Over 25 Years Helping People with Eating Disorders, Addictions, Relationship Issues, and More.
My Commitment to You
If you’re here, you’ve already taken the first step toward a better future and greater well-being.
I’m Gerarda McDougall, and I will do everything I can to make your journey as comfortable as possible, starting with the very first session.
Furthermore, I encourage openness, which means if something is bothering you, please feel free to tell me about it so that we can work through it together
Ready to stop feeling controlled by food?
I’m Gerarda, I help people with eating disorders, just like you: ones that have it within them to stop hating yourself, your body and want to return to participating in life again, but just need the support to get there.
I help my clients find confidence, freedom and compassion by equipping them with the tools they need to stop diminishing themselves and their needs.
Many of today’s solutions for disordered eating (binge eating specifically) are focused on weight loss only, leading so many to feel that they have failed yet again or have let down someone. I know that your circumstances are unique so we will look at how food may serve as a distraction from what else you may be experiencing in life (trust issues, insecurities, etc). Then you can learn ways to get what you really need so that you can finally have a more fulfilling life and balanced relationship with food. Your healing is, in essence, from the heart.
First, we will explore the internal and external messages you received from the world about yourself and your worth that are causing numbing or displeasure. Then, we will identify what your needs are and explore which coping mechanisms will be most effective for you. You will learn to understand how you recruit food to cope with life’s emotional challenges. As your thoughts about eating and your body begin to change, you’ll experience more peaceful feelings rather than the constant nagging and anxiety that has always been there.
Change is Possible
I get it, you want something in your life to change. You are aware that something isn’t working. You may or may not know what that is right now. You may be afraid of losing control. It can be a little scary to reach out for help because it means that you may have to be vulnerable or that you may have to change the things in your life that you are doing…. Here is the good part- in our work together- you won’t have to do it alone any longer. Together, we will come up with a plan that determines the best outcome for you. During our sessions, I will assist you in putting some of the pieces together, one step at a time.
No two clients are the same and each approach to treatment is different. While I am the expert in many areas, YOU are the #1 expert in yourself. We will cultivate a path toward healing that you are comfortable with. If you don’t feel that we are a good fit after the first session, then that’s okay too. No therapist is perfect for everyone and it’s essential that you feel good about the process.
I am a Clinical Social Worker/Therapy, LCSW-R, BCD. I hold a SIFI certificate and am an active member of the National Association of Social Workers and the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals. I have also worked for more than a decade as a Clinical Supervisor at a Substance Abuse Program and presently at two Outpatient Mental Health clinics. My passion for helping people has brought me to where I am today.
Aside from my professional credentials, what might be more interesting to you is that I love going to the beach or the mountains. I love playing board games and watching comedy—everybody loves to laugh! I also have a Covid-born German Shepherd who I am trying to train as we speak—which is why you may hear him during your sessions, but I promise, he isn’t listening!
