5 Steps to Help Your Clients Reach their Eating Disorder Recovery Summit!

Eating disorder recovery is like climbing a mountain – I was reflecting about this as I reached the summit of Bergen Peak in Evergreen, Colorado (see video below)! It was a long and sometimes difficult journey, but my traverse was eased by those who had created a trail to reach the summit. In addition, I was prepared, carrying the essentials that I needed with me in my backpack, and wearing the right gear. But it all began with my commitment to embark on this journey, and trusting my Inner Guide for Inspiration to complete this climb.

During my own eating disorder recovery, I learned five essential principles, and practicing these principles on a daily basis gradually allowed me to let go of eating disorder behaviors and embrace a new life of freedom! Now, as a Licensed Addiction Counselor and Certified Eating Disorder Specialist, I share these five principles with my clients. These principles comprise the method I created, Eating Disorder Intuitive Therapy (EDIT)™ – and I provide training and certification for Eating Disorder Recovery Coaches and Treatment Clinicians  to be able to help their clients. EDIT™ Certified professionals are like mountaineering guides, using these five EDIT™ Principles as steps to the summit of eating disorder recovery success.

1. Love Your Self – Commit to the Recovery Journey!
Even if clients have some ambivalence, emphasize their worthiness to recover and live the life they truly want to live! Give your clients essential tools to begin their recovery journey – these are specific EDIT™ Worksheets you’ll provide in an initial session. Using the hiking analogy, you’ll give your clients a backpack (which will be filled in the next steps), and a map (so they don’t feel likely they’re blindly wandering into the unknown). Some clients might wonder, “What about my bathroom scale? And a mirror?” You might explain that a bathroom scale would be a heavy item to carry, and use EDIT™ Worksheets to help them find freedom from weighing (or measuring their bodies in any way). As for the mirror, you can suggest that this journey of recovery will involve discovery of their True Self, which can’t be seen as an image of the body reflected in a mirror. Hold the vision of your clients as their True Self until they can envision this themselves.

2. Be True To Your Self – Enjoy Nourishment for the Whole Self!
This includes the body, mind, heart and soul – or, the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of recovery. Introduce the concept of listening to one’s Inner Wisdom, or Intuitive Therapist (IT) within themselves. Start with the EDIT™ Worksheets which help clients access their Intuition, and then guide them with the EDIT™ Worksheets for Intuitive Eating and Intuitive Exercise (or Mindful Movement).  Using eating disorder recovery as a mountain climbing metaphor, emphasize the importance of water, meals and snacks, and assist your clients to add these to their backpack for their recovery journey. To further support the body, your clients need adequate hiking shoes or boots, and trekking poles can make it easier on the knee and hip joints. Remind your clients that this recovery journey is not a sprint, and encourage them to take lots of breaks along the way.

3. Express Your Self – Attend to Thoughts, Feelings, and Authentic Needs!
This is a critical step on the eating disorder mountain climbing journey. Guide your clients to gently notice their thoughts and feelings, and assist them to be curious about their authentic needs (shifting from ED to IT). There are essential EDIT™ Worksheets which facilitate this process. Sometimes the path may be very clear and clients can proceed with ease… celebrate your clients’ successes! And then the path might disappear. have your clients wandered into the weeds (filled with thoughts from the ED mind) instead of the Way of Recovery (filled with hope and encouragement from the mind of IT)? Prepare your clients when the Way gets challenging, such as climbing through scree (broken rock fragments and loose stones that are often at higher elevations, especially nearing a mountain summit). This is when clients are concurrently climbing high and yet “slipping back” to address core issues. Affirm that the Way has challenges, and moving through these leads to workable solutions and more freedom from ED! Offer EDIT™ Worksheets to guide clients to develop healthy coping skills and explore those deeper issues. Clients may appreciate having a journal in their backpack, so they can take note of their challenges and successes on their recovery journey. Sometimes, life can get messy, so be sure that your clients have toilet paper and a trowel (to dig a hole and bury the s*** left behind)!

