Find An Eating Disorder Therapist in Lumsden, SK.

Eating disorders (ED) may be a response to trauma leading to feelings of lack of control of one’s body. We will find and confront the trauma that was associated with the onset of ED. Next we will process the trauma by reintegrating the events from a safe distance in psychotherapy, guided regression or hypnotherapy, and/or teach you to recognize how the body is holding the trauma in fight, flight or freeze pattern and release it. Then we help you map out new choices for a healthy lifestyle by developing strategies for catching and disengaging from thoughts surrounding your triggers and changing self-esteem by developing new positive automatic thoughts.

As a woman it is tough to reconcile what our bodies look like (or what we think our bodies look like) when we are given messages from many sources about what we should look like as women. We are also not always rewarded for expressing our "truths" and may turn to a conflicted relationship with food and eating, stuffing our feelings or not taking care of our bodies. The tricky thing is that we need food to survive so we dance this delicate dance. Learning how to share our authentic emotions and develop a sense of who we are as women are only a couple of the benefits of counselling that happens in the context of a caring, compassionate and empowering perspective.

One reason why eating disorders are so difficult to treat is that the person’s disordered beliefs are deeply attached to the person’s sense of self. People with eating disorders generally identify with their disorder, which makes it challenging to give it up. The loss of their disorder would involve a loss of identity. As humans, we seek to maintain our sense of self, even when our behaviors are self-harmful. Therapy that encourages a more flexible and inclusive sense of self is considered to be effective for the treatment of this disorder.

In helping individuals with eating challenges, it is often important for the client to engage the support of family and also consult other professionals, such as family doctors and nutritionists, in addition to counselling to maintain safety and health. The focus of counselling is to provide an individual with the space to learn to explore thoughts, feelings, and sensations that might be contributing to the eating challenges, and to learn alternative approaches to managing the symptoms of the eating concern, whether it is over-eating or under-eating. In addition, it can be beneficial to address the often traumatic origins underlying eating problems, through the use of EMDR as a therapy.

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.

Poor self esteem, body image, and control issues can all lead to destructive eating habits. It becomes a vicious cycle. Counselling can help break the cycle and set goals to work towards healthy eating behaviors. This means an approach that a addresses and treats poor self esteem and body image and provides education on what is a healthy approach to eating and weight management.