Six Month Support Packages
The Gold, Silver and Platinum Support Packages use Jo's Emotionally Aware Feeding (EAF) model to take families from a place of stress and anxiety to relaxed and positive meal times where children are gradually adding new foods to their repertoire and parents are confident about how to respond to food rejection and how to introduce new foods. EAF is a responsive approach which means it is gentle and respectful of children's boundaries.
Feeding is multidisciplinary: often, professionals from different fields need to work together to support a child. Our six month support packages involve input from a team of amazing specialists. This includes the psychological component that Jo and Hazel provide, as well as advice on nutrition from a paediatric dietitian. The Platinum package includes additional input from an Occupational Therapist (OT) in order to help families understand their child's sensory needs, where applicable.
In some cases, families will be offered a bespoke support package which is less intensive than the Gold, Silver or Platinum packages. This is usually when support is required but feeding challenges can be seen as developmentally normal. To find out which package will be suitable for you, book a 15 minute discovery call.
Wherever you are in the world, it is not always easy to access feeding support within your national healthcare system. Sadly, private feeding support is unaffordable for many families. This is why Jo and her colleagues undertake to work with 10% of Gold and Silver clients for a reduced fee. If you have a limited income, you can apply for a Gold or Silver package on a 'pay what you can' basis. Get in touch to request an application form.
Meet the team working with Jo
See the About Me page for more information on Jo's training, experience and approach
Dr HAZEL WOLSTENHOLME
Hazel is interested in feeding dynamics and the psychological aspects of feeding. She supports and coaches parents experiencing feeding challenges. She has completed her BA Psychology Degree and Doctorate at the School of Psychology, NUI Galway. Her PhD research focused on parents' and children's experiences and management of 'fussy' eating. Hazel has completed training courses in SOS (sequential-oral-sensory), behavioural and EAF (emotionally aware feeding) approaches to assessing and responding to feeding challenges. She uses an evidence based responsive approach, supported by the latest research in the field of child feeding. Hazel has published research in peer reviewed journals and has presented at international conferences in the area of children's eating behaviours.
LUCY NEARY
Lucy Neary is a paediatric dietitian working with children and their families to create lifelong positive feeding experiences. As a Mum of 3 Lucy understands the difficulties that can arise when a child has additional nutritional needs and takes great enjoyment in demonstrating that even the most restrictive of diets can give a child the nutrients they need to grow and flourish as well as offering practical ways for the whole family to feel happier and more confident at mealtimes. Lucy has worked with hundreds of families advising on growth concerns, avoidant eating, prematurity, weaning, food allergies, plant-based diets and many other medical and nutritional issues. As well as her own consultancy Lucy also works within the NHS and as an international trainer for childcare professionals to gain an understanding of common nutritional topics. Lucy has carried out work for various media outlets including the BBC and Asda Good Living Magazine and has appeared on podcasts and across many social media channels to offer support and education to parents.
You can find out more about working with Lucy HERE.
Please note: Lucy and Hazel are both self-employed and work under their own insurance.
Children's Sensory Therapy LtD.
Children's Sensory Therapy Ltd. are a team of highly experienced and friendly Occupational Therapists (OTs) and Therapy Assistants, based in the East Midlands, in the UK. They specialise in Paediatrics and Sensory Integration Therapy. In addition to this, they have specialist focus on Sensory Attachment Intervention, working with children with developmental trauma. All OTs at Children's Sensory Therapy are experienced Senior Clinicians, with postgraduate training in Sensory Integration. OTs are dual qualified in physical and mental health. You can visit their Facebook page or website for more information.
What other people say
Seeking professional help for your child's eating is a big decision. It involves an investment of time, money and energy and you need to be sure that the type of support you select is right for your family. It can be very helpful to hear about other people's experiences - here is a selection of testimonials from parents, all shared with permission. In some cases, names have been changed on request.
"We got to the stage where my daughter would only eat toast, limited cereal, milk and one brand of yoghurt and cracker biscuits for every meal. She was incredibly distressed and anxious at mealtimes which in turn made us anxious too. We were unable to introduce any new foods or lower her anxiety over food despite reading numerous books and doing online research, we really had tried everything. I've had fallen into a routine of only giving her what she would eat and let her eat it where she was most comfortable so she would at least have some food, even if it held very little nutrition value. My daughter seemed to have some issues around texture and the look of food and was overwhelmed by mealtimes.
Engaging with Jo Cormack was the best thing we ever did, and my only regret is that we didn't do it sooner. Jo helped us to remove some of the pressure to eat that she felt when at home and other places. Over time we have been able to see her engage with food and her accepted food list has expanded massively. Since taking part in the sessions with Jo, our daughter has made huge steps of progress and will now look, touch and try new foods offered. Her repertoire of accepted foods is still increasing - at her own pace!
