This year’s theme may have different meanings for different people in recovery from eating disorders, as well as Clinicians and Recovery Coaches who with with eating disorders. As someone who has overcome Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder – and who has been a Clinician for more than 25 years – I find the message this year to be very empowering.

I used to feel so much guilt and shame about having an eating disorder, and it took me years of suffering in silence before I finally reached out for help. Without that essential assistance, I’d probably still be suffering, would never have become a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist who also provides training and certification in Eating Disorder Intuitive Therapy (EDIT)™ – in fact, I’d probably be dead.

Once I was attending support groups, therapy groups, and participating in individual therapy, I began to feel less guilt and shame – but I had many regrets about the past, which I wished I could go back and change. I can now have compassion for myself, and have forgiven myself for any “mistakes” in my past. Instead of looking back, I continue to look forward, to the infinite possibilities in my life. I say that I have “2020 Vision!”

I also appreciate the theme, “Come As You Are.” I used to believe that I had to achieve and maintain perfection, and then I wouldn’t need my eating disorder any more. However, the opposite was true – the more attached I was to perfection, the worse my eating disorder became. I finally leaned how to Love My Self (which is the first EDIT™ Principle), and to “show up in life” exactly as I am, “imperfections” and all.

I’d like to share an EDIT™ Worksheet with you, to help re-frame the criticisms of the “voice of the Eating Disorder” (ED) into compassionate perspectives, revealed through the “voice of the Intuitive Therapist” (IT), which is the healing wisdom within us all.

CLICK IMAGE
to download & print

PS – As a special GIFT during National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, you’ll receive up to $200 OFF certification thru 3/1/20. Whether you’re a Clinician, Health Coach, or just a friend or family member who is struggling, there are certification options for you! Use the Discount Code NEDAW at checkout and receive $50 OFF Level I, $100 OFF Level II, $150 OFF Level II (Mentoring), and $200 OFF Level III (Retreat). ENROLL NOW AND SAVE $$

*****

Article may be reprinted with the author bio below.

©2020 by Dr. Dorie McCubbrey. Dr. Dorie is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and Licensed Addiction Counselor who is passionate about training professionals to effectively guide clients in recovery from eating disorders. She is the President of the EDIT™ Training Institute LLC, which provides training and certification in her method of Eating Disorder Intuitive Therapy (EDIT)™.  She also provides sessions for clients who struggle with these issues, either in person or by phone. Learn more at: https://www.drdorie.com

*****

Want more that this “taste” of EDIT™? Dr. Dorie is passionate about her method of Eating Disorder Intuitive Therapy (EDIT)™ to help people overcome eating disorders and addictions.  She provides customized programs for people in recovery from eating disorders and who struggle with weight issues, and  EDIT™ eating disorder training and certification for coaches and clinicians worldwide. CALL 303-494-1975 – EMAIL DR. DORIE – GET CERTIFIED

The post National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2020 appeared first on INTUITIVE THERAPY™ | Healthy Weight Loss | Eating Disorder Recovery Coach.

It’s a few days before Memorial Day Weekend, and “Swimsuit Season” is about to begin. Will you venture out to the beach in a bikini, will you be seen in a swimsuit at the pool? Or, will this be yet another summer that you “hide” underneath long-sleeved t-shirts and ankle-length crop-pants, hoping that no one will look at your body, which you deem “disgusting”?

As an eating disorder clinician, it breaks my heart when I hear my clients criticize their bodies in ways that they never would say to another person – not even their worst enemy. Sadly, some of my clients were told by their parents, siblings, or so-called friends that they were “chubby,” that they “needed to get the fat off,” or that they were “such a stick” and needed to put on some weight. If it’s not people my clients know, it’s the “comparing game” played with models, celebrities, and other “ideal” images portrayed in the media.

As someone who has struggled with body image issues, which only fueled the fires of my eating disorders, I am so grateful to be free of the extremely detrimental effects of body shaming. I’d like to share a few things that helped me to improve my body image, so that I could feel comfortable and confident in a swimsuit. Guess what – it had nothing to do with changing my weight, or anything else about my body. It had everything to do with changing my MIND.

Having a positive body image has nothing to do with how you look and what you weigh.  It has everything to do with what you THINK about how you look and what you weigh.  How else can you explain a situation where you “felt fine” and then suddenly “felt fat”?  Did you instantly gain 50 pounds?  No!  But you may think you have. Or, that you have 50+ pounds that you think you “should” lose. Perhaps you think you’re “too skinny and scrawny.” The key is to imagine feeling good in your body.  Size has nothing to do with this.

As previously mentioned, it’s a few days before Memorial Day. I invite you to CHALLENGE the body myths that you have. Gently notice where these judgments came from? Are they helping you to live the life that you truly desire? Who set the “rule” that you have to look a certain way in order to wear a swimsuit – isn’t that why there are so many sizes and styles? Who determined the “weight criteria” to lay in the sun or swim in the ocean – will there be a scale at the beachfront?

