IMPORTANT:
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and the health and safety of SHiFT clients and staff, we will continue to monitor and follow local health and safety protocols. If necessary, this includes switching and event to a virtual event at any time.

Counseling

Most people struggling with food addiction require support, as addiction is not a disease that can be conquered alone. SHiFT counselors understand this, both personally and professionally. As recovering food addicts themselves with years of stable abstinence, they know how important it is to have reliable people to lean on.

One-on-one coaching offers a safe and personalized space for you to explore your unique needs in your recovery from food addiction. Your coach will help you to identify blocks in your recovery, develop a food plan that works for you, and work through emotional issues that may be getting in the way of your recovery. Sessions are done over the phone or via online video conferencing, from the comfort of your home.

With years of experience successfully working with food addicted people, our counselors will meet you where you’re at and help you along your journey. At SHiFT, we are committed to seeing you get the support that you need.

If you’re ready to receive more support for your food addiction, join us to experience the SHiFT: Sobriety, Hope, Freedom, and Transformation.

Cost:

Coaching via video conferencing, in-person or phone: $180 per hour

Alumni may also purchase a package of 6 one hour sessions for $900 ($180 savings)

One hour Solution Focused Session – $200

Meet our Professional Counselors:

Amanda Leith      Gina Miller      Barney Reason

Accountability Coaching Program
Clients will work with an accountability coach regularly to strengthen your recovery.

• Coaching that builds on the work of the Intensive
• 15 minute phone call daily with a SHiFT Accountability Coach
• “Nuts & Bolts” to maintain abstinence
• Your questions answered
• Guidance regarding food plan and meal prep

Cost:

Accountability Coaching: $80 per hour or a package of 6 hours for $450 ($30 savings)

Meet our Food Addiction Professionals:

Christine Gaggin      Karen Gormley      Tina Selinsky

For more Information or to book coaching:

Please contact Raynea at the SHiFT Office: 941-378-2122 or contact@foodaddiction.com

We look forward to seeing you and sharing in your recovery journey!

For those who have experienced the SHiFT – Sobriety, Hope, Freedom, and Transformation – in their food addiction, recovery is a lifelong journey. As the gifts of sober eating appear in our lives, we may uncover new challenges, or areas for growth. During these times, it can be helpful to have extra support from understanding people — even when our recovery from food addiction appears stable.

The 3 Days With SHiFT weekend recharge is a powerful program that helps you to identify emotional and spiritual blocks to long-term abstinence and recovery. If you have trouble identifying feelings, dealing with anger, fear or grief, or surrendering to powerlessness over food, this program will give you practical skills that support putting “abstinence first” for the long haul.

Join us in a safe, nurturing small group format to learn how to use food “slip inventories,” expressive exercises and written incidents of powerlessness (approaches pioneered by Phil Werdell) to remove stumbling blocks that prevent deep emotional and spiritual recovery.

The 3 Days With SHiFT Program is for you if you:

• have previously attended an Acorn Intensive
• want to work directly with SHiFT staff in a small setting
• want more help with your most difficult recovery problems
• have persistent blocks to long-term stable recovery

This 3 day food addiction treatment program is held throughout the year in various locations across the USA and Canada. Click here for a schedule of upcoming events.

If you’re ready to receive more support for your food addiction, join us to experience the SHiFT: Sobriety, Hope, Freedom, and Transformation.

Cost:

The cost of the 3 Days With SHiFT Program is $2,000 USD  (includes lodging and meals – additional lodging fees may apply in different locations)

What’s Included:

• 2 process groups a day led by a world-renowned food addiction professional
• Educational lectures on recovery issues related to food addiction
• Individual reading and writing assignments
• Techniques to deal with difficult emotions
• Peer support and feedback from other group participants
• Access to a large alumni network in stable long- term recovery

Click here to view a sample daily schedule

Travel:

Kissimmee, Florida

If you are flying to Kissimmee, Florida, you will want to fly into Orlando International (MCO).
MCO (Orlando) is about a 45-minute ride to the location.
This airport has several transportation options, including Uber/Lyft or Airport Ground Transportaion.

