The Balanced Practice

07/24/2026

Meet Ezra! 💜

We’re so excited to welcome Ezra to the TBP team! 🥰

Ezra is our new Clinic Coordinator and the friendly face you’ll see at the front desk during afternoon and evening hours.

She completed her Honours BA in Psychology at the University of Ottawa and continued her education with a Graduate Certificate in Addictions and Mental Health at Algonquin College. Through her education and experiences, her passion for creating spaces where people feel heard, respected, and supported has continued to grow.

Whether you’re a new or current client, Ezra is here to make sure you feel supported and cared for as you access services at The Balanced Practice. 💫

Swipe ➡️ to learn some fun facts about Ezra!

06/29/2026

You know when someone is SO amazing and lovely that a “goodbye” turns into a “actually… what if this was just your next chapter here?”

That’s Natalia 🥹💜

Natalia has been part of TBP for the past 2 years as our Clinic Coordinator, supporting clients, answering questions, keeping things organized, and bringing so much care to the behind-the-scenes parts of the client experience.

And now, we’re so excited to share that she’s transitioning into a student therapist role!

Natalia brings a compassionate, client-centred, and grounded approach to therapy. She supports clients navigating stress, anxiety, depression, body image, and disordered eating.

So yes, you may already know her from your inbox, phone calls, or visits to the clinic… but now you can get to know her in a whole new way.

If you’re interested in working with Natalia, reach out to our team to learn more or book a connection call 💜

06/17/2026

Good morning :) We are so excited to share that we now have two psychotherapy interns offering low-cost therapy at The Balanced Practice 🥳
closely supervised by an eating-
We know that accessing therapy, especially support for disordered eating, eating disorders, body image, food relationship, anxiety, and depression, can be expensive and out of reach for many people.

This is a really special opportunity to receive compassionate, weight-inclusive, eating-disorder-informed care at a lower cost, while also knowing that your therapist is being closely supervised by an eating disorder-specialized supervisor with years of experience in the field.

Our interns are here to provide a supportive space for folks who are looking for care but may not be able to access our regular therapy rates.

If you or someone you know has been looking for support, this may be a beautiful place to start :)

DETAILS:
📍In-person 2211 Riverside or Virtual across Ontario
🌿 Support for food, body image, disordered eating, and mental health
Learn more : https://www.thebalancedpractice.com/services/low-cost-therapy/
Email: [email protected] to get started :)

Affordable low-cost therapy services in Ottawa. Connect with compassionate therapists supporting your mental wellness journey.

02/26/2026

Exploring emerging approaches in eating disorder treatment ✨

This month, our team gathered for a professional development sessions led by our own therapists Sarah and Krista on Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) in eating disorder care.

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy can support neuroplasticity, emotional access, and nervous system regulation when thoughtfully integrated with therapy.

In ED treatment, KAP may:
• Soften rigid defenses

• Reduce dissociation and control patterns

• Increase emotional access

• Lessen the emotional charge around shame, fear responses, and longstanding identity narratives

When integrated with approaches like Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), and grounded in thorough preparation, collaboration, and strong integration practices, KAP can help create space for deeper healing work.

Professional development like this allows us to:

✔️ Stay informed on emerging adjunctive treatments

✔️ Deepen our understanding of neurobiology and memory reconsolidation

✔️ Strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration

✔️ Offer care that is both evidence-informed and compassion-centered

When clients feel safe, deeper work becomes possible. And we’re committed to continually learning how to support that process. 💛

Want to learn more about our approach to care? Reach out today! Link in bio.

-Assistedtherapy

02/18/2026

Navigating Vicarious Trauma as ED Providers 💛

Last month, we had the privilege of learning from Amanda Rocheleau (RSW) in a session focused on navigating vicarious trauma as providers.

This session invited us to reflect on how trauma exposure, through witnessing, hearing, or holding others’ stories, can impact our bodies, thoughts, and nervous systems over time.

It reminded us that vicarious trauma is very real and something we can meet with curiosity rather than judgment.

By building awareness and tending to our own wellbeing, we strengthen our ability to show up for our clients in ways that feel safe, present, and human.

Interested in learning more about our approach to care?

Book a connection call through the link in our bio 📲

02/06/2026

OSFED treatment doesn’t follow a single roadmap and that’s exactly why it works.


Care is based on patterns, risk, and lived experience, not just labels.
Some foundations of OSFED treatment are always essential:
medical and nutritional safety
adequate nourishment
reducing shame
addressing fear and rigidity
using a weight-inclusive approach.


These matter even when symptoms are intermittent or don’t appear “severe.” Other parts of treatment depend on how OSFED shows up.


It’s also important to name what many people experience along the way: symptoms may shift before they settle, fear can increase before it decreases, and progress is often non-linear. Insight and motivation frequently grow after support begins, not before.


A harm-reduction approach recognizes that stopping all behaviours isn’t always immediately possible, and that safety, dignity, and access to care still matter. Supporting incremental change, reducing risk without shame, and honouring autonomy are not “giving up” on recovery, they are part of ethical, effective treatment.


