Specialist Eating Disorder Therapy Clinic In London
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Dr freya wallington
Principal Clinical Psychologist
As a clinical psychologist I feel incredibly privileged to be in a position to support young people and families. I can appreciate how vulnerable young people may feel coming into therapy, therefore building up a strong therapeutic relationship to create a safe space is very important to me.
I am passionate about developing an understanding of someone’s struggles, working together to make sense of their experiences, feelings and responses to create a psychological formulation. This formulation, taken together with research of evidence based treatments, and personal preferences, allows me to tailor therapy to meet the needs of the young people and families that I work with. I am trained in systemic therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy and often draw upon compassion-based approaches along the way to support recovery.
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I hope to help people build upon their compassionate self and learn strategies to look after themselves. I understand that eating disorders can arise as a coping strategy in response to feeling overwhelmed and out of control. Therefore, I draw upon many resources to share more healthy, helpful coping strategies to help young people better manage these life challenges. From working with young people I recognise how low mood and anxiety play a role in maintaining their eating and/or body image difficulties and therefore play close attention to this when working together in order to develop a more holistic approach to recovery.
Background and Training
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I completed my first degree in Psychology (BSc) at the University of Manchester before going on to complete a Master’s in Clinical Psychology (MSc) at the University of Reading. I then went on to complete the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Southampton. My doctoral therapeutic training focused on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and systemic family therapy. I am registered as a Chartered Clinical Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council.
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Since qualifying I have specialised in working with children and adolescents with eating disorders. Alongside my work with Treating Disorders, I currently work for the NHS in a Child and Young Person’s Community Eating Disorder Service in London, where I have been based for over two years. I am clinically experienced in supporting young people up to the age of 18 with diagnoses including Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. The model I predominately draw upon is Family Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa (the evidence-based NICE recommended treatment for young people with Anorexia), as well as utilising approaches from CBT, DBT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Compassion Focused therapy.
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I am also currently training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy (EMDR). EMDR is a specialist evidence based treatment for trauma, which helps clients to process any traumatic life events that may have triggered or be maintaining their eating disorder.
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Therapeutic Approaches Offered
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