
Skillful clinicians, empowered clients.
Licenses to fit your needs.
Why choose Craving Change® for your team?
Build the clinical expertise of your multidisciplinary team and expand your client services capacity. Offer more groups, strengthen individual counselling skills, and foster client eating self-efficacy. Your clinicians will be trained and certified online, at their own pace in their own space, within about 10 working hours of receiving their Complete Facilitator Kits. Everything to get rolling is provided, including clinician and client hard-copy and downloadable resources. Recertifying takes 2-3 hours online per clinician.
We offer 3 types of licenses: Clinician, Organization, and Corporate. Each are for a 3- year term and are discussed below. There are no royalty fees. Our goal is to help you maintain a line-up of Certified Facilitators in your setting.
Currently, 17 Canadian organizations in rural and urban settings hold licenses with Craving Change Inc. Their collective catchment area serves well over one million Canadians. To date, of the 16 agencies whose 3-year licenses have come up for renewal, 13 have opted to extend their license for at least another three years.
Current Organization License holders include:
- Winnipeg Regional Health Authority
- Edmonton O-day’min (previously Oliver) Primary Care Network
- University of Toronto (St. George Campus)
- Health Stand Nutrition Consulting Inc.
- Saskatchewan Health Authority
- Waterloo Wellington Self Management Program
Located outside of Canada? We’d love to discuss a license with you! Please contact us.
What is the best license option for you?
Is your organization local, regional or provincial and funded with public health care money, such as a Family Health Team, a LHIN (Local Health Integration Network), or a Primary Care Network? Do you have a defined catchment area? If so, you are eligible for an Organization License.
This is a 3-year renewable license for 15-50 clinicians to use Craving Change materials in their practice with group and individual clients while they are working at your organization/clinic/company. The licenses are packaged in three sizes, depending on how many clinicians will have access to the licensed materials at any one time. These sizes are: up to 15, 16-25, or 26-50. Should a clinician move on within the three years (for example, due to a medical leave or job change), you may transfer the materials, the rights to use the materials, and the access to training and certification to other clinicians for a nominal fee of $112 per transfer.
Each clinician included in your license receives a Facilitator’s Kit including online training and certification. The full contents of each Kit are [simple_tooltip bubblebgcolor=’#621a4b’ bubblecolor=’#fff’ max_width=’80%’ content=’Each Facilitator’s Kit contains:
• A Clinician License
• Facilitator’s Manual
• Behind the Scenes Resource USB wafer
• Access to the Professional Training Video
• Access to the Certification Exam
• 10 Client Workbooks – English or French
• 10 Fridge magnets – English or French
Approved for 10 CPEU’s for dietitians in the USA by the Commission for Dietetic Registration.
Note: The Craving Change materials are currently written in ‘Canadian’ versus ‘American’ English therefore there are certain spelling differences.’]listed here[/simple_tooltip]. In addition, organizations receive the following:
- Transferability in the event of staff turnover
- The right to use the Craving Change Inc. logo
- Bonus products depending on the size of License purchased.
- 15 clinicians – 50 bonus Workbooks, 50 fridge magnets and 250 promotion postcards (retail value $412)
- 16 – 25 clinicians – 100 bonus Workbooks, 100 fridge magnets and 500 promotion postcards (retail value $825)
- 26-50 clinicians – 150 bonus Workbooks, 150 fridge magnets and 750 promotion postcards (retail value $1237).
- A 20% discount on purchases of additional workbooks and fridge magnets (packages of 50 or more)
- Free re-certification. If you choose to renew your Organization License, your clinicians are required to re-certify (certification expires after 3 years for all clinicians). The usual fee of $95 per clinician is waived for clinicians practicing under Organization Licenses.
To discuss the fee for a license that meets your organization’s needs, contact info@cravingchange.ca. Note that renewal of the license after 3 years is available at a significant discount. In 3 years, every Craving Change clinician must recertify, which takes 2-3 hours online with no extra charge. There are no royalty fees for publicly funded Organization Licenses.
Aligning your company with the Craving Change brand and logo could give you that competitive edge you’re looking for. We’d love to work with you!
The cost for this relationship depends on many factors, including the size and “reach” of your company and the extent of consultation services you’d like from us. Royalty fees may apply. White labelling opportunities are possible.
Please contact Craving Change Inc. for more information.
A 3-year license that grants individual clinicians the right to use the program materials in their practice with individual and small client groups. A Clinician License is an agreement between Craving Change Inc. and an individual clinician, regardless of who makes the purchase. Materials and permissions remain with the clinician over employment changes.
The Clinician License is available as the product called the “Complete Facilitator’s Kit”. The package includes:
- Individual Clinician License
- Online training and certification*
- One Facilitator’s Manual and Resource USB wafer
- Access to the online Resource Library, updated 3 times per year
- A “starter kit” of 10 Workbooks and 10 Fridge Magnets (retail value over $80)
- No royalty fees
Cost: $595 plus shipping and handling
Clinicians are required to renew their license and to re-certify every 3 years at a cost of $95
Absolutely. Discounts of 15% are available for purchases of 5 or more Clinician Licenses.
Clinician Licenses are a non-transferable agreement between specific clinicians and Craving Change Inc. If the clinicians for whom you purchase a Clinician License move on from your organization, the license and materials leave with them.
Click here for a list of what each Clinician License includes. Please note that Clinician Licenses do not include permission to use the Craving Change Inc logo.
