Liz Woodruff, PhD

I am glad you are here. Asking for help takes courage and coming to our website is the first step. If the information I have provided below resonates with you, please give me a call so that I can learn a bit about you, the type of help you’re looking for, and answer any questions you may have for me.

I am a licensed clinical psychologist with over 15 years of experience. I enjoy working with adults, teens, families in the pursuit of healing. My primary area of specialization is disordered eating, and I have made it my life’s work to help folks heal their relationship with food, their bodies, and their relationship with the most important person in their lives – themselves. See below for more details about the specific types of concerns I can help you address.

I have worked in various settings including partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs, medical settings, community mental health, university settings, and private practice. I am also fortunate for opportunities to provide supervision, workshops, trainings, and seminars for colleagues and other professionals on various topics related to mental health. I look forward to hearing from you!

Contact:

Drwoodruff@TheChrysalisCenter.com

(817) 349-2888

1130 N. Kimball, Ste 120, Southlake TX 76092

Populations Served
  • Body image distress and eating disorders including the following
    • Anorexia Nervosa (binge/purge or restricting type)
    • Bulimia Nervosa
    • Binge Eating Disorder
    • Disordered eating that does not meet criteria for a clinical diagnosis
    • Orthorexia
  • Parents and caregivers struggling with issues related to caregiving
  • Gender and sexual identity and folks who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community
  • Clinical consultation for mental health practitioners
  • Presentations, trainings, and seminars for clinical staff, mental health and medical providers
My Approach to Therapy

Strong, meaningful relationships are vital to our emotional well-being, and we thrive on connection with others. When we experience disconnection or upheaval in our interpersonal lives, our mental health necessarily suffers. Together, we will explore your relationships and help you establish and maintain enriching, healthy connections with others. The therapeutic relationship is a unique and powerful tool that can be used to aid in such work. Through exploring our experiences in therapy together, we will work to transform your relationships and promote security and vitality in your relationships with others.

In addition to relational approaches, my work is strongly influenced by mindfulness-based techniques and Eastern philosophies and spiritual teachings such as Buddhism. It is my deep belief that integrating mindful presence in all we do has great potential for healing. Thus, I work to help my clients learn, practice, and apply these techniques in their daily lives.

Lastly, I believe in the healing power of parents and caregivers as agents of change in their loved one’s journey toward healing. In addition to individual psychotherapy, I also work with parents and caregivers to harness their bond with their loved ones to facilitate real and enduring transformation regarding emotion processing, neurobiological change, and healing relational wounds.

What You Can Expect

Therapy is a unique, personal experience, and I aim to tailor my work to the specific needs of each client. Research on psychotherapy suggests that the strength and rapport of the therapeutic relationship are among the best predictors of a positive outcome. I view the first few sessions as an assessment period for you to determine whether my approach and style are the right fit for you.

Weekly sessions, particularly in the beginning are generally my recommended course but we may meet more or less often depending on your needs. In individual work, it is my job to guide our discussions and help you explore and understand your mind, emotions, thoughts, and relationships more deeply. I do not generally set the agenda, as I believe that you are most knowledgeable on what needs to be discussed. Furthermore, starting sessions with an agenda developed by me may impede us from addressing topics that may not be on the surface of your conscious awareness. Thus, I will invite you to bring up what feels most salient, and we will go from there. This will help us develop a deeper understanding of your experience and will facilitate the uncovering of unconscious material.

My work with families and caregivers tends to be slightly more structured. In this work, I often incorporate specific interventions aimed at helping caregivers support their loved ones with difficult emotions, facilitate symptom relief, and heal wounds within their relationships. This may come in the form of strategies for communicating around emotions and psychic pain, providing deep validation and therapeutic apologies to heal ruptures in familial relationships, and interventions aimed at helping caregivers understand their own “blocks” or defenses that make caregiving challenging.

Whether working with you individually or with your family, our work will always be collaborative. We will identify and modify your goals as needed while we navigate the therapeutic process. Together, we will construct a rich, dynamic, and safe space to explore, develop insight, and heal.

Education
  • 2012-2013: Postdoctoral Fellowship at Kaiser Permanente Eating Disorder Enhanced Outpatient & Chemical Dependency Recovery Program
  • 2011-2010: Stanford University Predoctoral Internship
  • 2006-20012: The University of North Texas, Ph.D. Counseling Psychology
  • Dissertation: Muscle Dysmorphia: Testing a Comprehensive Etiological Model in a Nonclinical Sample of Men.
Training and Experience
  • I am certified in Family Based Therapy for Eating Disorders (FBT), and I am a candidate for certification as a an advanced clinician and supervisor for and Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT).
  • My postdoctoral training was completed in an intensive outpatient setting in which I treated co-occurring substance use disorders and eating disorders, developed programming for treatment of these concerns, and conducted outcome studies assessing the effectiveness of this programming.
  • I completed my predoctoral internship at Stanford University where I received specialized training in working with eating disorders, substance use disorders, and advanced training working with the LGBTQ+ community.
  • My doctoral training program was a generalist program in which I received experience treating a wide range of concerns. I received extensive training in group, individual, and family therapy as well as psychological testing and assessment.
  • I regularly provide trainings and seminars to other mental health professionals as well as providers in the eating disorder field such as medical doctors and registered dietitians.
Research

The bulk of my research investigates eating, exercise, and body image disturbances across genders. More recently I have been involved in research looking at eating disorders as they manifest in transgender and gender non-binary folks. I am also looking more deeply into the ways that folks with eating disorders use their bodies as a means to manage and express emotions and needs and ways to use this awareness to support healing. I have also researched models promoting tolerance and cultural humility between different religious groups to promote community and reduce aggression and violence.

