A thoughtful, non-judgemental space to explore eating concerns 

Difficulties with eating often develop as ways of coping. You may feel preoccupied with food, weight, or body image, or find yourself relying on control around eating to manage anxiety or difficult feelings. You might not have a diagnosis, yet still feel that your relationship with food has become restrictive, rigid, or distressing. 

I offer therapy for disordered eating and eating-related difficulties, providing a steady and respectful space to explore what is happening for you. Sessions are available in person in Edinburgh and online. 

What is disordered eating? 

Disordered eating exists on a wide spectrum and can include experiences such as: 

• Restricting or tightly controlling food intake 

• Cycles of overeating followed by guilt or shame 

• Preoccupation with body shape or weight 

• Rigid rules around food or eating times 

• Using food, or not eating, to manage emotions 

• Secrecy or distress around eating 

These patterns often develop alongside anxiety, low self-esteem, perfectionism, or a strong need for control. In therapy, the focus is not on forcing change, but on understanding what these patterns are doing for you and why they may have become necessary. 

 
The link between anxiety and eating difficulties 

For many people, eating difficulties are closely connected to anxiety. Control around food can offer a sense of safety when other parts of life feel unpredictable or overwhelming. 

Therapy allows space to explore how anxiety, self-worth, and eating patterns interact, without pressure to change before you feel ready. Understanding usually comes before change. 

Weight-loss injections and eating difficulties 

Medications sometimes referred to as “skinny jabs” are increasingly discussed as solutions to weight or eating concerns. For some people, these conversations can intensify preoccupation with weight, control, or body image, particularly where there is already anxiety or disordered eating. 

In therapy, weight loss is not treated as the goal. Instead, we pay attention to the emotional and psychological meaning behind eating patterns, body concerns, and the pressure to change one’s body. If weight-loss injections are part of your thinking or experience, this can be explored thoughtfully and without judgement, as part of understanding what may be driving the difficulty. 

 
The importance of early support 

Eating difficulties often become more entrenched over time, especially when they are managed alone or hidden due to shame. Early therapeutic support can help interrupt patterns before they become more rigid or harmful. 

Seeking help early does not mean your difficulties are “not serious enough” or that you need to reach a certain threshold. It simply reflects noticing that something isn’t working and wanting space to understand it. Therapy at this stage can be both supportive and preventative. 

 
How therapy can help 

I work carefully and collaboratively, paying attention to: 

• How eating patterns developed over time 

• What purpose they serve in managing feelings or situations 

• Experiences of shame, self-criticism, or fear 

• The wider emotional context around food and body image 

Therapy is not about meal plans or behavioural targets. It is about making sense of what is happening and supporting change at a pace that feels safe and sustainable. 

 
Scope of my work 

I work with adults experiencing disordered eating and eating-related distress. 

Where eating difficulties involve high levels of risk, or where specialist or multidisciplinary treatment is required, this work would not be appropriate. In those situations, we can talk about alternative or additional forms of support. 

This clarity is part of working ethically and safely. 

What people often gain from this work 

Over time, therapy may help you to: 

• Develop a more compassionate understanding of your eating patterns 

• Reduce shame and secrecy 

• Find alternative ways of managing anxiety and emotions 

• Strengthen your sense of self beyond food and control 

• Improve your relationship with food and with your body 

Change tends to happen gradually, supported by understanding rather than pressure. 

Practicalities 

• Individual therapy for disordered eating 

• Online therapy

• In-person sessions in Edinburgh available 

• Initial 15-minute introductory call offered 

If you’re unsure whether this type of therapy is right for you, you’re welcome to get in touch to talk it through.