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Eating Disorder Counselling
in Sydney and the Sutherland Shire

When food and eating start to take up more of your thoughts, everyday life can become difficult. You may feel anxious around meals, caught in rules about food or exercise or unsure how to change patterns that are affecting your health and relationships.

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At Evolving Minds Counselling and Psychology, our psychologists and counsellors provide eating disorder counselling and therapy for children, adolescents and adults across Sydney and the Sutherland Shire. Our team includes an ANZAED Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician.

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Eating disorders we work with

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Eating difficulties can look different from one person to another. Our clinicians provide therapy for:

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We also provide therapy for body image difficulties and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), which may occur with or without an eating disorder.

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What are the signs of an eating disorder?

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You might notice:

  • Increasing anxiety around meals or guilt after eating

  • Skipping meals, restricting food or following rigid food rules

  • Episodes of eating that feel difficult to control

  • Attempts to compensate for eating

  • Avoiding meals with other people

  • An increasingly limited range of foods

  • Thoughts about food, weight or exercise taking up more of your day

 

For parents, changes may include your child avoiding foods they previously enjoyed, becoming distressed around meals or withdrawing from family activities involving food. It can be difficult to know when to step in or how to respond.

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What contributes to an eating disorder?

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There is no single cause. Biological, genetic, psychological, social and environmental factors can all play a part.  ​Restriction, perfectionism, anxiety, self-criticism and difficult experiences may contribute to how eating difficulties develop or continue.

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For autistic people and those with ADHD, sensory needs, recognising hunger and fullness, routines and emotional regulation may also influence eating. Therapy takes account of these experiences, alongside any trauma or other difficulties that may be relevant.

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How can eating disorder therapy help?

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Therapy begins with understanding what is happening around food, how it is affecting your life and what feels difficult to change. You and your clinician discuss your eating patterns, physical health, current circumstances and what you would like help with.

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Depending on your needs, sessions may focus on establishing regular eating, reducing restriction or binge eating, working through food rules or addressing distress about weight and body shape. For ARFID, therapy may focus on sensory needs, fear around eating and gradually expanding the foods that feel manageable.

 

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Our clinicians draw on evidence-based eating disorder treatment and therapy approaches, including Enhanced Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT-E) and Family-Based Treatment (FBT). The approach depends on the eating disorder, age, health and individual needs.

 

Where appropriate, we work alongside your GP, dietitian, psychiatrist or paediatrician so that psychological, medical and nutritional care are coordinated.

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Eating disorder therapy in Sydney and the Sutherland Shire

 

If you have been searching for an eating disorder psychologist, eating disorder therapist, counselling for eating disorders, an eating disorder clinic or eating disorder treatment for teenagers near you, our psychologists and counsellors work with children, adolescents and adults across Sydney and the Sutherland Shire.

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​Appointments are available in person at our Menai practice in the Sutherland Shire and via secure telehealth across Australia.

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If you're unsure where to begin, our Client Care Team can assist. Call 02 8519 4197 or use the button below to request an appointment.

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