As a weight loss psychologist, Dr. Shapiro has the expertise to help you understand your relationship with food and the reasons and triggers for your unhealthy eating. She will help you learn new ways responding to these situations and develop healthier patterns. The goal is not to be on a diet but rather to develop a new relationship with food and to feel more in control of yourself.

For the past 10+ years, Dr. Shapiro has been working with people who struggle with weight management. While some people have more recently become overweight as an adult (e.g., due to job stress, change of environment, new relationship, children, no time to exercise, depression, etc), others have been battling their weight for as long as they can remember. Dr. Shapiro understands that you have likely tried several diets in the past. Many of her patients tell her that they have been able to lose some weight but they get discouraged when they don’t lose as much as they want to lose or they have a difficult time keeping their weight off. They then give up and experience the weight loss, up and down, roller coaster ride.

Initial Assessment: Dr. Shapiro will first meet with you and get to know you. She will gather information about your eating, activity, diets that you’ve tried in the past (what worked and what didn’t work), your social history (family, work, relationship, upbringing), the role that food and body played in your family, etc. She will then work with you to collaboratively put together a treatment plan.

Length of Treatment: Typically, Dr. Shapiro meets with patients weekly (but is flexible upon the needs of each patient). As treatment progresses patients transition to every other week, and then monthly, until they graduate from treatment. The ultimate goal is for patients to manage their eating and weight alone and to feel better without Dr. Shapiro’s assistance.

Duration of Treatment: During sessions, Dr. Shapiro will help you identify and change your own personal relationship with food. While this can include a history of what triggered your initial weight gain or unhealthy eating patterns, the focus is not on the past but rather it is on the present and what is maintaining this behavior/unhealthy eating pattern. This includes discussing the emotional and behavioral reasons for eating and learning different ways of managing these situations.

Some examples might include:

• If you binge eat or emotionally eat or feel out of control, we may discuss the specific triggers that lead to a binge eating episode. Then, you can learn to prevent the trigger if possible or learn alternative ways of managing it. Triggers can include events, isolation, relationships (positive or negative), feelings (stress, anxiety, boredom, loneliness, excitement), physical sensations (hunger, PMS, tired), unhealthy (and maybe untrue) thoughts.
  
• If you tend to make unhealthy food choices, we may discuss why these choices are made, barriers to making healthier choices, and solutions to prevent this cycle from continuing.
  
• If you sabotage yourself, we may identify the unhealthy self-talk that you might say to yourself and formulate healthier ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving: “I just blew it, I may as well get the extra large serving;” “I’ll never lose weight, what’s the point;” “Nobody is going to find me attractive like this!” “ I’ll start over on Monday.”

We all do these examples from time to time….but when it becomes frequent, disruptive, causes distress, and leaves you feeling “stuck” it might be time to get help.

Group Treatment for Emotional Eating or Weight Loss: Dr. Shapiro conducts emotional eating and behavioral weight loss groups. However, if you believe that a group is not for you and you want individual support, Dr. Shapiro can work with you individually on your weight loss and/or on the group topics listed below.

• Balanced and Healthy Diet
  
• Lifestyle Activity and Exercise
  
• Mood and Food
  
• Emotional Eating
  
• Binge Eating
  
• Restaurant Eating
  
• Meal Planning
  
• Managing Cravings
  
• Mindful Eating
  
• Triggers and Cues to Eating
  
• Overcoming Obstacles
  
• Goal Setting
  
• Time Management
  
• Weight Maintenance for Long Term Success …..and more