Find An Eating Disorder Therapist in Milton, ON.

Frequently there are methodologies and modalities that come and go on how to control eating disorders. Listening is where it starts and ends with eating disorders. Why do I? Finding out about yourself is a primary concern with eating disorders. Are you allowed to be you or are you unacceptable by others or even unacceptable by yourself? I need to understand who I AM

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.

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.

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!

A sense of self is easily interrupted by stress, change, and trauma. Maybe you feel like you have never really known yourself and have always been focused on others. Or, maybe, you feel like you have lost a sense of self due to big changes in your life. This could all be tied in with how you feel about your body, especially if it has gone through a change as well. We can offer support for this, including help for: • Body image concerns • Low self-esteem or self-worth • Questioning self-purpose and plan • People pleasing, rescuing and fixing • Chronic guilt, regret and shame

I provide a compassionate and holistic space for clients to explore the complex underlying factors contributing to their struggles with food and body image. Through a combination of evidence-based modalities such as ACT, DBT, and ACT, I help clients develop a healthier relationship with food, challenge distorted beliefs, and address emotional and psychological aspects related to their eating disorder. By fostering self-compassion, enhancing body acceptance, and promoting sustainable behavior change, clients can experience improved self-esteem, enhanced physical health, and a renewed sense of empowerment in their lives.

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.

Dr. Van Blyderveen has over seven years of experience working with clients who have struggled with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and body dissatisfaction. Treatment typically integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) approaches. Family Based Therapy (FBT) is offered for youth struggling with an eating disorder.

Eating disorders such as bulimia, anorexia, binge eating, and compulsive eating as well preoccupation with weight and shape are quite common in our culture and can be devastating and complex. Often there are severe consequences in terms of productivity, relationships and health. The good news is that it is possible to find our way out of an eating disorder. Whether through individual, family or group therapy, counsellors can assist us in changing our perceptions and behaviours and develop healthy self-esteem, communication, coping skills and emotional well being. (If we could have done it on our own... we would have by now.)