Areas of Practice
EATING DISORDERS
Eating disorders can be a complicated and confusing journey to explore and deal with. Sometimes filled with shame and blame, sometimes fear and confusion. No matter what your circumstance there is help for you or your child/young adult.
Working in a team approach, we will explore some of the underlying issues and behaviors that are running your life. We will look at the eating issues together and help face the fear ahead. You are not alone.
Not being the “usual ED dietitian”, we work together to chart your journey while supporting you and your family to a health relationship with food, activity, and life.
Learning to find new strategies to manage anxiety, depression, phobias, and other emotional impactors to the eating disorder will help you feel more in control and less tied to the impact of your disorder.
Gentle but structured support will help you not feel alone and safe as you move through the recovery process.
INTUITIVE EATING
Intuitive eating is the opposite of a traditional diet. It's a philosophy that helps make you the expert of your body and its hunger signals. The intention of this philosophy is to promote a healthy attitude toward food and body image. With Intuitive Eating, you will relearn how to trust your body by distinguishing between physical and emotional hunger and heal your relationship with food, emotions, self trust and body image.
Menopause
The woman’s body goes through hormonal changes that bring about a myriad of interesting and new “things”. Weight gain, mood swings, depression, sweating, sleep and sexual disturbances to name a few. Many women feel out of control and start to diet again after not “having to” most of their life. That control factor may affect various aspects of their lives. Focusing on the positive parts of menopause can help you to give yourself some self-compassion and empathy.
Substance abuse
Substance use disorders and eating disorders share the same control linking thought process. They also have common risk factors such as brain chemistry, family history, low self-esteem, depression, anxiety and social pressures. Up to 50% of individuals with eating disorders or disconnected eating have abused drugs or alcohol at a rate 5 times higher than the general population.
Dealing with both these disorders at the same time is hard but necessary. Otherwise you may be playing “whack the mole” between the two for years.
Help is out there and a team approach can help assess the issues you may be having. Take the control back in your life in a way that is satisfying and balanced.
PCOS
Once viewed solely as a reproductive disorder, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is now considered an endocrine disorder causing an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease and cancer later in life for those who have it.
Even though weight loss is recommended for PCOS, for many this is just adding to the anxiety and depressive symptoms that accompany the disorder.
Let’s look at other things in your lifestyle you can control- Activity levels, getting off of the diet roller coaster, getting blood sugars into better range, decreasing stress, eating on a regular basis….now these are some things you do have control over!
A game plan and positive support…..leads to a game changer! PCOS does not have to be the enemy… it can be the motivator to a more positive you! Remember, love the you within.