Meet Tori Cherry—Therapist at Best Therapists

Tori started her career working with adults with eating disorders in a hospital setting, and have since continued this work in various settings including a residential treatment center, partial-hospital and intensive outpatient programs, and outpatient private practice. Eating disorder diagnosis or not, Tori believes it's really hard to be a person living in a body in our world. We live in a culture where it's near impossible to exist without being impacted by critical stories about our bodies or food, and no one comes out of diet culture unscathed. Tori's practice is rooted in body liberation, meaning that she believes all bodies are deeply worthy of acceptance, compassion, and care, and understands that many people considering therapy may be carrying the baggage of living in a world where it isn't safe to accept yourself. Tori works from a Health at Every Size (HAES) framework and appreciates the rich diversity that exists amongst different body shapes and sizes. She believes effective treatment for eating disorders and body image issues involves nuanced conversation about navigating a medical system and a culture preoccupied with weight and size. She has received advanced training in ACT, DBT, and IFS modalities, and loves helping people find an easier way to manage their lives that feels less effortful and more sustainable. She sees therapy as a highly relational process and strives to create a space where clients feel deeply known, seen, and understood. Tori believes that in the context of such a relationship, hopefulness, healing, and change organically occur. Along with a Masters in Social Work, Tori undertook a post-masters fellowship in contextual behavioral therapy at the University of Chicago and is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and Consultant through the International Association for Eating Disorders.

Many of my clients express a deep longing to be known, but a simultaneous fear of being seen for who they are. Maybe you wonder how you got here: monitoring every bite of food that goes into your mouth or constantly checking certain parts of your body in the mirror. It may be hard to remember a time when you didn’t feel worried about how you look or how others perceive you. It’s exhausting to stay mentally vigilant of your food intake, exercise, and body size, but it doesn’t feel like there’s any other way to be. Part of you may be ready to be free of these thoughts and worries, but another part of you is scared what might happen if things change. I help teens and adults uncomplicate their relationships to food and body image so you can stop obsessing and shift your focus to the things that matter to you most. I am highly relational in my work with clients, and I strive to create a space where clients feel deeply known, seen, and understood. I believe that in the context of such a relationship, hopefulness and change organically take place.

Masters of Social Work | University of Iowa, 2018