Psychologist for binge eating in Bondi Junction. Finding a specialist, not a generalist

Last updated. 12 September 2026

If you've been struggling with binge eating for a while and you're in Bondi Junction, you've probably already noticed that "psychologist" covers a very wide range of practitioners. Some focus on anxiety or workplace stress. Others see eating concerns as one item on a long general list. Finding a psychologist who specialises in eating disorders as a defined clinical focus. Not as an afterthought. Takes more than a quick Google search. It matters, because the treatment approaches with an established evidence base for binge eating disorder are specific, structured and quite different from general supportive counselling.

This guide explains what evidence-based eating disorder treatment actually involves, what questions to ask any prospective psychologist before you book, and where Constanza Tirado Subiabre, a registered psychologist based in Bondi Junction, fits into that picture. The aim is to give you enough concrete information to make a genuinely informed decision rather than a hopeful one.

What you'll find in this post

• How evidence-based eating disorder treatment differs from general counselling, and what that means for binge eating specifically.
• The questions that will help you tell a genuine eating disorder specialist from a generalist who occasionally sees food-related concerns.
• A plain description of Constanza's approach and what a first appointment looks like at Bondi Junction.

Contents

1. General counselling versus eating disorder treatment. What the difference actually means
2. The evidence-based approaches used for binge eating disorder
3. Questions to ask a psychologist before you book
4. Constanza Tirado Subiabre. A registered psychologist in Bondi Junction specialising in eating disorders
5. Fees, Medicare rebates and telehealth
6. Finding the right psychologist for binge eating in Bondi Junction

1. General counselling versus eating disorder treatment. What the difference actually means

General counselling provides a supportive space to talk through difficulties. That has real value. It is not, however, the same as structured, protocol-based treatment for an eating disorder. Binge eating disorder is a recognised clinical condition with its own diagnostic criteria, maintaining factors and treatment literature. A psychologist working in this area uses specific frameworks. Not because they prefer them, but because the evidence points to them producing better outcomes than unstructured support alone.

Widely referenced clinical standards in English-speaking countries identify Cognitive Behavioural Therapy adapted for eating disorders (CBT-E) as a first-line recommended approach for binge eating disorder in adults.

2. The evidence-based approaches used for binge eating disorder

Three frameworks appear most consistently in the eating disorder treatment literature for adults presenting with binge eating. Understanding what each involves helps you have a more useful first conversation with any psychologist specialising in eating disorders.

CBT-E (Enhanced Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). Developed specifically for eating disorders, CBT-E is a structured, time-limited approach that addresses the thoughts, behaviours and mood states that maintain the binge-restrict cycle. It typically involves self-monitoring of eating, identifying triggers, and working systematically through the cognitive patterns that drive binge episodes. Sessions are usually weekly, and treatment generally runs across several months rather than indefinitely.

It introduces concrete skills. Mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness. That can interrupt the escalation from discomfort to bingeing.

ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy). ACT works with the psychological flexibility that underpins the ability to respond to difficult thoughts and feelings without acting impulsively. Rather than challenging thoughts directly, ACT builds the capacity to notice them, accept their presence, and act in ways consistent with what the person values. For binge eating, this means working on the relationship with discomfort rather than trying to eliminate it.

A psychologist specialising in eating disorders will typically draw on more than one of these frameworks depending on what is maintaining your specific pattern. What matters is that they can explain their reasoning.

3. Questions to ask a psychologist before you book

The following questions are practical tools, not a test. Most registered psychologists in Australia are open to answering them in a brief phone call or via a contact form before a first appointment. If a practitioner is reluctant to engage with them, that itself is useful information.

• "Do you work with binge eating disorder as a defined focus, or does it come up occasionally in your broader caseload?" There is no wrong answer, but the answer tells you something important about how much of their practice and professional development has gone into this area. Formal training in CBT-E in particular involves specific supervised practice, not just familiarity with the CBT model.
• "How do you approach body image concerns alongside the eating behaviour itself?" Binge eating disorder rarely exists in isolation from distress about body image. A psychologist who focuses only on the behaviour without the cognitive and emotional context is likely working from a narrower base.
• "What does a typical course of treatment look like. Roughly how many sessions, and how do we know if it is working?" Evidence-based treatment has structure and checkpoints. Indefinite open-ended therapy is not inherently wrong, but the absence of any framework for reviewing progress is worth noting.
• "Are you registered with the Psychology Board of Australia?" Registration is the minimum requirement for a practitioner to call themselves a psychologist. You can verify registration independently through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) online register.

4. Constanza Tirado Subiabre. A registered psychologist in Bondi Junction specialising in eating disorders

Constanza Tirado Subiabre is a registered psychologist based in Bondi Junction who works with body image and eating disorders, including binge eating, as part of her defined clinical focus. She draws on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and mindfulness-based approaches, and her work in this area addresses both the behavioural patterns and the relationship with food, body and emotion that maintain them.

She works with adults and young people aged 16 and over, and sees clients face-to-face at her Bondi Junction practice as well as via telehealth across Australia. Sessions are offered in English, Spanish and Italian, which is relevant for migrant clients in the Eastern Suburbs who find it easier to engage with difficult emotional material in their first language. The intersection of cultural identity and eating difficulties is real. Adjusting to a new food culture, navigating social eating in an unfamiliar context, and managing body image pressure that may differ sharply from what felt familiar at home are all factors that a culturally informed psychologist can engage with directly.

If you are interested in reading more about the intersection of eating difficulties and the experience of living away from your country of origin, the post on eating disorder support from Sydney and telehealth into Chile covers that ground in more detail. For those dealing with the broader psychological weight of migration alongside eating concerns, the piece on cultural identity after migration to Australia is also relevant.

Constanza also works with anxiety, depression, OCD, trauma and relationship difficulties, which matters because binge eating rarely presents on its own. Anxiety and depression frequently co-occur with disordered eating, and a psychologist who can hold the whole picture. Rather than treating the eating in isolation. Is better placed to work with what is actually going on. You can review the full range of areas she works with at psconstanzatirado.com/preguntas.

5. Fees, Medicare rebates and telehealth

Sessions with Constanza are priced at AUD 220. Medicare rebates are available to clients who hold a valid Mental Health Care Plan, which is issued by a GP after a standard appointment. A Mental Health Care Plan provides access to a set number of rebated psychology sessions per calendar year. To access the rebate, you need both a current referral and a valid Care Plan at the time of your appointments. Your GP can advise on whether you are eligible and what the rebated amount will be in your specific situation.

Telehealth sessions are available for clients across Australia who cannot attend in person or who prefer the flexibility of remote appointments. The format is the same as an in-person session in terms of structure and approach. For clients outside Sydney or those with irregular schedules, telehealth removes a practical barrier without reducing the quality of the work.

6. Finding the right psychologist for binge eating in Bondi Junction

If you've been managing binge eating on your own for a while, the clearest next step is a first appointment with a psychologist who specialises in eating disorders with a defined focus rather than a generalist orientation. That appointment does not commit you to a long course of treatment. It gives you the information to decide whether the approach and the working relationship are the right fit.

For anyone in Bondi Junction or the Eastern Suburbs who has been struggling with binge eating for a while and is looking for a registered psychologist specialising in eating disorders, Constanza Tirado Subiabre offers face-to-face appointments at Bondi Junction and telehealth across Australia. Contact her practice to arrange a first conversation.

Book an appointment.visit psconstanzatirado.com.