Westwind Counselling

About Westwind Counselling

Westwind Counselling & Eating Disorder Recovery Centre in Kelowna, British Columbia, has offered eating disorder treatment since 1998 and was Canada’s first private residential program of its kind. They treat anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, orthorexia, OSFED, rumination disorder, and disordered eating that doesn’t meet a formal diagnosis, along with co-occurring anxiety, depression, OCD, and trauma. Care is available through a residential program for adults 19 and older who identify as female, online programs open to people of all genders aged 17 and up anywhere in the world, and in-person counselling. Their approach centers on mindful eating, body acceptance, and building the skills to sustain recovery after leaving treatment, without requiring a diagnosis to get started.

The residential home holds up to six clients, each with a private bedroom, and the average stay is about 12 weeks, though clients decide their own length of stay. A typical day includes three group sessions, a one-on-one meeting with a counsellor or registered dietitian, and staff-supported meals. Groups cover nutrition, mindfulness, yoga, body image, perfectionism, assertiveness, and addictive behaviours, while therapy draws on enhanced cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-E), acceptance and commitment therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and graduated exposure. Rather than setting weight goals, the team uses periodic weigh-ins to help clients loosen the hold of the number, and family counselling, family education, and spiritual counselling are available as options. Online clients choose from tiered programs combining individual counselling, dietitian sessions, food journaling with feedback, and twice-weekly virtual meal support, and they can step down to less intensive support as recovery progresses.