BODY IMAGE TIP: TRY THIS VISUALIZATION:  Read through it first, and then guide yourself through it.  Close your eyes and just breathe, relaxing into the moment.  Imagine the last glimpse you had of yourself in the mirror.  Now, get a deeper sense of your body, beyond the image in the mirror.  What physical sensations are you aware of in your body?  Notice the beating of your heart, the movement of your breath, and any other sensations amidst your body’s seeming stillness.  What are the various things that you can do with your body? Imagine all of the different ways your body can move – walking, bending, stretching, running, lifting, climbing, and so much more. How does your body serve you and others? Get a sense of what your body allows you to do and be, and you interact with people throughout a typical day. What is the purpose of your body, at its current size?  Move beyond any judgments about your body’s size, and notice the advantages of being exactly the size you are right now. How can you be your best Self, in your current body? Pause now, and reflect about what it means to be in your body, in this moment. As you imagine wearing a swimsuit, notice the immediate thoughts that come up. Just notice them, without attaching to them. Reflect about where you learned these thoughts. Imagine what it would be like to be free of these thoughts. After all, these are not really YOUR thoughts. And, if you are going to claim a thought which is not your own, how about this one: “YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO WEAR A SWIMSUIT YOU LOVE, AND GO TO YOUR FAVORITE OCEAN (lake, river, pool, backyard sprinkler), AND LOVE YOUR EXPERIENCE!” Why “weight”…

*****

Article may be reprinted with the author bio below.

©2019 by Dr. Dorie McCubbrey. Dr. Dorie is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and Licensed Addiction Counselor who is passionate about training professionals to effectively guide clients in recovery from eating disorders, through her Eating Disorder Intuitive Therapy (EDIT)™ Certified program. She also provides sessions for clients who struggle with these issues, either in person or by phone. Learn more at: https://www.drdorie.com

*****

Dr. Dorie’s UnDiet™ can help undo the damage that diets can do – including negative body image.
LEARN MORE

Want more that this “taste” of EDIT™? Dr. Dorie is passionate about her method of Eating Disorder Intuitive Therapy (EDIT)™ to help people overcome eating disorders and addictions.  She provides customized programs for people in recovery from eating disorders and who struggle with weight issues, and  EDIT™ eating disorder training and certification for coaches and clinicians worldwide. CALL 303-494-1975 – EMAIL DR. DORIE – GET CERTIFIED

The post Improve Body Image in a Swimsuit appeared first on INTUITIVE THERAPY™ | Healthy Weight Loss | Eating Disorder Recovery Coach.

I’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Sculley, who is a Licensed Professional Counselor and an EDIT™ Certified III – Eating Disorder Treatment Clinician. I supervised Rebecca while she was working towards licensure, and co-facilitated some of her first DBT Skills Groups. She is a knowledgeable and compassionate therapist, who is passionate about helping people thrive during life transitions. Rebecca currently meets with clients at her offices in Boulder and Denver, Colorado. To contact Rebecca, please see the bottom of article.
– Dr. Dorie

Eating disorders and DBT skills can go hand-in-hand – to find a new relationship with food. We often think of spring as a time for new growth – flowers are blooming, trees are blossoming, and life begins anew. We can relate this to our relationship to food – making new choices, feeling rejuvenated and getting a fresh start in recovery. However, every so often we’ll be in the midst of powerful changes with a spring-like attitude – then a massive snow storm will occur, and we feel discouraged and set back! Exploring eating disorders and DBT skills – with the DBT skill called Radical Acceptance – you can accept where you are, change your attitude, and move forward in a healthy and powerful way!

Radical Acceptance means to look at your life in a new way. Instead of striving for perfectionism, why not strive for being healthy and giving yourself permission to feel the way you feel, even on a gloomy day. Let’s say you have been making healthy eating choices and making changes in your relationship with food, then something stressful happens, or it’s snowing out, or you feel sad or lonely and you decide to binge eat. DON’T BEAT YOURSELF UP! Instead try these four Radical Acceptance steps:

1. What was your role in what happened?
2. What was another person or situation’s role in what happened?
3. Accept what happened, even if you don’t like it, but realize that you can’t change the past.
4. Find a healthy coping skill to combat the pain.

Also, realize that you have the POWER to make a new choice next time and it does not do any good to punish yourself for something you may have done differently. When you beat yourself up the chances are high that you will repeat the same pattern over and over again.

