Find An Eating Disorder Therapist in West Point Grey, BC.

At the Family Hope Clinic we offer a range of support services provided by Registered Clinical Counsellors who are "also" Registered Art Therapists or "also" Registered Yoga Instructors. We understand that a multi-modality approach fosters the best outcomes and sustainability when addressing eating disorders. We are here to help you learn more about your needs and wants; as well as, how to build communication with loved ones to increase their understanding and obtain their support. Call today to set up your free 50 minute session!

I work with clients dealing with disordered eating by helping them first identify their individual triggers, habits, thought patterns, flawed coping strategies, body image issues, and belief systems. Most people who have an eating disorder developed this as a means to cope with bigger issues in their lives such as poor self-esteem, trauma, depression, anxiety, or other significantly painful events. I work with clients to help them gain insight into the source of their disordered eating, to develop awareness around their thoughts, and to create change through teaching healthy coping strategies and processing of the source of their pain.

I use the Internal Family Systems approach to eating disorders, which views disordered eating as the result of inner conflict among different "parts" of the self. Often, a "Critic" part drives restrictive behaviors, while "Exiled" parts carry painful emotions or past trauma that the eating disorder tries to suppress. I'll help you identify and understand these parts, fostering compassion and healing. The goal is to unburden the parts, heal the underlying trauma, and restore balance so that you can develop healthier coping strategies and a more loving relationship with food and body.

I am passionate around supporting people get to a more peaceful relationship with food and their bodies, which really is about the relationship with yourself. My approach is a combination of psychotherapy to gain insight into the historical roots of your relationship with food, your body and how that has manifested and explore the comfort these behaviours are providing for you so we can look to other ways in getting your valid needs met. I combine this with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and `Compassion Focused Therapy to build a better relationship with yourself- your thoughts, feelings, values so you can be more able to make choices out of presence and awareness.

Having an eating disorder often leads to different emotions such as sadness, anger, shame and confusion. Having an eating disorder means you are probably also struggling with other mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. That is why it is really important to work with a therapist who can not only help you with symptoms of your eating disorder, but also help you with traumas and emotional difficulties that have led to your symptoms. When working with eating disorders, my goal is to help my clients understand their eating disorder from a compassionate perspective and also heal the deeper wounds that might lie underneath their eating patterns.

Our highly trained therapists utilize evidence-based techniques, including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), to address the underlying emotional and psychological factors associated with eating disorders. With CBT, clients are guided to identify and challenge their distorted thoughts and beliefs about food, body image, and self-worth. By replacing these negative patterns with healthier perspectives, individuals can cultivate a more positive relationship with themselves and their bodies. DBT offers a comprehensive toolkit for clients to manage their emotions, develop healthier coping strategies, and enhance interpersonal skills.

Eating disorders are often an expression of emotional distress and an unclear or negative sense of self. We explore the emotions and family patterns and relationships that might be contributing. Then we move from emotional understanding to action - we explore what is within the client's control and what is outside of their control - from there we determine in a concrete way the nature of the next steps.

As an experienced therapist in the area of eating disorders, I have found that often the greatest healing occurs through re-connectiong with the body, developing a trusting and loving relationship with it, and discovering its wisdom. When one begins to trust that that far from being one's enemy, the body is one's constant friend and guide, one's whole experience of self can be transformed. One lives from one's own core rather than focusing on food, body image, and others' evaluations, and therefore one becomes more confident and life becomes richer and freer.

Issues related to food and body-image, eating or not eating, perfectionism, or overall fixation on appearance can flood your reality to the point where they consume you. These kinds of issues often arise to serve a function, or fulfill a purpose, in your inner, psychological world. They can be a way to cope, to try to heal hurt parts of yourself, to maintain control in uncontrollable situations. Sometimes, they can be related to adverse childhood experiences and developmental trauma—though all the jargon may not apply or do justice to your individual context. Together, we can find a way to manage your thoughts and behaviors and take steps to address anything that may be underlying them.

Making the commitment to seek therapy for an eating disorder or disordered eating is an act of courage. It can take years to make that first call and sometimes just the thought of discussing your experience can seem overwhelming. Feelings of intense shame are common. In my work with clients struggling with eating disorders, creating an emotionally safe counselling environment is my first priority. Counselling progresses at a pace that is comfortable for you. Counselling is an important pillar of recovery, helping to: Understand the thoughts and feelings which fuel disordered eating. Trace challenging patterns of behaviour and how to free yourself from them. We can start with compassion.

I help my clients who are struggling with Eating Disorders based on the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) approach. I will help individuals understand the interaction between his thoughts, feelings and behaviours. We will develop strategies to challenge unhelpful thoughts and behaviours to improve mood and functioning. We will go over proof for the negative thoughts and proof against the negative thoughts along with goals and strategies in achieving them.