We have a strict policy of one license and set of resources per clinician – resources may not be shared.
- I want all of my staff to understand the basic concepts in Craving Change and be able to describe it to clients. I want about 16 clinicians to get trained and start implementing the program, but then next year there are about five other clinicians that I’m going to want to train. We intend to use your logo on our website as we want to affiliate ourselves with the #1 cognitive-behavioral program for problematic eating in Canada! How do I deal with staff turnover?
The Clinic / Organization license was designed with you in mind! Send us a note at info@cravingchange.ca and let’s get started!
- I’d like 4 of the clinicians at my clinic to start running Craving Change groups. What are my options?
You have a choice to purchase either – a Complete Facilitator Certification Package for each of your clinicians (discounts are provided for purchases of 5 or more!) OR a Clinic /Organization License Package. While the Clinic / Organization license involves a higher up-front fee, there are numerous additional benefits for the clinic, particularly if you anticipate staff turnover or that the program will grow and you’ll want more Certified Clinicians to offer it. Send us a note at info@cravingchange.ca and we’ll help you decide!
- I work at a private weight management clinic (or pharmacy chain, surgical clinic, wellness clinic, physiotherapy clinic, insurance provider, etc). The clinic is a “for-profit” business and aligning with Craving Change Inc. could really increase our sales and attract more customers. We have ads in the paper and on the web or TV.
We’d love to work with you! Please contact us to discuss your business goals and needs.
Research / Outcomes FAQs
Wendy and Colleen were co-authors on a 2010 publication in Eating Behaviors that was based on a precursor to Craving Change. Since then, three sites have shared their independent outcome data with us – a Primary Care Team in Alberta and two Family Health Teams in Ontario. We are very grateful for their generosity and applaud their hard work – the challenges of collecting data in clinical settings are well-documented. An outcome summary is available for download Roots and Outcomes
To quote one site’s summary, “After attending the Craving Change program, most participants are better able to control eating in both Socially Acceptable and Negative Affect scenarios, and these benefits are sustained over time.” (6 months follow up). Engagement/retention rates are also notable. One site quoted 70% attendance of at least 3 of 4 classes and the second site, which offered the program over three classes, reported 73% complete attendance.
Clinical practice guidelines for obesity and chronic disease management in several countries recommend the incorporation of behavioral and cognitive strategies into patient care. For instance, Canada, Australia, the UK, and the USA. The 2022 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Standards of Practice for Weight Management in Adults document also includes recommendations for CBT techniques and behavior change strategies included in the Craving Change program.
Here’s an abridged list of published data highlighting the logic and evidence underlying the Craving Change curriculum:
- Affenito SG, Backstrand, JR, Welch, GW, Lammi-Keefe, CJ, Rodriguez, NR, & Adams, CH. Subclinical and clinical eating disorders in IDDM negatively affect metabolic control. Diabetes Care. 1997; 20: 182-184.
- Byrne, SM, Cooper, Z, & Fairburn, CG. Psychological predictors of weight regain in obesity. Behavior Research and Therapy. 2004; 42: 1341-1356.
- Canadian Diabetes Association 2008 clinical practice guidelines for the prevention and management of diabetes in Canada. Canadian Journal of Diabetes. 2008; 32: Supplement 1.
- Devlin, MJ, Yanovski, SZ, & Wilson, GT. Obesity: What mental health professionals need to know. Am J Psychiatry. 2000; 157: 854-866.
- Ellis SH, Speroff T, Dittus RS, Brown A, Pichert JW, & Elasy TA. Diabetes patient education: a meta-analysis and meta-regression. Patient Education and Counselling. 2004; 52: 97-105.
- Hay, P & Fairburn, CG. The validity of the DSM-IV scheme for classifying bulimic eating disorders. Int J Eat Disord. 1996; 23: 7-15.
- Hollis, JF, Gullion, CM, Stevens, VJ, Brantley, PJ, Appel, LJ, Ard, JD, Champagne, CM, Dalcin, A, Erlinger, TP, Funk, K, Laferriere, D, Pao-Hwa L, Loria, CM, Samuel-Hodge, C, Vollmer, WM, & Svetkey, LP. Weight loss during the intensive intervention phase of the Weight-Loss Maintenance Trial. Am J Prev Med. 2007; 35: 118-126.
- Kenardy, J, Mensch, M, Bown, K, Green, B, Walton, J, & Dalton, M. Disordered eating behaviors in women with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Eating Behaviors. 2001; 2: 183-192.
- Lowe, MR, Gleaves, DH, DiSimone-Weiss, RT, Furgueson, C, Gayda, CA, Kolsky, P, Neal-Walden, T, Nelsen, LA, & McKinney, S. Restraint, dieting, and the continuum model of bulimia nervosa. Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 1996; 105: 508-517.
- Niemeier, HM, Phelan, S., Fava, JL, & Wing, RR. Internal disinhibition predicts weight regain following weight loss and weight loss maintenance. Obesity. 2007; 15: 2485-2494.
- O’Rourke, SK, Del Mar, C, & Kenardy, J. Psychological interventions for overweight or obesity. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2005; Issue 2 Art. No: CD003818.
- Rodin G, Olmsted MP, Rydall AC, Maharaj SI, Colton PA, Jones JM, Biancucci LA, & Daneman D. Eating disorders in young women with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 2002; 53: 943-949.
