Beginner’s Guide to Feeling Safe Around Food in Brisbane

Embarking on your journey to feeling safe around food and a desire to be overcoming overeating in Brisbane can feel overwhelming—especially if you’ve spent years living in the trenches of the wretched cycles of dieting, shame, or self-criticism.  As the founder of Support to Stop Overeating, I welcome you and here, you can start building trust with food and with yourself—no matter what your past history has been.

Why Feeling Safe Around Food Matters

Many of us in Brisbane—and across Australia—have internalised confusing, even distressing, rules about food and our bodies. These rules can create anxiety, guilt, and lead to patterns of overeating or feeling out of control.  Establishing safety around food is the first step to healing.  I invite you into a trauma-aware space where all the parts of you are treated with care, not criticism.

Body Appreciation: Respect, Not Perfection

Rather than focusing on “loving” or changing how you look, a Body Neutrality approach simply means that we will work on respecting and befriending our bodies without judging its appearance. Our worth is not defined by our weight or shape. This perspective makes it safer to tune into our body’s real signals, rather than eating (or restricting) out of fear or shame.

Step 1: Compassionate Self-Awareness

Practice noticing when and why you might feel unsafe around food or compelled to overeat.  Use an intentional compassionate lens—gently ask yourself what was happening (inside or around you) before the urge to eat hit.  Replace old habits of self-criticism with understanding and kindness.  I encourage phrases like, “It’s okay to feel this way. What do I truly need right now?”

Step 2: Ditch Diet Rules, Listen to You

Rather than chasing dieting trends or “good vs. bad” labels, allow yourself unconditional permission to eat, as if you were babysitting your 5 year old self and he or she said they were hungry and wanted some food – how would you feed your 5 year old self?  This may sound scary, but it is a key way to feel safe around food.  When we can start learning to recognize and appreciate our real hunger and fullness cues, without judging ourselves.  Give your body—and mind—time to trust that a full and healthy range of food items will not be deprived or forbidden.

Step 3: Recognise and Honour Your Real Needs

Overeating is often a signal that another need isn’t being met—rest, comfort, connection, distraction, or even joy.   Could be anything, ask yourself what you are feeling right now.  You could try experimenting with non-food ways to meet these needs: take a walk in a favourite Brisbane green space, or journal and colour-in in an artful style of expressing your feelings. This strengthens your resilience and makes your eating a choice rather than a compulsion.

Step 4: Compassionate Language for Difficult Moments

When you do overeat, instead of berating yourself, speak gently: “I notice I’ve eaten more than feels good. What might I be feeling right now?” Compassionate self-talk opens up a space for change within ourselves, not further punishment!

Step 5: Emotional Literacy and Grounding

Developing emotional awareness can feel daunting, but it gets easier with practice.  I guide my clients in naming their feelings if possible and I share grounding strategies to keep you present when you feel overwhelmed—reminding you, moment by moment, that you can handle your emotions without turning to food.

Your Safe, Brisbane-Based Support System

Your journey to overcoming overeating in Brisbane should never be a lonely one.  Whether through individual face to face sessions or phone sessions, I offer you genuine support to help you understand your full experience of your feelings and your needs.  The goal isn’t perfection; because perfection doesn’t exist, it’s progress towards feelings of safety and trust within you, one gentle step at a time.

If you’re ready to begin, I invite you to connect with Support to Stop Overeating. Together, we can nurture a kinder relationship with food and yourself, no matter your starting point.