Let them eat cake. Sometimes.

It’s the end of the day. Your mind starts up. I wish I hadn’t eaten that. I wish I’d made it to the gym. I wish. You feel bad so you grab the ice-cream tub. Plop down on the couch. You deserve it. It's been a tough day. Ice-cream is friend. Or perhaps it's next level. You’re in full blown starvation or binge and purge mode. Exercising to exhaustion. Restricting what you eat to just one or two food groups. ​

How do you stop unwanted behaviour? 
A therapeutic approach stemming from the theory of Self and Parts could help. Assagioli, a contemporary of Freud and Jung began formulating Psychosynthesis in the early 1900’s. Assagioli (1965) coined the term sub-personality to depict the wounded and often conflicting ‘parts’ of our personality. We develop these as children to survive, but they can cause trouble later in life. 

The most recent iteration is Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy developed by Richard Schwartz (1995). Research supports the use of IFS to treat eating disorders. A pilot study of IFS by Mannerino et al. (2022) found a reduction in disordered eating symptoms and increased self-compassion in adults with binge eating disorder. Another study by Tellman et al. (2020) showed an increase in self-awareness and reduction in shame for adults using IFS. Lester (2017) highlights the capacity for an IFS approach to promote self-governance.
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How does this therapy work?
Consistent with a Psychosynthesis / IFS approach, I work from the premise that the mind is made up of the (adult) Self, and (younger) ‘parts’. The concept of the Adult Self is not a part. The Adult Self is the compassionate, kind and resourceful centre within each of us: capable of guiding, parenting and harmonising our internal 'parts' family. Each part has its own agenda, feelings and thoughts. These ‘parts’ may be seen as distinct aspects of the self. You may have a critic, a perfectionist, a starver, a binger. Take charge of these younger ‘parts’ and you stop being at the mercy of behaviours that don’t serve you (the right food or the right quantity).

We work together to uncover and get to know your ‘parts’. As you simultaneously create a more confident, robust and compassionate Adult Self, it becomes possible to heal the wounds carried by these younger ‘parts’. To integrate your internal family.

My approach focusses on the underlying emotional system driving disordered eating, rather than the external behaviours. An increase in self-awareness and ability to regulate emotions leads to the possibility of different life choices. With an emphasis on internal harmony, this approach is a powerful tool for long-term recovery.

I bring deep empathy and understanding to this work with clients. I have recovered from three decades of eating disorders having experienced anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, restrictive eating, over exercising, and body dysmorphia.

References
Assagioli, R. (1965). Psychosynthesis: A manual of principles and techniques. Hobbs, Dorman & Company.
Lester, R. (2017). Self-governance, psychotherapy, and the subject of managed care: Internal Family Systems therapy and the multiple self in a US eating-disorders treatment center. American Ethnologist. 44. 10.1111/amet.12423.
Mannerino, A., Elkins, R. M., Laird, K. T., & Kumashiro, K. K. (2022). Internal Family Systems therapy for binge eating disorder: A pilot study. Eating Disorders, 30(2), 175–190. https://doi.org/10.1080/10640266.2020.1869595
Schwartz, R. C. (1995). Internal Family Systems Therapy. Guilford Press.
Tellman, S., Pugh, M., & Berry, K. (2020). Exploring client perspectives on Internal Family Systems therapy for eating disorders: A qualitative study. Journal of Eating Disorders, 8, 42. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-020-00316-w