What to Expect from Nutritional Therapy for Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating
- rachel85861
- Jul 8
- 3 min read
Eating disorders and struggles with food can feel really isolating and lonely, which can make reaching out for support that bit harder. It takes a lot of strength to even consider that something might not be right. We may be strangers, but I want to commend you on reading this. Whether you're seeking support for yourself or a loved one, I want to help you understand what you can expect from working together and what nutritional therapy actually entails when seeking support for an eating disorder or disordered eating.
The most common assumptions I get when new clients come to see me is I'll judge what they eat, I'll tell them what to do or I'll give them a strict meal plan that feels like too much for where their current capacity lays. While recovery does entail moments of discomfort, none of the above is true. Inevitably, we will have to talk about food and begin to challenge your thought patterns, which will come with change overtime, however, I will meet you where you're at rather than expecting you to change your whole life overnight.
Our first appointment will start with me asking you a lot of questions.
Including your health history and what you feel lead you to this point. Eating disorders and struggles with food start differently for everyone, so it's important for me to get to know you. There will be small action points from that session, but we will start by building upon what you're already doing, unless you feel the need for a total overhaul. Some people may benefit from a structured meal plan, but others do need flexibility and that can change throughout the journey.
It is also important for me to have contact with your GP from the purpose of safety and working in a multidisciplinary team. It can really support the process for you to have help from a therapist with experience in eating disorders and disordered eating. There may also be other professionals that are needed along the way as recovery doesn't happen in a vacuum and you will need a lot more support than just me.
Weekly support is likely to be needed at the start to discuss what happened that week, how you responded and plan for the week ahead. My role is to help you notice the pitfalls in how you think and feel about food and restructure things to help you in the process of making peace with food, finding trust and confidence in your choices and moving to a place of food freedom.
Timelines will vary from person to person but I won't leave you on your own. You'll have support in between sessions and when it gets to the point when you don't need me as much, we'll reduce our sessions gradually over time. With the tools we put in place and the hard work you put in, we'll reduce you risk of relapse and you'll be on your way to living a more meaningful and full life.
A few things that can stop people from pursuing help:
Worrying you're not unwell enough
Struggles with food can be competitive by nature and diminish how you're feeling. If you are still here and reading this, I want you to know that how you're feeling is valid and is absolutely enough of a reason to ask for help, regardless of how you feel you look and regardless of how you may feel in comparison to others. There is not a 'right way' to have an eating disorder and just because you do not have a diagnosis, doesn't mean you can't experience psychological distress.
'Recovery is possible for other people but not for me'
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