I’m Becky Grace, an EMDR and CBT therapist based in Norwich, UK, I specialise in working with eating distress, trauma, and neurodivergent deep thinkers who often feel overwhelmed, burnt out, or like they’re never quite “enough.” My background spans mental health nursing, personal training, and yoga teaching, which all inform the mind-body approach I bring to therapy. I write here about real healing, nervous system restoration, and making space to be fully human.
Hi friends,
This post comes to you, as many of mine do, from a voice note recorded on a dog walk. I’m a verbal processor through and through, and after procrastinating for literally three years, I’ve finally found my rhythm by speaking my blog posts into Otter AI rather than trying to write them from scratch. If you’re new here: welcome to Head and Heart. It’s a space where I share honest reflections from my therapy room, all safely anonymised, of course, and offer thoughts on the deeper emotional and psychological themes that show up in our lives.
Today, I want to talk about something I’ve been seeing more and more of lately: GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy, and the cultural tide they’re riding.
I’m in a few local Facebook groups, Norwich Girls being one of them — where people ask for everything from therapist recommendations to local hairdressers. But recently, there’s been a flood of posts asking for advice on weight loss injections. Not just the odd question here and there, I’m talking daily posts, entire chat threads, even private groups dedicated to these medications.
At the same time, I’ve seen a rise in enquiries from people who’ve started these injections or had bariatric surgery… and now find themselves facing emotional fallout they weren’t prepared for.
And this is the bit no one talks about:
Weight loss may change your body. But if the root of your eating difficulties hasn’t been explored, those challenges don’t magically disappear.
Here’s a hard truth we need to name: a high percentage of people who pursue weight loss injections or bariatric surgery are living with some form of disordered eating. or a full-blown eating disorder, whether diagnosed or not.
This isn’t about judgement. It’s about compassion, curiosity, and understanding.
Our culture moralises food and body shape so intensely that it can feel like being in a larger body makes you a “bad” person. It creates a deep-rooted belief that thinness equals goodness, worthiness, health. And when you add in social media noise and the medicalisation of weight, it’s no wonder so many people feel desperate to “fix” their bodies, quickly, urgently, at any cost.
In my therapy work, I see strong overlaps between eating disorders and OCD, particularly when it comes to moral rigidity. Concepts like “clean” vs “dirty” food, or being “good” if you resist certain cravings — these are deeply moralised narratives that keep people stuck in cycles of shame.
If you're earlier on in your journey, that might sound normal. of course some food is “bad,” right?
But food doesn’t have moral value. It's just food.
It’s fuel. It’s pleasure. It’s culture. It’s connection. And yes, it’s also emotional sometimes, and that’s okay too.
When we treat the body without treating the mind, we’re only telling half the story. GLP-1s like Ozempic can suppress appetite, but they don’t help you understand why food became such a powerful coping strategy in the first place. They don’t address trauma, habits, stress responses, or the complex beliefs many of us hold about our worth and our weight.
And when people stop taking the injections, whether because of cost (often £250+ a month) or side effects, there’s often a resurgence of intense food urges, “food noise,” and emotional distress. Without psychological support, that can feel like failure. It’s not.
It’s just that your body and mind are trying to communicate something — and they need to be listened to, not shut down.
If you’re reading this and wondering what “doing the work” looks like, here’s a snapshot of my approach:
Psychoeducation: We start with understanding your current eating patterns: no shame, no judgement, and whether you're eating enough, consistently, and regularly. Many people aren’t.
Supportive structure: I’ll hold you gently accountable to a foundation of three meals and 1–3 snacks a day. It can take up to a year to stabilise regular eating, especially if your relationship with food has been disrupted for years (mine took seven to untangle after nearly 30 years of binge eating).
Collaborative care: Where needed, we bring in a dietitian for more nuanced food guidance. I don’t provide meal plans, we focus instead on flexibility, variety, and reducing fear foods without moralising them.
Processing trauma: If you're doing all the “right” things and still feeling stuck, that’s where EMDR comes in. I use both standard protocols and a specific approach (the DeTUR protocol) that helps reduce compulsive urges and food-related distress.
Exploring identity: For neurodivergent clients, including those with ADHD or autism, we also explore how sensory sensitivity, impulsivity, or routine patterns may shape your eating experiences.
This isn’t a rant against injections. I understand there are medical reasons for them, including diabetes and PCOS. And I truly support your autonomy to make decisions for your body.
But I am asking us to slow down. To pause before jumping in. To ask better questions about what we’re really needing when we turn to weight loss as the answer.
You can spend £250 a month on injections…
Or you can invest that same amount in understanding your emotional and physical relationship with food — and creating lasting change from the inside out.
Whatever path you choose, I’m here to hold space for the complexity, the emotion, and the healing.
Becky x
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