Find An Eating Disorder Therapist in Oak Ridges, ON.

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

Our relationship with food is inescapable. Overeating/denial patterns reflect an effort to combat isolation and the absence of equilibrium in relational dynamics. We are biologically engineered for connection and resonance. When that basic need is not met, we strategize survival in unique ways. By addressing all levels of experience, you can track the sequences relating to choice and absence of choice, be more present to your own emotions, cultivating a deeper connection with your body and yourself which naturally progresses into empowered relationships. Family members can learn to connect and resonate effectively, reducing isolation and creating the longed for feeling of belonging.

Have you ever thought about what you were eating and why? Do you know what you were thinking and feeling at the time you were choosing which food to eat? Were you sad, anxious, or stressed about something? Or, had you just finished a stressful experience and felt the need for ‘comfort food’? Have you ever heard the term, ‘emotional eating’? Firstly, let me tell you, you are NOT alone! Many people with psychological problems turn to food for comfort and relief from stress. I can help you design an action plan to manage these challenging thoughts, feelings, and behavioural choices, towards your goals and sustainable change.

In eating disorder counselling, we will work to normalize your thoughts, redefine healthy body image and perception, dispute irrational thoughts and unhelpful thinking styles, develop alternative perspectives, and form coping techniques to help deal with daily life and common stressors. Eating disorders can be fatal, and it is urged to seek treatment as soon as possible.

I am a Psychotherapist and Addictions Counsellor who has struggled through an Eating Disorder and now my passion is to give back and help others. I understand that having been there myself the feelings of shame, guilt and despair. I have first-hand experience and through my experience along the way I created a way through. I want to help as many people as I can with what I have been able to accomplish myself and share it with others so they no longer have to suffer. I understand that everyone’s journey is unique and no two journeys are alike. I have the patience, compassion, understanding and empathy it takes for you to feel safe that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

If you are reading this profile, you are probably concerned about yourself to the point that you want to seek help. You are likely to be "an emotional eater". You may have been battling with your weight and sense of self-image for a long period of time. You are constantly looking for a sense of control over the struggles on your feeling and your weight etc... With over 12 years of clinical experiences, I humbly and wholeheartedly want to support you in this battle. There are evident-based and effective therapeutic approaches to address your struggles. I offer integrative approaches to meet your needs. Please don't hesitate to reach out and start to get the help you need at this moment.

While counselling clients with eating disorders, it is often discovered that the cause is from childhood and relationship challenges. While I suggest you have a doctor and nutritionist on your team, sessions with me can include a safe place for you to share thoughts and feelings and explore coping strategies. Topics such as body image, self-esteem, anxiety and anger, and depression can be explored in sessions to help you understand yourself and your eating disorder in your unique circumstances.

Eating disorders are connected to the value that society puts on appearance. In North American and European cultures, the ideal is to be thin. Being overweight is obvious to the world and viewed by society as a shameful condition. This is a demoralizing position to be in. Eating disorders are predominantly an issue for women, who naturally go through changes in their weight. But this is also an issue for men, who can hurt just as deeply if they feel unworthy of love by virtue of their appearance. My approach is to help people feel good from the inside out. I recognize that weight issues can be the source of shame, bullying and marginalization. These are often the areas we work on in therapy.

I have been working with eating disordered clients since working in a college setting over 30 yrs ago and I am still using a two-track approach: helping an individual change their behaviour and life-style on the one hand, and then walking with them through many of the underlying emotional and spiritual issues that drive the eating disorder on the other. Compulsive eating, anorexia and bulimia have a tight grip on so many women (and some men) but if you are one of them, I want to assure you that your future is not hopeless. I would be glad to help you get free from this. Call me today with any questions you may have regarding my experience and approach.

Eating disorders are a complex mental health problem with many contributing factors. My approach focuses on understanding the context of the eating disorder development with each individual client, learning about triggers for related behaviours, and exploring and healing underlying issues. Clients will learn to cope without the eating disorder and will be able to minimize or eliminate unhealthy behaviours. In addition, clients will rediscover who they are away from the eating problem. Many clients have described feeling free or like they have "been lifted out of the fog" as they recover and are able to enjoy their life without the eating disorder thoughts and behaviours interfering.

