I was recently sitting in a restaurant, enjoying the conversation and the person I was with when suddenly my attention tuned into the happy, joyful Christmas music blaring above. “I don’t like Christmas music!” I belted out. Whenever I hear it, I cringe. I tense up. I may even snarl. I can’t help it. I […]
Category Archives: Blog
30
Sep
Sep
Discover how to find joy and acceptance in your body You find yourself looking in the mirror, picking apart each section of the body that you wish were different: smaller, less bumpy, thinner, less flabby. You rarely see what you like; only attack what you don’t. You’re tired of this routine. You wish you could […]
15
Mar
Mar
I used to be a lone business owner. For years, I worked on my business all by myself. This is what I was taught after all. I was the only one I could count on; I had to do it alone. Finally, one day I realized that I didn’t want to be alone in it […]
09
Mar
Mar
While in supervision with a supervisee who is working toward licensure, I was giving him feedback on his therapy interventions. It was a session in which he received a lot of direct feedback from me. He always approaches his work and our sessions with openness and an eagerness to learn but that doesn’t mean it’s […]
28
Aug
Aug
The Dieting Cycle (Binge/Purge Cycle) When you are in the dieting cycle, you begin by restricting in a variety of ways: the diet starts, you don’t eat what you really want, you eat less than you want or need, you feel bad about what you eat, and/or you starve yourself. Perhaps you eventually eat the […]
09
Jul
Jul
I used to be a lone business owner. For years, I worked on my business all by myself. This is what I was taught after all. I was the only one I could count on; I had to do it alone. Finally, one day I realized that I didn’t want to be alone in it […]
25
Mar
Mar
One of my clients is struggling at the gym. She isn’t struggling to go to the gym. She isn’t struggling to complete her workouts. What she is struggling with are the trainers at the gym. They are insisting that she be weighed and measured, despite her protests! She doesn’t want to be measured and weighed. […]
07
Sep
Sep
If I had a magic therapy wand I would wave it around and magically make one very loud killer disappear from each person: Self Criticism! Self criticism: aka self judgment, aka the critical voice, aka beating yourself up. Each of these is deadly and has no place in your life. Being critical of yourself is […]
27
Jul
Jul
In 1988 Bobby McFerrin released a song called “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” Even now as I recall that song for this article, I have the desire to reach as fast as possible to change the radio station in my head! I hated that song! Not only did I think it was super boring but […]
Binge Eating, Blog, Body Image, Food Is Not The Enemy
The #1 Secret to Ending Eating Disorder Behaviors
10
Jul
Jul
Being caught in this binge purge cycle to any degree will not help you have a good relationship with food. When you purge, the binge will always return. When you binge, the purge will always return. You can’t have one without the other. What they lead to and remind you of is how much you […]
28
May
May
What do these have to do with eating disorders? “In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.” -Benjamin Franklin I believe in living a healthy life. I believe in eating healthy and exercising for health. I also believe in emotional health and I believe emotional health is as important (if not more so) […]
06
May
May
We all want to fit in. It is natural and normal. It is human. We need each other because we are social beings. Even if you are shy or have social anxiety, you need a tribe of people – a place you fit in. In a society where thin is in and any other body […]
07
Mar
Mar
Article by Michelle Drake, mental health therapist Do you ever wonder if you have ever really felt your emotions for the duration they needed to truly be felt? Do you find yourself stuffing bad feelings down so you can keep a smile on your face and pretend to move on just fine through life? If […]
Blog, Body Image, Food For Thought, Food Is Not The Enemy
You Didn’t Fail the Diet, the Diet Failed You
15
Jan
Jan
The New Year has passed, your resolution to lose weight has run its course once again. You did your best to diet, perhaps you lost some weight, but you couldn’t keep it up. Eventually, you ate those forbidden foods and couldn’t stop. Once again, you ate everything you shouldn’t have and you are starting to […]
28
Sep
Sep
Healing from a disordered relationship with food comes in two parts, the behavioral and the emotional. Working on your behaviors around food is important for learning to have a healthy relationship with food. Your behaviors are also the way your emotions manifest themselves. In other words, you are obsessing about food and your to avoid […]
Binge Eating, Blog, Family, Food For Thought, Food Is Not The Enemy
The Eating Disorder Whack-a-Mole Game
17
Sep
Sep
Let’s face it – sometimes when you’re dealing with an eating disorder, dealing with the behaviors is a lot like trying to smack those moles that pop up in carnival games. *BAM!* Got that one… but there’s another one over there and you can’t quite get him in time. And, while you’re mad at yourself […]
23
Mar
Mar
Lately, I find myself saying to people, “Your weight isn’t about what you eat, it is about how much you eat.” It is easy to find people talking about not eating certain “bad” foods to help them lose weight but rarely do people talk about how much to eat. What I find in my work […]
03
Oct
Oct
Ever notice how many television ads you see tell you 1) how to lose weight and be happy on this diet or that diet, 2) why you should eat this food because it is healthy and will help you lose weight or lower your cholesterol, 3) that “bad” foods seductively portrayed as delicious, smooth, velvety, […]
08
Sep
Sep
I love peanut butter. As a kid, I used to eat it out of the jar, spoon first. Although I grew out of the spoon phase, I still love it with bread and honey, with chocolate and in nearly any candy bar. What I never did know about my love for peanut butter, is that […]
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