- Scarano, GM, & Kalodner-Martin, CR. A description of the continuum of eating disorders: Implications for intervention and research. Journal of Counselling and Development. 1994; 72: 356-361.
- Shisslak, CM, Crago, M, & Estes, LS. The spectrum of eating disturbances. Int J Eat Dis. 1995; 18: 209-219.
- Stahre, L, & Hallstrom, T. A short-term cognitive group treatment program gives substantial weight reduction up to 18 months from the end of treatment. A randomized controlled trial. Eating Weight Disord. 2005; 10: 51-58.
- Stice, E, Ziemba, C, Margolis, J., & Flick, P. The dual pathway model differentiates bulimics, subclinical bulimics, and controls: testing the continuity hypothesis. Beh Therapy. 1996; 27: 531-549.
- Sullivan, PF, Buli, CM, & Kendler, KS. The epidemiology and classification of bulimia nervosa. Psychological Medicine. 1998; 28: 599-610.
- Tylka TL, & Subich, LM. Exploring the construct validity of the eating disorder continuum. Journal of Counselling Psychology. 1999; 46: 268-276.
- von Ranson, KM, Stevenson, AS, Cannon, CK, & Shah, G.Changes in eating pathology and associated symptoms among chronically ill adults attending a brief psychoeducational group. Eating Behaviors. 2010; 11: 186-189.
- Wilson, GT, Vitousek, KM, & Loeb, KL. Stepped care treatment for eating disorders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 2000; 68: 564-572.
- Wing, RR, Marcus, MD, Epstein, LH, Blair, EH, & Burton, LR. Binge eating in obese patients with type II diabetes. Int J Eat Dis. 1989; 8: 671-679.
- Yager, J. Weighty perspectives: Contemporary challenges in obesity and eating disorders. Am J Psychiatry. 2000; 157: 851-853.
We encourage data collection related to using the Craving Change approach and resources in your practice. Questionnaire selection depends on a number of factors such as availability, budget, length, and most importantly- the variables you are hoping to measure. Self-efficacy is widely considered a significant predictor of behavior change. People who have completed the Craving Change program have been shown to have higher levels of eating self-efficacy. We recommend the Eating Self-Efficacy Scale (ESES) for this purpose.
Some questionnaires to consider for your project include:
- Eating Self-Efficacy Scale (ESES). 25 items. Glynn, SM & Ruderman, AJ. (1986). The development and validation of an eating self-efficacy scale. Cognitive Therapy and Research, vol 10, p 403- 420.
- Eating Disorders Examination- Questionnaire (EDE-Q). 36 items. Fairburn CG & Beglin,, SJ (1994). Assessment of eating disorders: Interview or self-report questionnaire? International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 16, p 363-370.
- State Shame and Guilt Scale (SSGS). 15 items. Marschall DE Sanftner JL, Tangney JP. The State Shame and Guilt Scale. Unpublished manuscript, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.
- Emotional Appetite Questionnaire. Appended at the end of Nolan, Halperin & Geliebeter, 2010, Appetite, vol 54, p 314-319.
We are always grateful when sites share their outcome data with us, please consider contacting us for this purpose. We respect requests for sharing results without site identifiers.
The Craving Change Program
Craving Change Inc was first launched in 2008. To this day it is still owned and operated by it’s co-founders, a registered dietitian and clinical psychologist. The Craving Change® program has been incorporated into group and individual counselling across Canada, with over 2800 health care professionals and 18 organizations holding licenses. Craving Change products are available in English and French. In 2016, international licenses became available. There are now licensees in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Barbados. The Craving Change training and certification is eligible for 10 CPEU’s for dietitians in the USA, by the Commission on Dietetic Registration of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
What makes us unique?
Health care professionals, organizations, the media and the weight loss industry tend to emphasize what, when and how much to eat. However, the Craving Change approach has redefined healthier eating expertise by focusing on the more important question of why we eat the way we do. Most of us know that eating an apple is healthier than eating chocolate cake, so why do we often choose the cake despite our best intentions?
The four key concepts of the Craving Change approach teaches clients to:
- Understand why it’s hard to change their eating
- Identify their personal triggers for problematic eating
- Learn to respond to their triggers differently
- Maintain these changes
For decades, research around the world has identified that behavior change outcomes improve when people are encouraged to be self-managers and to identify internal and external factors that promote or prevent change. The Craving Change approach helps clients explore the various factors that could be triggering their food cravings and to use thinking and behavioral strategies to make healthier choices more often. Notably, the co-founders of Craving Change Inc recognize and acknowledge the substantial research identifying the social determinants of health. This research is well-established beyond Canadian borders, but for a good summary by the Public Health Agency of Canada click here . Making sustainable, healthy changes is hard, for many reasons that go beyond individual responsibility. This program provides education, practical suggestions, and support in that journey.
The Craving Change program:
- addresses emotional eating
- applies to individual and group counseling
- encourages self-efficacy and self-management
- focuses on cognitive-behavioral strategies
- considers different learning styles
- promotes interdisciplinary practice
And last but not least, the Craving Change approach encourages non-psychotherapeutic health care professionals to teach this information. It is ‘stepped care’ in action. This health delivery model supports the incorporation of generalized interventions offered by non-specialists as a first step in client care. For a summary of the evidence underlying the foundations of Craving Change, download Roots and Outcomes The Craving Change Approach has struck an intuitive chord with countless clients, providers, managers and policy makers across Canada for more than a decade. It just makes sense!
