Emotional Eating
WHAT IS EMOTIONAL EATING?
Emotional eating (or comfort eating) affects a growing number of people in the UK. Emotional eating refers to any eating (over or under eating) which is driven by a psychological or emotional trigger, rather than a physiological trigger (such as hunger or fullness). For example, people will often eat as a result of stress or in response to a distressing life event, rather than employing other, more adaptive coping mechanisms. However, whilst emotional eating may initially soothe or “numb” any difficult emotions, it doesn’t fix the underlying problem and typically results in feelings of guilt, shame or powerlessness in the long run.
HEALTH AT EVERY SIZE
Sometimes weight and emotional eating can form a vicious cycle. People are distressed by their weight or body shape, and use eating as a way to avoid or numb these emotions. However, this typically feeds back into body image or weight concerns.
When this is an issue, your therapist may talk to you about the “Health at Every Size”® approach. The HAES® approach shifts the focus from weight to health, and can support recovery from an eating disorder. Research shows that weight loss rarely works, and maintenance of weight loss is most likely when the weight loss is modest. Whilst accepting the correlation between higher weight and certain medical condition, HAES® questions whether this is a causal relationship. It suggests that it is not the weight loss that is important, but the changes in behaviour (which may happen to result in weight loss). Given that, HAES® encourages you to accept your body’s set-point, to develop intuitive eating, and to introduce pleasurable movement (exercising for pleasure rather than weight loss). Several clinical trials comparing HAES® to conventional obesity treatment have shown improvements in physiological, behavioral, and psychological measures, including improvements in blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels.
TREATMENT FOR EMOTIONAL EATING
Treatment for emotional eating involves becoming more aware of the triggers for your emotional eating and learning to adopt healthier emotion regulation strategies so that you can cope effectively with life stressors of difficult emotions. Useful treatments include guided self-help (typically CBT), CBT or DBT.
Specialist Team
The London Centre comprises specialist health professionals trained in evidence-based treatments for eating disorders. The team include:
Psychiatrists
Clinical Psychologists
Counselling Psychologists
Trainee Psychologists
Occupational Therapists
Dietitians
Family/Couple Therapists
Diverse Treatment Options
The clinic's specialist nature and the experience of its team also enable the offering of a wide variety of treatment approaches and therapies. The clinics offer both in-person and remote consultations.Personalised Care
At the London Centre, we believe it's important to align our patients with both the right clinician and the appropriate treatment. While we ensure the use of evidence-based therapies we also ensure taking the time to listen to client preferences. This approach enables us to find the therapist and approach that best suits your needs.Testimonials
How it works
Our team conducts a comprehensive evaluation, leveraging the expertise of multiple specialists, to ensure that our treatment is effective and tailored to your personal recovery.
Step 1
Contact Us
Before making an appointment you can contact us with any questions you might have via phone, email or by using our online contact form. Your first contact will more than likely be with Kerry, our wonderful PA.Step 2
Assessment
Before the initial session, clients are requested to complete a brief questionnaire regarding their current circumstances, preferences, and availability for appointments. While not mandatory, this information assists us in matching individuals with the most suitable clinician.Step 3
First Session
Following the assessment, clients will have a session to discuss their recommended treatment plan. A start date will be agreed upon, and arrangements will be made for an initial session.Featured
FAQs
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The fees do vary depending on, which clinician you see. For a full summary of our fees, what health insurance company policies we accept, and details about making payments please click the link. (https://www.thelondoncentre.co.uk/fees)
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Our Team PA, Kerry, is available to answer any questions you may have prior to booking an assessment. If you would like to discuss treatment options or have a general conversation prior to booking, you are able to schedule a call with Mini Jones, our Clinic Lead who is always happy to discuss any questions or concerns. For further information, or to request a call back, please click the link provided to get in touch via email, phone, or through our online contact form.(https://www.thelondoncentre.co.uk/book-an-appointment)
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It is important to note that we do have a 24 hour cancellation policy on all booked appointments. Any cancellations received within 24 hours remain fully charged.
We request payment for an initial assessment appointment in advance of your appointment, which you can make over the phone using a debit or credit card or via the secure payment link sent to you with your invoice. For any further treatment sessions, and unless covered by private health insurance, we will invoice you sessionally which is payable upon receipt, however, we offer a maximum 30-day period in order to receive payment.
All appointment reminders will be sent to you via our client management system ‘Cliniko’ - notifications@cliniko.com please do add this email address to your inbox contacts to ensure all communications are received promptly. -
Therapy is most effective when a series of appointments tailored to your individual requirements can be established. The NICE guidelines are between 20-40 appointments but we are guided by our clients depending on their needs, preference, and motivation to adopt change. We will always remain flexible to accommodate your preferences.