CBT-AR · In-network telehealth across Massachusetts
ARFID Treatment in Boston
Specialized care for Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder for teens, college students, and adults throughout Greater Boston. Structured CBT-AR treatment by secure video, in-network with most commercial insurance plans in Massachusetts.
Request a consultation Insurance & coverageLiving around food instead of with it
For people with ARFID, meals can become something to manage, negotiate, or avoid altogether. The restriction has nothing to do with wanting a smaller body. It comes from sensory overwhelm, from fear of what a bite might lead to, or from a body that rarely signals hunger.
“I order the same thing everywhere, and I check the menu before I agree to go.”
“I cut everything into tiny pieces in case it gets stuck.”
“By dinnertime I realize I haven't eaten all day.”
“Holidays with my family are the hardest part of the year.”
Over time, the list of accepted foods often shrinks, and the effort of hiding it grows. Your avoidance developed for understandable reasons, and with the right treatment, eating can become more flexible, less effortful, and less frightening.
Who I help with ARFID
Most clients present with one primary driver of avoidance, and many have more than one. Identifying yours shapes the entire treatment plan.
Sensory-based avoidance
Foods rejected because of texture, smell, temperature, color, or mixing, often limited to specific brands or preparations.
Fear-based avoidance
Restriction tied to fears of choking, gagging, vomiting, or physical discomfort, frequently following a specific incident.
Limited appetite
Weak hunger cues, feeling full quickly, or skipping meals without noticing.
College & graduate students
Navigating dining halls, roommates, group dinners, and newfound independence with a narrow range of foods.
Adults diagnosed later in life
Long-standing patterns that were dismissed as "picky" for years, now recognized and treatable.
Co-occurring conditions
ARFID presenting alongside anxiety, OCD, autism, ADHD, or gastrointestinal concerns.
CBT-AR: a Boston-developed treatment for ARFID
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for ARFID (CBT-AR) was developed by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital as the first structured psychotherapy designed specifically for ARFID. Treatment is modular, meaning sessions focus on the mechanisms maintaining your restriction rather than following a generic eating disorder protocol.
The four stages of treatment
- Getting started. A thorough intake covering eating history, current intake, medical considerations, and your goals, followed by psychoeducation on how ARFID is maintained and early steps toward regular, adequate eating.
- Building the plan. We select target foods together, prioritizing the ones that would make the biggest difference in your nutrition, social life, or daily routine.
- Working the mechanisms. Depending on your presentation, we use repeated, structured food tastings, gradual exposure to feared eating situations, or strategies to strengthen hunger awareness and increase intake.
- Maintaining progress. We consolidate gains and build a personalized plan for continuing to expand your food range after treatment ends.
Where appropriate, I collaborate with your primary care provider, gastroenterologist, or registered dietitian so that therapy and medical care move in the same direction.
Insurance for ARFID therapy in Massachusetts
In-network with most commercial plans
I am in-network with most commercial insurance plans in Massachusetts, which can make specialized ARFID treatment considerably more accessible. When you reach out, I'll verify your benefits so you know what to expect before we begin.
MassHealth members
If you are insured through a MassHealth plan, I can provide referrals to qualified providers who accept your coverage, so you can still connect with appropriate care.
Telehealth ARFID care from Back Bay to the North Shore
Video sessions remove the commute, the parking search, and the scheduling strain of getting across the city for weekly appointments. They also offer a clinical advantage for ARFID: tastings and exposures happen with the food in your own refrigerator and in the places where you actually eat.
Areas served: Boston neighborhoods including Back Bay, Beacon Hill, the South End, Jamaica Plain, Dorchester, Roxbury, Allston, Brighton, Charlestown, East Boston, South Boston, and West Roxbury · Cambridge · Somerville · Brookline · Newton · Quincy · Medford · Arlington · Watertown · Waltham · the North and South Shores · and communities statewide.
Care that respects your culture and identity
The foods we grow up with carry family history and community meaning. When ARFID limits access to those foods, the loss can be cultural as well as nutritional. As a queer, Latinx clinician working with LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC clients, I make room for those meanings in treatment and choose target foods that reflect your life and your table.
Meet your clinician
My name is Ricardo Despradel, LMHC. I'm licensed in Massachusetts, and my practice centers on evidence-based treatment for eating-related conditions, OCD, and anxiety. I use CBT-AR for ARFID and CBT-E for other eating disorder presentations, and I also train fellow clinicians in evidence-based care.
Sessions are structured but never rigid. You set the pace, and each step is planned with your input.
Begin ARFID treatment in Boston
You don't have to keep organizing your life around a short list of foods. Schedule a consultation to talk through what you're experiencing, check your insurance coverage, and decide whether CBT-AR is the right next step.
Request a consultationARFID treatment in Boston: common questions
Do you take insurance for ARFID treatment?
Yes. I am in-network with most commercial insurance plans in Massachusetts and can verify your benefits before your first session. For clients insured through MassHealth, I can provide referrals to providers who accept those plans.
How can I tell whether it's ARFID or selective eating?
Many people have strong food preferences without significant consequences. ARFID is diagnosed when restricted intake leads to problems such as nutritional deficiency, weight loss, dependence on supplements or nutritional drinks, or meaningful disruption to work, school, relationships, or social activities.
Is ARFID a type of anorexia?
No. Although both involve restriction, ARFID does not involve fear of weight gain or a disturbance in how body shape or weight is experienced. The restriction is driven by sensory factors, fear of negative consequences, or low appetite.
How long does CBT-AR usually take?
Length depends on presentation and severity, and progress is reviewed throughout. CBT-AR is designed as a time-limited treatment, and we'll discuss an expected course during your initial assessment.
Can ARFID be treated effectively online?
Yes. Video sessions are particularly practical for ARFID because tastings and exposures take place in your own home, with the foods and settings where change needs to happen.
Do you treat college students and teens?
Yes. I see adolescents, college and graduate students, and adults. Treatment with teens typically involves a parent or caregiver to support meals at home.
Do I have to live in Boston to work with you?
No. Telehealth sessions are available to anyone physically located in Massachusetts at the time of the session, as well as in other states where I hold a license.