Philosophy

Body Image and Relationship with Food

I believe that every body deserves to be nourished. And everyone deserves to feel safe in the body they are in. Like you, I grew up in a weight focused society. I felt the same pressure to be at a so-called “healthy weight”. I fell for that same narrative that said I needed to be at a certain weight to be healthy. But after many years of seeing people be unsuccessful at maintaining their “ideal weight” no matter how hard they tried, I started to question if everything we had been taught was wrong? I had to unlearn that narrative. The research now tells us that you don’t have to be skinny to be healthy. You can be healthy in a larger body, just like you can be unhealthy in a smaller body. Why then, are people still being shamed for not meeting the archaic targets set out for them? When I started working with individuals who struggled with their body and their relationship with food and was able to help them recognize that it is not they who are flawed, it is the society that we live in, it was like seeing a weight lifted off their shoulders (no pun intended!). And that was so rewarding to me!

Mental Health

Also, like many of you, I have had my own challenges with depression and anxiety. For anyone dealing with mental illness, it’s so common to stop caring for ourselves and that includes nourishing our bodies. When we don’t nourish our bodies, we are also not nourishing our brains, which can make it harder to recover. Telling someone to “just eat healthy” is about as effective as telling a depressed person to “just cheer up”, which is why it can be a struggle to make the changes we think we should make. Nutrition can play a part in improving your mental health. Let’s find ways to make it work for you.

Emotional Eating

We all eat emotionally sometimes. That’s ok. However, if food is your only coping strategy, it can become an unhealthy one. If your emotional eating is causing you distress, let’s talk about that.

Why work with me?

We all know that we should eat healthy, but there are legitimate reasons that we don’t (or can’t). The standard cookie cutter approaches don’t work for everyone. Let’s work together to find strategies to help you remove the shame, and improve your health and your relationship with food, in realistic and approachable ways. No diets. No shame. No judgement.

I strive to provide a safe space for all. LGBTQ2S+ welcome.

Credentials

Bachelor of Science (Nutritional Sciences), McGill University
Specializing in mental health, disordered eating, intuitive eating and body image in adults
Additional training in Binge Eating Disorder, Trauma, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Health Change Methodology, Motivational Interviewing
Therapeutic approach aligned with Health at Every Size, Intuitive Eating, and fat positivity