can't stop thinking about your next meal?
intuitive eating counselling & nutrition therapy
Darling, you're in the right place.
Take a seat *waves hand* and let's chat.
While I big heart love Intuitive Eating, I definitely struggled to put the principles into practice. It’s not because I didn’t know better or because I didn’t want to eat all the foods. But when you don’t feel safe on the inside, it’s a battle to stay there.
I headed down the rabbit hole of all things Intuitive Eating, body image, and beyond to develop a broader understanding of trauma and its impact on our relationship to food and body. Slowly, I transitioned from offering “general” Intuitive Eating counselling to a trauma-informed approach to help folks finally feel at peace in their bodies.
Whether Intuitive Eating hasn't "worked" for you or you're still searching for the One (diet to end all diets), food obsession is a losing game.
I specialize in working with survivors of sexual violence who struggle with disordered eating, but I also work with folks who see themselves in the following:
• Chronic/yo-yo dieting cycles
• Food and weight preoccupation
• An obsession with healthy eating
• Binge eating and emotional eating
• Feelings of food addiction
• Negative body image
• A history of abuse around food and body image
• A history of an eating disorder
i also have experience working with:
Folks living with eating disorders seeking to transition from a meal plan to Intuitive Eating.
B.A.H. & M.A. in English Lit & Creative Writing
Registered Holistic Nutritionist + Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor
Professionally mentored by Isabel Foxen Duke: October 2021 - Present
ACT for Beginners — March 2021
Digestive Disorders and Eating Disorders: A Complicated Mix (Marci Evans, CEDRD-S & Lauren Dear, RDN)
Nutrition Counselling for Eating Disorders (Marci Evans, CEDRD-S)
Body Image Training: The Missing Piece of Whole Body Healing (Marci Evans, CEDRD-S & Fiona Sutherland, APD)
Group and Individual Supervision: July 2017 — October 2018, The Kyla Fox Centre, Kyla Fox, MSW RSW
Group Supervision and Continuing Education: May 2019 — May 2021, EDRDPro
Non-Diet Counselling Skills - September 2020 (Tracy Brown, RD)
Individual Supervision: May 2020 —Oct. 2021, Tracy Brown, RD
Advanced Trauma-Informed Counselling Skills / Somatic Counselling Skills — February 2021 (Tracy Brown, RD)
Featured in Canadian Living + Best Health magazines
Guest of various podcasts, including Ditch the Diet, Devoured, Going Beyond the Food, and Chronically Healing
Presented for or facilitated workshops for various companies, including RioCan, Starbucks, eOne, Women's College Hospital, BMO, FlightCentre, MaRS, League, and more
CSNN Holistic Nutrition Awards - nominated for the Trailblazer Award
a few of my credentials...
the founder (she/her)
sarah berneche
Based in Toronto, I fuse counselling techniques with anti-diet nutrition counselling to help people find peace with food and comfort in their bodies.
My own 15 year struggle with disordered eating brought me to this work. Learning — discovering — that something was off with the way I interacted with food and body came as a surprise to me. Because restriction/dieting and over-exercise are celebrated in our culture, I told myself I was “just really into health.” I was lauded for my “willpower” and unfailing self-discipline.
For over a decade, my food issues flew under the radar because I didn’t meet clinical criteria for an eating disorder. I understand how confusing it can be to admit you might have a problem, when any concern is (often) abruptly invalidated. I understand how frequently eating difficulties are missed by healthcare professionals. I understand how challenging it can be to access competent and compassionate help. I have dedicated my career to changing that.
AT A GLANCE
YOU SHOULD PROBABLY KNOW
Pasta Amatriciana <3
reading & cookbooks
french bistros
the new york times and bubble baths
All about
That new book smell, intersectional feminism, classic rock (on high), mules, spending time outdoors, social justice, Crossword puzzles, bulldogs, restaurants, abstract art, dinner parties, cheese plates, strong coffee, Black Lives Matter
NOT ABOUT
Grind culture, discrimination and bigotry, diet & wellness culture, small talk, mushrooms, dark mornings
agree? we're probably a great fit.
my core beliefs...
Now, I have a few core beliefs I’d like you to know about:
I believe you have what it takes to put your food and body concerns behind you.
I believe you deserve to live a life free of disordered eating and weight obsession— and I want to do everything in my power to give you that.
I believe diet recovery is possible, and in the freedom to define for yourself what that looks like.
I believe weight stigma, weight cycling, and food-related stress are all worse for your health than just eating the chocolate cake.
I value curiosity, compassion, courage, integrity, and honesty.
All of this to say…if you’re ready to break free from food and body jail, I’d love to spring you. To learn more or to sign up to work with me, check out my services or grab a copy of my signature method.