We are a trauma specialized clinic that treats eating disorders as part of a possible trauma response. When we have a trauma history we often use various means to emotionally regulate, this can include using food or food restriction. We can help you emotionally regulate in healthier ways and heal trauma, possibly changing your relationship with food. The goal is to enjoy food and feel it nourishes our body.

Eating disorders can cause intense conflict within the couple and family system. There is so much stress, pain and helplessness that comes along with the impact it can have on relationships. Specialized treatment is needed, and often times couple or family therapy can offer tremendous benefit to focus on the connection piece between partners/parents/family members. Finding your way back to each other and establishing safety and trust in relationships is key in this context.

In my experience, self acceptance and self esteem lie at the core of almost every eating condition, even when anxiety feels like the primary motivation for your behavior. Having said that, I never make assumptions about why you do what you do and what is motivating the relationship you have with food. I work hard in our relationship to understand what it feels like to be you so that we can both learn what it will take to change your eating habits for the better and encourage natural and healthy associations with both food and your body.

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.

My work with eating disorders is based on non-dieting, non-restricting, client-centered and Feminist philosophy. I believe eating disorders are influenced by many factors, including our ability to establish meaningful relationships with ourselves and others. Food restriction, dieting and/or over exercising is not a way to solve any problems, including problems with food and/or weight. Re-establishing relationship with ourselves and establishing meaningful connections with others is.

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.

Eating Disorders can be some of the most disheartening and frustrating mental health diagnoses to experience. ED's at their core aren't about food, but instead avoidance, anxiety, control, and trauma. Successful treatment relies on examining what you are trying to avoid and providing skills that allow for tolerance and emotional regulation. Recovery from your eating disorder IS possible!

“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.

If you are struggling with body image, compulsive and/or disordered eating, or a distorted sense of self, I can help you restore a healthy relationship with your body. My approach works on building acceptance and increasing love, care, and enjoyment in your unique body. I utilize evidence-based interventions which help to increase sense of sense and self-worth, address distorted thought patterns, improve coping, and assist in establishing healthier lifestyle factors to support whole body wellbeing.

Eating disorders may be common, but they are dangerous if left untreated. They are complex emotional issues that can be influenced by our family environment, relationships, school, career, and by the media. Eating disorders binge eating, purging, using laxatives, over-exercising, feeling guilty about food, over-eating, and obsessing about weight. Our therapists have years of experience in helping people deal with eating disorders. We will develop a treatment plan for you that will empower you to take control and free yourself from the problems. Our aim is to develop tools and resources to not just change your way of thinking and eating but also promote healthier patterns and behavior.

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.

Struggling with food and your body image? You don't have to fight this battle alone. My approach to eating disorders is all about helping you rebuild a healthy relationship with food and your wonderful body. We'll work together to understand what's driving your eating disorder, using my knowledge of medicine, psychology, and even social influences. In a safe and supportive space, we'll explore your emotions, thoughts, and behaviours. I can also address any physical concerns and create a personalized plan to get you back on track to feeling confident and in control. Let's ditch the struggle and rediscover the joy of nourishing yourself, step-by-step.

Eating disorders appear to result from multiple factors including cultural, social, family and emotional pressures; personality disorders; genetics and biological factors. Some research has shown a connection between child sexual abuse and subsequent development of eating disorders. Eating disorders typically begin during adolescence. Moreover, up to 90 per cent of eating disorders occur in women, though men are being diagnosed more. Helping have a healthy relationship with oneself, gaining tools for coping, healing past issues is some of the therapy focussed on.

Winnie has walked with clients to understand their root cause of their binging and purging. It is not just the compulsion of binging. Your body and your emotional well-being are also strongly impacted by it. Being aware that you may have some symptoms of Eating Disorders is a giant step. With self awareness, you can learn about what is Eating Disorders, and learn different coping strategies to help yourself. You can make a change! You can break the cycle of binging and purging!

Shyamala's approach to working with eating disorders is to address the underlying issues that often perpetuate disordered eating: anxiety, perfectionism and a need for control. In helping clients build confidence and explore alternative ways of managing the underlying issues, clients are able to move towards a life that is no longer controlled by food and body image.