Raya Smail Psychotherapist MFT

I have extensive experience working with obesity and bariatric

surgery patients.  I find that the emotional aspects of obesity often go unrecognized by the medical community, and thus often fail to be addressed. 

If you are coping with obesity,   you know that your mind is as

involved in perpetuating the problem, as is your stomach, if not 

more so.  If you are post surgery, and in the maintenance stage, 

you have discovered that "fixing" your stomach is only part of the solution.  There is still your mind to contend with, and your mind continues to send old messages  such as "I am hungry", I need food", and those messages send you back to the frige and the pantry, despite your best intentions.

In my work, I assist patient through the process of deciding whether surgery is the right solution for them, by addressing the myriad of trepidations and obstacles many face in the decision process.  With post surgery patients, we  focus on "reprogramming" the mind, and replacing the old and unproductive  set of statements the mind is habituated to, with a more effective set, that can support the gains achieved by surgery, and help maintain the weight loss.  For those who are interested  in gaining understanding into the causes and roots of the problem, we also examine the family dynamic and the emotional environment which resulted in "choosing" obesity as a coping strategy, to overcome emotional pain and difficulties in interpersonal relationships.