WHAT ARE EATING DISORDERS?
Eating disorders are complex mental illnesses characterised by a preoccupation with the control of food, weight and/or body shape, in attempt to manage feelings or underlying psychological difficulties, often with ever-increasing demands.
Eating disorders are not dieting or vanity gone too far.
However, the eating disorder usually results in just the opposite: feelings of hopelessness and self-loathing, with greater importance placed in adhering to disordered practices/behaviours.
Eating disorders often have a significant negative impact on the individual’s life; physically, emotionally, occupationally and socially. Why someone might develop an eating disorder is the result of the combination of several risk factors; genetic predisposition, environmental experiences, psychological factors and socio-cultural influences.
Around 1 in every 20 Australians has an eating disorder. Eating disorders have one of the highest mortality rates of any mental illness.
Eating disorders do not discriminate. They affect people of any age, weight, size, shape, gender identity, sexuality, cultural background or socioeconomic group.
Not all people who diet end up with eating disorders, however dieting is a major risk factor for eating disorder, with dieters 8x more likely to develop an eating disorder.
Eating behaviours exist along a spectrum. Even if you don't meet diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder, you're never 'not sick enough' to seek out help.
It's normal to have mixed feelings about wanting to recover.
By engaging with the right supports, full recovery is possible.
Finding the specialised treatment team that fits you is a great step in beginning your recovery journey.
HOW DO YOU TREAT EATING DISORDERS?
Evidence shows that a wrap-around care team is conducive to the best experience of recovery. As eating disorders have both psychological and physiological implications, it's best that your team includes practitioners with expertise in eating disorders.
We always recommend being linked in with a dietitian, psychologist and GP, as well as any support people in your life. Your team will then collaborate with you on the best treatment model to fit your experience of your eating disorder. With your permission, we check-in with the care team of your choosing to ensure we're all on the same page.
First line treatment models include
- Enhanced Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT-E),
- Maudsley Model of Anorexia Nervosa Treatment for Adults (MANTRA),
- Specialist Supportive Clinical Management (SSCM),
- Family Based Treatment (FBT)
Every recovery journey looks different.
It's important to know that no two recovery journeys look the same.
At Intuitry, we think it's essential to understand your experience of your eating disorder and/or recovery journey in embarking on that journey together.
An eating disorder specialised care team that fits your needs. We'll make sure that our work together matches.
Evidence-based practice coupled with practice-based evidence. Whilst built on well researched models, our extensive experience working with eating disorders always colours our treatment.
You are the expert on you. We'll meet you where you're at. We're there for support, but because so much of recovery is done by you, we always honour your perspective.
WH WE WRK WITH
We are a specialised service working with all eating disorder presentations.
Sometimes it can be helpful to have a specific diagnosis, and sometimes the diagnosis can get in the way.
We know that eating disorders do not discriminate and work with people of all eating disorder diagnoses, as well as people who present with disordered eating, without a diagnosis.
ANOREXIA NERVOSA
a type of eating disorder characterised by extreme food restriction, significant weight loss and an intense fear of gaining weight...
BULIMIA NERVOSA
a type of eating disorder characterised by episodes of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviours, which are intended to prevent...
BINGE EATING DISORDER
a type of eating disorder characterised by recurrent episodes of binge eating. A binge is defined as eating an amount of food...
OSFED
a term used to describe disordered eating behaviours that significantly impact on the individual’s life, but do not fit another diagnosis...
DISORDERED EATING
between normal eating and an eating disorder and may include symptoms and behaviours of eating disorders, but at a lesser...
ARFID
it involves “an eating or feeding disturbance” that can include disinterest in eating, or specific avoidance due to the sensory characteristics...
MORE ABOUT OUR CLIENTS
WHY SEE A DIETITIAN?
There can often be a lot of hesitation in seeing a dietitian, or misinformation about what dietitians do. Sometimes people think of dietitians as the food police, or think that they know how to eat healthy and so don't understand the role a dietitian can play in their recovery. A dietitian is so much more than a meal plan machine.
Its all about the food, yet not about the food at all.
A dietitian is an integral part of the eating disorder care team. Eating disorders all involve some degree of disordered behaviours around food and a dietitian specialising in eating disorders is well placed to support you at each point of your recovery journey.
This might initially look like collaborating on a plan for nutritional restoration, or to meet your nutritional needs, helping you overcome your barriers to continued recovery. As you progress, your dietitian can then support you to let go of plans, building confidence in eating practices that connect you to your internal cues and personal values.
Our dietitians have training in the evidence-based intervention models used as first-line treatment for eating disorders. Whether you are engaged in Enhanced Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT-E), the Maudsley Model of Anorexia Nervosa Treatment for Adults (MANTRA), Specialist Supportive Clinical Management (SSCM), or Family Based Treatment (FBT), our dietitians will map your work together to the appropriate model.
Gain confidence by working with qualified professionals in nutrition. Dietitians can provide structure and eventually help build internal trust.
