What happens in the first session?

Session number one is largely information gathering- for you and for us. We have important information that we need to obtain to assist us in helping you, this includes such things as a history of your symptoms and information about your family. Goodness-of-fit between a client, therapist and treatment approach is essential- so session number one is also your chance to gauge how comfortable you feel in the process. People often have mixed feelings before attending an initial session- these feelings might range from anxiousness to apprehension- and this is perfectly normal.

What treatment approach does BodyMatters take?

Our primary service at BodyMatters is counselling for disordered eating and/or body shame. This usually involves seeing one of our therapists in a one-on-one setting on a regular basis and discussing the issues that bring you to counselling. Our therapists take a very individual approach that would be fully customised based on your symptoms, severity, history of illness and treatment attempts. It may involve just talking- however it may also involve completing challenges in sessions or assigning home tasks to complete between sessions. Our number one priority is to determine and deliver an approach that works for you. All interventions that we use are “evidence based” and cover a range of psychotherapeutic techniques. It is quite normal that we would be eclectic to maximise treatment outcomes, however this would typically be discussed in more detail in the first session.

Why don’t all BodyMatters’ therapists offer rebates?

Unfortunately in Australia at the moment it is only psychologists that can offer rebates. This is an issue that psychotherapists and counsellors are currently lobbying the government about, however it is likely that it will be some time before this changes. Regardless, all of our therapists have a lot of experience in working with people impacted by eating disorders . Pricing will depend on which therapist you choose to engage – please contact us so we can discuss your needs.

How long will it take to get better?

The recovery process for eating disorders is individual and varies from person to person and usually takes several months (at a minimum). Some people take longer than others to recover. This does not mean that they are a hopeless case, or that they are not trying hard enough. The reality is that eating disorders are highly complex illnesses and each person comes to the session with his/her own personal history, treatment history, and biological make up.

What are BodyMatters’ opening hours?

Our opening hours are Mondays to Saturdays, from 7am to 9pm Australian time. If you are located overseas, please check the ‘world clock’ prior to making your next appointment as we will be using Australian Eastern Seaboard Time as our point of reference http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/

Where is BodyMatters located?

For individual and group counselling sessions, we currently operate out of 3 locations based in Sydney. The location your sessions are held at will depend on which therapist you choose to work with –  our addresses are located here and we are happy to provide you with specific driving/public transport details once you have chosen your therapist.

We also service the entire Australasian community using our Skype and telephone counselling services. Please contact us to book a session.

How can I find out more about eating disorders and body image issues?

At BodyMatters we are passionate about keeping ‘in the know’ when it comes to clinical, cultural, and personal issues relevant to eating disorders. For this reason, we regularly blog about issues in the media/popular culture, have guest bloggers including those who have recovered from eating disorders themselves, and provide up-to-date clinical and practical information. We also broadcast daily on our facebook and twitter accounts, so you can interact and tell us your thoughts! You may also choose to subscribe to our newsletters – we look forward to hearing from you!