We are so excited to officially welcome Rae Slezak, Registered Psychotherapist, to the Peacefully Nourished team.

Rae offers virtual and in-person therapy counselling for adults (18+) navigating eating disorder recovery, disordered eating, chronic dieting, body image healing, anxiety, depression, stress, burnout, relationship challenges, boundary-setting, and life transitions. Her work is also neurodiversity-affirming, trauma-informed, 2SLGBTQ+ affirming, and rooted in self-compassion and values-based living.

Rae’s therapeutic approach is deeply relational, compassionate, and collaborative. She integrates Internal Family Systems (IFS), Emotion-Focused Therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and person-centred approaches to help clients better understand themselves, reconnect with their needs, and move through life with more self-trust and gentleness. Her work supports clients in exploring not only symptoms or behaviours, but the deeper emotional experiences, protective patterns, and unmet needs underneath them.

In her first this episode on the Diet Culture Dropout Podcast welcome Rae Slezak. Tune into episode 95. Beyond the Meal: Exploring the Depths of Food Relationships, we explore the reality that healing our relationship with food is rarely just about food. Together, we discuss how eating struggles are often intertwined with stress, perfectionism, anxiety, identity, trauma, burnout, and our relationships with ourselves and others.

Throughout the conversation, we unpack:

• Why food behaviours often serve a protective purpose
• How dieting and wellness culture can disconnect us from ourselves
• The emotional and relational layers underneath eating struggles
• The overlap between nutrition counselling and psychotherapy
• How body image, shame, and self-worth often become deeply intertwined
• What compassionate, collaborative care can look like
• Why healing is less about “fixing yourself” and more about building self-understanding and self-trust

We also discuss the importance of trauma-informed and weight-inclusive care, and the growing need for accessible eating disorder and body image support within our community.

Whether you’re navigating your own relationship with food and body, supporting someone you love, or simply curious about therapy and healing work, we hope this conversation offers reassurance, reflection, and a gentler perspective.

If you’ve been wondering whether therapy could be supportive for you, Rae offers a warm, non-judgmental space to begin exploring that curiosity at your own pace.

We’re so grateful and welcome Rae Slezak to the Peacefully Nourished team. We cannot wait for you to get to know her.

Listen to this week’s podcast 95. Beyond the Meal: Exploring the Depths of Food Relationships with Rae Slezak