Faith Carlson, MA, LPC, QMHP

Faith Carlson, MA, LPC, QMHP Multi-state Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor - specialized in eating disorders. Outpatient therapy services to support eating disorder recovery.

Specializing in the treatment of eating disorders with both tele-mental health services and on site counseling services. Licensed counseling services offered in South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and in Florida. Coordinated care with resources to in-treatment care, nutritionists, and psychiatrist. Member of the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals. CEDS certification in progress/

under Licensed CEDS supervision. Note: CEDS is only one nationally recognized certification credential for eating disorders. This is issued by the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (iaedp™).

Some of my professional friends on social media may remember the story about my flat tire in the middle of a California ...
05/27/2026

Some of my professional friends on social media may remember the story about my flat tire in the middle of a California desert — and spending the next 3 hours educating the tow truck driver on the ride from California to Las Vegas about eating disorders, treatment access, and recovery. 😅
Well… today gave me another reminder that education and support opportunities show up everywhere.
Our building is currently having some construction work done, and one of the electricians asked if we happened to have a bottle of water.
My response?
“Of course! We also have Gatorade — what flavor do you like? And snacks! Let me grab you some snacks too.”
He laughed and shared that he forgot his lunch today.
And honestly? No shame in that.
At our eating recovery center, we spend a lot of time helping people rebuild relationships with nourishment, hydration, and self-care. Sometimes that means clinical interventions and treatment planning… and sometimes it simply means normalizing that humans forget meals, need support, and deserve access to food without guilt or shame.
One thing working in eating disorder treatment has taught me is this:
Food support should never feel embarrassing.
Hydration matters.
Snacks are healthcare.
And kindness around nourishment can go a long way.
The little moments matter too. 💙

Victus Counseling -

Last month Victus Counseling reached the infamous 3 year business mark! For me I give God the glory - the trials experie...
05/15/2026

Last month Victus Counseling reached the infamous 3 year business mark! For me I give God the glory - the trials experienced opening the only stand alone eating disorder clinic in South Dakota with CEDS credentials and having Compassionate Nutrition onsite with South Dakota’s only CEDS RD - it took mountain moving faith to make it happen.

I am so grateful for the supports of the eating disorder community nationally that have helped us help our local community. The professional mentors and leaders who have helped guide me through - thank you on behalf of South Dakota and my very humbled heart! It’s been a journey.

We are excited to welcome Lucy and Jada onboard and Alexis this fall has we continue to expand services and exciting Fall/Winter updates coming! Check out the great profiles and talents these three bring on our website www.victusrecovery.com

Victus in South Dakota is always proud to stand with the + 131 partners to strengthen the federal response to —expandi...
05/05/2026

Victus in South Dakota is always proud to stand with the + 131 partners to strengthen the federal response to —expanding provider training, improving early identification, and advancing life-saving research. Read our letter to Congress: https://bit.ly/4dnf1rw

Funny Sunday story - I made a run through our local store to get some Victus supplies and yummy snacks. Well a customer ...
05/03/2026

Funny Sunday story - I made a run through our local store to get some Victus supplies and yummy snacks. Well a customer behind me decided to share unsolicited advice about what I was purchasing and “bad food”

🫣

My daughter was graciously along for helping me load and unload products and literally said “oh no” (she later said ‘Mom I was thinking this is not going to be good”)

I loved the opportunity to share very frankly and with the best smile and energy I have “Funny thing you said that - I am actually an eating disorder therapist and I don’t believe in good or bad foods. These are actually my favorites and I encourage everyone to eat what they like 😂”

No more comments on food occurred however, I was loading my cart with printing paper and put my chapstick in my mouth to move the boxes. And…the next comment “..well if your going to be healthy you probably shouldn’t be using ni****ne 😂😂”

My daughter was speechless and totally wanting to disappear. I am actually allergic to ni****ne/smoke and it was my chapstick. My even better reply was even more energy and smiles that said it’s actually my chapstick - I bet my daughter I would use all of it before buying a new one and I have not lost yet.

lol - Sharing to say - people will make comments - unsolicited - unhelpful- unnecessary about whatever you do or don’t do. It’s a society of stigma, bias, and misinformed comments. Remember it does not have to mean you don’t get to make your voice heard - share your truth - and keep on going forward in life.