Publications
    • Woodruff, E.J., Van Tongeren, D.R., McElory, S., Davis, D.E., & Hook, J.N. (2012). Humility and religion: Benefits, difficulties, and a model of religious tolerance. In Chu Kim-Prieto (Ed.), Positive Psychology of Religion and Spirituality Across Cultures. New York: Springer Publishing Co. Publications.
    • Bell, C., Woodruff, E.J., Davis, D.E., Van Tongeren, D.R., Hook, J.N., & Worthington, E.L. Jr. (2014). Community Sanctification of Forgiveness. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 42(3), 243-251.
Presentations & Trainings
    • July 2022, Be Tender and Be Fierce: Creative Strategies for Managing Stress & Burnout for Female-Identified Lawyers. Presentation provided at Forman, Watkins, & Krutz law firm, in Jackson, MS.
    • April 2022, Eating Disorders: Etiology, Cultural Factors, & Treatment. Presentation provided for mental health professionals, physicians, and dietitians for Kern County Behavioral Services in Bakersfield, CA.
    • April 2022, February 2022, Interdisciplinary Treatment for Eating Disorders. Grand Rounds CE Presentation for medical and mental health practitioners at the University of Mississippi Medical Center Psychiatry Dept. in Jackson, MS.
    • February 2022, Treatment Strategies for Addressing Eating Disorders in the Pediatric Population. CE Presentation for medical and mental health practitioners at the Center for the Advancement of Youth at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, MS.
    • October 2021, Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT): Engaging Caregivers in Treatment to Facilitate Healing. CE Presentation for the Mississippi Psychological Association Annual Conference.
    • September 2021. The Complexity of Eating Disorders in the LGBTQ+ Community. CE Presentation for the Mississippi Association of Drug Court Professionals.
    • April 2021, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction for the Legal Profession. CE Presentation for the MS chapter of the Lawyers and Judges Assistance Program.
    • April 2021, EFFT-Informed Treatment for Eating Disorders: What to do When FBT Doesn’t Seem Sufficient. CE Presentation for the San Francisco Chapter of the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals.
    • February 2021, Etiology, Epidemiology, and Treatment of Eating Disorders in Children and Adolescents. Presentation for the Southern Remedy radio show on Mississippi Public Broadcasting.
    • January 2021, Etiology, Epidemiology, and Treatment of Eating Disorders in Children and Adolescents. Presentation at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Center of the Advancement of Youth.
    • October 2020, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and the Neurobiology of Stress. Presentation for Mississippi College School of Law.
    • September 2020, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and the Neurobiology of Stress. Presentation for the Mississippi Women’s Bar Association.
    • January 2020, Emotion Focused Family Therapy Core Training. Assistant to presenter, Adele LaFrance, PhD.
    • November 2018, Eating Disorders in the Transgender Community: Risk Factors, Treatment, and Prevention. Presentation to pre-doctoral interns in psychology at Stanford University.
    • July 2018, Multicultural Considerations in the Treatment and Prevention of Eating Disorders in College Students. Presentation to pre-doctoral interns in psychology at Stanford University.
    • May 2017, Etiology, Epidemiology, and Treatment of Eating Disorders in Adolescents and Adults. Presentation at Edgewood Center for Children and Families.
    • August 2015, Risk Factors, Identification, Treatment, and Prevention of Eating Disorders in Transition Age Youth. Presentation at Foothill College.
    • August 2012, Positive Psychology of Religion and Spirituality Across Cultures. Symposium at the American Psychological Association Annual Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii.
    • April 2012, Etiology, Epidemiology, Detection, and Prevention of Eating Disorders in College Students. Presentation at to the peer counseling class at Stanford University.
    • October 2011, Multicultural Considerations in Body Image the Development of Eating Disorders Among College Students. Presentation to the student body at Stanford University.
Affiliations
    • International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals
    • Eating Disorder Recovery Support, Inc.
    • California Psychological Association
    • Mississippi Psychological Association
Recognitions & Awards
  • Co-founder of the Mississippi Coalition of Eating Disorder Professionals.
  • Spring 2019-Summer 2020, President (a nominated/elected position), Eating Disorder Recovery Support Inc.
  • Spring 2017 obtained certification in Family Based Therapy for Anorexia.
  • Summer 2012-Spring 2019, Membership Chair (a nominated/elected position), San Francisco Psychological Association.
  • Winter 2015-Fall 2016, Membership Chair (a nominated/elected position), Marin Psychological Association.
  • Fall 2010, Research Grant Recipient, University of North Texas, Psychology Department.
  • Summer & Spring, 2010, Scholarship Recipient, University of North Texas, Toulouse School of Graduate Studies
  • Fall 2009-Spring 2010, President (a nominated/elected position), Graduate Association of Students in Psychology (GASP), University of North Texas Psychology Department.
  • Fall 2007- Spring 2009, Student Representative (a nominated/elected position), Counseling Psychology Ph.D. Program Committee, University of North Texas.
  • Spring 2002 to Spring 2004, President’s List, University of North Texas.