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 include anorexia, bulimia and even over-eating. Discovering the underlying emotions and beliefs is a key part of this therapy. Issues of control, self-esteem, self image and aloneness are often a part of what is behind this disorder. My goal is to help you uncover these, and then help you accurately define who you are, find new and healthy ways of coping and interacting in your world.

EMDR therapy can be a useful tool in treating eating disorders by addressing the underlying emotional issues that may contribute to disordered eating behaviors. Trauma, negative self-image, and other emotional factors can contribute to the development of eating disorders. EMDR therapy works to reprocess these negative emotions and beliefs, helping individuals develop a more positive self-image and reduce the urge to engage in disordered eating behaviors. EMDR can also be used to address triggers that may lead to binging or purging, and to develop healthier coping mechanisms. By addressing the emotional factors that contribute to eating disorder, EMDR can be an effective tool in recovery.

Making the first appointment to treat an eating disorder takes courage. It can feel overwhelming to talk about the problem and discover ways to change. I create a safe environment to talk about the fears and worries connected to eating disorders. Some common eating challenges include anorexia, bulimia, over eating, emotional eating, binge eating and over exercising. My practical approach will help you discover new ways of coping and promote long term change.

Our approach to helping clients who are dealing with an eating disorder and require treatment and counselling is to work both with the family and with the individual dealing with this stressor. We work collaboratively with the client and use Dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) and Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to help manage the eating disorder. We come from a strength-based and collaborative approach.

If you’ve struggled with disordered eating, you are all too familiar with compulsive behavior, obsessive thoughts and a disconnect from the body. You may also have a constant need for control while at the same time feeling a frightening and exhausting loss of all control. Please know that none of this is your choice, but rather is a state of stress and overwhelm while you do your best to feel better. I have nothing but compassion for the distress that comes with food-related challenges, and you have my commitment to help you care for the difficult underlying emotions involved. Together, we will create a safe space to move towards healing and a safe relationship with food and the body.

I will help you to understand the underlying reasons which cause your eating disorder. It's easy to fall into an unhealthy pattern, I can help you to free yourself from the chains of food and create a positive body image. It may seem hopeless at times, but you will learn new strategies and goals to restore a balance between mind, body, and exercise. I understand the complicated relationship we all have with food in the modern world. CBT (Cognitive behavior therapy) is an cornerstone of my treatment plan for eating disorders.

Working through eating disorders takes time. One key part of therapy with eating disorders lies in work with processing emotions in healthier ways. Together I will work to support your journey towards healing through tools of EFFT, IFS and DBT/ CBT skills. Self compassion is not an easy skill to cultivate, but will be brought into our work together using particular exercises and tools.

I am flexible in approach with Eating Disorders, starting with what has worked or is working with you already. I offer Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a new approach that will help you to target the thoughts and feelings that cause the problem behaviours in a whole new way. I will give you new skills for handling difficult thoughts and feelings that cause you to binge, purge, or over/under eat. I have formal training in the ACT model which is an evidence based treatment for EDs. Contact me to discuss further.

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 can impact someone as negatively as any type of serious addiction. However, unlike addiction treatment plans, food must continue to play a role in your life. My basic goal is to stop further development of any eating problem you may have, and assist you in returning to a healthy lifestyle. The most successful focus is on harm reduction as an overall principle in addressing eating disorders, with the end goal of moving towards complete recovery. I also typically want to establish effective coping skills to reduce the possibility of relapse and sustain the progress you make in therapy.

Eating disorders affect all ages, all walks of life and both men and women. They can become both a burden and a block to living a healthy, happy life. I work carefully with an informed treatment approach that is holistic and tailored to you. We will work together to reduce the power the eating disorder has in your life, improve you overall health and self-perception and strategize a healthy way out of the difficult maze you are trapped in. Contact me to start making changes today.

I am able to help clients dealing with anexoria, bulimia or binge eating. By helping clients look at how and why they use food for control, reward, stress management or to deal with other emotions they can begin to change their maladative relationship with food. With some in office techniques and some out of office homework clients can have radical change in their lives. Enjoying food is one of life pleasures.

Recovery from eating disorders (ED) is possible regardless of how long and intensley you may have struggled with it. ED works to rob you of your life, but you can have your life back from an eating disorder. Though it rarely seems so, ED's are not about food and body image, but about the underlying emotional issues and challenges one is experiencing. I would be pleased to assist you in recovering and understanding these issues and aid you in resolving them. Each woman longs for a beauty to unfold, and I believe each woman has this. You are not an exception.