Blogs

ARFID and autism often overlap — and support doesn’t need to be rushed or overwhelming. These slides share gentle, realistic starting points  you can try at home, focused on safety, trust and reducing pressure around food 🤍 Helen Dean is a dietitian specialising in ARFID, autism and family-centred feeding support.

Most parents arrive at feeding therapy exhausted. Not just physically, but emotionally — worn down by years of worry, second-guessing, and trying everything they can think of to help their child eat “normally”. If that’s you, here are a few things I wish you knew before you began. Your child is not being difficult — they are struggling The refusal, rigidity and distress you see at mealtimes are not behavioural problems.They are signs of a nervous system that feels unsafe. You

ARFID doesn’t just affect the person eating — it affects the whole family. Support, understanding and the right guidance can make an enormous difference. Family-based therapy helps reduce mealtime stress, rebuild trust with food, and support recovery together 💛

For some people, eating disorders aren’t just about food or weight – they’re about overwhelming distress, fear, guilt, and a need to cope or feel in control. Sometimes that distress shows up as self-harm. This is more common than many realise.And it deserves to be taken seriously. You’re not weak. You’re not “failing recovery.” You’re not alone.

As we move toward 2026, I want to share a little of what’s coming next. Self-harm + eating disorders (not talked about enough) More presentations where: Eating triggers punishment Self-harm replaces restriction Risk is present even when weight/bloods look “okay”   Neurodivergence ≠ lack of motivation Especially relevant for: ASD + ARFID ADHD + appetite suppression Black-and-white food rules from social media Social media → food rules pipeline Not dieting — but: “What I eat in

Quasi recovery is a hard place to explain — and an even harder place to live. From the outside, things look ok, you're eating enough . Your weight is “stable.” You’re showing up to work, school, life. People might even tell you how well you’re doing. But inside, food still feels loud. Rules still run the day.Fear still decides what’s allowed, when, and how much. You’re not unwell enough to justify help — but not free enough to feel at peace. This is quasi recovery. What quas

January can feel like a loud “reset” button—but for those living with an eating disorder, disordered eating, or mental health issue, that pressure can be exhausting. Recovery isn’t about perfect plans or January 1st “starts.” Sometimes progress looks like simply showing up, letting support in, and moving forward even when it’s hard. Here's a little reminder that support doesn’t expire with the calendar…

Not every TikTok recipe is harmless. I see young people every week whose eating disorder didn’t start with dieting. It started with “just trying to eat better.” A smoothie.A “high-protein lunch.”A 30-second What I Eat in a Day  video. And slowly — often quietly — food stops being flexible and starts becoming a rule. The quiet shift parents often miss Social media food content rarely looks dangerous at first. It's framed as: “Healthy” “Balanced” “Clean” “High protein” “Low sug

As we move into Christmas, I want to pause and acknowledge something that often goes unspoken. For people living with an eating disorder, disordered eating, ARFID, binge eating, or neurodivergent food challenges, this time of year can feel incredibly heavy. There is more food. More comments. More expectations. Less routine. And often, a lot more pressure to “just enjoy it.” If Christmas feels hard, you are not doing recovery wrong. Heightened anxiety, distress around meals, e

When your child is living with an eating disorder, it can feel like you’re walking on eggshells — every meal a battle, every word the wrong one. You want to help, but you’re not sure how. Join Helen Dean, Accredited Practising Dietitian, Counsellor & Eating Disorder Clinician, for a practical, compassionate online session designed especially for parents and carers. With over 25 years of experience and lived understanding, Helen will guide you through what’s really happening b

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed with food, stuck in unhelpful patterns, or unsure what your body actually needs… you don’t have to figure it out alone. With over 25 years’ experience, I’ll meet you exactly where you’re at and support you at your pace, not anyone else’s. Realistic guidance, compassionate care, and a safe space to rebuild trust in your body. I’ve just opened another day of appointments and am currently taking new clients — spots will go quickly. If you’re re

I hated school.Not in the casual, “ugh, Mondays” kind of way — but in the deep, gut-wrenching, “I can’t face another day of this” way. I was bullied for how I looked. I was overweight, I had boobs early, and I got my period before most of the girls in my class. I remember sitting by my bedroom window in the middle of winter — the air icy, my body shivering — just to feel something different, something other than the dread of having to go back to school. I didn’t have friends