It's hard to let go of food rules if you need to follow them. But do you? Dietitians help you figure out which food rules working for you, and which ones aren't.
Sometimes there's more going on. Dietitians are the best person to consult on intersecting nutritional issues like athletic performance, diabetes or IBS etc.
Sometimes theres too much to cover in 50minutes. Free up sessions with your psychologist to talk about surrounding or supporting issues.
MEET UR PEPLE
PRINCIPAL DIETITIAN
RUSSELL PHILLIPS
I want to help people live a full life that aligns with their own values, uninhibited by preoccupations with eating or their body.
Russell (he/him) is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian, Fitness Professional and the principal dietitian of Intuitry. Russell has worked in fitness since 2010, and as a dietitian since 2014.
Russell specialises in treatment for eating disorders, working with individuals and families at every stage of an individuals eating disorder to help develop confidence in eating patterns that serve them well. Russell is passionate about the importance of a weight-neutral lens on health and explores this concept with all of his clients to strengthen their recovery journey.
When Russell isn't working with his clients, he is usually teaching Zumba classes, enjoying a Friday night in with takeaway and red wine or camping in the bush.
Kalamunda and Mount Lawley
DIETITIAN
EFRAT CARBONNE
Significant change, be it behaviour or thinking, is simply a collection of small changes outside of your comfort zone.
Effie (she/her) is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Accredited Sports Dietitian, with over a decade of experienced in working with people with complex medical needs.
Effie believes that nutrition should be made easy and has a pragmatic approach to help influence how your network, support and lifestyle can support your food choices. Effie aims to help people discover a healthier relationship with food, with behaviour change suited to them. Effie is experienced in working with people who have undergone abdominal surgeries, stomas, feeding tubes, dialysis and rehabilitation and disordered eating. Effie also has interest in working with recreational athletes practicing combat sports.
In her spare time Effie enjoys Taekwondo, kickboxing, BJJ and spending time with her family out and about.
Kalamunda and Mount Lawley
FEES AND REBATES
PRINCIPAL ACCREDITED PRACTICING DIETITIAN
$
215.00
Initial Consultation
ACCREDITED PRACTICING DIETITIAN
$
185.00
Initial Consultation
NEXT STEPS
Step 01
Make an enquiry
Give us a call or complete the online form to get in touch about making an appointment.
Step 02
added to waitlist
We'll follow up with a confirmation email to let you know that you are on the list and a consent form to complete prior to your initial consultation
Step 03
ACCESS A CARE PLAN?
You might like to follow-up joining our waitlist by making an appointment with your GP for assessment for accessing an Eating Disorder Plan (EDP) or Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) Plan.
Step 04
TOP OF THE WAITLIST
When an availability opens up, we'll call you to offer you an initial consultation with one of our dietitians who will provide an assessment and then discuss treatment options with you.
FAQ
Intuitive Eating is one effective model of changing your eating practices to something that is natural and confident, which is exactly what we hope for. However, it's important to recognise that some of 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating can't be adopted because of the eating disorders influence during the early stages of recovery. We want you to live a life in which thinking about food only takes up a small amount of brain-space. So when the time is right, we'll support you in building your internal regulation of food needs, possibly using Intuitive Eating.
Short answer - sometimes. Meal plans have their place in eating disorder recovery. They can provide some much needed or wanted structure in the face of unsureness and help you to be confident in achieving regular, adequate and varied eating. But a meal plan, particularly given to you by someone else, is never going to really honour your personal hunger, appetite, fullness, social life, ethics, time, energy, finances and ultimately happiness. So with the right amount of routine that helps you thrive, we want to take you beyond a meal plan to a place of internal trust.
No. There is no need to have a formal diagnosis to access our services. Your dietitian will discuss with you whether a formal diagnosis will be of use to your work together.
No. No referral is needed to access our services. However, we do accept referrals and care plans from your GP, Psychologist or Psychiatrist.
These are all care plans, that can be produced by your doctor, as part of the Medicare Better Access initiative, to give you access to rebates from medicare when you see a heath professional.
An Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) Plan or Chronic Disease Management (CDM) Plan will give you access to 5x rebates with allied health professionals each year. This includes dietitians, and can be used to access rebates for our services.
A Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) will give you access to 10x rebates from a mental health professional. THIS CANNOT BE USED TO ACCESS REBATES FROM SESSIONS WITH A DIETITIAN.
An Eating Disorder Plan (EDP) will give you access to 20x rebates with a dietitian, and up to a total of 40x (in increments of 10x) rebates with a mental health professional (psychologist/social worker/occupational therapist) within a 12 month period for sessions working on eating disorder recovery.
Yes. Our dietitians are experienced with working with young people with eating disorders. Family Based Therapy (FBT) is often the most appropriate treatment model for this age and we will work with the family under the core values of FBT. If you have a loved one under 10 with an eating disorder, we would strongly encourage organising preliminary phone call with our Principal Dietitian prior to booking an appointment.