Ashley Cross Eating Disorders Service, London (2025)

17/12/2025

Healing from an eating disorder is rarely a straight line.
Most people imagine recovery as a moment of sudden confidence — a day when you finally “feel ready.”

But the truth is this:

You deserve to heal, even if part of you is scared.
Most people begin recovery before they feel fully ready.
Because the fear doesn’t mean you’re not capable — it simply means your brain is protecting you from change, even when that change is good.

For individuals struggling:
It’s normal if part of you wants to get better… and another part is terrified.
You can still take the next step.
You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need support.

For families and carers:
Your loved one might seem resistant or ambivalent, and that doesn’t mean they don’t want to recover.
Often, fear shows up as frustration, withdrawal, or shutting down.
Your patience, consistency, and understanding help more than you realise.

Recovery isn’t about being fearless.
It’s about being supported enough to keep going, even when you’re scared.

If you or your child is struggling with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, ARFID, emotional eating, or food-related anxiety — I’m here, and you don’t have to navigate this alone.

💛 Book a free enquiry call with me:
https://calendly.com/aceds/30min

You deserve a future where food feels safer, life feels bigger, and your body is no longer a battleground.

Even if part of you is scared today — you’re still worthy of healing.

10/12/2025

Christmas can be especially tough when you or someone you love is navigating an eating disorder.
There are bigger meals, more people watching, more comments, more pressure… and often, more comparison.

So here’s your gentle reminder:

You do not need to compare your plate to someone else’s.
And you certainly don’t need to make your plate smaller just because you’ve looked around the table and noticed what others are eating.

This is one of the most common traps during the holidays:
🍽️ “They took less… so I should too.”
🍽️ “I don’t want anyone to notice if I take more.”
🍽️ “My portion must be wrong if it looks different.”

But recovery doesn’t work that way.

Your plate reflects your body’s needs, your hunger cues (even if they’re still reconnecting), your meal plan, your healing process.
It is not supposed to match anyone else’s — and in many cases, eating disorder recovery requires more structure and more consistency, not less.

For families and carers:
If your loved one begins adjusting their portion because they’ve compared it to someone else’s, gently bring them back to their needs, their plan, their recovery. Your reassurance is incredibly powerful in moments like these.

For those in recovery:
Your plate is allowed to be different.
It’s allowed to be enough.
You are allowed to nourish yourself even when others take less.

And if this season feels overwhelming, you’re not supposed to handle it alone.

I support individuals and families affected by anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, emotional eating, and food-related anxiety — with structured guidance, compassion, and evidence-based care.

💛 If you or your family need support, book a free enquiry call:
https://calendly.com/aceds/30min

You deserve a Christmas where your plate feels safe…
and where recovery is still possible, even during the hardest season.

05/11/2025

📢 What You Eat Today Does NOT Have to Be ‘Earned’ Tomorrow.

🍕🥑🍫 Whether it’s salad or dessert, a big meal or a snack—you don’t have to compensate for eating.

🚫 No extra workouts.
🚫 No restricting the next day.
🚫 No guilt.

💡 Food is nourishment, not a transaction. Your body doesn’t keep a scorecard—it just wants to be fueled and cared for.

So eat, rest, live. No compensation needed. Just nourishment. 💛

31/10/2025

Wondering if Ozempic or Similar Drugs Are Right for You? Let’s Talk About Readiness.

Every week, I get asked:
“Nicole, is Ozempic right for me?”
And honestly? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer.

These medications can be helpful in very specific cases, but they also come with complex physical and psychological impacts that often go undiscussed. That’s why I want to have a more honest conversation about readiness—beyond the prescription pad.

Here’s what being “ready” might look like:

✅ You’ve developed strong emotional regulation skills and no longer rely on food to cope.
✅ You’ve significantly reduced binge eating through behavioural and therapeutic work—not just suppression.
✅ You maintain regular, balanced eating habits across your day.
✅ You feel comfortable eating all foods—without guilt or shame.
✅ Your desire to lose weight is rooted in health, not appearance, self-hate, or societal pressure.

Sound like you? Then maybe it’s worth a conversation.
But if these things aren’t yet true—that’s not a failure. It just means there’s foundational healing work still to do. And you deserve the support to do it safely.

💬 Let’s stop rushing into powerful drugs without psychological scaffolding.
Let’s build a recovery and health journey that lasts.

