Hia Sez, nice to read your words of wisdom. I agree with your comments completely, I too am having to unlearn thirty years of bed eating habits and it does not come easy.
I have realised that, useful and helptful though the LL counselling is, it is not enough to know what your triggers are, or what the tools to fight the cravings are. I am realising that I have to get down and dirty and actually DO something to change my actions/reactions. This means getting out of my comfort zone - sort of like deliberately putting my hand in the fire, so to speak. I mean, who wants to put themselves in a place of hurt on purpose? Well, that's what it feels like sometimes, and it is easier to give in and choose the comfort and safety and numbing power of the food, isn't it?
LL has shown me this aspect of my behaviour. Now I can take advantage of their continued support which is offered and go to a place where I can talk frankly about stuff with others who understand. Because having this problem with food is isolating, shaming, and impossible to talk about with family/friends/colleagues. Regretably, I can't attend every week now due to changed circumstances at home, but I should be able to attend once a month from now on. It is very important to me to be able to go to a place where I can speak freely if I want. There is nowhere else (except perhaps, Minis).
However, I do take on board what other posters have said about the quality of the counselling. I am very lucky to have a counsellor who is excellent; motivated, knowledgeable and experienced in conducting the meetings so everyone has a say.
Minnie, it is over a year now since I began with LL and for a long while I wondered what it was all about. Some of the stuff, particularly the TA, went over my head and I just didn't get it. Now, after getting to goal, doing the management, and living with food again, cravings, etc., it all makes a lot of sense. That does not mean that just because I understand why I ate/eat that I am 'cured'. Far from it, but knowledge is power. If I want to remain at goal and want to maintain the weightloss long term, I have to chose to use the knowledge I have learned in my every day life. To get out of the comfort zone regularly and consider the consequences of my actions. To someone who have long lived in 'child mode' (I want and I want it now), this is proving to be a hard lesson to learn! But I have to learn it if I want continued success.
The counselling has given me this insight, and continues to give me support during the difficulties I am going through at the moment. This is my experience though, and I do sympathise with others who have not been so fortunate with their counsellors.