Kaitlyn Axelrod
(She/her) MSW, RSW
Registered Social Worker, Psychotherapist
Our relationships with food and our bodies are complicated. Most often, these relationships are tied to other parts of our lives and the challenges we face, such as anxiety, depression, perfectionism, substance use, and life transitions, to name a few. Living in a culture that glorifies certain bodies and eating/exercising habits doesn’t make it easier. Chronic dieting, restricting, feeling preoccupied with food choices, binge eating, purging, and over-exercising are logical ways to cope with difficult or oppressive situations and experiences. However, these behaviours and thoughts can cause a lot of physical and mental distress.
Non-judgmentally, I will help you identify which eating and exercise behaviours are working for you and which ones are no longer helpful so that together, we can identify attainable goals and work towards creating meaningful change. My intention is to support you in developing a more positive, neutral, or accepting relationship with your body and food.
I help my clients draw on pre-existing strengths, while integrating tools from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to cope with difficult situations and emotions. It can seem as if therapy focuses primarily on the individual. However, as I work with my clients to create meaningful change, I acknowledge the impact of systemic oppression (like poverty, racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, sizeism, and ableism) on mental and physical health. My practice is informed by Harm Reduction and Health at Every Size® frameworks. According to these frameworks, a person’s health is not determined by their weight, and every individual, regardless of health status, is deserving of dignity, respect, and support.
It’s important that you find a therapist who’s right for you. I encourage you to book a free 20-minute consultation with me as an opportunity to ask me questions and to assess if my style will be a good fit for you.
Kaitlyn holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from McGill University and a Master of Social Work (with a specialization in mental health) from the University of Toronto. Kaitlyn has completed additional training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Eating Disorders, Radically Open Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, and Mindfulness.
In her full-time job, Kaitlyn supports adults with eating disorders and disordered eating in group-based settings and educates community members about eating disorders and supporting those affected. Kaitlyn has experience as an individual therapist in private practice through Hard Feelings Mental Health, and through placement and volunteer opportunities at Jewish Family & Child Services, Yorktown Family Services, and LOFT Community Services.