Find An Eating Disorder Therapist in Stoney Creek, ON.

Eating disorders (ED) have the highest mortality rate than any other mental health illness. They can be life-threatening, highly complex and have many types and sub-types. I have some training in how to deal with eating disorders and am pursuing my ED education on an ongoing basis. I use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy and am hoping to become trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders very soon. If you are clinically physically stable, then I can help and be a part of your support team. If you don't have a support team, I can help to build one with you. I also work with women who are suffering from disordered eating and weight issues.

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.

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.)

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

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!

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.)

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.)

Eating disorders often feel like a quest for control in a chaotic world. It is like a voice that distorts our relationship with our bodies and our selves. You will not be defined by this struggle. Your eating disorder is not something needing eradication, but a part of your story that deserves to be understood. We will honor your experience in a non-judgmental space. Together we will rewrite the narrative about food, body, and self-worth.

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.

Eating disorders can take over an individual’s life and make it difficult for them not to focus on their physical appearance and how to take back control of their lives by controlling their bodies. Fortunately, with counselling and the focus on coping skills, an individual is able to get control of their lives and bodies without having to engage in the behaviours they associate with their eating disorders. With the help of counselling, you can find freedom.

My focus is on examining the underlying trigger-experience of early on-set traumas which unresolved often lead to the symptoms of Eating Disorders. My approach is to help you move through this with immediate daily self-calming strategies that helps with an understanding of the meaning of food as "addictive" or repulsed in this complex psycho-social dynamic. It involves using an Assertive "Voice" quelled that needs expression. Establishing daily eating habits is the core of the change that would promote a cognitive shift from the self-image script set during the traumatic experience to newly-learned behaviours that would re-align with the revised and positive and affirming new script.

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

When clients are facing an eating disorder, they are facing a condition which affects their health, their identity, and ultimately, their future. When treating an eating disorder then, it is vitally important to support the whole person and not just their eating habits. Part of this support involves stabilization techniques aimed at preventing relapses and spirals, while also helping clients regard themselves in a more honest, loving, and compassionate way. We cherish the support we are able to offer clients facing an eating disorder, and we love seeing people overcome by such challenges ultimately become overcomers themselves.

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.

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.