Helping Clients overcome Emotional Eating

Helping clients overcome emotional eating –

IACP approved for 6 CPD

Date: 2025 

Sat 24 May 2025                      9.30am – 4.30pm

Cost:  € 120

COURSE CONTENT

 

Helping Clients Cope with Emotional Eating: is designed to equip you with the tools and techniques to address emotional eating effectively. You will be able to help clients break the cycle of using food to manage emotions, identify and navigate triggers, and develop healthier long-term eating habits. Through practical, evidence-based strategies rooted in CBT, mindfulness, and nutritional awareness, this course gives you the confidence to guide clients toward sustainable change. Not only will this enhance your clinical skills, but it will also empower your clients to transform their relationship with food for lasting, positive results.

 

  1. Changing Habits

This section focuses on helping clients establish healthier behaviours. After gaining a deeper understanding of emotional eating, this part will guide therapists in helping clients develop new, healthier habits to replace emotional eating. You’ll explore:

  • How to break the cycle of emotional eating.
  • Tools and techniques for building lasting habits.
  • Creating alternative coping mechanisms for dealing with difficult emotions.
  1. Overview of Triggers

Before delving into the specific types of triggers, this section gives an overall understanding of what triggers emotional eating. Therapists will learn to help clients:

  • Recognise the role of triggers in emotional eating.
  • Differentiate between external and internal triggers.
  • Understand why identifying triggers is essential for long-term behaviour change.
  1. Emotional Triggers

This part focuses on the emotional aspects that lead to unhealthy eating habits. Here, psychotherapists will be guided through:

  • Identifying emotions that commonly trigger overeating, such as stress, boredom, or sadness.
  • Techniques for managing emotional triggers without turning to food.
  • Assisting clients in developing healthier emotional coping strategies.
  1. Mental Triggers

Thought patterns play a huge role in emotional eating. In this section, therapists will work with clients to:

  • Identify sabotaging thoughts or cognitive distortions that lead to emotional eating.
  • Use cognitive-behavioural strategies to challenge and reframe these thoughts.
  • Replace unhealthy thought patterns with more adaptive, balanced thinking.
  1. The Essence of Emotional Eating

In this part, we dive into the psychological roots of emotional eating. You’ll learn to help clients:

  • Understand emotional eating as a coping mechanism for difficult emotions.
  • Uncover the underlying psychological issues that drive the behaviour.
  • Identify the emotional triggers that perpetuate these eating habits.
  1. Exploring Emotional and Physical Hunger

Distinguishing between emotional and physical hunger is crucial for overcoming emotional eating. Here, therapists will explore ways to:

  • Help clients differentiate between true physical hunger and emotional hunger.
  • Teach clients to recognise when emotions are driving their desire to eat.
  • Use this understanding to guide clients towards healthier food choices.
  1. Mindful Eating and Habit Change

This part introduces the concept of mindful eating, a powerful tool for changing unhealthy eating behaviours. You’ll be trained to help clients:

  • Become more aware of their eating habits through mindfulness.
  • Slow down and observe their body’s hunger and fullness signals.
  • Implement mindful eating as a way to foster healthier long-term habits.
  1. Nutritional Foundations and Maintenance

Finally, this section covers the basics of nutrition and maintaining progress. It includes:

  • An introduction to healthy, balanced nutrition that supports emotional wellbeing.
  • Strategies for managing cravings, both from a nutritional and psychological perspective.
  • Developing a long-term plan to maintain positive eating habits and avoid relapse into emotional eating. 

 

About Susi Lodola

Susi holds a Master of Science in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Motivational Interviewing, a Higher Diploma in Psychology (level 8) and a BA (Hons) in Linguistics, from UCD, a BA (First Class Honours) in Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy from IICP College (Dublin), a Professional Certificate in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Professional Certificate in Child and Adolescent Counselling and a Diploma in Clinical Supervision.

To deepen her knowledge on how CBT can be applied to help with weight management, Susi attended a specialised workshop at the Beck Institute in Philadelphia. The Beck institute is at the forefront of international research and training in CBT, and Dr Judith Beck is the author and founder of the Beck Diet Solution.

