Emotional Eating Is Not a Food Issue – It’s a Trauma Response

by | Aug 1, 2025 | Blocks to Emotional Eating, coping mechanism, Emotional Eating, Emotional Eating Triggers, Emotional Health, healing emotional eating, Trauma Informed

Hello love,

Emotional eating is not really a food issue. It’s a trauma response. 

If you’ve ever felt out of control with food and emotionally eat, it can feel like there is an issue with food because it’s what you can’t seem to stop doing.

These sudden urges come on…and you can’t seem to control them.

What if I told you it’s not really about the food that you’re going to and grasping onto? It’s more about what’s running the show underneath – which is a trauma response. 

And if you’ve been trying to fix it with diets, willpower, restriction, exercising more, or even intuitive eating, or talk therapy…

It’s likely not hitting the root of this pattern and that’s why you still feel out of control with food. 

What I’ve found with working with clients and through my own experience with emotional eating is that it is tied in to trauma. 

Now, I know in our society “trauma” can sound like a really scary word, but trauma exists on a spectrum. And if we truly understand what trauma is, we begin to see how this pattern is connected.

Trauma can range from “small t” to “big T” trauma. And so big T traumas are what we typically think of when we think of trauma. But in my work with clients, it’s rare that we’re working with these big T traumas. It’s usually the small t traumas.

So let’s dive in deeper…

  • 1:22 What is trauma anyway? And what are small t traumas?
  • 2:22 The role food and emotional eating play with trauma and why willpower doesn’t resolve emotional eating 
  • 3:45 Why common approaches don’t reach the root of emotional eating 
  • 4:55 What actually helps to resolve your emotional eating?
  • 7:07 Let’s dive deeper –  Free masterclass: The 3 Keys

Next Steps

1. If you are ready to start your journey to resolving your Emotional Eating you can download my free guide “What Are You Truly Hungry For?” to start discerning true from emotional hunger and catching your triggers HERE.

2. If you are ready to transform your emotional eating so that you can get to ease, peace and confidence around food and in your body with a step by step process and guidance then find out more about The Emotional Eating Evolution Program HERE. 

To resolution,

Michelle

Certified Holistic Nutritionist Specializing in Emotional Eating