Beyond the Binary: Eating Disorders, Diverse Causes with Jonathan Cotton

In this week's podcast, Han is joined by Jonathan Cotton. Jonathan is an integrative psychotherapist freelancing at an Eating Disorder charity whose personal and professional experiences lie with supporting the LGBTQ+ community, whether with self-harm/suicide crisis, identity work, offending behaviours, and eating disorders.

In this week's episode, we discuss:

  • The importance of clinicians having an awareness of sexuality and gender, and how it can link to mental health.
  • Traumatic experiences that LGBTQ+ individuals may have experienced that may have impacted their mental health.
  • The issue with assuming someone's sexuality and gender is the cause of their eating disorder and how we can navigate these beliefs.
  • Body images in the LGBTQ+ community and how this could impact disorder behaviours.
  • The role of labels and how this can impact your identity.
  • How you can meet your needs without using the eating disorder.

To find out more about Jonathan, you can connect with him on LinkedIn,

Kindly note, that this episode delves into sensitive eating disorder topics. Remember to take care of yourself while listening, and always seek professional help if needed. This podcast is your bridge to insightful discussions, not a substitute for clinical guidance.

Recent Posts

By Hannah Hickinbotham July 27, 2026
Art Psychotherapist Jessica Mackney shares how art therapy can offer a way into eating disorder recovery when words aren't enough, and what it really looks like beyond "just drawing or painting."
By hannah July 20, 2026
Hannah Whitfield shares her inpatient psychiatric care, restrictive practice, and eating disorder recovery, and how she turned survival into activism with Legally Detained.
By Hannah Hickinbotham July 13, 2026
Eva Echo shares her experience of eating disorders, trans identity, and AuDHD, and what years of medical gatekeeping in UK healthcare really looks like.
By Hannah Hickinbotham July 6, 2026
When we focus on weight in eating disorder treatment, are we doing more harm than good?
By Hannah Hickinbotham June 29, 2026
How does people pleasing get in the way of eating disorder recovery? And why commitment, not motivation, might be the thing that carries you through. With insights from psychotherapist and lived experience advocate Sarah Parker.
By Hannah Hickinbotham June 22, 2026
OSFED and UFED are the most common eating disorder diagnoses, yet remain widely overlooked. Here's what they are, why that happens, and why it needs to change.
Show More