📥 Download my free GLP-1 reflection handout here:
👉 https://aceds-online.thinkific.com/products/digital_downloads/glp-1-reflection-handout

📞 Book a free enquiry call:
👉 https://calendly.com/aceds/30min

🎥 Subscribe to my YouTube for more videos like this:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/?sub_confirmation=1

🌐 Website: www.aceds.co.uk
📞 Phone: 01202 122796

27/10/2025

I Weigh Myself Every Day, and It Controls My Mood

Does the number on the scale determine your mood for the day?

🚫 Weight is not an indicator of self-worth.
🚫 It does NOT measure health, happiness, or success.
🚫 Fluctuations are normal—weight changes due to water, digestion, hormones, and more.

If stepping on the scale ruins your day, consider taking a break from it. Instead, focus on:
✔ How your body feels
✔ Energy levels
✔ Strength, focus, and mood

✨ Your value is not measured in kilograms or pounds.

24/10/2025

Did You Know GLP-1 Drugs Can Increase Anxiety and Suicidal Thoughts?

This isn’t being talked about enough.

A recent 2025 study published in the Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research found something deeply concerning:
While many people taking GLP-1 drugs (like Ozempic or Mounjaro) did experience weight loss, a substantial group also reported an increase in anxiety, low mood, and even suicidal thoughts.

As a psychological therapist and nutritionist, this stops me in my tracks—especially when I think about people with a history of emotional eating, bingeing, or eating disorders.

💬 Because if you’ve relied on food as a coping tool for overwhelming emotions—possibly for years—
Then suddenly suppressing your appetite doesn’t remove the pain.
It removes your ability to numb that pain.
And that can leave people emotionally raw and vulnerable.

When emotional regulation skills aren’t already in place, GLP-1 drugs may amplify distress, not reduce it. This may explain why we’re now seeing suicidality emerge in clinical data.

We need to talk about this.
We need emotional and psychological support to come first, not as an afterthought.

🧠 Download my free GLP-1 reflection handout here:
👉 https://aceds-online.thinkific.com/products/digital_downloads/glp-1-reflection-handout

📞 Book a free enquiry call with me:
👉 https://calendly.com/aceds/30min

🎥 Subscribe to my YouTube for more expert videos:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/?sub_confirmation=1

📱 More support and info: www.aceds.co.uk
📞 Call: 01202 122796

17/10/2025

GLP-1 Meds & Eating Disorders: Let’s Keep This Conversation Going

Thank you so much for watching. If today’s message gave you something to think about—whether it helped you feel more informed, less alone, or simply more empowered—then I hope you’ll stay connected.

I’m Nicole, a psychological therapist and nutritionist specialising in eating disorders, and I know how overwhelming these decisions around weight, medication, and food can be.

That’s why I’m not here to tell you what to do.
I’m here to give you the knowledge, context, and support you need to make a choice that’s safe—for your mind as well as your body.

If you’re considering GLP-1 medications or are currently using them, I’ve created a free reflection handout to guide you through this journey. It will help you think through readiness, risks, emotional triggers, and nutritional needs.

📥 Get the free guide here:
👉 https://aceds-online.thinkific.com/products/digital_downloads/glp-1-reflection-handout

📞 Book a free enquiry call to chat more about therapy or nutrition support:
👉 https://calendly.com/aceds/30min

🎥 Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/?sub_confirmation=1

🌐 Website: www.aceds.co.uk
📱 Call: 01202 122796

13/10/2025

💬 Ever been told “you’ll grow out of it” or “just eat healthier” when it comes to food struggles? If you’re living with ARFID, you know it’s not that simple.

In this eye-opening video, we break down the reality of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) — from the physical toll on your body to the emotional and social weight it carries. Whether it’s missed meals, iron deficiency, or feeling misunderstood at every gathering… we see you. And we’re here to help you take back control.

Watch now to understand how ARFID really works and how we can begin piecing together a plan that feels manageable, supportive, and real. Plus, get access to a reflective worksheet at the end of the video to start applying what you’ve learned.

📺 Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/OpIksiuS9RI
🧠 Free Reflection Resource: https://aceds-online.thinkific.com/bundles/arfid-stage-one-program
📞 Book an enquiry call: https://calendly.com/aceds/30min
🔔 Subscribe for more: https://www.youtube.com/?sub_confirmation=1

10/10/2025

GLP-1 Meds Without NHS Oversight? Here’s Why That’s Risky for Your Mental and Physical Health

Let’s get honest about something that’s not being said loudly enough:

💊 GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro were never meant to be a quick fix or casually prescribed weight loss solution.

