Emotional and Disordered Eating

There are a lot of reasons we get into the pattern of overeating and emotional or binge eating. I want to understand your experience. And I come from the place of ‘there’s a good reason you do the things you do’; somehow it has helped you survive, regulate yourself, soothe yourself, and helped you cope. And perhaps your life experiences have been difficult and painful, and you have become ‘cut off from’ your body, and feel pretty numb. Struggling with disordered eating and being over weight can make you feel really down on yourself, so then you become even more disconnected from yourself and your body. What an incredibly difficult place to be. I have found in my work that until we understand your relationship with food and yourself, then we cannot really make lasting changes. Changes that are not just about the number on a scale but changes deep inside that help you feel connected to yourself and your needs, a sense of strength and capacity to cope, and a feeling of caring and compassion for yourself; even a feeling that you are lovable and good enough.

Which of these feels like your experience:

• Restrict your eating then overeat or binge
• More focused on your size and shape than any other aspect of yourself
• A history of extremes- lose a bunch of weight, gain a bunch of weight
• A health issue that would be eased if you lost weight but you cannot get started or maintain healthy eating
• Feeling very unaware of your body- your feelings, if you are hungry, etc.
• Eating when you are stressed, lonely, angry or sad helps you to feel better
• Very critical of yourself in many areas of your life including your weight
• Food often feels like the only enjoyable part of life
• Being judged and criticized for your weight by those close to you

“Many eating problems aren’t really about food. They are about self-soothing.” (Susan Albers)

Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy AND Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to create Lasting Change and Healthy Vitality

Understand how your emotions and your relationship with yourself impacts your eating and unhelpful ways of coping. Heal the unresolved emotions and start to meet your emotional needs in new ways. Learn to tune into yourself and to regulate your emotions. Understand what your triggers are and new ways to respond to them. Often we start working on other issues such as dealing with stress or improving your relationships before we begin focusing on weight loss so that you feel strong and ready to make lifestyle changes. And often, there is unresolved childhood or relational trauma that needs to be processed and healed before you will be strong and ready to address your weight.

Then we can learn the Cognitive Behavioral skills to lose weight and maintain it:

• Plan and monitor your eating
• Stay motivated
• Create time and energy for healthy eating and lifestyle
• Get back on track if you overeat
• Combat all or nothing thinking
• Stop sabotaging yourself
• Create healthy habits for life!

Cognitive therapy has been shown to be highly effective in helping to create lasting, healthy habits. Betsy has attended a Beck Diet Solution Workshop, this coaching is based on the Beck Diet Solution, with permission. She is also a Certified Weight Loss Specialist through the National Association of Cognitive Behavioral Therapists.