4. Give To Your Self – Become Full-filled from Within!
Many clients struggle with the concept of “enough.” They might strive to be “good enough,” always striving yet never arriving, it’s “never good enough.” This can be mimicked through ED behaviors, such as restrictive eating to reflect an inner emptiness, or binge eating in an attempt to fill a hole inside. Meanwhile, basic needs are barely being met. It’s like your clients are going in circles near the mountain top, unaware of who and where they really are, looking outside themselves for approval instead of pausing to realize their own Self-validation. Clients will never feel “good enough” listening to the voices of the world, also hearing the chatter from the mind of ED and the inner critic, which keeps them spinning. What would happen if you guided your client over to a couple of trees, where they can hang a hammock (which you thoughtfully put in their backpack)? Encourage your client to truly pause – and just be in the moment. This can be a challenge for clients, so assist them through visualizations and other EDIT™ skills. It’s like there is a spring-fed well that can suddenly appear anywhere your clients are, as long as they can be still and know their Intuitive Therapist is with them. This Inner Wisdom can spring forth, providing full-fillment from within, and clients can finally experience and appreciate their enough-ness. Guide your clients to affirm, “I AM good enough, always have been, and always will be!”

5. Believe In Your Self – Reach the Summit of Recovery Success!
By practicing the first four EDIT™ Principles, clients can begin to see the summit… only to realize that when they reach it, there is another summit that becomes visible. In the eating disorder recovery mountain climbing analogy, this is known as a “false summit.” It’s like working sooooooo hard, only to realize that you haven’t arrived to the top, and there’s still seemingly sooooooo much more to go on the journey. Somehow mustering more strength, the journey continues. But where is this strength coming from? Is it the small-s false self, who can experience moments of freedom from ED by controlling the ED behaviors, reaching a false summit? Or is it the Capital-S True Self, who has found a renewable Energy Source with Infinite Power and lasting Freedom from ED, which is always available by staying aware of one’s Mind? This is the Mind of one’s Intuitive Therapist and True Self, rather than the limited mind of the false self, still caught up in striving-yet-never-arriving, vulnerable to relapses with ED. Remind your clients that they have a compass (another recovery tool you tucked into an easily accessible side pocket of their backpack). The false self’s eyes are limited, but the Eyes of the Soul can see the Way (even in the dark). Clients might feel hopeless, like they’ll never reach the “real” summit, but with their Inner Compass, they Way is clear. At last, the mountain top is reached! Clients are so Grateful, often feeling Joy that they haven’t experience in years or decades. On top of this mountain, they have a 365º view of the world around them. They see other summits they can rise up to, and valleys they can venture into very deeply.  They realize that the journey of recovery can continue, by proceeding with the Confidence of their Intuitive Therapist as their ongoing Guide in Freedom.

“Love Your Self, Be True To Your Self, Express Your Self, Give To Your Self, Believe In Your Self,” you remind your clients, as they conclude their work with you. They smile and nod their head, knowing that this EDIT™ Message is always within their True Self.

*****

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/video. 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 – GET CERTIFIED – ATTEND ONLINE RETREAT

The post Eating Disorder Recovery and Mountain Climbing appeared first on INTUITIVE THERAPY™ | Healthy Weight Loss | Eating Disorder Recovery Coach.

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 $$

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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 Valentines Day, a day to celebrate LOVE! Most of us associate this day with the love for an intimate partner, but this can be a day to celebrate any kind of love – for your friends, family, companion animals, nature… and how about loving that image in the mirror?

This blog post is designed to accompany a video, where I share a little bit about my own journey of recovery from heating disorders, and how to improve body image by practicing the first principle of Eating Disorder Intuitive Therapy (EDIT)™ which is Love Your Self. You can view the video on my Facebook Page

That may seem easier said than done! I discovered how I could love certain parts of myself, like my personality, or my hobbies. Regarding my body, I hated the image in the mirror for many years, and avoided looking in the mirror as much as possible.