The NHS has strict criteria for their use. They’re only recommended for people with:
• Type 2 diabetes
• Certain obesity-related health conditions
• After failing to respond to other lifestyle and dietary interventions

Yet more and more people are turning to private prescriptions—and here’s where it gets concerning.

Without access to:
• 🧠 Psychological support
• 🥗 Nutritional guidance
• 💬 Ongoing medical oversight

…these drugs can reinforce disordered eating patterns or even trigger emotional distress. For someone already using food to cope, appetite suppression can feel like losing a lifeline.

And for those in eating disorder recovery?
These medications can dangerously blur the lines between treatment and harm.

If you’re considering GLP-1 meds—or know someone who is—please:
🔍 Check your emotional and nutritional readiness
💬 Speak to a trained professional
📥 Download my free reflection handout to explore this fully:
👉 https://aceds-online.thinkific.com/products/digital_downloads/glp-1-reflection-handout

📞 Book a free enquiry call:
👉 https://calendly.com/aceds/30min

🌐 Visit: www.aceds.co.uk
📱 Call: 01202 122796
🎥 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/?sub_confirmation=1

06/10/2025

📢 Dear Human, You Probably Don’t Need… to ‘Fix’ Your Body.

👀✨ Staring in the mirror, wishing something looked different? Been there. But here’s the truth:

💡 Your body isn’t a problem to solve.
🏡 It’s the home you live in.
💖 It’s worthy—right now, as it is.

You don’t need to shrink, sculpt, or ‘perfect’ yourself to be enough. Your body is already doing the most—keeping you alive, moving you through life, carrying your experiences.

What if, instead of fixing it, you thanked it? What if, instead of changing it, you nourished it?

Your worth isn’t measured in inches or kilograms. You’re already enough.

03/10/2025

Struggling with Binge Eating? Here’s What You Need to Know—Before Considering GLP-1 Meds

If you’ve found yourself trapped in a cycle of binge eating, emotional eating, or food-related distress, I want you to know that support exists—and recovery is possible. But please don’t wait until things feel “bad enough.”

Some of the most effective strategies for addressing binge eating include:

🧠 Working with a therapist trained in eating disorders
🛠️ Learning emotional coping tools and distress tolerance
📅 Establishing structured, consistent eating routines

Now, if you’re considering GLP-1 medications like Ozempic or Mounjaro, here’s what I want you to hear clearly:
These meds may be helpful in very specific circumstances, but they’re not a first step. They don’t resolve the underlying emotional reasons for bingeing. They only suppress appetite—and if you’re using food as a coping mechanism, that can be incredibly destabilising.

Before starting, ask yourself:
🔍 Have I explored the root causes of my eating behaviours?
💬 Am I working with a therapist or nutritionist?
👩⚕️ Have I discussed this openly and honestly with my GP?

If you believe these meds could help, talk to a qualified professional who can evaluate your situation based on NHS criteria and ensure you have the emotional, psychological, and nutritional scaffolding in place first.

📥 Download my free GLP-1 Reflection Handout to guide that conversation:
👉 https://aceds-online.thinkific.com/products/digital_downloads/glp-1-reflection-handout

📞 Book a free enquiry call here:
👉 https://calendly.com/aceds/30min

🌐 Learn more: www.aceds.co.uk
📱 Call: 01202 122796
🎥 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/?sub_confirmation=1

29/09/2025

Feeling stuck in your relationship with food? 😞

Whether it’s fatigue, food anxiety, digestive discomfort or just that constant sense of overwhelm… it’s not just one thing. ARFID and food struggles are like a puzzle — and it starts with recognising the pieces.

This video is your invitation to pause and reflect. To understand that your challenges are valid — and manageable with the right tools. 💬

✨ Watch now and start your recovery puzzle
✨ Share with someone who needs support
✨ Download the free ARFID Companion resource
✨ Explore the full ARFID Stage One programme: https://aceds-online.thinkific.com/bundles/arfid-stage-one-program
✨ Book a free enquiry call: https://calendly.com/aceds/30min
✨ Subscribe to Clinico Nutrition: https://www.youtube.com/?sub_confirmation=1

Ashley Cross Eating Disorders Service

17/12/2025

10/12/2025

05/11/2025

31/10/2025

27/10/2025

24/10/2025

17/10/2025

13/10/2025

10/10/2025

06/10/2025

03/10/2025

29/09/2025

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