For all of our group services, all clients receive funded positions and do not need to make any payments. Similarly, all Carer & Key Support services are fully funded by Queensland Health and do not have an associated fee for participants. For individual therapeutic support, dietetic support, or peer support, there are three funding options available.

All clients are eligible to access up to 20 sessions of Structured Psychological Therapy funded by Queensland Health. Clients may also be able to access support using either an NDIS Plan or a Medicare referral. See Treatment for Individuals for more information. For guidance on your specific situation, please contact EDQ’s Care Navigator.

All new clients need to go through an intake process when they first connect with EDQ, before booking in an appointment. To get this process started, contact EDQ on 07 3844 6055, or email [email protected].

Here’s what to expect when connecting with us:

1. Contact Us

Even if your doctor has referred you, it’s important to us that your decision to engage with EDQ is your own. To start, complete our Initial Contact Form, which you can find under the large green button that reads “CLICK HERE TO ACCESS OUR SERVICES” on the ‘Referral & Contact’ page of our website.

2. Next Steps with Our Care Navigator

Once we receive your submission, our Care Navigator will reach out to guide you through the next steps. They will send you our Consent Form and Medical Clearance Form and will recommend that you schedule an appointment with your GP.

3. Intake Appointment

A practitioner will then contact you to arrange a 90-minute intake appointment. This session is an opportunity for us to learn more about you, understand your needs, and discuss treatment options. The appointment can be conducted either in-person or via telehealth, based on your preference.

4. Waitlist Process

After completing your intake appointment and submitting your medical clearance and consent forms, you’ll be added to the relevant waitlists.

5. Start Treatment

We will reach out to you when availability opens up for group sessions or individual appointments with a practitioner.

If you are a carer or key support person, and you would like to speak with a Carer Coach, the process is slightly easier. You can either call on 07 3844 6055 and we can check if somebody is available immediately, or you can email us at [email protected].

One of the Carer Coaches will then get in touch as soon as they are available to arrange a suitable time to speak with you.

The Eating Issues Centre (TEIC) and Eating Disorders Association (EDA) merged in October 2018, creating the largest community service in Queensland – Eating Disorders Qld Previously, TEIC and EDA were Eating Disorders Qld, now based in South Brisbane, is a state-wide not-for-profit organisation funded by Queensland Health. We offer provide support and offer treatment for individuals living with and recovering from eating disorders, their Carers and loved ones.

The eating disorder is an attempt to address a larger and more substantial trauma or conflict.

Through listening to those who come to us, we hear about their lives, their difficulties with food and their sense of themselves. Each story is unique, yet there are some important common areas. A fundamental and deep-seated loss of self-esteem; an experience loss of power and control over their lives; and contradictions and conflicts exist in their lives.

It is now widely recognised that eating disorders are caused by a complex interplay of individual, family, and social factors.

Five key factors can contribute to – and maintain – eating disorders. These are: society & culture (culture, community attitudes, influence of schools, workplaces, religion, etc.); gender (influence of perceptions, expectations and experiences around being female/male, or not fitting into gendered categories); family & personal relationships (influences from family, domestic situation, genetics, relationships, expectations and experiences etc.); individual (influences of your personality, thinking, your body, perfectionism, personal experiences etc.); and a complex interaction of some or all of the above factors. It is important to remember that eating disorders are not a choice; and that eating disorders are not anybody’s fault.

We offer a complementary but also alternative service to the biomedical model. Recognising the medical implications of eating disorders we encourage those with eating disorders to access appropriate medically based support alongside our therapeutic services. However, to use our service you do not need to be medically diagnosed with an eating issue nor do you need a referral from another medical practitioner.

We offer a range of services to help those affected by eating disorders in some way:

Eating Disorder Counselling, Carer and Family support and coaching, professional group therapy; peer mentor programs; talks & workshops; information & referral; training & resources.

Yes – although our staff are predominately English speaking, we do offer a free translation/interpreter service that we can arrange for anyone wanting to engage with our services who would benefit from this support. 

Please email [email protected] or phone us to make arrangements. 

If you have accessibility needs, including difficulty with stairs, please let us know in advance. We’ll arrange an accessible room and meet you at the carpark entrance. All group sessions are held in a downstairs room.

The front door does require stairs to access, however our back door is able to fit a wheel chair, and our downstairs has an accessible toilet, tea/coffee facilities, treatment rooms and the group session rooms. 

We can also provide clients with cab vouchers if they needed support in getting to and from the EDQ office for their sessions. Please contact us beforehand to make arrangements. 

We also have a change table in the downstairs toilet for parents and their babies. 

There’s a lot we don’t know. But there are also a few things we do – and they include: the common age of onset is during adolescence, there are no known biological causes of eating disorders and eating disorders occur predominately within Western countries. It is now widely recognised that eating disorders are caused by a complex interplay of individual, family, and social factors.

5 key factors can contribute to – and maintain – eating disorders. These are: society & culture; gender; family & personal relationships; individual; and a complex interaction of some or all of the above factors.

Absolutely not! Eating Disorders Queensland provides access to individual counselling, information and referral and resources to those of all genders and identities.

We are a LGBTQIA+ friendly organisation. 

We do not have a weight or BMI requirement, and you are not required to have a diagnosis or referral before  contacting EDQ.

For carers/key supports: You must be a current Queensland resident. The person you are supporting with an eating disorder does not need to meet any of the above eligibility criteria (i.e does not need to be over the age of 16). They do not have to be a current client of EDQ.

• EDQ requires 48 working hours’ notice of cancellation for all appointments.
• In the event of 3 late cancellations or no-shows, your practitioner will discuss other support options with you before booking another appointment.

Yes, you can! We see clients with all kinds of eating disorders. You do not need to have any particular diagnosis, or meet any BMI or weight criteria to be eligible for treatment.

No. While we encourage you to include your friends and family in treatment where possible, we know this can be a big step for you to take. We will not contact family/friends on your behalf. We will ask you to list at least one emergency contact.

You can find more information on our privacy and confidentiality here. (link: https://eatingdisordersqueensland.org.au/feedback-privacy-and-rights/)

No, you don’t. We just ask that you contact us and let us know you would like to connect with EDQ.