You know diets don’t work, but don’t know how to eat without strict guidelines to follow.
That’s where I come in.
I’m Sarah (she/her), a Toronto-based writer, anti-diet nutritionist, and Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor. I teach folks how to have a healthy relationship with food and accept their natural body size. In particular, I specialize in working with people who struggle with one or more of the following:
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Chronic/yo-yo dieting and weight cycling
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Food and weight preoccupation
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An obsession with healthy eating
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Binge eating
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Feelings of food addiction
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Negative body image
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A history of abuse around food and body image
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A history of an eating disorder
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Eating problems and a history of developmental and/or relational trauma
I also have experience working with people living with mental health concerns (including depression, major depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, structural dissociation, dissociative identity disorder) as well as ADHD.
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 also understand how much mental real estate dieting or disordered eating can take up (all of it). If you’re ready to reclaim it, you’re in the right place.
Something tells me you’re deeply empathetic, sensitive, creative, and intelligent.
But maybe you…
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Have no idea how to stop bingeing or overeating your favourite — and even not-so-favourite — foods.
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Would love to quit the measuring cups, food scale, and calorie counting app — if only you knew where to start.
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Dream of feeling calm and relaxed around buffets, the office cookie jar, and restaurant menus.
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Feel constantly magnetized by the latest “lifestyle change” or food plan; to be honest, you have no idea what “normal eating” even looks like, or how to tell the difference between dieting and eating for health.
No matter where you are in your food freedom adventure, you know there has to be more to life than what’s on your plate and the number on the scale.
And maybe…
You dream of spending your energy on the causes and interests you care about.
You would love to be fully present for the moments and memories you’ll cherish for the rest of your life, like your niece’s first words or your best friend’s wedding.
You want to travel and truly savour everything you eat — from the ceviche with fresh corn chips in Puerto Vallarta to the pasta in Rome to the baguette with cheese eaten for lunch in a Paris park.
You just don’t know how to get there.
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 eating disorder symptoms — and I want to do everything in my power to give you that.
I believe 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.
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.
ABOUT SARAH (She/Her)
I’m a Toronto-based anti-diet nutritionist and Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor here to help you trust yourself around food and accept your natural body size without dieting. My approach — described as compassionate, non-judgmental, and collaborative — combines Intuitive Eating with several counselling frameworks and theories (e.g. mindfulness/self-compassion, Motivational Interviewing, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), attachment science, and the window of tolerance/Polyvagal Theory).
All of that to say: I take a true mind, body, and spirit approach to healing eating and weight concerns. For most of us, knowing what to do just isn’t enough. I aim to shine a light on your past and current patterns as they relate to food and body image so you can make supportive choices.
I’ve presented to or collaborated with organizations across Canada, including BMO, Starbucks, Flight Centre, KPMG, eOne, LEAGUE, and more, and enjoy speaking on topics such as the non-diet approach, weight inclusivity and size acceptance, and the role of intuitive eating counselling in eating disorder recovery. I’m a proud member of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance.
I hold a BAH in English Literature and an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Windsor, and a diploma in Natural Nutrition from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. I received my Intuitive Eating Counsellor training and supervision through Evelyn Tribole, RD. In 2017, I was nominated for the Danielle Perreault Trailblazer Award in the Holistic Nutrition Awards.
Additional training:
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Mental Health I (CSNN)
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Mindfulness — The Neuropsycho-Endocrinology of Regulating Eating (CSNN)
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Digestive Disorders and Eating Disorders: A Complicated Mix (Marci Evans, CEDRD-S & Lauren Dear, RDN)
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Nutrition Counselling for Eating Disorders (Marci Evans, CEDRD-S)
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Body Image Training: The Missing Piece of Whole Body Healing (Marci Evans, CEDRD-S & Fiona Sutherland, APD)
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Group and Individual Supervision: July 2017 — October 2018, The Kyla Fox Centre, Kyla Fox, MSW RSW
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Group Supervision and Continuing Education: May 2019 — Present, EDRDPro
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Non-Diet Counselling Skills – September 2020 (Tracy Brown, RD)
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Individual Supervision: May 2020 — Present, Tracy Brown, RD
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Advanced Trauma-Informed Counselling Skills / Somatic Counselling Skills — February 2021 (Tracy Brown, RD)
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ACT for Beginners — March 2021 (Dr. Russ Harris)