Organizations Using the Craving Change Approach
- Diabetes Education Centres
- Regional Self-Management Programs
- Bariatric Surgery Clinics
- Weight Loss Programs
- Health Canada – First Nations and Inuit Health
- Pharmacies
- Family Health Teams
- Community Health Centres
- Primary Care Networks
- Hospitals – adult and pediatric
- Northern Diabetes Health Network
Clinicians are provided online access to the Craving Change video training program and certification exam for 120 days. Becoming certified is a 3-step process that takes about 10 hours.
- Review the 9-module training program.
- Write the Certification Exam.
- Complete the final experiential assignment.
Certification is valid for three years at which time completion of a two-hour online re-certification exam is required. For clinicians covered under Organization Licenses, recertification is free of charge. For Clinician License holders, the fee is $95.

Still have questions? We’ve probably answered them in our FAQ section.
Craving Change Products
We have many useful products. If you already know this and are coming back for more, click ‘login’ at the top right of the screen to place your order. Otherwise, click on the items below to learn about them.
This package includes everything clinicians need to become knowledgeable, trained, certified and well-equipped with countless tools. It arrives packaged in a handy storage box and includes:
- An individual Clinician License
- Facilitator’s Manual
- Behind the Scenes Resource USB wafer
- Access to the Professional Training Video
- Access to the Certification Exam
- 10 Client Workbooks – English or French
- 10 Fridge magnets – English or French
Email orders@cravingchange.ca if you wish to receive French workbooks or fridge magnets.
Now approved for 10 CPEU’s for dietitians in the USA, by the Commission on Dietetic Registration with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Cost: $595.00
As a health care professional, investing in an individual clinician license allows you to begin incorporating resources based on best-practice evidence and 12 years of overwhelmingly positive feedback into your practice with individuals and groups. This 3-year license remains with each clinician regardless of job setting. The individual Clinician License is included in the price of the Complete Facilitator Kit. Please click here for more information and to see a sample license.
To continue to use the program and resources at the end of the three-year term, the license and certification must be renewed. The cost is $95 and the online certification process takes about 2-3 hours.
The Craving Change signature product for over 12 years! This manual includes background information, interactive session guides, activities and facilitation tips. The material can be used to lead a Craving Change workshop series, as a supplement to a pre-existing group program, in individual counselling sessions or simply as a helpful, accessible resource for health care professionals. The sturdy coil-bound, user-friendly manual includes:
- Step-by-step instructions for facilitating your own Craving Change workshops.
- Behavior modification and cognitive-behavioral strategies translated into engaging activities and lively discussion topics for groups and individuals.
- Facilitation notes, suggested scripts and background information to help you prepare for and present the workshops.
- Guidelines and tips to make group facilitation less intimidating.
- A four-page supplement giving you all the tools you need to facilitate a program follow-up session.
Find out more about the four components of the Craving Change workshop series:
Browse through the Facilitator’s Manual – six selected sample pages.
- The Balancing Act of a Craving Change Facilitator
- Types of Hunger
- Consider the Circumstances
- Triggers and Learned Response – Review
- Quit Sabotaging Yourself
- Slipping Toward Success
Browsing through the USB wafer that accompanies the Facilitator’s Manual is like getting a pass to go behind the scenes of a movie set or theatre. Here’s where you’ll find the nuts and bolts for facilitating the workshop series, as well as the foundation for the program. This resource-packed USB wafer includes:
- Organizational details and presentation tips for facilitating the Craving Change workshop
- The 36-page One on One individual counselling guide
- Promotional poster
- A large selection of stand-alone worksheets from the Client Workbook that you can print for your individual clients
- Ready-to-use PowerPoint slides
- Evaluation forms
Take a peek behind the curtain of Craving Change – selected excerpts from the Behind the Scenes USB card.
Cost: This product is sold along with a Clinic / Organization Package or the Complete Facilitator Certification Package. It is not sold separately.
Become knowledgeable, trained and confident in your own space, at your own pace. Access to the training videos and certification exam is provided for 120 days from the date of purchase. Watch, listen and participate as the authors of the program walk you through the Craving Change resources and activities and share their tips and expertise. Check out what you can expect as you go through the nine modules.
- Outline of video modules from Training Video package
- Watch a condensed version of Module 1
Each video module is followed by a number of questions and assignments that make up the online Craving Change Clinician Certification exam.
Cost: This video is available as a key component of several Craving Change packages outlined above. It is not sold separately.
Become a Certified Craving Change Clinician! There are countless benefits to certification, some of them are outlined here. The training video and certification exam take about 10 hours to complete. The exam consists of:
- 105 scored multiple choice questions
- Six in-depth case studies that encourage critical thinking as you apply the Craving Change approach with individual client scenarios
- 18 ‘personal application’ opportunities for incorporating the Craving Change concepts into your professional practice and personal life
- An experiential learning and self-assessment assignment in which you will report back on your direct experience with using the Craving Change® approach in your practice
Certification with Craving Change Inc. is mandatory for all clinicians who purchased their license as of May 1, 2021. Certification involves three steps:
- Become familiar with the Facilitator’s Kit
- Review the online training videos
- Complete the certification exam
At the end of the three-year term to continue to use the program and resources, the license and certification must be renewed. The cost is $95 and takes about 2-3 hours.
