Disordered Eating, Emotional Eating, The Body

​Clients with eating and body image concerns come to therapy after years of suffering in silence, and some after years of ineffective interventions.  Our Clinic Director has had success in this area in part from research and personal experience suffering, extensive reading on this subject and have an approach that is personal, direct, honest and integrative.  It is often different than what they are used to.

Shirley believes that any compulsive behavior, defined as that which is repetitive, unhealthy, unwanted, mindless  - is avoidance of Self which is made up and informed by emotion.  Most have learned for some reason or another that there was no room for the emotions.  Trauma, childhood neglect or abuse, growing up with someone whose emotions were out of control - these are just some of the reasons people learn to sweep their feelings and opinions under the rug.  People learn overt and not-so-conscious ways of controlling themselves and interpersonal relationships only to find that painful patterns keep coming back and they are out of control of their harmful behaviors despite so much effort.

Without addressing underlying social learning about emotion, teaching new ways of coping with feelings, and changing the way people think about themselves and others, there can be no real healing from eating disorders.  Whether it is body hate, counting calories, denying the self nutrition - its all the same.  These obsessions take us away from healthy relationships with our Selves, with food, with out bodies and with others.  

Therapy for eating disorders tends to be a bit difficult and long term.  It takes more time to feel understood and to be understood when emotions and vulnerability are repressed.  Out therapists understand the difficulty for our eating disorders clients to feel vulnerable, to trust and allow their feelings to emerge.  They work patiently to build the therapeutic relationship and help clients feel respected, heard and understood so they can feel safe to explore and make valuable changes. Audette is a Registered Social Worker therapist who is also a Registered Nurse with training and special interests in this area of work.  Chantel also has special interests and training in working with this issue.  She was a varsity athlete and understands how the role of competitive career areas interact with this issue.

Shirley Katz, Ph.D.

​Shirley Katz, Ph.D., RP, CCC is our Clinic Director and a Professor of Psychology.  She has written and presented extensively on Disordered Eating and Body Image work. 

As a Supervisor she provides training to professional therapists and her own team in effective ways of working with this issue.

If you are a therapist looking for training or Supervision in working with eating disorders reach out.