Beside her own private practice as a Psychotherapists and Supervisor, Susi also lectures at IICP College, Dublin.

This Is What Previous Course Participants Had To Say:

Dr Helen O’Brien -Nutritional Therapist

I just wanted to send you my sincerest thanks for the most fantastic day of training last Wednesday. I have to say I enjoyed every minute of it. I absolutely loved your honest, compassionate and  supportive approach to your clients and to your teaching of us -which shone throughout the whole day.

I’ve been a nutritional therapist now for over 25 years mostly supporting clients with tummy problems, menopausal symptoms and general immune issues. And I’ve often realized that there are big gaps in what I’m doing. I’ve always been a very prescriptive style of practitioner and while I know this very works very well for the clients who need that kind of support- I know I would love to educate myself to be able to give them more ongoing support. I’ve recently started offering 12-week programs for clients instead of one-off sessions and the great thing is that the clients have benefited greatly – we’ve got to know each other better throughout the sessions and it’s been fantastic. So I would love to continue this type of longer connection to the client as I think it’s a great benefit to them and to myself as well.

Thank you again for most fantastic day Susi-It was absolutely brilliant!

Martina Fitzpatrick -Psychotherapist

I attended Susi’s two-day workshop on Weight Management using CBT, Motivational Interviewing and Mindfulness Interventions.

From a personal and a professional point of view the workshop is informative and enjoyable.

There is depth to the understanding and application of the process in working with clients.

Susi’s knowledge, experience, warm personality and passion for this area is very evident….even through Zoom.

Highly recommended!

Melissa Hanley – Psychotherapist

I have attended Susi’s first two day IACP accredited workshop on applying Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Motivational Interviewing with clients to support them in changing their lifestyle and to lose weight. Susi was a fantastic presenter and the content of the workshop was not only evidence based research but reflected on people’s experiences also. I am eager to implement the skills and what I have learned from Susi in my clinical practice to help my clients gain insight into their relationship with food and overall well-being. Thank you susi for providing not only your knowledge in this area but for a really engaging and interesting workshop. I can highly recommend this to nutritionists, dieticians, nurses, counsellors and psychotherapists to inform their practice. Thanks Susi

Aine Connaire – Psychotherapist

I just attended Susi’s mind over body workshop for professionals and would highly recommend it to any psychotherapists or nutritionists who are interested in learning more about how to help their clients develop a healthy lifestyle and improve their relationship with themselves and their health. I learnt so much and gained loads of information and tools that I am looking forward to using with my clients in my own work as a psychotherapist. Thanks Susi!

Barbara Edwards – Life Coach

I am delighted that I decided to attend Susi’s workshop. I got so much from it and I can’t wait to implement it through my coaching practice here in Donegal. Susi delivers in such a relaxed and informative way making the learning a thoroughly engaging and enjoyable process. Highly recommended. Thank you so much Susi

Frances Walsh – Psychotherapist

I attended Susi’s first 2-day IACP accredited workshop on applying CBT and MI in working with clients with issues around food/weight. Susi is a very engaging trainer, the materials she presented are well researched and evidence-based, and the workshop was interactive and informative. The training will be particularly helpful for psychotherapists or nutritional therapists in working with clients with emotional eating behaviours and in changing mindsets to decrease sabotaging behaviours. Thank you Susi

Olivia Beck – Nutritionist

Susi is very knowledgeable about the role CBT plays in weight management. As a practitioner, she’s given me practical tools that I can utilise in my business as a Nutritionist

This is an amazing 2 day workshop and very good value for money.

The logic of using CBT principles of learning theory to modify unwanted eating behaviours is impressive in it simplicity. It helps us take control of the ways we use foods, not only to satisfy our hungry but to meet many emotional needs.

Toni Woodman – Psychotherapist

Susi shares her vast experience and knowledge in a most interesting and professional way making it simple and fun to take more control of this part of our lives – a well worthwhile two days.

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