Every June, we celebrate Pride Month, making it the perfect time to discuss the importance of affirming care in mental health and eating disorder treatment. At Alsana, we believe that recovery is most effective when individuals feel safe, respected, and able to be their full selves in treatment. Affirming care is not just a value; it’s an important component of creating therapeutic environments where true healing can happen for all patients.
LGBTQ+ Individuals Face Unique Challenges Related to Eating Disorders
Due to specific risk factors, LGBTQ+ individuals experience higher rates of eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors than their heterosexual and cisgender peers. These risk factors may include minority stress, experiences of stigma and discrimination, gender dysphoria, social pressures related to body image, and barriers to accessing affirming treatment options.
Because eating disorders do not develop in isolation, effective treatment should consider the whole person, including the ways identity, relationships, and lived experiences may influence recovery. For this reason, experts increasingly recognize gender-affirmative care as an essential component of eating disorder treatment for LGBTQ+ patients.1
What Does Affirming Care Look Like in Eating Disorder Treatment?
Affirming care serves as a complement to evidence-based eating disorder treatment. Rather than changing the clinical foundation of care, it helps ensure that treatment is responsive to each patient’s personal recovery needs. Because eating disorders can be influenced by factors such as body image, social pressures, and stigma, creating an environment where individuals feel respected and understood can help foster trust and engagement throughout the recovery process.
Affirming care should be tailored to each person but may include:
- Creating inclusive treatment environments where patients feel welcome and valued
- Respecting names, pronouns, and identities
- Understanding that identity can influence body image concerns and recovery experiences
- Avoiding assumptions about gender, sexuality, relationships, and family structures
- Using person-centered language that honors each individual’s personal history
- Recognizing and addressing barriers that may impact access to care or treatment engagement
- Encouraging open conversations about how identity, culture, and life story may intersect with recovery
Ultimately, affirming care acknowledges that each person’s experiences, relationships, and sense of identity can shape their path toward healing. Treatment should create space for those experiences to be explored with curiosity, compassion, and respect.
Creating Recovery Communities Where Everyone Belongs
Recovery is often built on trust, connection, and the ability to show up authentically. Research suggests that affirming environments can positively influence treatment engagement, mental health outcomes, and overall well-being.2 At Alsana, that commitment is reflected in patient feedback: In our 2025 perception of care data, 97% of patients described the environment as accepting and affirming, while 96% reported feeling able to show up authentically and be respected. Additionally, 96% of patients said their gender identity was respected and affirmed by staff, while 98% said the same of their sexual identity.
While every Recovery Story is unique, one truth remains the same: People heal best when they feel seen, valued, and supported. Recovery communities are strongest when they reflect the reality that individuals come from different backgrounds, identities, experiences, and walks of life. Just as a field of flowers is made more beautiful by a variety of blooms, recovery communities are enriched by the diversity of the people within them.
At Alsana, we believe every person deserves access to compassionate, individualized care that honors who they are. By creating spaces where people feel respected and empowered to bring their authentic selves into treatment, we can foster the connection and sense of belonging that support lasting eating disorder recovery. During Pride Month — and throughout the year — we remain committed to cultivating recovery communities where every individual feels a genuine sense of belonging.
Visit our website to learn more or schedule an assessment with our admissions team.
References
- McGregor, K., McKenna, J.L., Barrera, E.P. et al. Disordered eating and considerations for the transgender community: a review of the literature and clinical guidance for assessment and treatment. J Eat Disord 11, 75 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-023-00793-0
- Chakkour E, Simone M, Askew AJ, Blashill AJ. The association between gender-affirming care and disordered eating in transgender and gender diverse individuals: Exploring appearance congruence and gender-related motivating factors for weight loss. Int J Eat Disord. 2024 Jul;57(7):1576-1588. doi: 10.1002/eat.24202. Epub 2024 Mar 29. PMID: 38549493; PMCID: PMC11262982.
