At Valeo, we understand that society places too much emphasis on physical size without considering the whole person.
Considering the Whole Person
From a young age, we are taught that body weight equals physical health. This perspective feeds into negative stereotypes that cause people of all shapes and sizes to feel alone and judge themselves harshly. Positive embodiment embraces the unique experience we have of living inside our bodies, and how we engage with them by positively responding to our needs. Our time together is spent developing new ways of thinking about yourself as a whole person and how to interact with your world in a positive way.
Everybody and Every Body Matters
Valeo offers unique guidance under the leadership of Dr. Alana Ireland, who specializes in the spectrum of weight-related concerns. There are many who provide support for eating disorders, and some who specialize in obesity, but very few have the broader perspective of providing evidence-based support in both communities. This creates a gap in service that is often covered as “one of many” concerns that psychology professionals offer. If you’ve ever explored counselling for weight-related concerns, one of the immediate differences you might notice at Valeo is that we talk about these concerns differently.
This approach is not only unique to our psychology team, but to our other services as well. This deeper knowledge allows us to provide food and nutrition, and exercise and movement guidance backed by the research that best supports you. That’s because we are actively engaged in scholarship and research, continuously learning, and contributing to the health field through our own research and training. This means that while working with us, you have access to the most up-to-date information, techniques and resources, and receive guidance from professionals who are at the forefront of this specialization.
Healthy People Come in All Shapes and Sizes
We are exposed to diet culture and body talk every day, whether online, on television and in media, or by social interactions, where unwarranted comments and jokes about bodies and body size are normalized. It is unhealthy and leads to disordered eating and poor mental health. We work together to overcome these ideals and focus on helping you live in a positive way that is meaningful to you.
What to expect during your sessions
Compassion
We understand that eating disorders are an illness and obesity is a disease.
Learning
Understand how your body functions. It does incredible things.
Peace
Feel at home and happy in your body at any size.
Enjoyment
Find physical activities you actually enjoy. Exercise should feel good.
Self-Talk
Treating all food as food and removing the “good” and “bad” labels.
Your Weight Does Not Equal Your Health
We’ve been taught to believe that people with smaller bodies are the healthy standard. The normalization of this belief has led to individuals of all sizes being judged by others, or judging themselves, as healthy or unhealthy based on appearance. You cannot know how healthy someone is based on how they look.
Your best weight is the one that allows you to live your healthiest, happiest life — a life where your surroundings, relationships, and body are in harmony.
We can help you explore:
- Body image
- Eating disorders and disordered eating
- Weight stigma
- Obesity
- Social media literacy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is weight stigma?
Weight stigma is any negative attitudes, beliefs, and opinions towards people based on their body size. Some examples of weight stigmatizing stereotypes are that higher-weight individuals are sloppy, lazy, unintelligent, or lack willpower. Weight stigma is not only hurtful emotionally, but research has found it to negatively impact psychological and physical health.
What is social media literacy?
Social media literacy is a skill we teach to help you navigate a mentally demanding digital world. It generally means to not take what you see on social media at face value. Similar to news literacy, it means learning to identify credible sources, and questioning any potential ulterior motives of the author (for example, are they trying to sell you a product?).
What can I expect from sessions focused on weight-related concerns?
You will not receive a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, you can expect to be met with nonjudgmental curiosity about why you might be seeking our services and compassion without any judgment, blame, or shame.
