Dr. Joy Zelikovsky | Eating Disorder Psychologist in Connecticut
Joy Zelikovsky, Psy.D., M.S.C.P., M.A., M.Phil.Ed., M.S.Ed
Licensed Psychologist | Certified Eating Disorder Specialist-Consultant (CEDS-C) | Clinical Educator & Consultant
Dr. Joy Zelikovsky is a licensed psychologist and Certified Eating Disorder Specialist-Consultant with nearly twenty years of experience across clinical practice, teaching, supervision, and professional leadership. She specializes in compassionate, weight-inclusive eating disorder treatment and is particularly committed to working with individuals whose experiences have been overlooked, misunderstood, or minimized in traditional treatment settings.
Dr. Joy believes that eating disorder treatment should begin with curiosity rather than judgment. Eating disorder behaviors often serve a function, and meaningful treatment requires understanding not only what someone is doing, but why those behaviors developed and what they may be providing.
Her work is grounded in the belief that there is no single path to recovery. Treatment is individualized, collaborative, trauma-informed, and responsive to each person's circumstances, values, needs, and goals.
An Individualized & Weight-Inclusive Approach
Dr. Joy's approach to eating disorder treatment is weight-inclusive and rejects the idea that someone's body size determines the presence or severity of an eating disorder.
People in bodies of all sizes can experience serious eating disorders, and no one should have to look a certain way, reach a particular weight, or become “sick enough” before their concerns are taken seriously.
Treatment focuses on reducing distress and eating disorder behaviors, increasing flexibility around food and movement, addressing body image concerns, and helping clients reconnect with the relationships, experiences, and values that matter to them.
Dr. Joy also recognizes that recovery is rarely linear or all-or-nothing. When complete symptom cessation is not immediately possible or desired, harm-reduction strategies may be incorporated to decrease risk, increase safety, maintain engagement in treatment, and support meaningful change.
Above all, treatment is a collaborative process. Clients are active participants in determining what recovery and a meaningful life look like for them.
Clinical Leadership, Education & Advocacy
In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Joy has spent much of her career educating and supporting the next generation of mental health professionals.
As the founder of Nourish The Heart Counseling and Shoreline Eating Disorder Center, she has developed practices centered on specialized eating disorder care, clinical consultation, and thoughtful, ethical treatment.
She is also the founder of JEDPRO, the Jewish Eating Disorder Professionals Conference, which brings professionals together to advance culturally responsive eating disorder care and strengthen community among providers.
As a university professor, Dr. Joy teaches and trains future clinicians in areas including clinical psychology, psychopathology, psychopharmacology, ethics, and professional practice. She regularly provides professional education and consultation on eating disorders, clinical ethics, harm reduction, weight-inclusive care, and navigating complex treatment decisions.
Across her clinical, teaching, and consultation work, Dr. Joy encourages clinicians to approach difficult questions with curiosity, humility, and integrity rather than relying on rigid, one-size-fits-all answers.
Beyond the Therapy Room
While Dr. Joy brings extensive clinical training and experience to her work, she also believes therapy should feel like a relationship between two actual human beings.
Outside of work, she is an avid reader, loves spending time at the beach, and is the proud dog mom of her beloved “flat face army.”
