My London and Leeds nutrition practice, exploring and creating a healthier relationship between mind, body and food

“If music be the food of love, play well.” Adapted from Shakespeare

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The different approaches to helping clients with nutrition

Nutritionist Advisors, dietitians and nutritionists all help their clients in various ways to think about and change their relationship with food. How they achieve this is dependent on qualifications and approach.

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How I help clients with nutrition

 

Where the mind, body and relationship with food meet, these are fundamental elements as a qualified nutritional advisor I bring together when working with clients.

When you contact me, you and I would initially identify what your hopes and aims are and if we go on to work together how to tailor nutritional counselling to you and your relationship with food, your body and self.

Drawing heavily from CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) there is also a strong behavioural component to this work that can be brought in after enough awareness has been developed to understand how unhelpful thoughts, behaviours and patterns have been maintained. This then supports desired changes.

If you and I agree during enquiry phase that the way I work is right for you, the next step would be to arrange an appointment where a detailed assessment of your situation, needs, what you want to achieve and in what time frame will be discussed.

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I provide counselling for food and nutrition in London and Leeds and help adult clients with:

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Understanding and managing eating disorders, such as:

Anorexia – the most fatalistic of all the eating disorders. Someone in the grip of anorexia is more likely to face serious consequences due to the lack of nutrition and how this deprivation impacts psychologically and physically.

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Obesity – Like most eating disorders obesity will cause strain and distress to body and organs. Whilst your GP and medical teams treat your body, I will work with you therapeutically to help you understand and manage your emotional attachments to food and how that can influence thought as well as food and eating choices.

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Depending at what stage of an eating disorder you are in, what you want to achieve and what is identified at assessment; you and I will then agree on whether I am the best therapist for you and if so how we will work together.

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Other areas of counselling for food and nutrition includes:

Weight gain/Weight loss – Many people fall outside of the disorders but still have unsatisfying, confusing and a sense of no control when it comes to their relationship with food or their body. Most of my clients fall into this more general but no less frustrating category.

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As there are many emotions and mixed messages tied up around food in our bodies and how we use foods, the way I work is to help you develop awareness of your eating patterns, how they developed and from this identify where changes can be made. For instance distinguishing food or hunger needs from emotional needs, e.g. emotional eating due to anxiety, or using food as a substitute for something else. Additional aims include working together to help change your perception and attitude to your body. To help you achieve better body, mind and wellbeing.

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Your appointments and how we work together:

Nutrition appointments (including assessment) can last from 50 to 75 minutes each. A guide to current fees can be found on our home page here. Your initial assessment will enable us to establish your needs and circumstances, therefore the number and frequency of appointments that will work best for you.

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Both my main training and experience as a counsellor and Psychotherapist, as well as additional nutritional advisor training and experience enable me to work with different religions, gender, age, culture, weight and other factors relating to food. As my overall approach is therapeutic with an emphasis on your feelings, thoughts and behaviour to food, at times it may be identified that a more medical approach is necessary. In which case a referral to a dietitian, nutritionist or to another medical professional will be discussed to ensure your best interests.

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If you feel your relationship with food and your body can benefit from nutritionist advice, and or to find out more about healthy eating then please email or call me on 07795 253457.