In person in Kelowna · Online across BC & Alberta
What to Expect in Eating Disorder Counselling
Warm, collaborative support for your relationship with food and your body, offered in person in Kelowna and online across British Columbia and Alberta.
A gentle place to begin
You Don’t Have to Be “Sick Enough” to Ask for Support
If thoughts about food or your body are taking up more space than you would like, you may be carrying questions that feel difficult to say out loud.
- Will I be judged?
- Will someone make me eat?
- What if part of me wants change and another part feels afraid?
- How long might recovery take?
Eating disorders and disordered eating do not have one particular look. They can affect people of every body size, gender, and background, and they may become woven into how someone copes.
If food feels stressful, rigid, secretive, chaotic, or constantly on your mind, or your relationship with your body feels painful, that matters.
You are welcome to come with questions, mixed feelings, or uncertainty. I would be glad to get to know you and explore what support could look like. You will not be asked to prove that you are unwell enough to be taken seriously.
Questions you may be carrying
A little more about what this work can look like
You are welcome to open whichever question feels most important to you.
What Happens in the First Sessions?
The first sessions are a chance for us to get to know one another and understand what has been happening in your life. There is no pressure to tell your entire story at once.
Together, we may explore:
- What your eating patterns look like right now
- How food and body image are affecting your daily life
- What the eating disorder may have been helping you cope with
- What feels frightening or uncertain about change
- What you hope could begin to feel different
These conversations help us create a treatment plan that makes sense for you. I will explain my recommendations, and we will continue checking in together as the work unfolds.
You do not need a polished explanation or perfect motivation. We can begin with whatever feels possible to share.
Will You Make Me Eat?
No. In counselling with me, you will not be forced to eat.
Eating disorder recovery often includes moving toward more consistent nourishment, so food may be part of our conversations and treatment plan. I will be open with you about why a recommendation is being made, and we will approach changes collaboratively.
When the body is not receiving enough fuel, anxiety, mood, concentration, and emotional regulation can become more difficult. If nutritional or medical support is needed, I may recommend working with a registered dietitian or medical provider.
In therapy, we can also make room for the fear, perfectionism, trauma, shame, anxiety, or other experiences connected to eating.
You will be included in decisions about your care, and we will work through the difficult parts together.
Is Therapy Just About Food?
The short answer is no.
Food matters, but it is rarely the whole story. Eating disorders can become connected with:
- Anxiety
- Perfectionism
- Control
- Shame
- Trauma
- Identity
- Relationships
- Emotional regulation
For many people, eating disorder behaviours may have offered structure, comfort, protection, or a way to cope during difficult experiences.
Therapy makes room for understanding what these patterns have been doing for you while helping you develop other ways to feel safe and steady.
The aim is not simply to change what you eat. It is to help food and body image take up less space so that there is more room for the rest of your life.
What If I’m Not Ready to Fully Recover?
It makes sense to feel torn.
Part of you may want relief, while another part feels attached to the safety or predictability the eating disorder has provided. I will not judge you for having both of those experiences.
Ambivalence is common, and it is important for us to understand. We can gently explore what feels hopeful about recovery, what feels frightening, and what you may be afraid of losing.
You do not need to promise full recovery before we begin. We can work with the part of you that is curious about change while respecting the part that still feels unsure.
How Long Does Recovery Take?
There is no single timeline for recovery.
Recovery is rarely a straight line. Some changes may happen sooner, while others take more time. The length of therapy will depend on what you are experiencing, your physical health, the support around you, your goals, and what we learn together.
We will revisit your goals as therapy continues and notice progress in many forms. This might include greater flexibility with food, less time consumed by eating disorder thoughts, or more energy returning to other parts of your life.
Our focus will be on creating change that feels meaningful, safe, and sustainable rather than rushed.
Can I Have an Eating Disorder If I’m Not in a Smaller Body?
Yes. Eating disorders can affect people in bodies of every size.
You do not need to look a particular way for your experience to be real or taken seriously.
Eating disorder counselling is not about making your body smaller. It is about understanding your relationship with food and your body, supporting your physical and emotional well-being, and reducing the hold that eating disorder behaviours have on your life.
You and your experience will be taken seriously here.
Eating disorder support with Lauren
What Eating Disorder Counselling Can Look Like Here
I offer eating disorder counselling for adults aged 19 and older, both in person in Kelowna and virtually across British Columbia and Alberta.
My hope is that our work feels:
- Warm, nonjudgmental, and collaborative
- Evidence based and trauma informed
- Attentive to your physical and emotional safety
Depending on your needs, I may draw from Enhanced Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for eating disorders, also known as CBT-E, alongside client-centred and strengths-based care. I will explain my recommendations so we can decide together what fits.
We will move at a thoughtful pace. When helpful, I may recommend collaborating, with your knowledge and consent, with a registered dietitian or medical provider.
A gentle place to begin
We can start with a conversation
If food or body image has been taking up more of your life than you want it to, I would be glad to hear from you. A complimentary 15-minute consultation can be a gentle place to ask questions and see whether working together feels right.