To achieve this success, it has taken time and patience and it has involved our whole family, all which Jo has helped us with. I can honestly say it has been a very positive and rewarding experience. Our daughter is now nearly 4 years old and has moved into Pre-School. Jo was happy to engage with the teachers at our request and now does quarterly sessions with them, this not only gives us reassurance of her progress at school but supports teachers there too with different feeding techniques. They have nothing but positive feedback with what Jo has suggested to introduce and we will continue this process." (Liz)
"We worked closely with Jo on the six month programme as our 18 month old was a picky eater and feeding times were an absolute meltdown. Jo broke it down really clearly how the following six months will look and what progress points we will be looking to achieve. It was explained that it would not be around what the child eats but more so how to emotionally approach the eating ceremony. The work done and achieved was amazing and we started to see positive results as the stress was taken out from the beginning. We would highly recommend this programme as he is much more confident with different foods and experimenting more. We still have some way to go but the tools we have been given by Jo are vital to deal with all the situations ahead." (Viren)
"My 4 year old boy’s picky and avoidant eating was a source of huge anxiety for the whole family and started as early as weaning. The expert guidance and advice I have received from Hazel over this last few months has been invaluable. She has given me confidence to follow through with the approach and trust that it will work even on the more challenging days. We started at a point where my son would only eat one cooked meal and various carby snacks. Most of the time he spent refusing foods, even previous favourites. Hazel helped me establish the structure that worked for my son’s specific needs and I have watched him confidently come to the table without any stress and has touched, licked, tasted and even eaten new and unexpected foods. We still have a long way to go but it has already broadened the options I can put on the table. The best bit is that it doesn’t involve forceful techniques that would cause him distress. Any new foods he has interacted with has been entirely his own decision. I can’t thank Hazel enough for being there anytime I needed guidance and it gives me great comfort to know that there is no need to face this on my own. I only wish I had sought her help much sooner!" (Farrah)
"Before Jo, I tried EVERYTHING - bribing, begging, cajoling, playing games at the table, running around the house after him with food, giving him food whenever, sending him to bed on an empty stomach to 'teach him a lesson', getting friends around to eat in front of him the same food as he was offered - but nothing worked. Mealtimes were a horrible battle that we all dreaded and he ended up eating little, if at all. It got so bad that he even started to reject his 'safe'foods that he always liked, remarking on the fact they looked a little different to last time (e.g. when I cooked pancakes, his once favourite, he would complain that they turned brown in the pan!)
After Jo's advice, those battles are honestly a distant memory. Mealtimes are a pleasure most days and we have fun at the table - and - he's eating good portions now of lots of safe foods and trying new things every week. Plus Jo herself is extremely approachable and is always answering my questions about how to go about certain things. Being a mum herself she understands how kids tick and has lots of evidence-based advice, tips and suggestions on what to do next." (Louisa)
"After two sessions with Hazel, our daughter is beginning to accept some new foods. We found her advice really helpful and will definitely recommend her to anyone in a similar situation." (Nicola)
"People perceive picky eating as a stage or bad behaviour. I knew, with my child, that it wasn't any of these. That there was something different about her eating. Jo's approach immediately made me feel at ease with helping my child and empowered to do this." (Kate)
"Working with Jo has changed our lives. We can now go out for meals as a family. Before Jo our son's diet was so limited we couldn't go anywhere. She offers so much support to our family, and is so patient!!!" (Emma)
A case study
When Claire and Ian, (in the UK) approached Jo back in 2018, they were desperate to help their five year old son.
They wrote: "Our boy's neophobia is quite bad and we are doubtful that anyone can really help! We’ve tried everything, read lots of books (including yours) and still he is the same."
After embarking upon the six month package, they learned loads about how to understand their son's specific challenges with food and how to help him. Through careful assessment and a personalised action plan, they were able to move forward at their son's pace.
They began the six month package in January, 2019 (when their son was six) and eighteen months later, got back in touch to share just how well he is now doing. They wrote: "He wants to try everything, there are simply no boundaries! He’s eating beef, chicken, all flavours of crisps! He’s trying curries, pasta and rice!"
They added: "Also we’ve noticed a huge shift in his appetite and his relationship with hunger. He is noticing his hunger levels and acting upon them, consuming fruit he’s never eaten. Oranges, bananas and such! He’s put on nearly 2kgs of weight in 7 or 8 weeks! We really are over the moon and so very proud of him."
Jo says: "Claire and Ian have worked really hard to get where they are and I am so proud of them for what they have achieved. It is possible."
