Program Components

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
These sessions include individual or group discussions regarding the negative or erroneous thoughts that an individual may have about themselves or food. Learning to change internal dialogue and to find a new way of thinking can help a person to change how they feel about themselves and lead to a change in their behaviours.

Nutritional Therapy
This component is covered through daily sessions which include handouts and exercises related to in-depth nutrition information, metabolism, listening to hunger cues, defining normal eating and exercise. Some journaling is encouraged to increase awareness of hunger vs. emotional eating. The purpose of the comprehensiveness of this component is to dispel myths and help build in correct thinking about food; that it is "medicine" for body's health and not something "bad" to be avoided.

Body Image Therapy
Topics covered in these group sessions relate to the way women's bodies have been depicted over the centuries and how thinness is a relatively modern image. There is a significant amount of time spent on becoming aware of the effect of the media, our culture and the marketing on a person's self-esteem. The purpose of this component is to help build self-esteem and a greater sense of self and identity through education, discussion, role playing and self-discovery.

Spiritual Counselling
Many people have expressed an interest in finding strength from a power outside of themselves. Those who believe in God want to learn how to grow in their faith and understanding so that they can meet life's challenges knowing that there is someone else there to help them. This component is completely optional, but it is encouraged as a vital component of complete recovery. Time is spent learning about God, studying the Bible, journaling and praying for individual concerns.

Personal Counselling
These are usually individual sessions that deal with emotional issues that may be related to family, boyfriend/ spouse, work, past abuse and other issues. The purpose of these sessions is to help the person become more aware of their feelings, to express them and to learn how to deal with the difficult emotional situations in their life.