Esther Park, PhD

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Esther Chanhye Park (she/her) is a postdoctoral fellow in the Eating Disorders Center at EBTCS.

She treats adolescents and adults with eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and body-image concerns. Her work focuses on addressing patterns that often arise within eating disorders, such as perfectionism, shame, rigid food and body rules, emotion dysregulation, and trauma-related impacts.

Her treatment approach centers on Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT-E) and flexibly integrates Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). She is expanding her expertise in Family-Based Treatment (FBT) with adolescents and families.

Dr. Park’s style is warm, collaborative, and strengths-based. She believes in using scientifically supported methods while tailoring care to each person’s values, goals, and life experiences. Dr. Park practices from a Health at Every Size (HAES) aligned, weight-inclusive, and gender-affirming perspective. This framework helps clients unlearn harmful cultural messages about food, weight, and worth while relearning body trust, self-compassion, and connection.

She earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Florida State University and completed her predoctoral internship at the VA Portland Health Care System. Her research examined the cognitive and emotional drivers of life-threatening behaviors, including self-harm and suicidal thoughts. This work informs her approach to assessing and supporting clients when these symptoms arise in the context of eating disorders.

Outside of work, she is happiest in the kitchen re-creating Korean classics, and later settling in for another Star Wars marathon.