The Workbook is an invaluable resource for your individual clients or workshop attendees. Over 50,000 workbooks have been sold to date in Canada! The 64-page, soft-cover book makes the cognitive-behavioral approach straightforward and accessible for clients. It is NOT a boring or overwhelming “patient education resource” that might turn clients “off” instead of “on”! Rather, unanimous feedback clearly indicates that this resource augments what clients learn from the Craving Change approach and they literally “bring home” the concepts. As they actively note their observations, complete personal worksheets and follow step-by-step instructions for cognitive and behavior change, clients continually refer back to this popular resource. Check out the content and style of the Workbook – six selected sample pages.
- You Are Not Alone
- Types of Hunger
- The Change Buffet
- Adopt an 80/20 Mindset
- Improving your Self-talk
- Keep the Change
Cost: Order your workbooks in bulk. You’ll SAVE 10% when you purchase 50 or more.
- 10 Workbooks: $75.00
- 25 Workbooks: $175.00
- 50 Workbooks: $315.00
Workbooks are also available in French.
Clinic/Organization License holders receive a 20% discount on orders of 50 or more Workbooks.
What better place to reinforce one of Craving Change’s most popular strategies than on the kitchen fridge! Clients love the simple question, “Is this stomach, mouth or heart hunger?®” to help them identify why they are eating. These colorful 2″ x 3½” magnets make a great workshop graduation gift.
- 25 magnets: $12.00
- 50 magnets: $22.50
Also available in French.
Clinic/Organization License holders receive a 20% discount on packages of 50 or more fridge magnets.
Craving Change Presentations
Wendy and Colleen have both presented on a variety of topics throughout Canada and internationally – including the public, professional and corporate sectors. They have consistently received rave reviews for their thought-provoking and dynamic presentations to audiences of all sizes. They reject the idea that a ‘lecture’ is the best way to learn and have artfully managed to make presentations to over a 1000 people interactive! Treat your audience to their inspiring, humorous and practical presentations that speak to everyone!
Sample Presentation Topics:
- Managing the “Just Give Me a Meal Plan” Mentality
- Changes that stick: A guilt-free, cliche-free, and trend-free discussion on what we know about making sustainable health behavior changes
- Mind-full Eating: How our thoughts and feelings influence what we eat
- Skimming Under the Surface: The Craving Change® “Iceberg Approach” to revitalizing your clinical practice
- Culture and History as Determinants of Eating Behavior
- What were you thinking? Helping clients change their thinking habits in order to change their eating habits
- Giving stigma a bad name: Mental health 101
- Finding sanity in a crazy world: Practical stress management and relaxation techniques for consumers and providers
“Fabulous presentation – interesting and thought-provoking. I can hardly wait to introduce these concepts into my practice”
FAQ’s
The cognitive-behavioral model is an approach to understanding wellbeing and behavior that has received strong support in research for decades. The model looks at how ‘internal’ events such as thoughts and feelings, affect behavior. All three of these core elements strongly impact one-another. Interventions based on this model have been demonstrated as effective across a wide range of psychological difficulties including eating disorders, depression, and anxiety. This model has also been well supported by research for interventions that are relatively short-term, and interventions that are offered in either individual or group modalities. Please click here for more information.
No. Research has clearly demonstrated that the most effective weight loss programs include information about a healthy, reduced energy intake and increased physical activity. Craving Change does not include these components.
However, including behavior modification and cognitive behavioral techniques similar to those used in Craving Change has been shown to enhance weight loss and long-term weight maintenance when combined with weight-loss regimens. What’s been missing from this research is clear direction about what specific techniques should be taught, who should teach them, and standardized materials with certified facilitators. Craving Change Inc. provides a clear response to this overwhelming need.
No. The program is not a treatment for someone diagnosed with an eating disorder or someone with a significant psychiatric condition. While many of the techniques used in the program are similar to those found in eating disorder treatment programs, such treatment requires extensive professional training and significant interdisciplinary collaboration. Craving Change Inc. does not provide that training.
However, there are a significant number of people who are in distress about their eating habits, yet do not meet diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder. Craving Change is an ideal intervention for many of these people.
Demand for specialized psychosocial services for those who struggle with their eating far outstrips available resources. Several authors have suggested a stepped-care approach as a strategy to address this crisis. The stepped-care approach asserts that a significant number of people will benefit from a general intervention provided by educated professionals who are not necessarily experts in problematic eating. Clients who are identified as requiring more intensive individualized services at the end of the intervention are then encouraged to follow up with additional specialized resources.
Craving Change is an appropriate program for this initial step as a general intervention.
Training FAQs
Craving Change is designed to be helpful for a number of different regulated health care professionals, such as dietitians, nurses, physicians, social workers, and psychologists. It was designed by a registered dietitian and psychologist. The materials can be used when working with groups and individuals. The certification process is designed to build clinician confidence and competence with the resources and fundamental messages of the program, in addition to providing access to updated resources.
All of the program resources for facilitators are written with the goal of providing direct, specific, and thorough suggestions for incorporating the material into practice. Countless suggestions for running a successful program are included, as well as a Individual Counselling Guide that includes dozens of ideas for incorporating the Craving Change resources and key messages into 1:1 practice. However, the health care professionals for whom the program is written are assumed to have fundamental facilitation and counselling skills consistent with the requirements of their profession under their belt already.
Craving Change is a skills-based psychoeducational program that uses self-awareness tools and guided discussions. The program does not give dietary advice, it is not psychotherapy, and it does not provide education on specific health conditions (e.g. diabetes).
