Eating Disorders & Disordered Eating
I believe recovery from an eating disorder is possible.
You took the courage to seek help for your eating disorder. You have attended a hospital program, or maybe you have engaged in individual therapy. You have learned your triggers and strategies to manage symptoms. But you don’t feel like you have recovered. You are in a different place from when you started recovery, but it feels as if something is still missing. Or maybe you can feel you are slipping back into old habits again and want to prevent slipping further. This is where therapy may help.
Is recovery just about symptom elimination?
Recovery from an eating disorder is not just about symptom elimination. Living a fulfilling life and feeling safe in your body is about so much more. While symptom elimination is a crucial aspect of recovery, for a full, sustainable recovery it is important to address the underlying factors. For many people these factors may include: a lack of knowing who you are; trauma; attachment injuries; negative experiences from the past; and/or certain messages about your worth that developed when you were younger.
Eating disorders are about a loss of connection. A loss of connection with yourself, a loss of connection with your body, and a loss of connection in relationships. It may feel scary to connect with your body, yourself and others. Know that you will not be alone in this process.
That sounds like a lot of work, is it worth it?
You are right that full recovery from an eating disorder is a lot of work, it takes time, AND it is worth it. It can feel as if part of you wants to recover and part of you wants to keep the eating disorder. It can be the most challenging and most rewarding process you go through. Through the recovery process you get a feel for the life that is possible for you.
How can I help you recover from your eating disorder?
As human beings we are social beings, and therefore the therapeutic relationship is central to our work together. You deserve a therapist you feel not just comfortable with, but safe with. I bring empathy, compassion, and a genuine curiosity into the therapeutic relationship. Our brains are wired to respond to relational experiences, both positive and negative. Therefore, our earliest relationships have a significant effect on our beliefs about our sense of value, and our sense of ourselves. Together we will explore your beliefs about yourself and how those beliefs have impacted. Together we will bring unconscious psychological patterns into conscious awareness, and also bring a gentle awareness to the body. Sometimes talk therapy alone is not enough. Our body is the container for our emotions, and we need to access the body to connect to these stored emotions. Often, we disconnect from our body and compartmentalize and separate our mind from our body. Uncomfortable feelings are unpleasant, and it can feel like you would do ANYTHING to not feel those feelings. The eating disorder becomes a way to soothe the body and nervous system. This means recovery involves learning to listen to the wisdom of your body and nervous system. What is your body and nervous system trying to tell you? Together we can allow the innate wisdom of your body to emerge, and I can help guide you in understanding what your body is trying to communicate.
If you are ready to do this work, reach out to learn more.
Important Requirements
Please note that for any client who is actively engaging in eating disorder symptoms I require that they are medically monitored by their GP while in treatment with me. I also require that clients meet with a dietitian so that we can spend our energy focusing on the therapeutic work together.