What to Expect When You See a Clinical Psychologist About a Potential Eating Disorder, Body Image and/or Food Issues

What to Expect When You See a Clinical Psychologist About a Potential Eating Disorder, Body Image or Food Issues

Seeking help for the first time can be really scary. Especially if you have convinced yourself that you are not sick enough, or it’s all in your head, or that you have to be super skinny and underweight to have an eating disorder. This is why understanding what the process involves can make it less overwhelming when you finally decide to seek help from an eating disorder psychologist in Melbourne. Addressing eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image issues is a complex journey that takes time, dedication, and patience. Here, we’ll outline what you can expect when beginning treatment, particularly during those first few sessions, and how Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Eating Disorders (CBT-E), the gold standard treatment, can help you with finding food freedom and body liberation.

1. The Assessment Process: What to Expect in the First Sessions

Your first two to three sessions with an eating disorder psychologist will focus on assessment rather than treatment. This is important because it allows your psychologist to gather an in-depth understanding of your life, eating patterns, body image struggles, and how these issues are interconnected.

Expect your psychologist to ask a lot of questions, including:

• How long have you been struggling with your relationship with food or your body image?
• What are your current eating patterns? Do you engage in restrictive eating, binge eating, or purging behaviours?
• What is your relationship with exercise? Do you exercise too much?
• How do these issues affect your daily life, such as work, school, or relationships?
• Have you received treatment for disordered eating before? If so, what was your experience?

This assessment phase is crucial for developing an accurate diagnosis and tailoring a treatment plan that specifically addresses your unique struggles. Don’t be surprised if these sessions feel slow-paced compared to the quick-fix nature of “30-day body transformation gym challenges” or diet programs that promise fast results. The truth is recovery from an eating disorder takes time. Building a strong foundation during the assessment process is key for your long-term success. So relax, trust the process, and don’t try to rush anything.

2. Treatment Doesn’t Begin Until Session 3 or 4

After the assessment phase, your psychologist will discuss with you the diagnosis (if there is one) and then the treatment will begin around session 3 or 4. This might seem like a slow start but remember: lasting change is a process. Unlike quick-fix weight-loss programs, eating disorder treatment isn’t about immediate results but about creating sustainable, long-term recovery.

Once treatment begins, your psychologist will likely use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Eating Disorders (CBT-E). CBT-E is an evidence-based treatment approach designed specifically for people with eating disorders, whether you struggle with anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating disorder, or another form of disordered eating.

CBT-E focuses on understanding the thoughts, emotions, and behaviours that contribute to your eating disorder. Key components of CBT-E treatment include:

• Challenging the unhelpful rules that maintain disordered eating behaviours (e.g., “I can’t eat carbs” or “I must eat under 1200 calorie per day”).
• Establishing regular and normal eating patterns to stabilize your body’s metabolism and relationship with food.
• Addressing body image concerns, which are often at the core of eating disorders.
• Developing a more balanced, flexible approach to food and eating—one that encourages freedom, rather than control, around food choices.

This treatment is designed to be gradual and sustainable, and your psychologist will work with you to set realistic, achievable goals. Each step builds on the previous one, meaning that recovery unfolds over time. Although it may seem slow initially, it’s important to remember that the changes you’re making are meant to last. It took you years to develop the disordered eating patterns so expecting a quick fix is unrealistic.

3. Honesty Is Key: Your Psychologist Has Heard It All Before

It is super important to be completely honest about your experiences with your therapist. It can feel intimidating to open up about disordered behaviours, especially if you’ve spent a lot of time hiding them from others. You might feel embarrassed and ashamed of yourself. You may worry that your psychologist will be shocked or judge you but be assured—they have heard it all before. There is absolutely nothing you can say that will shock your eating disorder psych.

Eating disorder psychologists are trained to understand the complexity of disordered eating behaviours. Whether you’re struggling with restricting food, binge eating, purging, or other forms of disordered behaviour, it’s their job to listen without judgment and help you explore these patterns. Some of the eating disorder psychologists have struggled with eating disorders themselves, recovered, and are now passionate about helping others recover.

The more honest you are, the more accurately your psychologist can understand what’s happening and guide you towards recovery. This honesty includes sharing difficult experiences, such as how you feel about your body, anything that you avoid (like intimacy with your partner because of body shame), any compensatory behaviours (like over-exercising), and even moments when you might have lied about your eating habits. Your psychologist will never be shocked or disappointed in you—instead, they’ll work to support you in unravelling these behaviours and finding healthier coping mechanisms.

