Clinical psychology for weight management in Sydney — compassionate, evidence-based support for eating and self image to create lasting change
Weight management is rarely just about food or how much you move. Emotions, stress, habits, self-criticism, and your history with your body all shape how you eat, and whether change actually lasts.
At Noi Clinic in Crows Nest, clinical psychologists Lareena Brown and Holly Rice offer specialist support for the psychological and behavioural side of weight management.
Does any of this sound familiar? Signs you could benefit from psychological support for food & weight management
Many people come to us having already tried to change their relationship with food or their weight. They often tell us:
"I know what I need to do. I just can't seem to do it."
"I eat well all week, then undo it all on the weekend."
"I use food to cope when I'm stressed, bored, or overwhelmed. I can't seem to stop."
"I've lost weight before, but it’s impossible to keep it off."
"I feel a lot of shame around eating, and my body, and it's exhausting."
"I don't understand why I sabotage myself."
These experiences are extremely common, and they are not signs of weakness or lack of discipline. They are signs that the psychological, emotional and behavioural dimensions of eating and weight have not yet been properly understood or supported. That is exactly what we are here for.
You may benefit from psychology support if you…
Struggle with emotional eating, stress eating or comfort eating
Experience binge eating or feel out of control around food
Have a difficult relationship with food, eating or your body
Experience shame, guilt or self-criticism around eating
Feel stuck in cycles of dieting and weight regain
Want support building sustainable habits and routines
Are preparing for bariatric surgery
Have had bariatric surgery and need ongoing support
Live with ADHD or neurodiversity affecting eating patterns or impulsivity
Feel overwhelmed by motivation, stress or inconsistency
Want support with body image and self-esteem
Are taking GLP-1 medications and adjusting to changes in appetite or eating patterns
Want a more compassionate and sustainable approach to change
You do not need to see our doctor or dietitian to access psychology services. Anyone is welcome to book directly.
Why the psychological side of weight management matters
The psychological drivers of eating behaviour include emotional regulation, stress responses, long-standing habit patterns, ADHD-related impulsivity, body image, shame, and prior experiences with dieting or healthcare.
For many people, addressing these factors is more effective than focusing on food rules or exercise alone because behaviour change that doesn't address its emotional roots rarely lasts.
Meet your psychologists
Lareena Brown
FounderLareena Brown is a clinical psychologist with a specialist interest in
Eating behaviour
Emotional eating
Self image and
Psychology of weight management.
She is also an ANZAED Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician with experience supporting people living in larger bodies, including those experiencing:
Binge Eating Disorder
Atypical anorexia
Emotional eating
Chronic dieting cycles
Body image distress
Lareena has also completed additional training in ADHD assessment and management, with a strong interest in the relationship between neurodiversity, impulsivity and eating behaviour.
At Noi Clinic, Lareena works collaboratively within the multidisciplinary team so psychological care is integrated with medical and nutrition support — not delivered in isolation.
Sales ManagerEmmet Marsh
Holly Rice is a clinical psychologist with experience supporting patients with:
Behaviour change
Emotional eating
Habit formation
Body image concerns
Stress and emotional wellbeing
Long-term lifestyle change
Holly also has a special interest in treating trauma and how trauma can affect our lives, such as through
Persistent stress
Anxiety
Low mood
Emotional dysregulation, and
Unhelpful coping behaviours
She has advanced training in Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, an evidence-based approach for treating trauma.
Holly works collaboratively with each patient to create practical, sustainable strategies tailored to real life, not perfection.
She also works closely with the broader Noi Clinic team to ensure coordinated support across psychology, nutrition and medical care.
How we approach your psychological care
Our approach is compassionate, evidence-based, and tailored to you, not a generic programme or a checklist of techniques.
Step 1 — We understand your full picture
Your first appointment is about understanding your full picture — not just what you eat, but what's behind it. Your psychologist will ask about your history with food and your body, what you've tried before and why it didn't stick, and what's getting in the way right now.
There is no judgment here, only respect, and a genuine effort to understand your experience.
Step 2 — We identify what is actually getting in the way
Together, we identify the thoughts, emotions, habits and patterns contributing to:
Emotional eating
Binge eating
Inconsistency with habits
Shame and self-criticism
Difficulties maintaining change
All-or-nothing thinking around food and health
For many people, understanding these patterns clearly is an enormous relief in itself.
Step 3 — We build practical strategies that work for your life
Treatment is tailored to your individual needs and goals. Depending on what is most relevant for you, sessions may incorporate:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for eating behaviours, self-criticism, and unhelpful thought patterns
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for values-based behaviour change and body image
Motivational enhancement and goal-setting
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills for emotional regulation and distress tolerance
Habit and behaviour change strategies
Body image and self-compassion work
ADHD-specific strategies for impulsivity, routine-building, and eating consistency
Sessions are typically 50 minutes and are available in clinic in Sydney and via telehealth. Treatment frequency and duration are always tailored to your goals and circumstances.
Areas we support
Monet Goode
Support for emotional eating, stress eating, binge eating, and eating when not physically hungry. We work to understand the triggers, develop healthier coping strategies, and build a more consistent and peaceful relationship with food.
Monet Goode
Support for the broader emotional and psychological factors — stress, anxiety, low mood, self-criticism that affect eating behaviour, energy, sleep, and the ability to maintain healthy routines over time.
Disordered eating Specialist support
For people living in larger bodies, these experiences are frequently overlooked or minimised. Lareena holds ANZAED Eating Disorder Clinician credentials. Lareena works closely with our dietitian Caroline, to provide evidence-based disordered eating care.
Self image
Compassionate support for body image concerns, self-criticism, weight stigma, and the relationship between how you feel about your body and your ability to care for it.
Monet Goode
Psychological support for patients using GLP-1 medications or other prescription weight loss treatments, including support adjusting to appetite changes, emotional shifts and evolving relationships with food.
Monet Goode
Both Holly and Lareena hold advanced training in trauma therapy.
Motivation, habits and behaviour change
Support for building and sustaining healthy habits, managing motivation, navigating setbacks, and making changes that last in the context of a real and busy life.
Monet Goode
Specialist support for the relationship between ADHD, neurodiversity, impulsivity, and eating. Practical strategies for building consistent habits, managing emotional and impulsive eating, and creating routines that work with how your brain is wired — not against it.
Bariatric surgery support
Pre-surgical psychology assessments and ongoing support after bariatric surgery, including adjustment to changing eating patterns, identity and body image.
Want To Understand What’s Really Driving Your Weight?
Book an initial medical consultation to understand your body, identify the factors influencing your weight, and explore appropriate treatment options.