What we specialise in
We specialise in working with adults and adolescents with a history of disordered eating who want to have a healthier relationship with food. A healthy relationship with food allows you to nourish your body and experience the many things that food adds to your life, such as enjoyment and social connection, without feeling anxious, guilty or ashamed.
Disordered eating includes behaviours such as:
- Following a weight loss meal plan
- Skipping meals or trying to go longer between eating
- Cutting out particular foods or food groups
- Deliberately eating less food to make up for eating
- Fasting (aside from religious or spiritual reasons)
- Going on a ‘cleanse’ or ‘detoxing’
- Overeating or binge eating
- ‘Purging’ to make up for eating
- Undereating related to medication that affects appetite eg. medication for ADHD
- Undereating related to sensory (eg. taste) aversions
Expert eating disorder dietitians
Our dietitians have the knowledge and skills to provide expert care to people with eating disorders. Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions which can affect people of any age, gender, body size and cultural backgrounds. While there are common features of the different eating disorders, everyone’s experience of living with an eating disorder is unique. Your dietitian will take the time to understand your needs and what you want to get from working with them.
We see clients with the following eating disorder presentations:
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Bulimia Nervosa
- Binge Eating Disorder
- OSFED, including ‘Atypical’ Anorexia
- ARFID
If you think you might have an eating disorder, you can get support right now by calling 1800 ED HOPE. This free and confidential helpline runs 8 am – midnight (AEST), 7 days per week and is staffed by qualified mental health professionals.
FAQ
What will the work look like?
The first thing you’ll work on is establishing and maintaining a pattern of regular and adequate eating. Your dietitian will talk with you about structuring your meals and snacks to provide your body with the nourishment it needs. This will allow your body to stabilise at a healthy point, so your brain can work on the ‘food psychology’ part of recovery. The structure you put in place isn’t designed to stay there long-term; eventually you’ll be able to trust your body to guide your eating choices and you’ll spend way less time thinking about food and your eating choices!
How often will I meet with with my dietitian?
Most people will start off with having a session each fortnight. Your dietitian will continually be assessing what session frequency is going to be most supportive for you – whether that’s keeping up with fortnightly sessions, increasing to weekly sessions, or dropping down to monthly sessions.
Do I need a referral?
You don’t need a referral to work with us, however you’ll need a referral if you want to claim rebates from Medicare. We suggest making an appointment* with your GP to discuss your eligibility for an Eating Disorder Plan (EDP). An EDP will allow you to claim a rebate for up to 20 sessions. If you’re not eligible for an EDP, you might be eligible for a Chronic Disease Management Plan.
*Please book a longer appointment
Is there a waitlist?
Our dietitians are in high demand, which means that new clients may need to go onto our waitlist. Our admin team will let you know how long the waitlist currently is when you get in touch.
How do I get started?
If you’re interested in working with us, please get in touch by submitting the form below.