Eating Disorders Counselling
How many of us use food to regulate our emotions either by overeating (refined carbohydrates and refined sugars) or by restricting our eating? How many of us use food or semi / starvation in order to numb our emotions in a desperate attempt to silence the nagging voices resulting from our own internal pain?
Finally, how many of us have an unhealthy and obsessive relationship with food often to the detriment of our own personal relationships? Often food, or the controlling refusal of food, becomes a friend before it then becomes a relentless and punishing enemy.
People often use food and their body to tell a story for which they have no language.
Who can benefit from this specialised counselling?
This a specialised counselling service with a central focus upon issues relating to food, size and shape.
I am able to take on new clients who may be experiencing or struggling with:
-
Food restriction (reducing or eliminating food items or food groups from one's diet)
-
Binge eating (the consumption of large quantities of food in a short period of time)
-
Chewing and spitting
-
Bulimia (bouts of extreme overeating followed by self-induced vomiting)
-
Compulsive exercising to lose weight
-
Obesity (BMI 30+)
-
ARFID (avoiding or restricting certain foods due to; textures and consistencies, fear of an adverse reaction or a general lack of interest in food.
How can counselling help?
Treatment to restore your relationship with food will focus on:
-
Gaining insight about your eating patterns and food cravings; discovering what in your past contributed to your relationship with food
-
Strengthening your motivation to change
-
Nutritional guidance to get you back in touch with your natural appetite, banish cravings and transform your wellbeing
-
Emotional strengthening to manage feelings like stress and unhappiness without turning to food
-
Managing constant thoughts and worries about food and weight
-
Managing lapses so that you keep feeling in control
-
Self-worth and body image healing
Initial assessment and session
Before counselling begins I will ask you to complete an initial assessment, lifestyle questionnaire and food diary. It is important that food diaries continue to be completed throughout your counselling.
Your first counselling session will be in-depth and last up to 2 hours. During the session I will compete a comprehensive "life-weight-line" and compile a pie chart which will highlight the main areas which give the bullying voice of the eating disorder it's power.
We will then work together in regular weekly sessions to challenge and disarm these maintaining factors.
I can offer a number of different therapies including; talking therapy, CBT-E, CBT-T and CBT-AR.