12/10/2025
Eating disorders are not about food.
On the surface, an eating disorder may look like a fixation with dieting, weight, or appearance. But underneath, it’s rarely about food — and almost never about vanity.
In therapy, we see how eating disorders often emerge from:
- A need for control when life feels unpredictable.
- A way to numb or regulate overwhelming emotions.
- A response to trauma, loss, or relational struggles that feel too big to name.
Restricting, binging, purging, or rigid rules about eating are coping mechanisms — attempts to manage inner distress through the body. That’s why simply telling someone to “just eat” misses the point.
Recovery involves more than restoring healthy eating patterns. It means gently addressing the deeper struggles beneath: fear, shame, grief, perfectionism, or the need to feel safe.
At Incontact Counselling & Training, we approach eating disorders with compassion, curiosity, and the understanding that food is only the surface of a much more human story.
When we look beyond the plate, we begin to see the person — not the disorder.
