That kind of change is real. It takes time and the right support can get you there.
Meet your therapist.
Hey, I'm Matt — a gay psychologist based in Boston. I came to this work through my own experience, and I know firsthand how few resources exist for men dealing with this. The ones that do exist rarely speak to the specific experience of gay men. That gap is personal to me, and it's why this work is at the center of what I do. You won't have to convince me this is real or that it's serious. I already know. Learn more about how I work.
Here’s what we’ll do together
Therapy with a gay man who gets it.
We'll get curious about the parts of you that have been working overtime — managing food, exercise, and how you look — and explore what they're really protecting you from.
That might mean looking at where these patterns started — early messages about your body, your sexuality, or what it meant to be acceptable. It might mean slowing down the moments that feel automatic, like the urge to restrict after a weekend of eating, or the compulsive check in the mirror before leaving the house, and getting curious about what's underneath. Sometimes it's shame. Sometimes it's anxiety. Sometimes it's grief about time spent at war with yourself.
I pay close attention to the specific pressures gay men carry: the hypervisibility of bodies in queer spaces, the way apps have gamified attraction, the internalized messages about what kind of body is desirable or worthy.
My approach is grounded in Health at Every Size — which means we're not chasing a number on a scale. We're working toward a steadier sense of self and a different relationship with your body.
What You’ll Gain
What shifts over time.
Less time in your head: The constant checking, comparing, and calculating quiets down. You get more of your own attention back.
A different relationship with food: Less bargaining, guilt, and replaying. More flexibility and trust in yourself.
Movement that feels good: Exercise that supports you rather than punishes you — or compensates for something.
More presence in your life: At dinner, on dates, at the beach. Less monitoring. More actually being there.
Steadier self worth: Not dependent on how you look that day, what you ate, or how the gym went.
Shame loosens its grip: The parts of yourself you've kept hidden start to feel safer to acknowledge.
Questions? I’ve got answers.
Frequently asked questions —
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No, because the research is clear that dieting and weight-cycling - NOT body fat - are leading causes of eating disorders and health-related issues. I practice from a weight-neutral, non-diet approach, meaning I don’t treat bodies as problems to fix, but help clients build a more peaceful relationship with food and their body. While I can support clients in improving health markers in collaboration with a treatment team, I don’t provide care aimed at changing body size or appearance.
If you’re curious about why so many eating disorder professionals take this stance, I’ve written more about it here: Debunking the Myth that HAES is Anti-Healthand Why Many ED Professionals Take a Weight-Neutral Approach.
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I specialize in working with Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, Orthorexia, and OSFED, as well as folks with body image issues and a history of disordered eating that has never been formally diagnosed or treated. I am not trained in working with ARFID, Pica, or Rumination Disorder.
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No problem. You don't need a formal diagnosis to start therapy, and during the intake process I will conduct a thorough assessment. If it seems that you may benefit from a higher level of care, I will provide you with referrals and help you get connected.
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I am trained in several modalities, but the two I use most often when treating eating disorders are Internal Family Systems and Psychodynamic Therapy.
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Absolutely! And if you don't yet have a team, I'll be happy to provide you with referrals for a psychiatrist, registered dietitian, recovery coach, and/or primary care physician.
