Find An Eating Disorder Therapist in Penetanguishene, ON.

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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