Therapy for Disordered Eating
Virtual & In-Person Eating Disorder Counselling in Vancouver, BC
Disordered Eating & Eating Disorders
Personalized support to help heal your relationship with food and your body.
Did you know that only about 10% of people with eating disorders will ever get help? Eating disorders can be highly stigmatized, and you might be worried about reaching out for the first time.
Our relationships with our bodies can be incredibly complicated. If you've been hurt or have suffered trauma, there's a good chance that your body is not a place of comfort. I will help you establish safety and respect within your body, while unraveling harmful beliefs and behaviours.
When we work together to talk about your relationship with food and your body, we will find tools and conversation styles that work best for you. I have extensive experience in supporting people with all types of eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, phobias, and avoidant-restrictive styles of eating.
If you identify as neurodivergent, there's a good chance that this also has affected your relationship with food and eating. We will work together to find acceptance and strategies for your way of being in the world, instead of trying to make some kind of strict meal plan work for you.
When constant worry about food and our bodies takes up too much space, counselling support can help ease the burden. I work with people experiencing new, recurring, and changing disordered eating, and help you to address the emotions and complex issues that contribute to these behaviours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dealing with an eating disorder can feel overwhelming and isolating. Reaching out is an important first step.
I can provide support for binge eating disorder, disordered eating, chronic dieting, orthorexia, anorexia, bulimia, food-related fears, and age related body concerns (e.g. post-partum, menopause).
Eating disorders are complex. While there are specific diagnoses in the DSM-5, there are lots of ways that these illnesses can show up. In our first few sessions we will talk about what's brought you to therapy, and you can describe your worries, thoughts, emotions and behaviours around food and body. I am unable to provide formal diagnoses, but if your symptoms seem to be consistent with a an eating disorder, we can talk about what that means and how to proceed safely. If your symptoms are severe, I might recommend talking to your doctor or another healthcare provider.
Disordered eating is language that some folks find more accessible to describe their feelings and actions around food and body. Disordered eating might look like chronic dieting, over-exercising, immense fear of weight gain, an overwhelming need to control the amount and types of food we eat, or periodic eating disorder behaviors like bingeing once in a blue moon. There are many ways that disordered eating can show up, and there are many ways that disordered eating is celebrated and in fact promoted in media and culture. For this reason, disordered eating is sort of like a "spectrum" of frequency and severity. Disorder eating can be extremely distressing, and the thoughts and emotions that go along with it are important to consider an acknowledge. In therapy, we can talk about what's brought you to this place, and make a pathway towards where you'd rather be.
Definitely not. Some people find comfort in having a diagnosis, and in other instances, having a diagnosis can be helpful for people to function in a world that might not be built for them. For example, an ADHD diagnosis may allow for accommodations at work or school. For some people, having a diagnosis of an eating disorder helps them point their focus at the "thing" they want to work on. For others, having a diagnosis is stigmatizing and makes them feel a lower sense of self. It is entirely up to you and we can talk about this in session.
Movement can be a healthy part of recovery, provided it has not been a dangerous tool that you're eating disorder used to keep you sick. The answer to this question is very much personal and individual. There are many programs that ask people to stop exercising during treatment. I do not typically enforce "rules" in therapy. In the rate case that you and I decide they are appropriate, we can talk about what that looks like and set up an accountability plan. When I work with clients around eating disorder, my goal is for them to feel a sense of agency in autonomy. Together our goal will be to build a North star in you, that can help you decide what is aligned with your recovery.
If you're worried that exercising is becoming disordered, it is a good idea to ask yourself why. Together we can explore the root cause, and see if you're moving your body joyfully or compulsively.
For many people, medical professionals and systems have left them feeling alienated and misunderstood when it comes to eating disorders. Biases in these systems might minimize your experience. At the same time, it's important that you remain medically stable and supported during your recovery. For example, if you are taking a medication dealing with an existing health concern such as diabetes or blood pressure, your doctor might need to know that you have struggled with food and with body. They can make changes in their work so that things feel less intense and triggering. For example, if your doctor asks you to be weighed, you can ask for a "blind weigh" in which you face away from the scale. If you live with ADHD or other mental health concerns, this information might also be important for your doctor when prescribing medications. For example, some ADHD medications are stimulants, and these can affect appetite. It's up to you how much you share with your doctor, but if you're worried about it, the concerns you have might be an important topic to discuss in therapy.