But I was determined to make peace with that image in the mirror, because a “messenger on my path” kept saying, “I Love You!” to me (that’s a story for another blog post). The bottom line is, I decided to listen to this messenger, and try to say “I Love You!” to my own reflection in the mirror.

I started with things I could like about my body, even if it was something like my fingernails. Eventually, I began to appreciate other parts of my body, recognizing things that my body allowed me to do, regardless of shape or size. For example, having strong legs to carry me throughout the day.

Finally, I realized that I was feeling “split” – I was developing a sense of love for the emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of my Self, but still had criticism about my body. How could I love only certain parts of my Self, when all parts made up the whole Self? To love any part, I knew I needed to love the WHOLE of my Self, including my body!

That was a breakthrough for me. My body wasn’t “ideal” according to society’s standards, but that didn’t matter! What a relief to let go of striving to be a “perfect” (yet false self), and to come to a place of seeing my True Self in the mirror, and loving what is!

Click on the image below to download and print the EDIT™ Worksheet
to help you learn how to improve body image and Love Your Self 

*****

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 meets with clients at her treatment center, Positive Pathways PLLC, located in Evergreen Colorado. 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 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 – GET CERTIFIED

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

How does the media influence your body image and the development of eating disorders? Specifically, how does society’s “ideal standard of beauty” affect your attitudes about your body image, weight, shape and size? How does the “pressure to look perfect” affect your behaviors with eating and exercise, possibly feeding your eating disorder? Based on the images that you see in magazines, on television, and in social media – how do you feel about your body, right now?

Ugggh! I look so flabby. I need liposuction!
My body is OK, but I’d look better with breast implants!
Getting older is Hell. I hate the wrinkles on my face. Botox me!

In the movie entitled, “America The Beautiful,” our beauty myths are revealed, so we can challenge them and discover our True Beauty beyond the mirror of society’s ideals. The movie follows the true story of a young model, as her career rises and falls. Her story helps us to examine the obsession with youth and beauty – and the damage that occurs when women try to live up to the impossible standards of physical perfection.

The narrator of this movie is a middle-aged, balding, African-American male – who finds himself caught up in his own beauty myths as the story unfolds. His role shows us that everyone is vulnerable to the messages in the media about beauty – women, men, young, old, all races, all social classes. Take a moment to reflect about how the media has influenced you at different times in your life, as well as others you know.

Imagine for a moment that you live on an island which has no “beauty standard,” where each individual is valued for their unique bodies and traits. There are no comparisons made between people, wishing one looked more like the other, because each person knows their intrinsic value, exactly as they are. There are no advertisements for products designed to change your appearance, because who you are is already “perfect.” Free of any messages about how you “should look,” how do you think you would feel about your body?

Wow, look at my thighs! I have such strong legs!
My breasts are such a sensual and wonderful part of me!
Ah, such lovely lines of wisdom on my face! I am True Beauty!

Although we do live in a society with “ideals,” it’s who we really are that is ideal. 

*****

Try this EDIT™ Worksheet to see your True Beauty!
CLICK THE IMAGE TO DOWNLOAD AND PRINT

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Article may be reprinted with the author bio below.

©2018 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 meets with clients at her treatment center, Positive Pathways PLLC, located in Evergreen Colorado. 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 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 – GET CERTIFIED

The post Media Influences on Body Image and Eating Disorders appeared first on INTUITIVE THERAPY™ | Healthy Weight Loss | Eating Disorder Recovery Coach.

Eating Disorder Intuitive Therapy (EDIT)™ can lead to complete recovery from eating disorders – which means having a healthy body image; a clear sense of values and identity beyond one’s body; the ability to intuitively and mindfully enjoy all foods without restricting, binge eating, or purging; effective ways of coping with a range of emotions; regular Self-Care practices; relapse prevention skills; and a strong presence of one’s “Intuitive Therapist” to guide ongoing recovery.

