what is an eating psychologist? // a bit about my training and what i love to do

What is Eating Psychology Coaching?

Eating Psychology Coaching is an exciting and cutting edge approach developed by the Institute for the Psychology of Eating. It effectively addresses weight concerns, binge eating, overeating, body image challenges, and various nutrition related health concerns. As an Eating Psychology Coach, my approach is positive and empowering. I don’t see your eating challenges merely as a sign that “something is wrong with you” – but as a place where we can more fully explore some of the personal dimensions in life that impact food, weight and health. Oftentimes, our eating challenges are connected to work, money, relationship, family, intimacy, life stress and so much more. By working on the places that are most relevant for you, success is more easily achieved. As an Eating Psychology Coach, I look to support you with coaching strategies and nutrition principles that are nourishing, doable, sustainable, and that yield results.

About My Training

I trained at the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, the world’s leading school in Nutritional Psychology where I received my certification as an Eating Psychology Coach. In IPE's internationally acclaimed program, I learned powerful cutting-edge tools and protocols that enable me to work with weight issues, body image challenges, overeating, binge eating, and a variety of nutrition related health concerns such as digestion, fatigue, mood, immunity, and others. My work combines the powerful new fields of Dynamic Eating Psychology and Mind-Body Nutrition. The skills I use from this training are a combination of practical coaching techniques, results-oriented psychology, clinical nutrition, body-centered practices, mind-body science, and a positive and compassionate approach to challenges with food and health.

How is My Approach Different?

For far too long, we’ve been inundated by negative messages about food, weight and diet. We’ve been told that we’re willpower weaklings or that we need more control. The majority of nutrition experts promote conflicting advice. The result is people are confused about what to eat, and how to have a happy relationship with food and a healthy metabolism. In my professional practice, I combine many of the best strategies from nutrition science and eating psychology. By eliminating all the “shoulds and shouldn’ts”, I focus on what’s right for your body and your personal style. As we work together in this way, eating and health issues become a place of exploration. Instead of seeing such challenges as the enemy, they become opportunities for growth and self-improvement. In my training at the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, I’ve learned to help clients reach their highest goals not by strategies that punish, but through strategies that nourish.

What is Dynamic Eating Psychology?

Dynamic Eating Psychology is an important new field originated by Marc David, Founder of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating. It’s a positive, empowering and transformational approach that’s designed for anyone who eats. Each of us has a unique, fascinating, and ever changing relationship with food. Dynamic Eating Psychology affirms the primary importance of this relationship. It sees our challenges with eating, weight and health not as an indication that we’re broken, but as a beautiful opportunity to grow and evolve. Previously, eating psychology has been limited to those with clinical eating disorders. Dynamic Eating Psychology though, is for everyone. It affirms that our relationship with food has important lessons to teach us if we choose to listen. And it recognizes that our challenges with eating, weight and health are intimately connected to other primary life dimensions – relationship, family, work, sexuality, our search for meaning and fulfillment, and so much more. Dynamic Eating Psychology is a powerful breakthrough approach.

What is Mind-Body Nutrition?

Mind-Body Nutrition is an exciting and timely new field that advances the practice of clinical nutrition by exploring the psychophysiology of how thoughts, feelings and beliefs impact nutritional metabolism and health. Originated by Marc David, Founder of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, it goes far beyond classical nutrition by focusing on the fascinating connections between brain, body, and behavior. Simply put, what we eat is only half of the story of good nutrition. The other half is who we are as eaters. Mind Body Nutrition reveals how stress physiology, the relaxation response, breathing, awareness, pleasure, meal timing and much more profoundly influence digestion and calorie burning. And it offers practical and results-oriented strategies for the most commonly seen eating challenges and health issues of our times.