As Clinical Psychologists, we specialize in using hypnosis and therapy based in clinical research to help people overcome their battles with food. They specialize in treating children, teens, and adults who struggle with a variety of issues related to eating, ranging from emotional eating and a difficult relationship with food, to more severe struggles such as anorexia, binge eating disorder, and bulimia. The goal is not just to help clients end these behaviors, but also to stop viewing food in terms of good and bad in order to end the cycle of overindulging and self-blame.
The difference in our approach is that we fully understand the psychological reasons that people struggle with eating. Unlike other ‘hypnotists’, we hold doctorates in Clinical Psychology and have specialized training in eating disorders and other concerns related to food. Thus, we use advanced hypnosis techniques to help clients find balance and get in touch with their bodies, while also using CBT, mindfulness, EMDR, and analytic therapy techniques to help resolve internal conflicts and find peace with food.
We are experts in helping people overcome complex struggles with food, such as binge eating and emotional eating. We understand that these struggles often arise not from a lack of knowledge about healthy eating, but from alternating between overly restrictive behaviors and overindulgence, leading to physical and emotional distress. These issues can become all-consuming, dominating thoughts and interfering with everyday life. People often feel trapped in a cycle where food rules their thoughts and actions, leaving them feeling powerless and unhappy.
Our approach to addressing these issues is deeply empathetic and multifaceted, blending different therapeutic techniques tailored to each individual's unique needs. We focus on helping clients understand the underlying motives behind their eating behaviors, addressing both the psychological and emotional aspects. By exploring unconscious drives and employing various therapeutic methods, we aim to break the cycle of binge eating and emotional eating, fostering a healthier relationship with food.
We recognize the profound impact that these struggles can have on one's life, affecting self-esteem, relationships, and overall well-being. Our goal is to provide a compassionate and supportive environment where clients can explore their relationship with food without judgment. Through this process, we help them uncover the root causes of their behaviors and develop strategies to overcome them.
Our methods include a range of strategies, such as hypnotherapy, guided imagery, mindfulness, EMDR, cognitive-behavioral techniques, and holistic approaches that consider mind, body, and spirit. We work collaboratively with our clients to set goals that enhance daily functioning, including sleep, physical activity, and nutrition, while also addressing cognitive and emotional well-being.
Some issues with food extend beyond emotional or disordered eating, as they are severe enough as to interfere with a person’s everyday life. While we do not view a person in terms of their diagnosis, there are times that it can be helpful to think in terms of the level of stress and impairment it causes. For instance, when eating struggles are severe enough, they may fall into one of these categories: anorexia, bulimia, or binge-eating disorder.
We are experts in combining hypnosis and therapy to help people struggling with eating disorders. We understand that it is not just stopping the behavior, but that it is a complex struggle involving a cycle of intense wants that feels overwhelming, followed by a period of self-deprecation, blame and doubt. While many think of anorexia as a severe restriction, bulimia as binge and purging behavior, and binge eating disorder as eating large quantities in a short amount of time, they rarely fit into one clear category. Instead, they are different ways of attempting to control our thoughts and feelings through food. For some, it is the idea that we can feel ‘good’ about ourselves if we restrict enough, or that we can only be happy if we overindulge.
Our approach not only addresses the eating behaviors themselves, but also the thought preoccupation, body image issues, obsessive thinking, and compulsive behaviors that accompany and are inherently part of eating disorders. Regardless of the disorder, they find that it is often not the weight or the food itself; instead, the problem often lies with the constant psychological battle within individuals feeling like they need to starve themselves to look good and overindulging when they’re feeling overwhelmed.
While most of our therapists specialize in working with adults, some of our therapists specialize in working with adolescents and teens facing eating disorders and disordered eating. Their work centers around teenagers who struggle with eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder, as well as those who experience emotional and disordered eating without fitting the classical patterns or severity of eating disorders.
We also offer specialized care for children and adolescents ages 10+, including support for those with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). Our approach considers the whole family and its impact, providing a warm and safe environment along with parental coaching to support the healing process.
Hypnosis can be extremely helpful for children, adolescents and teens struggling with eating issues, as younger individuals are often imaginative, curious, and open to new experiences. This playful type of therapy aligns well with the issues prominent in this age group, making it a natural fit. Hypnosis also helps to soothe anxieties and unhelpful thought patterns that maintain eating disorders, offering children relief and comfort through supportive and educational sessions.
To read more about how we work with children, adolescents, and teens, please read here.
Struggling with our relationships with food can be one of the most difficult and all-consuming challenges a person can face today. Restoring balance with food and weight can have a greater impact than anything else in life, because food is a vital part of everyday living and because overcoming this struggle frees up emotional space. And yet, it is one of the most difficult problems to overcome.
People often come to us because they have tried traditional therapy, and while many report it has helped, they still feel stuck. Hypnosis alone, however, cannot adequately address disordered eating nor heal a person from an eating disorder. Hypnosis combined with therapy shows considerable promise to those who have felt stuck in the past and are open to trying a different approach. In fact, several studies show that therapy with the addition of hypnosis can produce greater results than therapy alone, and many of our patients report that the experience of hypnosis has aided in their process of healing. Research has indicated that the addition of hypnosis is particularly helpful in aspects of eating disorders such as binge eating, distorted body image, food cravings, feelings of inadequacy, perfectionist tendencies, and resistance to therapy.
Once clients feel in control of their eating instead of food controlling them, they can start to feel more calm and in control of their lives in a variety of contexts. This change promotes a new confidence that they may have never experienced before.
Embark on a journey of self-kindness and comprehensive therapy, tailored to address eating struggles. We're here to guide you towards a more positive mindset, helping you break free from the emotional distress linked to eating issues.
