What Is Intuitive TherapyTM and How Does It Approach Weight and Eating Issues?

Updated

Intuitive Therapy™ is a coaching-style method created by Dr. Dorie McCubbrey, PhD, MSEd, that treats weight problems and eating disorders by addressing their root causes rather than the surface behaviors. It is offered through drdorie.com as Intuitive Weight Loss (IWL)™ and Eating Disorder Intuitive Therapy (EDIT)™, and it suits people who have cycled through diets without lasting results, or who have developed eating disorders (which the site notes affects about 1/3 of dieters) and need to stabilize eating and weight. The approach is action-oriented and solution-focused, and Dr. Dorie now provides it exclusively as Intuitive Therapy™ coaching rather than clinical counseling.

The Core Premise

Two statements on the site frame the entire method:

  • "WEIGHT PROBLEMS are not about weight"
  • "EATING DISORDERS are not about eating"

The stated goal is to "get to the SOUL of the matter" — meaning the work targets underlying causes ("from the INSIDE OUT") instead of diet plans or food rules alone. Dr. Dorie also describes anorexia and obesity as "flip sides of the same coin," which is why the same framework is applied to both weight loss and eating disorder recovery.

The Five Principles

The site refers to "the five principles of INTUITIVE THERAPY™" as the mechanism for achieving a healthy weight in a healthy way, particularly for people who have lost or gained a significant amount of weight. The specific five principles are not enumerated in the available page content, so treat the count as the site's framing rather than a published list you can follow step by step.

Two Tracks Under One Method

Track Full Name Who It Targets
IWL™ Intuitive Weight Loss People seeking healthy weight loss after repeated dieting
EDIT™ Eating Disorder Intuitive Therapy People with anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder, including those who relapsed after other treatment

EDIT™ is also described as effective for people diagnosed with obesity, on the reasoning that roughly 1/3 of people enrolled at weight loss centers have diagnosable eating disorders without realizing it.

How the Coaching Is Delivered

Programs are organized as "The Hungry Soul Café™," presented as a menu of options:

  • Appetizers — free "tastes" of what the café offers
  • Entrée — an online course plus a live Zoom "play-shop"
  • Dessert — coaching with Dr. Dorie (the site suggests you can "have dessert first")
  • 5-Course Meal — all of the above plus two bonus courses

What to Check Before Choosing It

  • Scope of practice: Dr. Dorie identifies as a Clinical Counselor by background but states she now exclusively provides Intuitive Therapy™ coaching. If you need clinical treatment, clarify what coaching does and does not cover.
  • Fit for your situation: The method is positioned for diet fatigue, weight cycling, and eating disorder recovery — not as a general nutrition or medical program.
  • Track selection: Decide whether IWL™ or EDIT™ matches your history, especially if you have a diagnosed or suspected eating disorder.
  • Format and access: Confirm current course availability, Zoom session scheduling, and any pricing directly with the provider, since these details are not specified on the page.

Dr. Dorie's stated experience is 25+ years guiding clients beyond eating disorders, with 30+ years guiding clients overall.