Emotional Eating and Trauma Are Connected

by | May 2, 2025 | Blocks to Emotional Eating, coping mechanism, Emotional Eating, Emotional Eating Triggers, Emotional Health, healing emotional eating, Trauma Informed

Hello love,

I wanted to talk more about emotional eating and trauma because I don’t think the connection is always obvious.

It definitely wasn’t for me on my own journey…

But when I reflected on my experiences—and noticed the same patterns in my clients—it became clear: emotional eating often stems from trauma.

The word trauma can feel scary. It’s something we usually want to run away from—we don’t want to look at it.

Sometimes, it’s really obvious that emotional eating is tied to trauma. But other times, it’s more subtle.

So, what is trauma?

Trauma exists on a spectrum. We usually think of the big “T” traumas—things like accidents, divorce, or the loss of a loved one. But there are also small “t” traumas: not feeling seen, heard, valued, or validated. These may seem small, but they are significant. In fact, these are the types of trauma I most often see with clients when we do the deeper work.

Trauma is the result of feeling unresolved after an event. When something feels unresolved, it means there are emotions we haven’t processed. There’s a lingering discomfort or distress tied to that experience.

When I work with clients, I often find that emotional eating is connected to these unresolved emotions. Emotional eating becomes a coping mechanism—we use food to deal with uncomfortable emotions because we don’t know how else to move through them.

And this pattern usually begins in childhood.

 

Let’s dive in:

  • 2:06 – Why emotional eating begins in childhood
  • 4:05 – How emotional eating and trauma are connected, and how to begin resolving it
  • 5:03 – Why “doing all the things” doesn’t shift emotional eating—and what actually does
  • 7:03 – The shift that leads to ease and confidence

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 true change,

Michelle

Certified Holistic Nutritionist Specializing in Emotional Eating