No. A wide range of regulated professionals can use techniques born from a cognitive-behavioral approach in their work with their clients, IF they work within their scope of practice and remain vigilant to the limits of their competence.
For example, there is a considerable difference between teaching a group how to reframe repetitive negative thoughts into more positive or realistic thoughts, versus probing a group to think about the roots of their negative thinking and uncover core beliefs. The former is appropriate in Craving Change, the latter is not. Craving Change does NOT give you license to “dig deeper” into your clients’ very personal thoughts and feelings and the roots of those thoughts and feelings. However, it does teach you to teach your clients how to become more aware of thoughts and emotions that might be triggering problematic eating.
The Craving Change Facilitator’s Kit attempts to outline this distinction several times throughout the program, and very specific guidelines are given for the group discussions to responsibly contain group discussions. That being said, if you are a registered psychologist or social worker trained in providing psychotherapy, feel free to incorporate Craving Change materials into a psychotherapeutic program as you see fit.
Facilitators are encouraged to be knowledgeable about local and online resources, as it is common for participants to decide at the end of the program that they’d like to follow up what they learned about their relationship with food on a “deeper” and more personal level. For instance, therapy to address marital difficulties, stress, anxiety or mood difficulties. We’ve received consistent feedback that when these people attend therapy they are ready to “hit the ground running” as their self-awareness and familiarity with the cognitive-behavioral model has already taken hold. This is an excellent example of stepped care service delivery in action!
Each person wishing to watch the video must have purchased online access and will receive a login. An Organization license provides access to the video for a certain number of staff over the three-year period of the license. Staff could go through the video together however each individual clinician will still require a login (included in the cost of the Organization license) should they wish to write and submit the certification exam.
Individuals must submit their request for CDE portfolio credits on a case by case basis. Completion of the Craving Change professional training in-person or online video workshop may be eligible for a 2A short course for 5 credits.
Intellectual Property and Trademark FAQs
Only organizations with Organization Licenses, or businesses with a Corporate License may use the Craving Change Inc logo on their website. Aligning with Craving Change Inc.’s brand, credibility, and reputation can provide a competitive edge! The cost for this license depends on the size of your organization or company. Please contact us at for more information.
Individual clinicians with Clinician Licenses are not permitted to use the Craving Change Inc. logo, however they are welcome to describe their status as licensed (and/or certified) clinicians. For instance, “Joan Smith, RD is a Certified Craving Change® facilitator”.
All licensed clinicians and organizations may use our “Promotion Postcards” to advertise that they offer Craving Change workshops and/or our unique counselling approach. To find out more about the Promotion Postcards, check under the yellow tab for all license holders on the Resource Catalogue page.
In short, no. Translated materials are a derivative of the intellectual property. A derivative work is a new, original product that includes aspects of a pre-existing, already copyrighted work. By law, permission from Craving Change Inc. to produce a derivative work is required. Please contact Craving Change Inc for more information about translation options.
Yes, you may charge for the workshop or you may offer it free. We decided at the outset that we would not collect royalty fees. Some settings just use Craving Change materials as reference materials, some offer full programs at no charge or a minimal charge to recover costs, and some clinicians are offering full programs in private practice for full fee – these are all great applications of the materials – it’s your business what you charge. Our primary concern is that the intellectual property is being purchased by each clinician or organization and that its integrity is protected according to the conditions in the license agreement. How much you charge is up to your discretion.
Here is what some other clinicians and organizations have charged per client:
- $7.50 – to cover the cost of the workbook for the client
- $10.00 – $45.00 – to cover the cost of the workbook and the venue rental
- $10.00 – $300.00 – private practice health care provider
Resources FAQs
Because group work, works! You are encouraged to consider using the concepts and materials in Craving Change in your individual practice, however some of the advantages to offering the Craving Change program in a group format include:
- Time and cost-saving benefits
- Group synergy, support, and energy
- Drawing on the knowledge and expertise of group participants
- Normalization of problematic eating
- Increases participants’ self-efficacy
It’s much easier to adapt the material presented in the workshop format to your individual practice needs than to take over a dozen strategies and countless recommendations and design your own workshop. The background, advice, and paraphrased information prepares you to present the material clearly and confidently, whether it’s to 15 clients or one individual.
We recommend 8-18 participants as an ideal size for a Craving Change workshop. The material takes approximately 6 hours to facilitate, that we recommend breaking down into 3, 4, or 6 sessions. The Facilitator’s Manual is written as though you are facilitating the program over 3 sessions, and suggestions for changing the format to a 4 or 6-session workshop are provided on the CD/USB wafer. You are encouraged to adjust the format as needed to meet your own or your organization’s needs.
The workshop uses a variety of techniques, including guided, interactive discussions, brainstorming activities, brief written exercises, and homework tasks. We strongly encourage a relaxed atmosphere with no “lecture” component. Materials spanning the entire workshop are prepared for you as overhead projector masters or power point slides. The slides provide very brief information and should be used sparingly, with the focus instead being on thought-provoking, relaxed group discussion.
Participants should receive either their own copy of the client Workbook, or stand-alone worksheets from the USB wafer or online Resource Library.
The client Workbook is a resource that can be purchased for your clients. It is a bound booklet with a color cover available at a cost we’ve strived to make as accessible as possible for you and your clients. Over 50,000 of these workbooks have been sold across Canada with overwhelmingly positive feedback.
