Step into the warm, cozy space of The Hove Counselling Practice. You’re sitting across from Claire Sainsbury, a skilled therapist with a gentle smile and a knack for putting you at ease. She listens intently as you open up about your struggles with disordered eating. Each session feels like a safe haven, a place where you can be truly vulnerable without fear of judgment.
Week after week, you delve deeper into the root causes of your unhealthy relationship with food. Claire guides you through exercises and conversations that help you unpack years of emotional baggage. It’s a gradual process, but you can feel the weight of your burdens slowly lifting off your shoulders.
The strategies Claire teaches you are like tools in a toolbox, ready to be used whenever a craving or negative thought creeps in. You learn to challenge your distorted beliefs and reframe them with compassion and self-love. It’s not easy, but you can already see the positive changes taking root in your mind and body.
As you progress through your therapy, you start to notice a newfound sense of empowerment and control. You no longer feel like a slave to your impulses or societal pressures. Instead, you embrace your unique journey towards healing and recovery, knowing that Claire is there to support you every step of the way.
The sessions become a space of growth and self-discovery, where you unearth hidden strengths and resilience within yourself. You begin to see your body not as an enemy to be conquered, but as a vessel of strength and beauty. With each breakthrough, you feel more connected to your true desires and values, reclaiming your autonomy and agency.
It’s a process of shedding old skin and stepping into a new, more authentic version of yourself. The road to healing is long and winding, but with Claire by your side, you feel equipped to face whatever challenges come your way. You are no longer defined by your past struggles, but by the courage and determination it took to confront them head-on.
And as you bid farewell to The Hove Counselling Practice, you carry with you a newfound sense of self-awareness and acceptance. You know that the journey towards recovery is ongoing, but you feel more equipped than ever to navigate its twists and turns with grace and resilience. Claire’s guidance has been a beacon of light in your darkest moments, and you are forever grateful for the strength and wisdom she has imparted upon you.
Eating Disorder Help and Treatment – What to Expect
Individuals could be looking for help with the impact of food restriction, purging addictions, binge eating or overeating. As a Master Practitioner in eating disorders, I offer different treatment according to what is being experienced. Here are some basic guidelines on what to expect:
Food Restriction
I will generally ask for someone’s weight, height and date of birth initially so I can assess the impact of undereating. If someone is underweight, it is vital that they have an eating plan in place and support in following this because it can be extremely difficult to do so alone. Being underweight can be challenging for the person concerned because they often feel split into 2 parts – a part that wants to get better and another that wants to lose more weight! Treatment typically involves helping the sufferer with this mindset to build on their capacity to manage the disordered part of them that can make them feel very anxious about eating and then guilty afterwards. As weight is restored, a person typically becomes stronger in the way they think and feel which makes their normal lifestyle more accessible again.
Purging
Self-induced vomiting is addictive and therefore it is really important to help someone learn to control this behaviour. Often people vomit to get rid of food they have eaten and once they can appreciate it is difficult to purge even half of what they have eaten, this can help them to review what and how they are eating. With a guideline on foods that promote emotional balance, they can learn to change the way they eat, minimise triggers for bingeing and consequently the urge to purge.
Some people are caught up in a relentless cycle of dieting to lose weight only to find that the pounds creep back on all too quickly. This can be extremely demoralising and many sufferers become fed up of diets although they feel they have no alternative for weight control. They enter into a relationship with food that is either very ‘clean and healthy’ or otherwise the complete opposite. With these clients, I introduce the idea of eating in a very different way, forever, regardless of the circumstances such as celebrations, holidays, evenings out, etc….. By learning to relate to food in a more forgiving way, the cycle of ‘feast or famine’ can evolve into one of moderation without restriction but with increasing choice over binge foods.
Over Eating
Some people develop the habit of eating too much on a regular basis. They may find that food has become the main reward in their life, losing contact with their physical body as they continue to grow and put on weight. Quick and convenient food options like takeaways and processed foods can further exacerbate their situation where they are consuming high levels of sugar that can lead to easy weight gain. Helping someone in this predicament to understand how food choice can influence weight gain can be an important first step in changing lifestyle in order to promote weight loss and an increasing sense of confidence and wellbeing.