About Us
The BodyMatters Approach
BodyMatters Australasia is an innovative clinic that provides a range of services for the prevention and treatment of eating disorders and unhealthy weight-loss practices. Taking an educational, clinical and community-oriented approach, we offer our expertise in counselling, education, consultancy and advocacy.
Our aim at BodyMatters is to change the cultural influences that contribute to our epidemic of eating disorders and unhealthy weight-loss behaviours, while assisting those who are already affected by them. We take a non-judgemental approach and aim to restore each client’s sense of dignity and self-worth. Fostering a healthy relationship with food, we view health as an ongoing process, involving emotional, physical, psychological, intellectual and social aspects.
We are excited to announce that as of March 2012, BodyMatters launched Endangered Bodies Australia – a non profit grassroots activist movement dedicated to challenging visual culture and the harmful multi-billion dollar diet industry. Endangered Bodies Australia is part of a global initiative, with branches in New York, London, Dublin, Sao Paolo, and Buenos Aires. We will be waging campaigns to create a healthier culture for every body.
Keep your eyes peeled for our blog posts and media updates – we’d love to have you on board and keep you ‘in the know’!
Meet Our Directors
LYDIA JADE TURNER
Lydia Jade Turner is the Managing Director of BodyMatters Australasia. As a psychotherapist specialising in eating pathology, she has featured in a range of media including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Sun Herald, The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, National Nine News, The Morning Show, SBS, 2UE and ABC News Radio.
Lydia has presented at Parliament House, national summits across Australia, and international conferences. She is currently undertaking groundbreaking international research exploring the shift in health paradigms.
Lydia has previously worked as the School Programmes Director and Consultant to The Eating Disorders Foundation (NSW). Her broad experience in the field of eating pathology has included designing and delivering training programmes to health professionals; presenting in schools, tertiary institutions, hospitals and community organisations; and providing counselling services.
As an opinion writer her work has been published in a variety of mainstream media and has been re-published by internationally acclaimed eating disorders specialist Dr Rick Kausman, journalist and Chairperson for the National Advisory Group on Body Image Mia Freedman, author and social commentator Melinda Tankard Reist, The Centre for Eating and Dieting Disorders (CEDD) and the National Association to the Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA).
Lydia has previously featured as first chair violinist of the SBS Radio and Television Youth Orchestra.
SARAH McMAHON
Sarah McMahon is the joint Managing Director of BodyMatters Australasia. As a psychologist she has a passion for educating the community about disordered eating, and supporting those who are affected by it, including parents and siblings. Sarah has spent almost 10 years counselling people affected by disordered eating behaviours and facilitating eating disorder support groups in a range of settings, including corporations, public hospitals, non-government organisations and private practices.
Sarah was previously employed by The Eating Disorders Foundation and The Butterfly Foundation. In these roles she counselled people affected by eating disorders; provided training and supervision of leaders of eating disorder recovery group; and coordinated a rural project that was undertaken through the eating disorder units at Westmead Hospital and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
Sarah loves presenting on disordered eating and has spoken publicly about the issue in an array of settings, including professional conferences, large community events, universities (Sydney University and Auckland University- CCE) and schools.
She has featured in a range of media, including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Daily Telegraph, Body+Soul, Cleo, Cosmopolitan, Madison, 2UE, Triple J and National 9 News.
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We also work with a range of health professionals from medical doctors to dietitians to support our clients with a multidisciplinary approach to prevention and treatment.