At The Balanced Practice, we treat OSFED with clinical rigor, flexibility, and compassion, because people deserve care that adapts to their needs, not the limits of diagnostic categories.


Treatment can work. And recovery is possible with the right support. 💜


Need Support ? How .balanced.practice can help👇
1️⃣ 1:1 Nutrition Counselling
Virtual and in-person sessions. Supporting you in having a great relationship with food, managing health conditions, and understanding your body’s needs 💜

2️⃣1:1 Psychotherapy 🌱
Virtual and in-person sessions. Helping you overcome your mental health challenges 💪🏼

3️⃣Family Support for Eating Disorder Recovery
If you are a parent or loved one of someone living with an eating disorder, we offer courses and weekly support sessions to help you navigate recovery and help your loved one!

Want more info?
👩‍💻https://www.thebalancedpractice.com/
📧 [email protected]
📞 613-696-0306

02/06/2026

OSFED doesn’t look one way and that’s exactly why it’s often missed. ⬇️


OSFED includes eating disorder presentations that don’t fit neatly into diagnostic categories, because often times diagnostic systems rely on rigid thresholds.


Some common OSFED patterns include:
• Recurrent purging behaviours without binge eating
• Binge–purge or binge eating patterns that occur below diagnostic frequency cutoffs
• Distressing night eating patterns with sleep disruption and loss of control
• Eating disorder driven behaviours that don’t align with a single diagnosis, yet carry real medical and psychological risk


Lower frequency, atypical presentation, or diagnostic ambiguity does not mean lower severity. ❌


Many people with OSFED experience:
• significant distress around food and body
• shame, secrecy, and self-doubt
• medical risk related to restriction, purging, or metabolic instability
• disruption to relationships, work, and daily life
• delayed or denied care after being told they’re “not sick enough”


OSFED reflects the limits of diagnostic systems, not the legitimacy of someone’s suffering.


OSFED is real.
It is serious.
And recovery is possible. 💜✨

02/06/2026

OSFED the most common eating disorder yet, the least commonly known. Here’s what you need to know ⬇️


OSFED (Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder) is used when someone meets most criteria for an eating disorder, but not every requirement of a specific diagnosis like anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder.


➡️ This reflects the limits of diagnostic categories, not the severity of distress or risk.


Many people with OSFED experience restriction, bingeing, purging, fear of weight gain, rigid food rules, and significant psychological distress, often alongside being told they’re “not sick enough” for care.


It’s also important to name the difference between disordered eating and OSFED.
Disordered eating refers to concerning eating patterns that may be distressing, but do not meet diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder.
OSFED, on the other hand, involves clinically significant impairment and medical and/or psychological risk, and requires specialized eating disorder treatment.


Confusing the two can delay care, increase shame, and push people to feel they need to get worse to be taken seriously. ❗


💜At The Balanced Practice, we approach OSFED with the same compassion and weight-inclusive care as any other eating disorder, because people deserve support based on need, not how neatly they fit a label.


OSFED is real.
It is serious.
And recovery is possible. 💜


Ways we support recovery .balanced.practice:
• 1:1 Nutrition Counselling
• 1:1 Therapy
• Family Support for Eating Disorder Recovery

02/05/2026

Anorexia recovery is not about willpower, insight, or “just eating.”


Anorexia nervosa is a complex, whole-system illness. Effective treatment must address medical safety, nutritional rehabilitation, fear and rigidity, nervous system functioning, body image distress, and the psychological and social factors that keep the disorder in place.❗


Recovery often looks different from what people expect.
Ambivalence is common.
Fear may increase before it decreases.
Insight and motivation frequently improve after nourishment begins, not before.
Progress shows up gradually, through increased safety, flexibility, clarity, and engagement in life.


Because anorexia impacts brain function, body systems, and self-awareness, care must be nutrition-forward, weight-inclusive, and compassionate. Treating anorexia as a choice, compliance issue, or weight problem delays healing and causes harm.


💜At The Balanced Practice, we approach anorexia with clinical expertise and deep respect for the human behind the diagnosis. We believe recovery requires understanding, collaboration, and care that treats the whole person, not just the symptoms.


Anorexia is serious, and recovery is possible.


Need Support ? How .balanced.practice can help👇
1️⃣ 1:1 Nutrition Counselling
Virtual and in-person sessions. Supporting you in having a great relationship with food, managing health conditions, and understanding your body’s needs 💜

2️⃣1:1 Psychotherapy 🌱
Virtual and in-person sessions. Helping you overcome your mental health challenges 💪🏼

3️⃣Family Support for Eating Disorder Recovery
If you are a parent or loved one of someone living with an eating disorder, we offer courses and weekly support sessions to help you navigate recovery and help your loved one!

Want more info?
👩‍💻https://www.thebalancedpractice.com/
📧 [email protected]
📞 613-696-0306