Find An Eating Disorder Therapist in Aldergrove, BC.

Food is the most basic form of nurture you can give another person. It is vital to our health and wellness. Working with our attachments to food at times involves an exploration of how we see ourselves, if we do not feel comfortable in our body, we deny ourselves nourishment. At times we use food to sooth our stressors, at other times, we use food as reward, punishment and control of the self. Working with me you will learn how to listen and respond to your bodies cues, find comfort in yourself and begin to heal your relationship with the self, using food as fuel to empower you to strengthen in the body, the psyche, and the mind.

I help clients overcome addictive relationships with food. Like all addictions, the behavior is the tip of the iceberg, used to cope with underlying thoughts and emotions. Through collaborative conversations, clients gain insight into underlying concerns, gaining coping skills to more effectively navigate these issues. I draw on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Motivational Interviewing (MI), helping clients achieve a sense of freedom and control over their lives, leading to long-term change.

Olivia has a passion for helping individuals struggling with eating disorders, providing support through a behavioral and trauma-informed approach. She helps clients uncover and address the underlying emotional and psychological factors contributing to their disorder while equipping them with practical strategies for recovery. Olivia’s compassionate and holistic approach focuses on creating a safe space for clients to explore their relationship with food and their bodies, empowering them to build healthier habits and a positive self-image. By integrating trauma-informed care with actionable tools, Olivia walks alongside her clients as they work toward healing, resilience, and lasting change.

Society doesn't do us any justice when it comes to unhealthy eating patterns and body image. Because I look at big picture perspectives, there is constant influence and comparison on social media, TV shows, and other forms of entertainment that evidently may leave one feeling guilty and shameful, or they may develop unhealthy coping patterns to deal with the internal distress. Together, we explore how systems, including familial influence, poverty, and trauma have impacted you and the internalized messages that you received from the world around you. We explore ways in which we can shift these messages, patterns, and behaviours towards your idea of compassion, health, and helpful coping.

If you’ve struggled with disordered eating, you are all too familiar with compulsive behavior, obsessive thoughts and a disconnect from the body. You may also have a constant need for control while at the same time feeling a frightening and exhausting loss of all control. Please know that none of this is your choice, but rather is a state of stress and overwhelm while you do your best to feel better. I have nothing but compassion for the distress that comes with food-related challenges, and you have my commitment to help you care for the difficult underlying emotions involved. Together, we will create a safe space to move towards healing and a safe relationship with food and the body.

I am flexible in approach with Eating Disorders, starting with what has worked or is working with you already. I offer Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a new approach that will help you to target the thoughts and feelings that cause the problem behaviours in a whole new way. I will give you new skills for handling difficult thoughts and feelings that cause you to binge, purge, or over/under eat. I have formal training in the ACT model which is an evidence based treatment for EDs. Contact me to discuss further.

Eating disorders benefit from the same or similar approach used for all addictive behaviours. One of the main therapeutic approaches I use is Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy. The relationship to food can be quite complex involving societal or cultural pressures, self-image, past traumas, addictive non-nutritious junk food, media images, social media pressures, bullying. Shame and guilt need to be addressed along with peer pressures. The most common eating disorders are: Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge Eating, Pica, Rumination Disorder, Avoidance/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), Orthorexia, Purging Disorder etc. The benefits of therapy are enhanced self-image, health and well-being.