Bradenton, Florida

If you are flying to Bradenton, Florida, you have two options for airports: Sarasota/Bradenton International (SRQ) or Tampa International (TPA)

SRQ is closer to the site (about a 20-minute ride), but it is a smaller airport and therefore has fewer flight options. You can catch an Uber from SRQ for about $20.

TPA is about a 1-hour drive from the site. This airport has several transportation options, including Uber/Lyft (about $75) or Airport Transporter.

Vancouver, BC

If you are flying to Vancouver, your best option is Vancouver International (YVR). As soon as you exit the airport, you will find a line-up of taxis waiting. It’s about a 30-minute ride to the site and will cost about $40.00 CAD.

Gabriola Island, BC

If you are flying to Vancouver, your best option is Vancouver International (YVR).
Additional Sea Plane and/or Ferry required for this location. Please call or email the SHiFT Office for further details prior to booking your flight.

Lodging:

Lodging is included in the program fee (3 nights). Additional nights are available for $75 per night if necessary for travels plans. Please call the office to request additional night.

All participants will be staying at a private home. Please note: Bedrooms are on second floor of the home and will be shared with other participants.

Meals:

The 3 Day Program does include meals. Abstinent meals will be prepared and served onsite beginning with breakfast on day 1 through lunch on day the last day.

What to bring:

• Notebook and pen
• Lunch

Special Note:

In support of those with environmental sensitivities, we wish to make the meeting space as scent-free as possible. Please do not bring or use cologne, perfume, scented lotions, scented aftershave, aerosols, etc. as these products may cause reactions in some people.

Registration and Final Payment:

The cost of the 3 Days With SHiFT Program is $2,000 USD (includes meals & lodging)

Contact Information:

For more information, please contact Raynea at the Acorn Office: 941-378-2122 or contact@foodaddiction.com.

We look forward to seeing you and sharing in your recovery journey!

Are you struggling with food addiction? We can help.

Welcome to SHiFT Recovery by Acorn.

SHiFT Recovery by Acorn has been providing effective treatment for food dependency for over 30 years. A leader in the groundbreaking field of food addiction treatment, SHiFT – Recovery by Acorn is committed to supporting people to lift themselves out of the depths of food obsession.

At SHiFT, we understand the torment of binge eating, dieting, gaining and losing weight, bulimia, anorexia, and preoccupation with food. Whether the consequences of your food addiction are obesity, diabetes, or the mental anguish of addiction, we understand.

Many believe that diet and weight loss issues are a problem of willpower and self-control. In fact, food addiction is a brain disease just like drug and alcohol addiction. SHiFT brings decades of experience in treating eating disorders from an addiction-based model.

Changing what and how we eat is a tricky process for those who are addicted. Over time, the abuse of certain foods actually changes the brain in ways that make abstinence from “trigger foods” very difficult — even for those who desperately want to stop.

Others may not understand food addiction. Every day in casual conversation we hear, “I’m a junk food junkie,” “I’m a chocoholic,” “I need a sugar fix.” It may be hard for some people to take food addiction seriously. But if you are struggling with food addiction, you know how deadly serious it is. From diabetes, to morbid obesity, social isolation, bulimia, mental and emotional problems, and more, the road can be long and painful.

SHiFT provides successful treatment for food addiction using cutting-edge solutions modelled after drug and alcohol addiction recovery. Spanning three decades, we have worked with thousands of people struggling with binge eating disorder, compulsive overeating, bulimia, anorexia, and other eating disorders. The transformations are awe-inspiring. We are passionate about guiding you out of the shackles of food addiction and into a productive life that you never imagined possible.

Whether you are just beginning your recovery journey, have long-term recovery, or are in relapse, we have several ways to help. SHiFT Recovery programs include our signature SHiFT Intensive Treatment Program, the Acorn Intensive, our 3 Days with SHiFT recharge, Alumni Weekend programs and  1:1 Accountability Coaching and Counseling.

