While anorexia and bulimia are serious eating disorders, the most common eating disorder regardless of gender in Canada is binge eating disorder. Binge eating disorder (BED) typically involves eating large amounts of food in a short period of time, often until uncomfortably full, in secret, or followed by feelings of shame. Binge eating patterns can often be tied to stress, sadness, and external life pressures related to things like work, school, friends or extracurriculars.
Think you might benefit from support with your eating habits and thoughts, behaviours and patterns around food and body image? Layla Care offers a Recovery Skills Group for individuals 18+ with eating disorders and disordered eating.
In the Recovery Skills Group, participants will examine their own frameworks around food and identify and challenge unhelpful thoughts and feelings. Through discussion and collaboration, participants will gain insight into their individual recovery pathway and develop a framework that focuses on health and empowerment. The program is open to adults affected by any Eating Disorder or struggle more generally with feelings, thoughts, or behaviours related to food. Available to residents of Ontario.
As part of the Recovery Skills group, registered participants will work in a group format with a dedicated Layla therapist to build skills and explore strategies to support individual recovery and move towards lasting change. This group welcomes and respects the experience and efforts of participants wherever they may be in their process of recovery. This group focuses on increasing each participant’s knowledge of the stuck points in their continued recovery journeys so they may be better able to access alternative coping strategies and align with their pathways of recovery. As such, any potentially triggering conversations regarding specific foods, medications, numbers (e.g. calories), direction of weight changes, exercise behaviours, Eating Disorder symptoms and diagnoses, details about trauma and self-harm behaviours are not discussed in session.
Throughout the 12 week program, participants will join weekly online sessions to learn a variety of skills and techniques in a safe and supportive environment which respects the unique experiences of each participant. The group is based on evidence-based practices including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for increasing the understanding of thoughts and feelings, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) for emotional regulation and mindfulness, as well as drawing from the principles of Health at Every Size®.
Topics to be covered include: the impact of Eating Disorders on physical health, exploration of body and self image and core beliefs, the behaviour and feelings cycle, processing shame and guilt, hope and change, and developing insights on our individual pathway of recovery.
The Recovery Skills for Eating Disorder group is designed for adults over the age of 18 who are affected by an Eating Disorder or disordered eating impacting their wellness and quality of life. Participants may have a diagnosis of Bulimia, Anorexia, Binge Eating, or other eating disorders, or may more broadly struggle with their relationship to food, eating, and weight.
In advance of registering for the program, the Layla team will help you assess fit for this program. This will include a short phone call so you will have a chance to ask any questions you might have as well.
At this time, the program is open to residents of Ontario.
There will be up to 10 participants in each group. Each online group session will be structured with an opening check-in to bring participants into the group session. Each session will include discussion and introduction of a topic or skills. Materials including handouts and worksheets will be provided.
Sessions will be conducted through secure video, and participants will be asked to commit to confidentiality. You have the option to only use your first name with other group members and sessions will not be recorded. This program will include up to 10 participants.
The cost for the 12-week program is $870, which covers all 12 weeks of the program. The balance is to be paid by the due date issued on the invoice.
Clients will receive a receipt with the therapist license information that may be used for employer benefits reimbursement. We encourage you to check your health benefits to verify if you are covered for this type of provider (or let us know if we can help with that).
As you consider joining a therapy group you may notice a variety of emotional reactions arise. It is not unusual for people to experience discomfort, anxiety, or worry when they think about making changes. You may feel anxious about starting a group and joining sessions, especially on the first day, but those feelings will likely decrease throughout the session and with each session you attend. Adjusting to a new experience in a new environment will take time.
Kindness, compassion, respect, and inclusivity, are the core values that frame the conversations in the group. At the first session, ground rules and expectations are reviewed. During each session, the group facilitator will encourage engagement with the materials through psychoeducation and discussion. Participants are welcome to decide when, what, and how much they would like to share within group discussions. The goal is for participants to move through their process at their own pace within a safe, supportive and encouraging environment.
Each session will begin with an opening exercise to bring participants into the space and to bring focus to the topic of the day. Handouts and/or worksheets will be provided prior to the start of each group session. Each session will cover a specific topic or skill and will include discussion to increase understanding as well as foster an environment of support and learning within the group. The session ends with a closing exercise.
There is no homework for this group. Instead, participants are invited to engage with the relevant materials between sessions to solidify their learnings at their own comfort level and pace.
The group facilitator is available to respond to non-urgent questions outside of sessions but is not accessible for emergency or crisis support. You may forward your non-urgent questions to the facilitator via email and expect an answer on group day prior to the start of group. In the event of an emergency or crisis, please call 911 or go to your nearest Emergency Department for further assistance.
