Five Years as Omni!
Omni Counseling and Nutrition just celebrated our five year anniversary on June 13th. Five years ago in 2018 we officially opened our doors to support clients on their varied and winding journeys to recovery, however they define it, from eating disorders or disordered eating. Melissa and I had been planning, brainstorming, and creating our vision and mission for months at that point and it was so exciting to see this small but mighty vision come to life! We have always had inclusion and harm reduction at the heart of our practice and approach. Here are four ways we try to incorporate those heartfelt ideas into our work.
1. Inclusion. To us inclusion means all. That is THE reason why we named our practice Omni - because Omni means all and without limits. When we say all, we mean ALL. All identities, all backgrounds, all versions of treatment and recovery. We meet clients where they are and we don’t just say that. You are welcome here, in all of your messy humanness and whether you want full recovery or not.
2. Harm reduction. Harm reduction has always been a core belief of ours and we embody that in the work that we do. We believe that eating disorders are complex and often require years of support and care. There is no single correct path and we do not ascribe to the belief that full recovery is the only path. We will walk with you on the path that you are ready for, while supporting you in reducing harm.
3. Client Centered. Since its inception, in mine and Melissa’s hearts and minds, Omni has always existed from the true sense of the client centered approach. We meet people, our clients, YOU exactly where you are. We do not force clients to change or give ultimatums based on the medical model of eating disorder recovery. We want to walk alongside you while you navigate your journey of healing and growth.
4. Anti-Oppression. We see eating disorders as complex adaptations to oppression, interpersonal violence, trauma, abuse, and the many harms caused by diet culture, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, ableism, healthism, sizeism…you get the idea. We work together with clients to unpack and dismantle the ways that oppression grips its claws into each of us.
This blog is a turning point for us as a practice. We are going to be posting more blogs and doing more to get hopefully helpful and meaningful thoughts and messages out into the world. We have this platform and we would like to use it as a small but mighty voice in the eating disorder community and beyond. So keep on the lookout for more new blogs coming soon!
Help starts here. We’re a few clicks away, always.