Eating psychology is an approach to dealing with eating and body image challenges that takes into 
account the whole person.
Some of the areas it covers:
- Weight loss
- Binge eating
- Compulsive eating
- Digestive upset
- Fatigue
The easiest way to explain this approach is through the questions it might ask.
For weight loss clients, instead of asking “how can we reduce the number of calories in your diet?” We might ask “what ways can we change your metabolism? Is this person overeating for non-nutritional reasons (such as stress) – and what practical ways can we find to shift food from being an emotional dumping ground?”
For someone who binge eats, instead of asking “how can we change this bad behaviour?”, we might explore if their body is crying out for better nutrition. We might look at how this behaviour is actually a misguided attempt by the body to help the binge eater.
I work with clients using a two pronged approach: nutritional changes that often have a powerful effect on eating challenges, and the emotional reasons that someone may have a disordered relationship with food.
What Eating Psychology Is Not
It’s not counselling in the traditional sense of sitting back and never giving advice. There are times when uninterrupted listening is required – equally, there are times when I need to guide clients and make them accountable.
Neither is it being a drill sergeant, ordering clients what to do.
It’s not about weighing and measuring food – instead we are learning to have a more natural, easeful relationship with eating
It’s not about being tied to one particular way of eating. It’s much more about finding what works for you as an individual.
Harriet Morris is as an eating psychology coach, and trained with The Institute the Psychology of Eating.