When you put in the effort in other areas of your life, results typically follow. So why is this different?
Food is just one piece of the puzzle, and I’m here to help you put the pieces of the puzzle together. You’re likely a self-reflective person and know a lot about yourself and your patterns. I will support and guide you through a proven, research-based process to dig deeper and see your blind spots. The result? You will likely learn even more about yourself and take more risks which will open you up to more rewarding experiences. And the weight loss? It may not come right away but it usually happens as a side effect of the emotional work.
This is NOT A QUICK FIX and there is no magic shortcut, but I can tell you it’s worth it because I’ve been through the process myself!
“I sought Laura out as I had been yo-yo’ing in my weight for the last several years and felt that thinking about food was leading to too many mental gymnastics. Laura helped me unpack what was contributing to my ‘I must eat pizza now!’ craving, which was where I tended to fall down. By realizing that I needed to balance my work stress in ways other than comfort food and allowing myself to slow down enough to take care of my needs in more fulfilling, lasting ways, I was able to make changes. This wasn’t as easy as it sounds!
There was a lot of sadness that came up and an inner oppositional teenager who wanted to break a rule the minute I made it! Laura has the wisdom and presence to be able to sit with these emotions in a way that is beyond her years. I think it takes a certain vulnerability to be able to sit with someone in their negative emotions like that. I felt comfortable sharing these intimate details with Laura because of who she is as a person.
Through this foundational work and by tuning into my spiritual practices I have found a sustainable way to enjoy food rather than feel controlled by it. I’m grateful for Laura and recommend her highly!”*
“When I first started on this journey I was skeptical about trying a new and different approach since many other things I had tried worked for a period of time but eventually failed. However, as I went through the program with Laura I made some significant realizations about my relationship with food. I am now at peace with the idea of this being a lifelong process that will take work. I am more compassionate with myself when it comes to following my diet, working out and other changes I’ve implemented. I’ve also realized that small to medium changes over time are not only effective, but they are the most realistic way to approach my goals as opposed to the black and white thinking I previously had of ‘it’s not worth doing if I can’t do it perfectly.’
Through working with Laura I realized that my goal was unrealistic and unhealthy and that my desire for perfection was actually one of my roadblocks. Since Laura has been on the journey herself, she had a lot of good information to share and understood what I was going through. She is good at recognizing patterns and relating them to what I would talk about even if I didn’t initially see the pattern/similarity/root cause. I would definitely recommend this program if you are someone who is thinking about your emotional relationship with food!“*
“I started working with Laura to lose a significant amount of weight and get my blood sugar back in alignment. At first, I thought the program wouldn’t work but I was hopeful it was going to help me get to my goal. During the 6-month program, I realized that I’m really hard on myself. I was also able to reduce my snacking and saw an improvement in my blood sugar numbers.
Laura is insightful, full of good knowledge and is always open to exploring how to best work through a situation. She’s very supportive and non-judgmental and takes the whole me into consideration, not just a small part. I recommend Laura to anyone struggling with their health- and/or weight-related issues. She genuinely cares about her clients and the work and masters the challenging and sensitive stuff with ease.*”
*Results may vary from person to person.
Many diets focus on what you can and can’t eat and some provide tactics to help you resist food or redirect your focus. But those tactics only help for so long! They tend to focus a lot on willpower and self-control and when you’re being good you’re succeeding, and if you slip up, you’re failing.
This session helps you break down the things you’re currently doing to help you work towards your goal and the things that are keeping you stuck. When you’re stuck with your health goals, it’s a symptom there is a competing commitment with your goals and it needs to be revised. Throughout the process of each program, we work on story revision so you can bring self-awareness instead of self-monitoring to how your feelings shape your logic and trigger your food battles.
This is the first session in all programs and is a great way to get an idea of how the process works. We will meet virtually for one hour and 45-minutes to go through the structured exercise. Afterwards, you can decide if you would like to continue with a 6-month program.
During the 6-month program we will meet every two weeks and you will receive a homework exercise to complete between each session. Email support is provided (and encouraged) in between the meetings in case you’re feeling stuck along the way.
Meeting every other week provides the accountability you may crave while also providing the space to process and digest what comes up in sessions. Your life is the classroom so we use those experiences as data and information to guide our discussions.
Results vary by client based on where they are in their journey and how open they are to the process. In this session, clients are typically a little skeptical at first but tend to leave feeling relieved, hopeful, and like they’ve made the right decision about trying a new approach. They end up learning something new about themselves and have more clarity as to what is leading them to eat out of alignment with their goals. They are able to start to see there isn’t something wrong with them and their willpower, which gives them confidence that they’re on the right track.
The cost of this session is $350. If you decide to sign up for a 4- or 6-month program afterwards, the amount paid will be applied to the cost of the program. At the end of the session, we will determine which program is the best approach for you based on where you’re currently at and the type of support that would be most helpful for you.
Sessions can be done in-person, over the phone or via Zoom. You don’t need to be local in Chicago but many people who are close by prefer meeting in person. It’s really a personal preference and what works best for your lifestyle. Regardless of how we meet, clients tend to get similar results whether we meet in person or virtually.