Disordered Eating and Poor Body Image
Books I'd Recommend on Eating Disorders and Body Image Issues:
If you have done any reading or research about eating disorders, you are likely to come across the phrase, "Its not really about the food.” Which is a fancy way of saying that eating disorders are complex and no two people struggling are the same. Making the choice to change is hard, and often feels as though you are choosing a path without any idea where it will lead you.
I found intuitive eating practices, self compassion and mindfulness are practices almost everyone with eating concerns can benefit from. I have a special interest in working with women who are pregnant or postpartum with a history of eating disorders, or those struggling with subsequent infertility.
Some common practices I use in therapy are:
- Increasing awareness of eating patterns (The who, what, where, why and when of eating).
- Learning how emotions impact food choices and body checking behaviors.
- Educating on body systems, how they are impacted by restricting, dieting, purging or binge eating and how to get them back on track.
- Looking at trauma and using techniques like EMDR to help lessen the emotional impacts of trauma
- Encouraging bravery in making behavior changes- recovery from an eating disorder is HARD WORK! But sooo worth it