Here’s an example of how eating disorders and DBT skills may work. Christine was feeling healthy and strong for a few weeks, she had been eating healthy foods while still giving herself permission to enjoy the foods that she loved. She had not over eaten or binged in 3 weeks, this was a huge success! She loves the spring time and was sick of being cold this winter, she realized that she had some symptoms of seasonal depression and often coped by over eating until the point that she was physically sick. So, when it snowed last time after having beautiful weather for weeks she became sad, lonely and felt hopeless. She turned to binging again for comfort and relief. However what really happened was that Christine beat herself up and the binge eating made it worse. She then thought of Radical Acceptance. She told herself that she knows the signs when she could be tempted to binge, in this case it was snowy weather. She then thought of three healthy choices she could have made instead to cope with sadness; call a friend, watch a funny movie or take a hot bath with lots of bubbles. She knows that in the moment it may not be as an instantly gratifying as over eating, but that in the long run the other three choices were much better for her physical and emotionally health. The accepted that she had had a slight set back, but that doesn’t stop her from still trying and moving forward. She did not punish herself. She accepted that she is not always “perfect” and loves herself either way.

Don’t let the spring snow (or rain or hail) get you down. Find your own eating disorders and DBT skills application, and accept yourself in whatever stage you are in!

*****

Looking for guidance with DBT SKILLS? Contact Rebecca Sculley, MA, NCC, LPC – the author of this blog article. She is an EDIT™ Certified III – Eating Disorder Treatment Clinician, and has a specialty in DBT Skills. Rebecca has office locations in Boulder and Denver, Colorado. – EMAIL REBECCA 

Interested in a FREE consultation with Dr. Dorie? Dr. Dorie is passionate about her method of Eating Disorder Intuitive Therapy (EDIT)™ to help people overcome eating disorders and addictions.  She provides customized counseling for eating disorders and alcohol / drug addiction at her Positive Pathways treatment center in Evergreen, Colorado – and EDIT™ eating disorder training and certification for coaches and clinicians worldwide. CALL 303-494-1975 – EMAIL DR. DORIE

The post Eating Disorders and DBT: A New Relationship with Food appeared first on INTUITIVE THERAPY™ | Healthy Weight Loss | Eating Disorder Recovery Coach.

I’d like to introduce you to Erica Faulhaber, who is a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate and an EDIT™ Certified III – Eating Disorder Treatment Clinician. I supervised Erica while she was working with me at my previous office location in Denver. She is a knowledgeable and compassionate therapist, who specializes in trauma recovery. You can contact Erica with any comments or questions, including how to get started with individual sessions (see bottom of article).
– Dr. Dorie

Laundry – the necessary evil to get out dirt, grime, stains and unwanted stench.   A task resulting in revitalized, fresh and clean garments to go forth into the world. Doing laundry for most involves time, sorting, detergent, water and folding skills. Manufacturers provide labels that suggest hot or cold water, low or high heat and “lay flat to dry” or the fan favorite “dry clean only.”

Who really likes doing laundry? There may be a few folks out there that enjoy this task, but for the most part it is just something that needs to get done. Like laundry, therapy is an option to get out the gunk – it may take longer than the standard seventy-minute wash cycle, but it will be well worth it!

I think of coming to therapy (including eating disorders therapy) like coming into a laundromat. You bring a bag or two or three, and we will start to work on the pieces together. YOU pick the order in which we proceed. Whether you want to start with:

• The “most odiferous” piece – you think nobody is ready for or can stand
• The “wine stain” – you have tried repeatedly to get out or get rid of
• The “easiest” to clean with a small blemish – you might feel safest dealing with this first to build our rapport

No matter what you pick, we will look at cycle speed (delicate vs. normal – meeting weekly or more/less often), H₂0 temperature (cold vs. warm – maintenance or deeper/targeted/specific topic sessions) and load size (small, medium, large – weight of the struggles you are feeling). When you are ready to get some laundry done, it may not be fun all the time, but together we can make the task not as daunting!

© Erica Faulhaber 2016 – this blog article may be shared in its entirety, including copyright and contact information. Reprint only with permission from the author. Article adapted and reprinted by Positive Pathways, Ltd with permission.

*****

Want to explore trauma recovery? Contact Erica Faulhaber, MA, LPCC – the author of this blog article. Erica is an EDIT™ Certified III – Eating Disorder Treatment Clinician, and has a specialty in trauma recovery at her office in Lakewood, Colorado. EMAIL ERICA

Interested in a FREE consultation with Dr. Dorie? Dr. Dorie is passionate about her method of Eating Disorder Intuitive Therapy (EDIT)™ to help people overcome eating disorders and addictions.  She provides customized counseling for eating disorders and alcohol / drug addiction at her Positive Pathways treatment center in Evergreen, Colorado – and EDIT™ eating disorder training and certification for coaches and clinicians worldwide. CALL 303-494-1975 – EMAIL DR. DORIE

The post Eating Disorders Therapy: How Is It Like Doing Laundry? appeared first on INTUITIVE THERAPY™ | Healthy Weight Loss | Eating Disorder Recovery Coach.