4. Question Everything

Another important part of therapy is knowing that you can—and should—ask as many questions as you need. If something doesn’t make sense or you don’t understand why a certain strategy is being used, ask your psychologist for clarification.

Therapy is a collaborative process, and your psychologist wants you to be an active participant in your recovery. You might wonder:

• Why are we focusing on my thoughts about food rather than the food itself?
• What’s the purpose of journaling or writing down my emotions?
• How will challenging my negative thoughts help me feel better about my body?

These are all valid questions, and your psychologist is there to guide you through the process. Never hesitate to ask for more information if you’re confused or unsure. It’s crucial that you fully understand the treatment plan so you can engage with it meaningfully.

The key here is that recovery is not something your psychologist does for you—it’s something you do together. The more you communicate with your psychologist, the more effective the treatment will be.

5. It’s Your Choice to Involve Family and Friends

When it comes to involving family and friends in your treatment, the decision is entirely up to you—as long as you’re over 18. Some people find that having loved ones involved provides a valuable source of support, while others prefer to keep their treatment private.

If you’re unsure whether to involve family or friends, discuss it with your eating disorder psychologist. They can help you weigh the pros and cons and decide whether involving others will be helpful for your recovery.

While support from loved ones can be a valuable part of your treatment, it’s not actually essential for success. Your recovery is about you, and while external support can be very helpful, it’s not the only factor that determines your success in treatment. Many people successfully recover from eating disorders with the help of their psychologist alone. However, I do not recommend a solo journey. Even just one person, such as your best friend, can make it 100 times easier to recover from your eating disorder.

6. Good Things Take Time

One of the most challenging aspects of eating disorder treatment is accepting that recovery takes time. There are no shortcuts or quick fixes. Unlike fad diets or workout programs that promise fast results, CBT-E is a long-term process that addresses the root causes of your eating disorder.

For most people, it’s recommended to allow at least a year for treatment. However, this is just a general guideline—your journey might take less time or more, depending on your individual circumstances.

Several factors can influence the length of treatment:

• How long you’ve been struggling with disordered eating.
• Your level of readiness for change.
• The strength of your support system.
• The complexity of your diagnosis (for example, if you’re dealing with co-occurring mental health issues like anxiety or depression).

It’s important to remember that recovery is not linear. You might have periods of rapid progress, followed by setbacks. This is normal, and it doesn’t mean the treatment isn’t working. Patience and commitment are key to achieving lasting recovery.

7. Setbacks Are Normal

Setbacks are a normal part of the recovery process, and it’s important not to be discouraged when they happen. Setbacks will happen to everyone. Whether it’s returning to old behaviours or struggling to maintain new coping strategies, setbacks are part of the recovery journey. Setbacks reveal a lot about your eating disorder and are extremely valuable in planning for long term recovery.

Your eating disorder psychologist will help you navigate setbacks by providing strategies to get back on track. One important thing to remember is that you don’t have to go through this alone. Having a support system in place, whether it’s family, friends, or partner, can be incredibly valuable in staying motivated and committed to recovery.

While your psychologist will be your primary source of guidance, external support can provide emotional encouragement and help you stay accountable.

8. Commitment to the Process

For CBT-E to be effective, it requires commitment. This means attending your sessions regularly, engaging with the therapy exercises, and being honest with your psychologist about what’s working and what’s not.

Recovery is not something that happens overnight, and it’s normal to experience frustration along the way. But by staying committed to the process and trusting in your psychologist’s guidance, you’re giving yourself the best chance for recovery.

Remember that change happens gradually. Even if it feels slow at first, each small step you take is a victory. Over time, these small victories add up to lasting, meaningful change.

Seeking help from an eating disorder psychologist in Melbourne is a huge step towards recovery, food freedom and body acceptance. The process may seem slow at times, and it will require patience, honesty, and commitment. However, by allowing yourself the time and space to engage fully with CBT-E, you’re setting the foundation for a healthier relationship with food, your body, and yourself.

If you’re looking for eating disorder treatment in Melbourne’s north, remember that the first few sessions will focus on understanding your history and specific struggles before treatment begins. This slower start is vital in ensuring that your treatment plan is fully tailored to your needs.

Do you have any more questions about eating disorder treatment? DM me on Instagram and I will do my best to answer!

Disclaimer:
This blog provides general information about eating disorder treatment and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please seek immediate help from a qualified professional.

For immediate support, contact Lifeline at 13 11 14 (24/7 Crisis Support).