Orthorexia is an increasingly discussed pattern of rigid, anxiety-driven eating characterized by an excessive preoccupation with food quality, purity, and health. What does the field know about it? Find out in this course!
Description:
Orthorexia is an increasingly discussed pattern of rigid, anxiety-driven eating characterized by an excessive preoccupation with food quality, purity, and health. Although not currently recognized as a formal DSM diagnosis, orthorexia frequently overlaps with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), eating disorders, and health anxiety, creating challenges in assessment, differential diagnosis, and treatment planning. This presentation provides an overview of current research on orthorexia, including common clinical features, prevalence and assessment and treatment planning.The course emphasizes the intersection between orthorexia and OCD, highlighting shared features such as obsessionality, compulsive rule-following, moral rigidity, and avoidance behaviors. Particular attention is given to the role of social media and wellness culture in reinforcing rigid food rules, health-related fears, and moralized eating behaviors. Through clinical examples and applied discussion, participants will examine diagnostic distinctions and clinical implications for accurate case formulation and evidence-informed intervention.
Objectives:
At the end of this course, participants should be able to:
Identify common clinical features and symptom presentations associated with orthorexia, including rigid food rules, anxiety-driven avoidance, moralized eating beliefs, and functional impairment.
Differentiate orthorexia from related conditions—including obsessive-compulsive disorder, anorexia nervosa, and health anxiety—by evaluating the function and mechanisms of rigid eating behaviors.
Analyze the role of sociocultural factors, including social media and wellness culture, in the development and maintenance of orthorexic eating patterns.
Apply evidence-informed clinical strategies, including principles of Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), to assessment and treatment planning for individuals presenting with rigid, anxiety-driven food rules and avoidance behaviors.
Target Audience: Introductory. For clinicians with little to no experience in the subject matter.
Cost: $20
CE Information (more info below):
NBCC: 1.75 CE
ACEP No. 7365
Gina Abbondante, LLC
ASWB: 1.75 CE
ACE #1909
OCD Training School
APA: 1.75 CE
Getting Your Certificate: You will need to complete both a course evaluation and a course quiz. Please set aside ample time to complete both in one sitting. A course evaluation link will be provided in your course materials. Once you submit your evaluation, a quiz link will show up on the next screen. You will then take the quiz and upon a passing score of 80%, your certificate will automatically be sent to the email address you provide. You will have three attempts to pass the quiz. Please double-check the email address that you provide on the quiz (as well as the correct spelling of your name). Please check your spam folder if you do not see your certificate in your inbox.
Refund/Cancellation Policy: No refunds on asynchronous courses.
Accommodations: If you have a specific learning need, please email us at hello@ocdtrainingschool.com
About Your Trainer:
Elian Beattie, LCMH
Elian Beattie is a licensed clinical mental health counselor, board approved clinical supervisor, and owner of Insights Group mental health therapy practice in Rye, NH. Elian is passionate about working with individuals struggling with eating disorders, body image, anxiety, and OCD. Elian has an MS in counseling psychology from Northeastern University and is a graduate of the International OCD Foundation’s Behavior Therapy Training Institute (BTTI). Over the past twelve years, she worked at residential levels of care for both eating disorders and OCD before moving to New Hampshire in 2020 and becoming a full time outpatient therapist. She also currently serves as a volunteer on the executive board of OCD New Hampshire, the NH affiliate of the International OCD Foundation.
Karen Chinca, LICSW
Karen Chinca is a psychotherapist and the owner and founder of Nourished Minds Counseling + Wellness, LLC. She brings over 20 years of experience and has worked in a range of settings, including schools, outpatient mental health, and long‐standing private practice.
Karen has extensive experience working with adults navigating anxiety disorders, eating disorders, OCD, and trauma, and she incorporates evidence‐based practices throughout her treatment approach. She is a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist–Supervisor (CEDS‐S) through the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (IAEDP), a graduate of the International OCD Foundation’s Behavior Therapy Training Institute (BTTI), and a Certified Diplomate of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. She is an LGBTQIA+ ally and is committed to providing affirming, culturally responsive care to individuals from diverse backgrounds and identities.
NOTE: This training is for individual clinician use only. If you have a group practice, you will need to set up an account for each individual clinician. SHARING OF ACCOUNTS, TRAINING ACCESS, OR PASSWORDS WILL RESULT IN TERMINATION OF TRAINING ACCESS. NO REFUNDS WILL BE OFFERED. Email hello@OCDTrainingSchool.com if you have any questions.
Gina Abbondante LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7365. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Gina Abbondante LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
OCD Training School, #1909, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards have the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 10/26/24-10/26/27.
OCD Training School is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. OCD Training School maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
OCD Training School is not responsible to verify that American Psychological Association, ASWB, or NBCC continuing education credits are approved by an attendee's respective state licensing Board.
Partial CE credit cannot be given. Live trainings must be attended in their entirety to receive credit. Partial credit cannot be given if an attendee joins late, leaves early, or is not present for the entirety of the live, virtual training.
There is no conflict of interest related to grant funding or research findings. There is no commercial support that would indicate a conflict of interest in regards to the program content, instructor, sponsor, or an endorsement of any other product.
You can reach us at hello@ocdtrainingschool.com
Koven, N. S., & Abry, A. W. (2015). The clinical basis of orthorexia nervosa: Emerging perspectives. Eating Behaviors, 17, 107–117.
Dunn, T. M., & Bratman, S. (2016). On orthorexia nervosa: A review of the literature and proposed diagnostic criteria. Eating Behaviors, 21, 11–17.
Rodrigues, M. A., Amorim, F. M., Delgado, M. H. R., & Lemes, L. A. (2025). Orthorexia nervosa, eating disorders, and OCD: diagnostic challenges. European Psychiatry, 68 (Special Issue).
Abramowitz, J. S. (2018). Obsessive‑compulsive disorder: Advances in evidence‑based practice. Oxford University Press.
Cosh, S. M., & Tully, P. J. (2023). Exploration of orthorexia nervosa and diagnostic overlap with eating disorders, anorexia nervosa, and obsessive‑compulsive disorder. International Journal of Eating Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.24051
Fairburn, C. G. (2008). Cognitive behavior therapy and eating disorders. Guilford Press.
Strahler, J., & Stark, R. (2022). Orthorexia nervosa, eating disorders, and obsessive–compulsive disorder: A systematic review of shared psychopathology. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 11(20), 6134.
López-Gil, J. F., Tárraga-López, P. J., Hershey, M. S., López-Bueno, R., Gutiérrez-Espinoza, H., Soler-Marín, A., Fernández-Montero, A., & Victoria-Montesinos, D. (2023). Overall proportion of orthorexia nervosa symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis including 30 476 individuals from 18 countries. Journal of Global Health, 13, Article 04087.
Carpita, B., Nardi, B., Bonelli, C., Pronestì, C., Tognini, V., Cremone, I. M., & Dell’Osso, L. (2024). Prevalence of orthorexia nervosa in clinical and non-clinical populations: A systematic review. CNS Spectrums, 29(6), 549–569.
Horovitz, O., & Argyrides, M. (2023). Orthorexia and orthorexia nervosa: A comprehensive examination of prevalence, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment. Nutrients, 15(17), 3851.
Scarff, J. R. (2017). Orthorexia nervosa: An obsession with healthy eating. Federal Practitioner, 34(6), 36–39.