Frequently Asked Questions
I like to be as transparent as I can about what to expect when you start nutrition therapy. Below are several questions that I get from clients. If you have others, please contact me. I would be happy to provide the reassurance that I can that the process towards freedom from your eating disorder and breaking free from diet trauma is achievable. And if I don’t know the answer to a question, we will find out together!
How many sessions will I need?
That will be assessed by you and your nutrition therapist within the first session or two but could be a couple of sessions or last several years, depending on your needs.
Do I really need both nutrition therapy and psychotherapy?
Some people can make significant progress without in-depth psychotherapy however most people do need a team approach to fully address disordered eating. In fact I highly recommend and believe all of us could use a good therapist or at least someone else to mirror back our blind spots!
Can I fully recover? I just can't imagine that!
YES! Full recovery is possible. It takes support from non-judgmental sources and a good team of professionals, but mostly, your courage, faith and commitment to take risks, face the uncomfortable and not abandon yourself. The joy and freedom you will experience is worth the ups and downs.
Is it okay to want to eat healthy? To like exercise?
Of course sound eating and enjoyable activity are cornerstones of good health. However both endeavors have a dark side of obsession, rigidity and judgment if taken too far. If you feel guilty about eating or missing exercise–not healthy. Normal eaters occasionally overeat or eat a food that didn’t work but don’t feel bad; they just move on. People who have a peaceful relationship with exercise move more or less at times, but don’t judge their worth on it.
What level of treatment is right for me?
It’s a great idea to get an assessment by an experienced nutrition therapist and therapist to assess if outpatient or residential is appropriate for you.
How can I learn to love my body?
Body love is your birthright! It’s a process of challenging the weight-biased beliefs of our fashion/medical/diet/fitness industries as well as well-meaning “others'” that thinner is more attractive or healthy. Loving our body is a process of ending our self-judgment to see past your distortions, witnessing your true beauty at the size your body needs to be. Body love is about appreciation and gratitude for all your wondrous body has and will do for you and a no-apologetic attitude that you don’t have to buy into anyone else’s opinion about how you should look.
What is a blind weight and is that something I have to do?
You will not be forced to do anything. However, nearly all current and past clients have said that not knowing the weight has helped them focus on eating based on their meal plans or in their work with Intuitive Eating with less distraction. I use blind weights therapeutically, not has a monitoring tool per se, but has a way to challenge the eating disordered/diet thinking that eating normally makes your weight “out of control” or that having a “good or bad day” has anything to do with the number on the scale.
Let's Work Together!
Take the first step to feeling more comfortable in your skin and eating "normally".