Comments will be made.

And

We can be the change for positive and share feedback also or choose to not let it change us for being a human being not good or bad - just being ❤️

Conversations around GLP-1 medications are everywhere right now—and for many people, they can feel confusing, overwhelmi...
04/13/2026

Conversations around GLP-1 medications are everywhere right now—and for many people, they can feel confusing, overwhelming, or even activating.

Over the past several months, I’ve had more and more individuals and professionals reach out asking:

(So thankful for the medical professionals reaching over with curiosity because mental health matters!)

“How do we navigate this in a way that supports mental health and a healthy relationship with food?”

This group was created in response to that need.

Body, Appetite, & Healing: A GLP-1 Discussion Group is a supportive, psychoeducational space exploring the intersection of GLP-1 medications, eating behaviors, and mental health—through a compassionate, weight-inclusive lens.

Led by a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS), this group aims to offer a clinically informed, weight inclusive perspective on a rapidly evolving and often misunderstood topic.

This is not a weight-focused space.

It’s a space for understanding.

Together, we’ll explore:
• What GLP-1 medications do (and don’t do)
• How eating behaviors like emotional eating, grazing, or loss of control can still show up
• Why appetite changes don’t always equal healing
• How to approach these conversations in a more informed, ethical, and supportive way

This group is educational (not therapy) and is open to:
• individuals navigating these experiences
• those wondering about their relationship with food
• and professionals seeking a more nuanced perspective

No assumptions. No pressure. Just space for curiosity, learning with evidenced based resources, what current research studies show, and always from a place of care.

🗓 Saturday, May 9 or May 23
⏰ 9:00 AM – Noon
📍 Details + registration available on the flyer

If you’re navigating questions at the intersection of mental health, eating behaviors, and GLP-1 use, you deserve access to informed, compassionate guidance.

Content note: This discussion includes topics related to appetite and eating experiences. Please engage in a way that feels supportive for you.

Recovery is not linear — and that does not mean you are failing. 💙💚As 2026 National Eating Disorders Awareness Week come...
02/28/2026

Recovery is not linear — and that does not mean you are failing. 💙💚

As 2026 National Eating Disorders Awareness Week comes to an end, one message matters most: hope does not expire when the week does.

In Sioux Falls, the iconic Falls have been illuminated in blue and green, standing as a powerful reminder that healing is possible even when it feels messy, slow, or uncertain.

Sunday is the last day to see the Falls lit in the NEDA colors here in the heart of our city.

The water doesn’t flow in a straight line. It crashes, shifts, and finds new paths forward — yet it keeps crashing forward.

Recovery often looks the same. There are setbacks. There are hard days. There are moments of doubt. But forward is still forward, even if it doesn’t feel perfect.

At Victus Counseling, we believe in walking alongside individuals and families through every phase of recovery — not just the highlight moments, but the complicated ones too. We believe in evidence-based care, compassion, and we never give up.

Awareness week may be ending, but hope continues.

Keep going. Keep reaching.

Keep believing that change is possible.

You are never alone.

- Faith 💙💚

💚 Tomorrow We Kick Off National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 💚This year’s theme is “Every BODY Belongs.”And I really ...
02/23/2026

💚 Tomorrow We Kick Off National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 💚

This year’s theme is “Every BODY Belongs.”

And I really want to pause on that.

Because eating disorders do not have a look.
They do not only affect one body type.
They do not only affect teenage girls.
And they are being missed every single day.

I’ll be joining Ashley and Mitchell on KELOLAND Living tomorrow (2/23) to talk about why early screening matters — especially for atypical anorexia nervosa — and why so many young people are falling through the cracks simply because they don’t “look” sick.

We will also be lighting up Falls Park this week in recognition of Eating Disorder Awareness Week 💡

Awareness isn’t just a hashtag.
It’s earlier intervention.
It’s better training.
It’s fewer kids being told they’re “fine” when they are medically unstable.
It’s adults finally being seen.

