It’s no secret that stress and emotional eating habits can significantly affect a person’s overall well-being, creating a cycle that's hard to break. When eating in response to stress, boredom, or difficult emotions, many people gravitate to food (in most cases it’s a food that would otherwise be “forbidden”) that provides temporary comfort but doesn’t really allow the opportunity to cope with those emotions.

The truth is, emotional eating has nothing to do with food itself. It’s a reaction to an external trigger that sparks an emotional response, often leading to behaviors like binge eating or deprivation. These actions don’t solve the underlying issue and, instead, tend to create a cycle of shame, guilt, and frustration. This emotional rollercoaster only reinforces negative feelings, making it even harder to address the real problem. Recognizing that emotional eating stems from deeper emotional needs is key to breaking free from this pattern and finding healthier ways to cope.

I work with my clients to shift the focus away from food and instead explore the underlying emotions and triggers driving unwanted behaviors. By learning to anticipate stressful or challenging situations and equipping themselves with effective coping strategies, my clients can break free from the urge to turn to habits that ultimately make them feel worse. This process helps them address the root causes of emotional eating, fostering a healthier, more balanced relationship with both food and their emotions.