Disordered Eating Counselling

Disordered Eating Counselling: Finding Balance

Understanding Disordered Eating

Disordered eating exists on a spectrum and can affect individuals regardless of age, gender, or background. While it may not always meet the clinical criteria for an eating disorder, disordered eating patterns can significantly impact mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Counselling offers a space to explore these patterns, build a healthier relationship with food, and address the underlying emotional concerns contributing to them.

Common Signs of Disordered Eating

Disordered eating behaviors can take many forms, including:

  • Chronic Dieting – Frequent yo-yo dieting, restrictive eating, or an obsession with weight control.

  • Emotional Eating – Using food to cope with stress, anxiety, or emotions rather than hunger.

  • Binge Eating – Episodes of consuming large amounts of food while feeling out of control.

  • Food Avoidance or Restriction – Avoiding entire food groups, skipping meals, or experiencing anxiety around eating.

  • Excessive Exercise – Feeling compelled to overexercise to compensate for eating.

  • Guilt & Shame Around Food – Negative emotions tied to eating habits and body image.

  • Rigid Eating Rituals – Strict rules around food intake, eating at certain times, or only consuming specific foods.

How Counselling Can Help

At Latitude Counselling, we take a non-judgmental, compassionate approach to helping individuals navigate disordered eating. Therapy can support:

  • Identifying Underlying Causes – Exploring emotional triggers and personal experiences that contribute to disordered eating.

  • Mindful Eating Strategies – Developing a more intuitive and balanced approach to food.

  • Body Image Support – Challenging negative body beliefs and fostering self-acceptance.

  • Stress & Emotional Regulation – Learning healthier ways to cope with stress and emotions.

  • Breaking the Diet Cycle – Moving away from restrictive patterns toward sustainable well-being.

  • Compassionate Self-Talk – Reframing negative self-perceptions and fostering a kinder inner dialogue.

Our Approach

Our therapists provide individualized care, drawing from evidence-based approaches such as:

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – Addressing harmful thought patterns related to food and body image.

  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) – Enhancing emotional regulation and distress tolerance skills to manage urges and triggers.

  • Narrative Therapy – Helping individuals separate themselves from their eating struggles and reshape their personal story.

  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) – Processing past trauma that may contribute to disordered eating patterns.

  • Intuitive Eating Principles – Shifting towards a trust-based relationship with food.

  • Mindfulness-Based Approaches – Developing awareness and self-compassion.

  • Trauma-Informed Therapy – Recognizing and healing past experiences that may influence eating behaviors.

Taking the Next Step

Healing your relationship with food is possible, and you don’t have to navigate it alone. If you’re struggling with disordered eating, support is available.

Related Topics & Resources

If you’re ready to explore how counselling can help, reach out to us today to book a consultation.

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