If you watch tomorrow, share it.
If you know someone struggling, check in.
If you’re a provider — screen earlier.

Every body belongs in care.
Every body belongs in recovery.

— Faith@Victus

Happy Valentines (or Galentines) day from Victus Counseling! 😉 Messages like this LIGHT UP this eating recovery mom ther...
02/14/2026

Happy Valentines (or Galentines) day from Victus Counseling!

😉 Messages like this LIGHT UP this eating recovery mom therapist heart ♥️ we practice what we say both in and outside of the therapy clinic - nurture your body and celebrate life.

Know your celebrated and supported from the eating recovery team in Sioux Falls!

- Faith

💚💙 Falls Lights Up for Eating Disorder Awareness Week 💙💚For the 5th year, Victus Counseling has the honor of sponsoring ...
02/12/2026

💚💙 Falls Lights Up for Eating Disorder Awareness Week 💙💚

For the 5th year, Victus Counseling has the honor of sponsoring the lighting of Falls Park in recognition of Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Seeing our city shine in green and blue is more than a visual it’s a message I want everyone to see and feel.

It’s a message that recovery matters.
It’s a message that no one should struggle in silence.
It’s a message that every BODY belongs.

Eating disorders thrive in isolation, shame, and secrecy. Healing happens in connection, compassion, and community.

I am deeply grateful for the collaboration and support within Sioux Falls. It takes a community that is open to learning, growing, and working together to better serve our residents in eating disorder recovery. I truly appreciate the providers, families, organizations, and leaders who continue to show up and prioritize this work year after year. I am so grateful for those national providers helping us out from other states knowing we have so few resources - special thanks to my Indiana professionals, mentors, and friends - I could not do this work without your amazing support from day 1.

To anyone who is struggling right now: please don’t give up. Recovery is not linear, and it’s not easy — but it is possible. Even when resources feel limited or overwhelming, you are not alone. There are people in this community who care deeply and want to help you find the next right step forward.

May these lights be a reminder:
✨ Your body deserves care.
✨ Your story matters.
✨ Recovery is possible.
✨ You are never alone.

If you or someone you love needs support, please reach out. We are here, and we are committed to walking alongside you.

With hope and gratitude,
Faith 💚
Victus Counseling

Sometimes the most important thing we can do is stop for what everyone else walks past.I was out of state visiting my da...
01/29/2026

Sometimes the most important thing we can do is stop for what everyone else walks past.
I was out of state visiting my daughter while she looked for an emotional support animal. Like most people, we were drawn to the small puppies—the “easy” ones.
But then I noticed a big 12-week-old pup being ignored by everyone.
When I asked to meet her, the staff warned me:
“You don’t want her. She’s wild.”
I said, “That’s exactly why I want to see her.”
And wow… they were right. She came in bouncing off the walls—biting, jumping, total Turner & H***h energy.
But I picked her up, held her close, and said softly:
“Hey buddy… you’ve got to calm down to get adopted.”
She didn’t listen with her ears—she listened with her nervous system.
She could feel someone anchoring her. Holding space. Not flinching.
And it reminded me: that’s what therapy is.
Presence. Patience. Connection. Sitting with the “wild” without turning away.
Things feel pretty wild right now in the world.
Don’t forget to slow down, breathe, and find the spaces (and people) that can hold you when life feels like too much.
And when you can… be that space for someone else.
🐾

Rough flight out of cold South Dakota and fun to see all Hoosier fans out here! Visiting friends and family in Florida a...
01/19/2026

Rough flight out of cold South Dakota and fun to see all Hoosier fans out here! Visiting friends and family in Florida and the Indiana fan base is definitely representing here in south Florida! I am totally an adopted fan and always sending lots of love to the amazing Clincians mentors and clinics out of Indy. We appreciate your support and help in South Dakota specializing in eating disorder recovery work. We couldn’t do it without our Indiana community encouraging our work!

Go Hoosiers!

Address

Sioux Falls, SD
57108

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 8pm
Tuesday 9am - 8pm
Wednesday 9am - 8pm
Thursday 9am - 8pm
Friday 9am - 8pm

Telephone

+16059519100

Website

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