CENTRE FOR EATING, WEIGHT & BODY IMAGE
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We can help adults, adolescents, and children experiencing eating, weight, and body image concerns improve their health, wellbeing, and happiness.
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The Centre for Eating, Weight and Body Image provides best-practice, evidence-based psychological assessment, treatment, and support to individuals and families experiencing eating, weight, or body image-related concerns and associated physical health (e.g., diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome) and mental health (e.g., depression, anxiety, adjustment disorders) difficulties. We offer experienced eating disorder psychological therapy in Melbourne to meet your individual needs.
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Our team of experienced psychologists and dietitians in Melbourne specialise in a range of conditions, including anorexia, binge eating, and other psychological eating disorders.
We take a weight-inclusive, non-dieting approach to our work. This includes accepting and respecting the diversity of body shapes and sizes and promoting all aspects, physical, psychological, and social, of health and wellbeing for people of all sizes.
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We are located at East Melbourne, and our clinic is easily accessible with street parking, trains, trams and bus stops nearby. We also offer Telehealth appointments.
Medicare and private health insurance rebates are available for eligible clients.
Our Team
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Our psychologists have been hand-picked for their warmth, training and experience in the treatment of eating, weight and body image related difficulties. They are provided with training and supervision by experts in the field so they can provide best-practice treatment.
Our psychologists use a range of evidence-based approaches to help you improve your health and wellbeing. As we are client-centered we work collaboratively with you to plan and implement these treatments to best meet your needs.
Dr Leah Brennan
Clinical and Health Psychologist
BAppSc (Hons) MAppSc PhD
Leah is the Director of the Centre for Eating, Weight and Body Image. She is a clinical and health psychologist who is passionate about ensuring client-centred, evidenced-based treatment is available for people experiencing eating, weight, or body image related difficulties. She has a particular interest in integrated treatment for associated mental health (e.g., depression and anxiety) and physical health (e.g., polycystic ovary syndrome, type 2 diabetes) conditions. Leah provides training and supervision in providing evidenced-based treatment for people experiencing eating, weight, or body image concerns.
Dr Capella Meurer
Psychologist
BA Psych (Hons),
M/PhD Psych (Counselling)
Capella is a psychologist who uses a collaborative approach help people overcome difficulties with eating, weight, and body image. She focuses her practice on client centred, evidence-based approaches. She has a particular interest in helping people to develop a positive relationship with food and their bodies through the recovery journey. Capella has experience helping people with depression, anxiety, trauma, personality disorders, and addiction. She has worked in a number of settings, including inpatient, private practice, and community settings. Capella completed her PhD in March 2021; it focused on people’s experiences of eating disorder treatment and recovery.
Ayshin Rasi
Psychologist
BPsych (Hons), MPsych (Clin)
Ayshin is a psychologist who has a warm and gentle approach to therapy and focuses on creating client-centred and collaborative therapeutic relationships. She aims to empower her clients to develop a deeper understanding of themselves and to create more fulfilling and meaningful lives.
Ayshin has experience supporting people with a range of mental health conditions including anxiety, depression and OCD. She is particularly interested in providing evidence-based treatment for individuals and families affected by eating disorders. Her focus is on supporting individuals in improving their body acceptance and developing positive relationships with food and eating.
Tanya Gilmartin
Senior Clinical
Psychologist
Jess Gomularz
Senior
Dietitian
BPsych(Hons), MPsych(Clinical)
BHumNutr, MDietPrac
Tanya is a board (AHPRA) registered Clinical psychologist with a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology. She has a history of working with personality disorders and using both group and individual therapy. She is passionate about developing a warm and supportive relationship with clients and providing them with evidence-based treatment for eating disorders, eating, weight and body image related difficulties and mental health conditions more broadly. Tanya is committed to providing evidence-based eating disorder treatments for adults and adolescents in the community.
Jess is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian with a Master of Dietetic Practice. She has a history of working in early intervention and those with severe and enduring eating disorders in a range of settings, providing dietetic assessment, individual and group nutrition education and nutrition counseling. Jess has worked in acute specialist eating disorder inpatient services, recovery focused day programs and community based services in both the United Kingdom and Australia. Jess is committed to providing a calm and gentle space for clients to explore their relationship with food, health and their bodies providing science and evidence based interventions.
Dr Anita Raspovic
Clinical Psychologist
Grad.Dip.Psych, B.Psych.Sci (Hons),
M.Psych.(Clinical), PhD
Anita is passionate about developing warm and supportive relationships with clients, providing evidence-based treatment for eating, weight and body image concerns. She is a psychologist and a Credentialled Eating Disorder Clinician (CEDC). Anita works to support people with a broad range of mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety, and attachment-related concerns. She has a particular interest in working with young adults (16+) and adults with eating disorders, and with people living in average and larger sized bodies, pre-post bariatric surgery, gender diverse individuals and men. Anita completed a PhD and her masters research investigated body image and health behaviours. Anita has a particular interest in working with people seeking help with lasting effects of traumatising experiences and works from a trauma informed, strengths-based perspective, using a range of modalities including Schema Therapy and EMDR Therapy.
