Find An Eating Disorder Therapist in Don Mills, ON.

I offer individual counselling to support your efforts to lose weight based on the diet of your choice. Stress, depression, or anxiety due to hormonal changes, cravings or emotional difficulties may lead some individuals to overeat. Being overweight alters the functioning of the whole body plus may hurt emotionally as well. The psychological component of a successful weight loss is just as important as nutrition and exercise. Counselling supports you by identifying the emotional factors that affect your weight by rebalancing your lifestyle in a holistic way. We also work on improving your relationship with food, with your body and to learn to respond in a different and compassionate way.

“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.

Clients come to see me for psychotherapy in my practice in downtown Toronto. I work with women and men who are experiencing difficulties with eating-related disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, and over-eating. Sometimes there are associated conflicts within the family, as well as interpersonal problems including depression, anxiety-related problems, and difficulties coping with early traumas.

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 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.

While I do not offer support for eating disorders, at Psychotherapy Collective, we have other therapists who are well positioned to support you. 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 you may be engaging in disordered eating. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation with a member of our team today https://www.psychotherapycollective.ca/our-team

Clients who seek eating disorder counseling and treatment can benefit in a variety of ways. Firstly, counseling can help clients to understand the underlying causes of their eating disorder, such as past trauma or negative self-talk. By addressing these underlying issues, clients can begin to develop healthier coping mechanisms and strategies for managing their symptoms. In addition, counseling can help clients to develop a healthier relationship with food and their body image. Clients can learn to identify and challenge negative thoughts and beliefs that may be contributing to their eating disorder, and they can develop more positive and self-affirming self-talk.

Eating disorders can deeply affect emotional, physical, and social well-being, and recovery often requires both compassion and specialized care. In our work together, I provide a safe, non-judgmental space to explore the underlying emotional, relational, and cognitive patterns that contribute to disordered eating. My approach integrates evidence-based therapies such as CBT, EFT, and trauma-informed care, focusing on building a healthier relationship with food, body, and self. Together, we address negative self-image, develop effective coping strategies, and foster self-compassion. The goal is to support lasting change by restoring balance, strengthening self-worth, and helping you reconnect

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.

While I do not offer support for eating disorders, at Psychotherapy Collective, we have other therapists who are well positioned to support you. 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 you may be engaging in disordered eating. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation with a member of our team today https://www.psychotherapycollective.ca/our-team

The traumas from one's life that motivate using food or the control of food as a way to manage life, anxiety, worry and more are effectively neutralized with the holistic psychotherapy model. Traditional talk therapy: Giving space for the client to explore and express feelings, own awareness’s, transform thoughts, grieve, vent, and neutralize guilt, anger and fear. New understandings and thus new neural pathways begin to form. Also Somatic focusing: A profound process of accessing the deep subconscious through breathe work and closed eyed dialoguing with the body, the mind and spirit. Life Coaching, meditation, visualization, New Decision Therapy, Polarity Therapy, Cranosacral, Reiki, vis....

Eating Disorders are never about food, they are about control. I treat those who are open to treatment and who have a strong support system in place. If this sounds like something that may interest you, feel free to reach out and start your healing journey today. You do not have to live your life suffering. It is possible to be healthy and to have positive self-image but it does take work.

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.