Today we’d like to introduce you to Edie Stark
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have been in the psychology field since 2009 but my road to my current career! I knew from a very young age I wanted to be a therapist. I was fascinated with how the brain worked, and I found joy in helping my friends to feel better when they were struggling. After graduating undergrad, I moved to the UK to get my masters degree in Applied Social Psychology- the plan was to stay and get my doctorate and work both clinically and on the research side of things. Well, after one of the hardest years of my life, I left England, Masters Degree in hand, and not a job opportunity in site. I moved back home to Boston, and spent a year nannying, crying, and applying to clinical programs so I could actually do what I wanted to do- be a therapist.
I landed at Columbia University School Of Social Work and spent the next 5 years in NYC. I worked in eating disorder treatment centers, hospitals and then landed in Private Practice in 2015 under the supervision of my long time mentors. I thought that is where I would be forever, and I was SO happy. In 2016 I was about to take my licensing exam, my practice was full, I was married, living in Brooklyn- life was good. Then my brand new husband got a promotion at work and suddenly we moved across the country to San Diego- a place we had only visited once and knew NO ONE. My whole life got flipped upside down and I had a really tough time that first year. Eventually, once I was able to get my CA license ( NINE MONTHS later- thanks BBS lol), I opened up my practice here and started over. I kept it solo until 2020 when the pandemic hit and my waitlist was a mile long- I had been itching to take on a new professional challenge so I opened Stark Therapy Group- an Inclusive Group psychotherapy practice serving ages 13+ with a specialization in treating eating disorders. Over the years dozens of friends ( and friends of friends) started asking me for help starting their own practices, and then group practices – I realized I REALLY loved offering support in this way so in 2025 I launched Edie Stark Consulting.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not at all- I was told I would never graduate high school! I have both ADD and dyslexia and those were not well supported at the prep school I attended. I had a lot of shame around my learning differences growing up. When I finally got to college and started learning something I was actually interested in -Psychology- I thrived! Another dark time was during my first master’s degree- I had to learn a whole new way of learning since the degree was in the UK . It was super challenging emotionally and academically but I made it through! It also showed me that I 10000% did not want to do statistics ever again in my life haha. After I graduated from Columbia with my MSW it took me a full 6 months to get a job, I sat with one of my now best friends in coffee shops all over NYC feverishly applying to jobs and just not having any luck. Until one week in November I got like 8 interview requests which lead to 6 offers I had to choose from. It was super hard and disheartening but it paid off!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Edie Stark Consulting/Stark Therapy Group?
Edie Stark Consulting—a dedicated space offering comprehensive support across four passion areas: parent coaching, business consulting, clinical consultation, and media consulting. Each service is grounded in compassion, expertise, and a humanistic approach.
Here’s how Edie Stark Consulting can support you:
Parent Coaching: Confidently navigate supporting your child’s eating disorder recovery with actionable plans tailored to your family’s unique needs.
Business Consulting for Therapists: Build a practice that works for you—boost income, reduce stress, and stay true to your values.
Clinical Consultation: Receive nuanced, judgment-free guidance for complex eating disorder cases through a trauma-informed lens.
Media Consulting: Transform conversations about eating disorders with professional insights and expertise.
Stark Therapy Group offers therapy for all types of eating disorders, including Anorexia, Binge Eating Disorder and Bulimia. We offer a 3-tiered family based support for teens in eating disorder recovery. We treat anxiety, depression and general mental health conditions. We offer 3-tiered family based support for teens with general mental health issues. We also offer couples therapy. We would love to help you on your mental health journey.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was a theater kid which I do think is a fairly common pipeline to therapist! I was very sensitive and empathic- I could not watch any of the early Disney movies without fully sobbing at the animal deaths. ( like why though??) Interestingly I really didn’t like being in the city ( Boston) as a kid but now I SUCH a city person- that was one of the biggest adjustments for me moving to SD was loosing the eat coast city feel.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ediestark.com and www.starktherapygroup.com
- Instagram: @ediestarktherapy and @starktherapygroup.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edie-stark/
Image Credits
Morgan Miles Studio