Mary Bechara Psychologist
BPsych(AltHons) MPP(General)
Mary is a board registered (AHPRA) psychologist. Mary has an extensive background in providing trauma and crisis support to the community and is passionate about providing evidence-based psychotherapy to those experiencing depression, anxiety, mood disorders or difficulties coping with life stressors. She is bilingual, speaking English and Arabic, and has a deep understanding of the influence of culture on the individual.
Diana Neves
Clinical Psychologist
BA Psych, Hons, MPsych (Clin)
Diana is a Clinical Psychologist passionate about providing evidence-based treatment for individuals and families impacted by eating disorders. She is deeply committed to cultivating a warm, supportive, and collaborative approach, with the primary focus on helping individuals develop healthier relationships with food, their bodies, and their emotions.
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With extensive experience across hospital and community mental health settings, Diana also offers support for anxiety, depression, stress, and sleep issues. Drawing from her background as a former elite-level athlete, Diana has a strong interest in eating and body image issues within sport. Diana is dedicated to ongoing training striving to provide the best support for lasting recovery and improved mental health.
Oliver Szymanski
Provisional Psychologist
BA, GDP, GDPA, MPsych Ed Dev Candidate
Oliver is a board registered provisional psychologist, currently in his final six months of his Master of Educational and Developmental Psychology.
Oliver is committed to creating warm, safe and nurturing environments for clients to explore themselves, particularly around body image and overcoming challenges associated with eating.
Oliver has experience in assessing for neurodivergent presentations specifically ADHD and Autism and uses a biopsychosocial model as the foundation for his assessments.
Client Support Team
Emma
Practice Manager
Emma has extensive experience in Practice Management and Digital Marketing for psychology organisations. She is an advocate for non-dieting and body positivity and has a passion for promoting a sense of calm and collaboration within teams and organisations. She has completed her Bachelor of Marketing and Communication and is excited to bring her perspectives and ideas to the practice.
Millie
Client Support
Millie (she/her) provides compassionate and diligent assistance to clients. Having completed her Bachelor of Psychology (Honours), Millie
is dedicated to effectively assisting clients in accessing support and care. She is especially passionate about eating, weight and body image psychology, and hopes to both engage in research and become a Clinical Psychologist. She seeks to ensure that every client's journey is marked by both empathy and efficiency.
Dana
Client Support
Dana is currently completing her Bachelor of Psychology (Honours). She is passionate about anticipating and meeting patient needs and assisting them in accessing support in recovery. She has a background working with youth and strives to become a psychologist specialising in eating disorders.
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Our Approach
We take a weight inclusive, non-dieting approach to our work. This includes accepting and respecting the diversity of body shapes and sizes and promoting all aspects, physical, psychological and social, of health and wellbeing for people of all sizes. We promote healthy eating that considers nutritional needs, hunger, satiety, appetite, and pleasure, as well as appropriate, enjoyable, life-enhancing physical activity.
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Our psychologists utilise a range of best-practice evidence-based approaches to help you overcome your eating, weight, and body image concerns to improve their health, wellbeing and happiness. As we are client-centred we work collaboratively with you to plan and implement these treatments to best meet your needs.
The best-practice evidence-based interventions we use include:
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Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
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Family Based Therapy
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Specialist Supportive Clinical Management
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Interpersonal Psychotherapy
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Behavioural Family Intervention
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Our Services
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We offer collaborative, client-centred, evidence-based psychological assessment and treatment of eating, weight, and body image concerns in adults, adolescents, children and families.
We work closely with other medical and health professionals to provide the effective possible interdisciplinary treatment and support.
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We offer psychological assessment, treatment and support for:
Eating concerns/disordered eating including:
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Binge Eating
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Loss of control of eating
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Emotional eating
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Grazing
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Chewing and spitting
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Yo-yo dieting
Eating disorders ​including:
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​Bulimia Nervosa
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Binge Eating disorder
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Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder
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Anorexia Nervosa
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Purging Disorder
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Night Eating Syndrome
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Orthorexia
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Compulsive Exercise
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Other Feeding and Eating Disorders
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Weight and shape concerns
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Preparation for and adjustment to bariatric surgery
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Body image concerns
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​Body dysmorphic disorders
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Body Dysmorphic disorder ​
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Muscle Dysmorphic disorder
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Related medical conditions (e.g., type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome)​
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Related psychological conditions (e.g., depression, anxiety, adjustment disorders, stress)
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Child feeding and eating problems
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Medicare and private health insurance rebates are available for eligible clients.
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Make an appointment
Appointments are available from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
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Contact Us
Centre for Eating, Weight & Body Image
Suite 215, Level 2,
100 Victoria Parade
East Melbourne VIC 3002
info@CEWBI.com.au
Tel: 03 9070 5444
Fax: 03 8640 9061