How Can I Better Understand Selective Eating and What It Stems From?

Selective Eating means limited or restricted food selections (usually less than 20) that have the potential to impact nutrition, development, and growth. The individual with selective eating typically shows interest in the foods they enjoy eating, but may refuse all other foods or even to eat meals with the family.

When treating selective eating, it is extremely important to find the root cause of the problem. Otherwise, we will never truly see results! There are four main causes of selective eating:

1. Sensory Concerns

An individual with sensory needs may show hypersensitivity to specific textures, tastes, sight, or smells. They may say things like:

  • “I don’t like it”
  • “I need a lot of spice”
  • “I only like cold foods”
  • “I don’t like how this [texture] feels in my mouth”

2. Medical Concerns

Some feeding concerns are related to certain medical conditions. Examples include chronic health problems such as ear infections, frequent respiratory infections, dental problems, or seizures. Other examples include gastroparesis (slow emptying of the stomach), chronic or intermittent constipation, and pain or discomfort with feeding from things such as reflux or allergies. Some allergies are very difficult to diagnose, such as EoE (Eosinophilic Esophagitis), which takes special testing to examine and diagnose. You may hear an individual with underlying medical concerns say things like:

  • “It hurts”
  • “I have/had allergies”
  • “My tummy hurts” or “I have constipation”

3. Oral Motor Concerns

Another possible cause of selective feeding is oral motor concerns. Oropharyngeal and laryngeal anomalies can impact overall mechanics needed for feeding. The individual may have poor oral motor control or low/high muscle tone that can impact chewing and swallowing. They may say things like:

  • “I can’t”
  • “My mouth gets exhausted from all of the chewing”
  • “I can’t chew food well enough to swallow it”

4. Past Challenges

Finally, past and current challenges can cause selective feeding needs. Examples include parent-child conflict (especially surrounding food), parental anxiety, general anxiety, negative experiences related to the mouth (history of NG tubes, oral procedures, being on a ventilator, or surgeries), and time spent in the hospital as a baby (e.g., the NICU). This can also include negative past experiences with feeding, such as pain, coughing, vomiting, or gagging during feeding. Specific fear or anxiety around food is commonly referred to as ARFID, or avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder and can commonly be caused by negative past experience with feeding. You may hear them say:

  • “I was force fed when I was smaller and now I’m nervous about it”
  • “I have had negative experiences such as gagging or choking when I was eating and it’s hard for me to not feel like that now“
  • “I like things to always be the same”

A Speech-Language Pathologist can evaluate your child’s needs through a comprehensive feeding evaluation, which includes an extensive health history. They can help determine the cause of your child’s feeding needs and work with you to develop a treatment plan.

Kelly is an SLP and a feeding specialist who also specializes in using hypnosis to support feeding difficulties, weight management, and anxiety. If you have questions, please reach out to Kelly. Kelly can answer your questions over a free phone consultation where she can further discuss feeding therapy and/or how hypnosis works and how hypnosis could help you or your loved one’s specific needs. Contact Kelly and Food 4 Thought Therapy at kelly@food4thoughttherapy.com or check out her website at https://food4thoughttherapy.com/ to book a free consultation.

Find us on Facebook and Instagram to learn more about Kelly’s services and hypnosis.

Success in Feeding Therapy Beyond Food Expansion – A Journey with Me, Kelly

For individuals struggling with feeding challenges, such as Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), the idea of seeking help to overcome their challenges with food can be both daunting and hopeful. That’s exactly why I started Food 4 Thought Therapy. I know that food success is about more than just expanding your food repertoire and my goal is to empower you and help you make the changes you’re seeking. I also believe that therapy looks different for everyone; I don’t use the same approach for every client because there is no one approach that works for every person.

One challenge to getting started with therapy is the number of unknowns. We all like to know what to expect, so I’ve decided to outline just that – here is how your journey can start out with me:

The First Session

Our first session together is all about you (get ready to talk openly and honestly with your therapist!). This first session, whether it’s with me or someone else, is about building trust and our therapeutic relationship. It’s important to trust your therapist while they take you through the next steps of your journey. We will discuss your medical health history, food dairy intake, whether or not you’re ready for change, what that change may look like for you, and how to tell if you’re really “ready” for therapy (sometimes we’re not quite ready for change yet! We can work together to help you become more “ready”). I will also just want to generally get to know you! This helps me understand you and your personality, so I can adjust our sessions to best suit your needs.

Identifying Hurdles and Setting Goals

Aside from this background information, we’ll also discuss foods that interest you, or maybe more likely, if NO foods interest you (and how we can generate some of that interest!). We will discuss some of your biggest hurdles – whether it’s fear of going out to eat, going off to college, holidays, handling pressures from family members, or navigating health concerns – and what you would like to tackle most in therapy. These discussions allow me to help tailor your personalized treatment plan to align with your goals.

