Areas I Work With

Eating disorders

The emotional pain of an eating disorder, or poor body image, can take the joy out of life. You might feel hopeless - like it rules your life, and things will never get better. You can feel ashamed, so that you can't reach out - people either don't understand, or try to solve your problems. Some people feel scared that they will lose control without their eating disorder, yet living with it is too painful. You might have tried to get help for a long time, and found it's just not there, leaving you feeling trapped.

There is no single cause of an eating disorder. Often, what started as a diet becomes a behaviour cycle you are trapped in. The more you think about food, the more important it can feel. Ask yourself if one of the following is true:

Does starving yourself help you to block out emotions?
Does bingeing help you to feel less stressed?
Is your self esteem closely tied to your weight or clothes size?
Do you feel like eating rules your life?

If you've lived with an eating disorder for a long time, recovery can seem impossible. I recognise the emotional toll that your disordered eating and body image takes on you, and how serious it is for you. People might have told you your eating disorder is a phase, or 'not serious', but if thinking about food takes up a lot of your time, you'll know how wrong that is.

I'll work with you to reduce your distress and understand what is keeping your eating disorder going. We will look at triggers, and find coping strategies to reduce intense emotions. You will start to think about what life might look like without an eating disorder. Part of this will include:

Stabilising you physically and helping you to understand why you are stuck
Supporting you to change habits that keep you stuck
Working on emotional issues including how you manage stress and feelings

Eating disorders can make someone vulnerable, and we'll assess the impact it has on your health, and consider your support system before deciding to work together. I hold a diploma in Practitioner Skills for Eating Disorders from the National Centre for Eating disorders (NCFED) and am a member of their professional network.

I understand how it feels to have your life ruled by food. Recovery from an eating disorder isn't easy, as you know, if you're seeking help. With the right support people can and do recover.