Find An Eating Disorder Therapist in Barrie, ON.

Body image is a real and present struggle for many women and this issue is rising in men as well. With the constant bombardment of food and beauty focused advertisements from all sources of media, it can such a struggle! I have worked with many types of addictive habits, eating disorders included. I can help you understand yourself better and provide you with some effective strategies to create new healthier habits, ones that create an inner peace, empowerment, and breaking the cycle!

Disordered eating has served a purpose in your life. Together we will not only restore your healthy eating practices, we will determine the root cause of your eating disorder. This is essential to ensure we respect your emotional needs and enable you to maintain healthy eating patterns lifelong. I will provide us with the compassionate and supportive dynamic essential to your journey of creating the life experience you desire.

Often abnormal eating habits disturb our physical and mental functioning as well as adversely impact emotional wellbeing and our daily life activities. We help individuals overcome eating disorders through a holistic approach to treatment. Specializing in medical care, nutritional counselling, therapy, and support groups are strong predictors of promoting physical and emotional healing. We are committed to early intervention and empowering individuals to reclaim their health and well-being. The specific type of psychotherapy used may depend on the individual's needs, preferences, and the severity of their eating disorder. Treatment is often tailored to address clients' individualistic need

Our therapist Arshiya specializes in helping clients through disordered eating habits such as restrictive dieting and bingeing and purging. Therapy can address unhelpful beliefs about food and body image, enhance self-worth, and form a better relationship with food so that healthier eating habits are established. When working with disordered eating, it is important to understand that it is not all about food- but rather, unhealthy dieting habits are the product of extreme stress, trauma, low self-esteem, depression or anxiety. These root issues will be addressed to help you start taking control back in your life and feeling better.

“There are various ways that individuals with eating disorders describe “dealing with” painful feelings: They may numb them through starving, soothe or push them down with bingeing, or get rid of them through purging. This vicious cycle of fearing, avoiding, and feeling overwhelmed and incapacitated by feelings, to the point of having to stay ill or inflict self-harm to escape, makes Emotion-Focused Therapy a compelling approach to treating eating disorders. Emotion-Focused Therapy works directly with painful emotions, and views them as a source of information and meaning. Emotion, if paid attention to, can be like a beacon or a flashlight, leading us to what is important.

I work with your negative body image, from the inside out. "The negative image is understood as a dissociated and shame-based “part” of the personality in need of understanding and compassion, achieved via mindful awareness, “parts” dialogue and trauma processing. Our first step will be to create a healthy separation between the "observing" or aware Self and the part(s) absorbed in the eating disorder via mindful awareness. Once this separation between the "whole" self and part of self is established, the Gestalt polarity tradition (empty chairs) is utilized to develop understanding of the shame-based part. This leads to developing more love and compassion for yourself. You are enough!

The benefits of receiving therapy for eating disorder(s) with us begins with the supportive and non-judgmental space we provide that explores the underlying causes and triggers of the disorder. There is help for individuals to develop a healthier relationship with food and their bodies. We can implement new strategies to challenge negative thoughts and beliefs related to body image and self-worth. Additionally, therapy can address the co-occurring mental health issues such as anxiety or depression, that may contribute to the eating disorder. We provide tools and coping mechanisms to manage triggers and develop a sustainable recovery plan.

As a therapist specializing in eating disorders, I believe in the transformative power of therapy to heal both mind and body. Through our sessions, we delve into the underlying emotional, psychological, and relational factors contributing to the disorder. By fostering a safe and non-judgmental space, we explore the complex relationship individuals have with food, body image, and self-worth. Through evidence-based techniques such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and mindfulness practices, clients learn to challenge harmful thoughts and behaviors, develop healthier coping mechanisms, and rebuild a positive sense of self.

My aim is to support you in navigating a fulfilled, balanced, and healthy approach to eating and lifestyle habits. I work to address disordered eating in a manner that is empathetic, approachable, and validating. I empower individuals to manage habits in a manner that promotes healthy self-esteem, and addresses undesirable patterns through meaningful inner work and self-compassion. I look forward to meeting you!