The client Workbook can be used as a supplement in your work with individual clients, or in Craving Change workshops. A sample workbook is included in the Facilitator’s Kit. Please note that copying any information out of the Client Workbook is strictly prohibited by law. If you want to use materials from this resource with your clients, you must purchase copies of the workbook for your practice.
The workbook is designed to be a helpful resource for your clients while you’re working with them. It can also be a handy reference to refer back to for years to come. If you’re working with groups, we believe that each participant will get the most benefit from the program if they have their own copy of the client Workbook. The client Workbook includes:
- Key messages from the program.
- Activity and self-awareness worksheets.
- A how-to guide outlining how to apply more than a dozen different strategies for changing problematic eating.
- Short personal stories from people who have shared their struggles with food.
If purchasing Client Workbooks is not an option for you or your organization, or you only wish to “pick and choose” from various Craving Change activities and strategies, the stand-alone worksheets may be the answer for you. Twenty stand-alone worksheets spanning various components of the program are available on the USB wafer in the Facilitator’s Kit and in the online Resource Library. You are free to reproduce these selected workbook worksheets for your clients. All other materials on the USB wafer are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced in any format.
The USB wafer includes 20 stand-alone worksheets and evaluation forms that you are welcome to print and distribute to your clients. These program worksheets and many more are included in the online Resource Library for certified clinicians.
Under the conditions of the license agreement, you are not permitted to share these forms with your colleagues – they need their own license agreement to use the materials.
The Facilitator’s Manual, client Workbook, and workshop organization and facilitation tips on the USB wafer are protected under copyright law and must not be copied or reproduced in any manner.
Great idea! Follow-up sessions can be very helpful in the change process and many clinicians across Canada are now offering them to graduates of their Craving Change programs. Clients love to meet up after completing a Craving Change workshop to share their successes, ideas, and their frustrations. There is a document included in the resource materials entitled ‘Keep the Change Going’ that provides direction for using content already in your Facilitator’s Manual to lead follow-up sessions.
The Craving Change® program per se has not been validated with this unique population, and neither author is a youth specialist.
Of course, children and youth are actively developing an important relationship with food. Some of the core concepts in Craving Change, including the introduction of the concept of eating triggers and selected cognitive-behavioral techniques, can be used by providers with a specialty in pediatrics. Please email us if you would like more information.
A great resource for young children is the Craving Change illustrated children’s book, ‘Is this stomach, mouth or heart hunger?’. This Craving Change product is available for direct purchase by the public. There are free downloadable resources, including a Companion Guide and activity worksheets. Please visit our ‘4kids’ page .
Research / Outcomes FAQs
Three sites using Craving Change have shared their outcome data with us. Their settings represent urban and rural Alberta and Ontario, at Primary Care Teams and a Family Health team. We are very grateful for their generosity and applaud their hard work – the challenges of collecting data in clinical settings are well-documented. An outcome summary is available for download here Roots and Outcomes
As in the 2010 Eating Behaviors von Ranson et al published study, statistically significant improvements in eating self-efficacy were demonstrated from both sets of results. To quote one site’s summary, “after attending the Craving Change program, most participants are better able to control eating in both Socially Acceptable and Negative Affect scenarios, and these benefits are sustained over time.” (6 months follow up). Engagement/retention rates are also notable, with one site quoting 70% attendance at least 3 of 4 classes, and the second site (which offered the program over 3 classes) reporting 73% complete attendance.
Clinical practice guidelines for obesity and chronic disease management in several countries recommend the incorporation of behavioral and cognitive strategies into patient care. For instance, Canada, Australia, the UK, and the USA.
Here’s an abridged list of published data highlighting the logic and evidence underlying the Craving Change curriculum:
- Affenito SG, Backstrand, JR, Welch, GW, Lammi-Keefe, CJ, Rodriguez, NR, & Adams, CH. Subclinical and clinical eating disorders in IDDM negatively affect metabolic control. Diabetes Care. 1997; 20: 182-184.
- Byrne, SM, Cooper, Z, & Fairburn, CG. Psychological predictors of weight regain in obesity. Behavior Research and Therapy. 2004; 42: 1341-1356.
- Canadian Diabetes Association 2008 clinical practice guidelines for the prevention and management of diabetes in Canada. Canadian Journal of Diabetes. 2008; 32: Supplement 1.
- Devlin, MJ, Yanovski, SZ, & Wilson, GT. Obesity: What mental health professionals need to know. Am J Psychiatry. 2000; 157: 854-866.
- Ellis SH, Speroff T, Dittus RS, Brown A, Pichert JW, & Elasy TA. Diabetes patient education: a meta-analysis and meta-regression. Patient Education and Counselling. 2004; 52: 97-105.
- Hay, P & Fairburn, CG. The validity of the DSM-IV scheme for classifying bulimic eating disorders. Int J Eat Disord. 1996; 23: 7-15.
- Hollis, JF, Gullion, CM, Stevens, VJ, Brantley, PJ, Appel, LJ, Ard, JD, Champagne, CM, Dalcin, A, Erlinger, TP, Funk, K, Laferriere, D, Pao-Hwa L, Loria, CM, Samuel-Hodge, C, Vollmer, WM, & Svetkey, LP. Weight loss during the intensive intervention phase of the Weight-Loss Maintenance Trial. Am J Prev Med. 2007; 35: 118-126.
- Kenardy, J, Mensch, M, Bown, K, Green, B, Walton, J, & Dalton, M. Disordered eating behaviors in women with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Eating Behaviors. 2001; 2: 183-192.
