Alaina Van Gelder is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor. She earned her Bachelor of Science in psychology from The University of Mary Washington and a Master of Science in clinical mental health counseling from Wilmington University. Alaina is passionate about working with adults struggling with eating disorders and primarily specializes in treating binge eating disorder. She takes an eclectic approach to therapy, tailoring treatment to help meet clients where they are. Alaina utilizes aspects person-centered, strengths based, and experiential therapeutic modalities in her treatment with the firm belief that a person’s way of being is deeply rooted in childhood experiences. Alaina provides a safe and supportive space for clients to identify and address unhealed pain that may be contributing to their eating disorder and other mental health concerns.

Prior to moving to North Carolina, Alaina worked in Maryland as an  therapist with a concentration in eating disorders. She developed and led several specialized groups for clients experiencing anxiety, depression, and eating related concerns. Currently Alaina offers individual and group therapy at Chrysalis Center for Counseling and Eating Disorder Treatment. She developed and leads RISE, a women’s empowerment group, as well as HEAL, a therapeutic group for individuals with binge eating disorder. Alaina also works in Chrysalis Center’s intensive outpatient program (IOP) for adults with eating disorders.

Alaina has attained several additional professional accomplishments including presenting on eating disorder treatment at the annual S.W.E.L.L. conference in Ocean City, Maryland in the Spring of 2021 and on binge eating disorder at the annual SEAHEC conference in Spring of 2023. She recently became certified as a Qualified Supervisor for the North Carolina counseling board and will be offering supervision to other licensed clinical mental health counselors in the area.