Find An Eating Disorder Therapist in Barrie, ON.

“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.

While most eating disorder issues are treated by cognitive behavioral methodologies or specialized outpatient/inpatient programs, Grey Matters International and the work of Kevin J. Fleming, PhD provide relief first and foremost for the brain of one suffering from an eating disorder----without giving them medication. We believe that the neural circuitries responsible for the compulsive behaviors with eating are not necessarily only a neurotransmitter issue but of overused neural networks that affect the harmonization, balance, and decisions of the whole brain. Contact kevin@kevinfleminphd.com or 877-606-6161 to learn more about this safe and effective alternative.

Eating disorders are not really about food. They involve complex emotional issues that have significant impact on ones physical, emotional and social health. If you are preoccupied with your weight, focused on body image, size, or shape, compelled to perform specific rituals around food, obsessive about food, or deem foods as “safe” or “unsafe” to eat or uncomfortable participating in social activities involving food (such as getting dinner with friends) you may be engaging in disordered eating. I offer free consultations to answer your questions and help you determine if therapy will be beneficial for you. I look forward to hearing from you.

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!

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!

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!

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.

Emotional eating can stem from social expectations, family of origin rituals and gatherings, and negative self-talk. Emotional eating can lead to weight gain and health concerns. I use CBT, DBT and ACT to help clients learn to recognize emotional triggers that lead to eating behaviors when not physically hungry. I also help clients develop techniques to mindfully eat, resist temptation and learn to recognize when emotions are pulling at your puppet strings.

Eating disorder recovery is a transformative journey towards a healthier relationship with food and yourself. Through a supportive and non-judgmental therapeutic process, we will work together to develop healthier habits, improve body image, explore emotional triggers, and restore your overall well-being. If you are on the path to eating disorders recovery, reach out today for a free consultation.