- Lowe, MR, Gleaves, DH, DiSimone-Weiss, RT, Furgueson, C, Gayda, CA, Kolsky, P, Neal-Walden, T, Nelsen, LA, & McKinney, S. Restraint, dieting, and the continuum model of bulimia nervosa. Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 1996; 105: 508-517.
- Niemeier, HM, Phelan, S., Fava, JL, & Wing, RR. Internal disinhibition predicts weight regain following weight loss and weight loss maintenance. Obesity. 2007; 15: 2485-2494.
- O’Rourke, SK, Del Mar, C, & Kenardy, J. Psychological interventions for overweight or obesity. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2005; Issue 2 Art. No: CD003818.
- Rodin G, Olmsted MP, Rydall AC, Maharaj SI, Colton PA, Jones JM, Biancucci LA, & Daneman D. Eating disorders in young women with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 2002; 53: 943-949.
- Scarano, GM, & Kalodner-Martin, CR. A description of the continuum of eating disorders: Implications for intervention and research. Journal of Counselling and Development. 1994; 72: 356-361.
- Shisslak, CM, Crago, M, & Estes, LS. The spectrum of eating disturbances. Int J Eat Dis. 1995; 18: 209-219.
- Stahre, L, & Hallstrom, T. A short-term cognitive group treatment program gives substantial weight reduction up to 18 months from the end of treatment. A randomized controlled trial. Eating Weight Disord. 2005; 10: 51-58.
- Stice, E, Ziemba, C, Margolis, J., & Flick, P. The dual pathway model differentiates bulimics, subclinical bulimics, and controls: testing the continuity hypothesis. Beh Therapy. 1996; 27: 531-549.
- Sullivan, PF, Buli, CM, & Kendler, KS. The epidemiology and classification of bulimia nervosa. Psychological Medicine. 1998; 28: 599-610.
- Tylka TL, & Subich, LM. Exploring the construct validity of the eating disorder continuum. Journal of Counselling Psychology. 1999; 46: 268-276.
- von Ranson, KM, Stevenson, AS, Cannon, CK, & Shah, G.Changes in eating pathology and associated symptoms among chronically ill adults attending a brief psychoeducational group. Eating Behaviors. 2010; 11: 186-189.
- Wilson, GT, Vitousek, KM, & Loeb, KL. Stepped care treatment for eating disorders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 2000; 68: 564-572.
- Wing, RR, Marcus, MD, Epstein, LH, Blair, EH, & Burton, LR. Binge eating in obese patients with type II diabetes. Int J Eat Dis. 1989; 8: 671-679.
- Yager, J. Weighty perspectives: Contemporary challenges in obesity and eating disorders. Am J Psychiatry. 2000; 157: 851-853.
We encourage data collection related to using the Craving Change approach and resources in your practice. Questionnaire selection depends on a number of factors such as availability, budget, length, and most importantly- the variables you are hoping to measure. Self-efficacy is widely considered a significant predictor of behavior change, and people who attend Craving Change programs have been shown to have higher levels of eating self-efficacy after completing the program. Some questionnaires to consider for your project include:
- Eating Disorders Examination- Questionnaire (EDE-Q). 36 items. Fairburn CG & Beglin,, SJ (1994). Assessment of eating disorders: Interview or self-report questionnaire? International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 16, p 363-370.
- Eating Self-Efficacy Scale (ESES). 25 items. Glynn, SM & Ruderman, AJ. (1986). The development and validation of an eating self-efficacy scale. Cognitive Therapy and Research, vol 10, p 403- 420.
- State Shame and Guilt Scale (SSGS). 15 items. Marschall DE Sanftner JL, Tangney JP. The State Shame and Guilt Scale. Unpublished manuscript, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.
- Another questionnaire that you may find useful and that is appended at the end of Nolan, Halperin & Geliebeter, 2010, Appetite, vol 54, p 314-319. is the Emotional Appetite Questionnaire. It is available in the public domain for free. The literature review in this paper does a good job of reviewing the emotional eating questionnaires currently available.
We are always grateful when sites share their outcome data with us, please consider contacting us for this purpose. We respect requests for sharing results without site identifiers.
Customer Service FAQs
No. Purchases of Craving Change written materials are final.
For the individual clinician license holders, online access is available for both the video and the exam for 120 days from the date of purchase. A three-year organization license includes online access for 120 days per clinician from the time of individual clinician registration.

About Our Company
A Canadian business created and owned by registered dietitian Wendy Shah and clinical psychologist Dr. Colleen Cannon, Craving Change Inc. was founded in 2008. The evidence-based program’s licensed materials and online training are available internationally. Over 50,000 Craving Change client workbooks are in distribution. Craving Change Inc. services also include professional speaking and content development for corporate resources such as websites, customer newsletters and apps.
About the Co-Founders
Both Wendy Shah, RD and Dr. Colleen Cannon, RPsych. have decades of experience working with people struggling to make and maintain healthy behavior changes. Wendy has a strong interest in the psychosocial and environmental factors that influence our eating behaviors. She has won national professional awards in consumer communication and public education. Dr. Cannon is passionate about health psychology. She is skilled in systemic problem-solving, program development and making psychological interventions engaging and accessible. She is a member of the Academy for Eating Disorders and was an Adjunct Professor in the University of Calgary Department of Psychology from 2008-2011.