As I mentioned, I truly believe that therapy is not a “one size fits all”. We’ll discuss options for therapy, such as food chaining, exposure therapy, diving right in, journaling, medical routes (e.g., testing or medications, such as appetite stimulants), and any other options that may be helpful for you!

Food Success Beyond Expansion

I firmly believe that food success goes beyond eating more food or expanding your food repertoire. It’s also about embracing “small” wins that ultimately lead to transformative changes in your relationship with food. Here are some examples of what these “small” wins might look like:

  • Seeking Help and Support: Acknowledging the need for change and reaching out to family members or professionals for support is a significant step towards progress.
  • Ordering Off the Menu: Trying out new restaurants and ordering off the menu, even with modifications, is an accomplishment worth celebrating.
  • Eating at School: For children struggling with ARFID, the simple act of eating lunch at school, even if packed from home, can mark a major milestone.
  • Finding Fulfillment in Snacks: Understanding that three small snacks can be as satisfying as a traditional meal fosters a healthier relationship with food.
  • Appreciating Your Preferences: Recognizing that having a preference for certain foods does not diminish one’s worth or normalcy.
  • Tasting New Foods without Anxiety: Gaining the confidence to taste new foods without stress or anxiety is a testament to personal growth.
  • Embracing Individual Tastes: Enjoying food in a way that suits individual preferences, even if it defies conventional norms, is a celebration of self-expression.
  • Valuing Nutritious Choices: Appreciating the value of foods that promote health and strength, regardless of their variety, is a crucial aspect of the journey.
  • Willingness to Explore: Embracing the mindset of exploring different ways to prepare foods rather than outright rejection opens up new culinary experiences.

I’m here to celebrate these wins with you, and ultimately help you meet your feeding goals, whatever those may be. If you’re ready for change, reach out to us at Food4Thought Therapy. Contact Kelly at kelly@food4thoughttherapy.com or visit our website at Food4Thought Therapy to book a free consultation.

Find us on Facebook and Instagram to learn more about Kelly’s services and hypnosis.

How do virtual sessions work with hypnosis?

Embarking on your journey to overcome Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), whether that means becoming comfortable in your food preferences or expanding your food preferences, can be empowering. While in-person has been the only option for a long time, virtual therapy is becoming increasingly more and more popular and has been found to be just as effective as in-person therapy, even for hypnosis.

What to expect your first virtual session with Kelly?

Trying out something new can be a little nerve-racking; often, knowing what to expect can help reduce anxiety and stress. In your first session with Kelly, she won’t yet use hypnosis. You will focus on:

  • Getting to know each other – This is a very important part of hypnosis! It’s important that you trust and are comfortable with the person who will be helping you. This is also a great time to become more comfortable speaking with someone through a virtual platform.
  • Discussing feeding history, concerns, strengths & interests – We will discuss your feeding history and what may have led to some of your feeding concerns in the first place. For kids, we will discuss their likes/interests and what they’re good at (it’s not all about stressful eating!). We will discuss what your goals may be since every person’s goals are different (and aren’t just related to food expansion).
  • Discussing your why & the changes you want to make: It’s important to be aware of your “why”. Why do you want to change your eating habits? Maybe you want to socialize more by eating out with friends. Maybe a health concern or maybe you are feeling isolated from others. We will discuss what foods YOU are interested in eating, tasting, or trying and the changes that you want to make.

How do other virtual sessions work?

After our first session together, you will be sent an audio where you can practice getting into a very relaxed, hypnotic state (nothing to do with eating). Once you are comfortable with this, we will begin to work on having you relax or go into a deep, hypnotic state in the following sessions. This is when we will work on feeding concerns and then taste some new foods as you progress!

Then, in the following sessions, we will:

  • Break down any barriers that are and have been inhibiting your ability to try and taste new foods
  • Work on reducing the irrational fears that may be getting in your way of exploring new foods
  • Work on stress and anxiety reducing techniques to help you overcome common food tasting fears, such as vomiting, gagging, etc.
  • Incorporate newly discovered foods into your every day food rotations and routines
  • Decrease stress around going out to eat or eating with family members
  • Learn to celebrate the small wins and victories, an important step in your journey to feeling successful
  • Talk about avenues to new foods, such as food chaining and other small changes you can incorporate into your diet

There are several benefits to virtual sessions, such as reduced travel time, increased flexibility with scheduling, increased opportunities for parent and family coaching, and increased comfortability receiving support while in your home environment.

Interested in virtual therapy and hypnosis sessions for yourself or your child? Contact Kelly and Food 4 Thought Therapy at kelly@food4thoughttherapy.com or check out her website at https://food4thoughttherapy.com to book a free consultation.

Find us on Facebook and Instagram to learn more about Kelly’s services and hypnosis.