A message from NIWE, to all our amazing clients and supporters
As we all are aware, we are living in unprecedented and rapidly changing times, but one thing remains just as important to us as it always has – the safety and well-being of everyone who has reached out to NIWE, and those in our wider community.
With this in mind, it is with regret that we have suspended all face to face contact for the moment, including our groups and counselling sessions, to ensure everyone is able to follow the “stay at home” advice issued by the government, to protect the health of our clients and staff, and help reduce potential strain on the NHS.
We are working on adapting as much as we are able to, and will be providing personal updates to those of you engaged with counselling, and more general service updates to those of you on our mailing lists – which you can sign up to below if you’re not already. If you wish to register for our services, you can still do so, and once we are able to resume assessment appointments, we will contact you. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitterfor updates.
In the meantime, we will be collating resources and information on our dedicated page, which will be updated whenever we find new sources – including specialist online chat support from BEAT, free guided mindfulness programmes from Calm and Headspace, and live meditation sessions from local providers such as the Newcastle Meditation Centre and Mindful Therapies.
Wishing you all the very best, and looking forward to seeing you all again soon,
NIWE Eating Distress Service
NIWE aims to help people in the North East* whose lives are affected by eating distress, or eating disorders. We do this by providing a range of services including group support, individual counselling, mindfulness courses, a support group for carers, health topic workshops, information and training. We also work in schools and other settings to increase knowledge and awareness of eating distress and its effects.
NIWE Philosophy
NIWE believes that eating distress is a way of saying that something is wrong. Therefore we do not just respond to the symptoms of eating distress but look at underlying causes. We develop services that enable people to increase their understanding of their use of food to cope with difficult emotions. We encourage people to explore opportunities for change and to find their own path to recovery rather than imposing a solution.
Our practice is person centred and also recovery orientated. Our services are provided in a safe and non-judgemental environment.
Eating Distress versus Eating Disorder
NIWE uses the term eating distress rather than eating disorder because we want to support all those who experience extreme anxiety around food and eating. We are aware from the feedback we have received from people we have worked with that, whilst many have a diagnosed eating disorder, some of those who need our support and understanding do not feel they ‘fit’ an eating disorder category.
We offer one-to-one counselling to men and women over 16 with mild to moderate eating distress, who have a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 17.5 and above. Daytime sessions are free, take place at the same time each week over 6-8 consecutive weeks and last 50 minutes. Sessions may be extended in exceptional circumstances.