At SHiFT, we understand the struggle of food addiction, both personally and professionally. There is hope. We are committed to bringing you a life of freedom from food obsession.

Join us to discover a whole new way of living. Join us to discover the SHiFT: Sobriety, Hope, Freedom, and Transformation.

“Do I just lack willpower with food?”
“Am I a binge eater, or is this food addiction?”
“How do I know if I’m a food addict?”

If you’re grappling with these questions, you may feel puzzled. Perhaps you’ve struggled with binge eating, dieting, weight loss and weight gain, body image, bulimia, or other eating disorders. Maybe you’ve considered or undergone bariatric surgery. You suspect that you’re not a “normal” eater, but are you really addicted to food?

As with all addictions, there is no simple blood test to determine whether or not you have the disease of food addiction.

You can, however, ask yourself a series of questions:

• Do I think about food or my weight all the time?
• Have I lost weight over and over only to gain it back, and more?
• Do I obsessively count calories?
• Do I have physical problems resulting from the way I eat, or don’t eat?
• Do I eat large amounts of food in a short period of time?
• Do certain foods trigger binges?
• Do I weigh myself once or twice (or more) a day?
• Do I attempt or use purging (vomiting, laxatives, fasting, or exercise) to “get rid of” food I’ve eaten?
• Do I eat differently in front of people than I do when I’m alone?
• Do I have emotional problems resulting from the way I eat or don’t eat?
• Do I find it difficult to stop eating after one or two bites of certain foods?
• Have I done serious work in psychotherapy only to find my “food problem” was unaffected?
• Have my eating and/or eating behaviours caused negative consequences in my life?
• Has a family member or medical practitioner said they are concerned about my health due to my eating?

Answering yes to one or more of these questions may indicate that you are dealing with food addiction.

“Okay, great. I may or may not have food addiction. What do I do now?”

One of the best ways to figure out if you are food addicted is to try treatment for food addiction and see if that helps.

There are many different ideas about what the “proper” treatment for food addiction is. However, there is one common theme in the successful treatment of any addiction: that is to abstain from the substance or behavior that we are addicted to.

For food addicts, that means abstaining from eating the foods or using the food behaviors that our brains and bodies have become dependent on.

Figuring out what foods we are addicted to and how to go about abstaining can be tough, and we often need support with this. A lot of support exists, including a plethora of 12-Step, peer-led food groups. One group that you may be familiar with is Overeaters Anonymous.

Many of us need further professional support for our food addiction from therapists, recovery coaches, and treatment facilities. SHiFT – Recovery by Acorn offers several treatment options, including our signature 6-day residential program The Acorn Intensive, our SHiFT 5 Week Program (36-day residential/outpatient combined program), Coaching, our 3-Days with SHiFT recharge, and Alumni Weekend workshops.

Here is one way to begin to figure out which foods are addictive for you. Write a list of all the foods:

• that you have binged on
• that you have started eating and couldn’t stop
• that you feel you couldn’t live without
• that you spend a lot of time thinking about

The most common ingredients are sugar, flour, certain grains, high fat, and salty foods.

Take an honest inventory of your eating history. Once you have identified your list, then try to completely abstain from these items. (Bear in mind that addictive food ingredients like sugar are hiding out under different names in most packaged food items, including yogurt, sauces, and dressings). See what happens. Is it really hard to abstain? Can you do this? Do you have symptoms of detoxification, like headaches, foggy brain, fatigue, and irritability?

If you are able to continue abstaining from these ingredients completely, then after about a week or so your cravings and food obsessions should start to diminish. If this happens, then it may mean that you are chemically dependent on addictive foods.

If you are unable to abstain despite a strong desire to do so, then there is also a good chance that you are food addicted.

At SHiFT, we understand the struggle of food addiction, both personally and professionally. There is hope. We are committed to bringing you a life of freedom from food obsession.

Join us to discover a whole new way of living. Join us to discover the SHiFT: Sobriety, Hope, Freedom, and Transformation.