My name is Dr. Dorie McCubbrey, the Creator of EDIT™ – which I developed during my own eating disorder recovery. Practicing the five principles of EDIT™ led to my freedom from anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder, and continuing to live these principles in my own life allows me to stay free. This is how I know that complete recovery is possible! Also, as a Licensed Addiction Counselor and Certified Eating Disorder Specialist, I’ve been using the EDIT™ process with my clients for more than 20 years, and have guided thousands on their journeys of complete recovery from eating disorders.

I truly believe that by practicing the five principles of EDIT™, anyone can find freedom from anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, or other issues with food, exercise and weight. Here’s a “taste” of each of the five principles, and what freedom can feel like:

Love Your Self: You look in the mirror, and truly LOVE what you see – your radiant essence, your compassionate heart, your creative mind, and your strong body. You are free from society’s standards of what others think is “ideal,” and you fully embrace your True Self!

Be True To Your Self: You live your life in alignment with your “Intuitive Therapist” – your own inner guide to eating, exercise, and all decisions in your life. You trust your intuition for the type and amount of food your body needs. You rely on your intuition for the flow of mindful movement. You go within to access intuition for relationship guidance, career choices, and moment to moment needs.

Express Your Self: You have skills to safely and fully experience a range of emotions as they come and go through the day. You view your emotions as “messengers,” pointing to areas in your life you need to address. You approach all emotions with curiosity, knowing they are guiding you on your healthy path. 

Give To Your Self: You incorporate Self-Care throughout your day, to “feed your true hunger” – spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically. When you are “nourished from within,” there is no need for eating disorder behaviors of any kind.

Believe In Your Self: You wake up every morning, excited for the opportunities in your life! You live as if you’ve never had an eating disorder. Occasionally, an old “ED” thought might pop into your mind, but rather than acting on it, you naturally become curious about it – as “IT,” your “Intuitive Therapist,” takes over. Your ED-IT transformation is what complete recovery is all about!

Article may be reprinted with the author bio below.

©2018 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 meets with clients at her treatment center, Positive Pathways PLLC, located in Evergreen Colorado. 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 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 – GET CERTIFIED

The post Eating Disorders: Complete Recovery appeared first on INTUITIVE THERAPY™ | Healthy Weight Loss | Eating Disorder Recovery Coach.

The first EDIT™ Principle involves Self-Love – physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. People with eating disorders typically only hear the critical chatter of their Eating Disorder (ED) mind. However, this is their “false self” – ED is NOT who they really are! We all have a compassionate voice within, which we might call the Intuitive Therapist (IT). As EDIT™ Practitioners, we model the voice of IT until clients can her IT within themselves. The EDIT™ process involves having ED-IT dialogues with clients. Here’s what this might sound like:

ED (false self) – “I’ll love myself when I look the way I should.”

The false self believes that the body is its identity, and that self-love implies body-love. Therefore, the only way to have self-love is to have a body which conforms to ideal standards. However, these standards are elusive, and even if they are attained, somehow it’s still not good enough. Ultimately, it’s never good enough.

IT (True Self): “I love my whole Self, exactly as I am.”

The True Self has spiritual, emotional, mental and physical aspects. There is an honoring and an acceptance of the entire Self – exactly as it is in the moment. There is no need to “fix” anything. There is freedom from the ideals of society, and no effect due to opinions of others. The True Self is already “good enough,” always has been, and always will be.

Try this “taste” of EDIT™ – ED-IT Dialogue

Click on the image below for a downloadable worksheet which you can use to guide clients to see themselves as more than their eating disorders, and more than their bodies. Discover Self-Love from this perspective of the True Self.

Scroll below the image for guidelines about using the worksheet.
CLICK ON IMAGE TO DOWNLOAD AND PRINT

Ugghhh! My thighs are so fat and disgusting…
I shouldn’t have eaten that, now I’ve got to get rid of it…
I’ve had this eating disorder my whole life, I’ll never get better…

Have you heard your clients make statements like these, or something similar? That’s the “Voice of the Eating Disorder” – or, ED. Explain this to your client, saying something like, “That’s ED talking right now. ED makes critical statements, like the ones you just said.” You can further explain to your client that ED can seem to dominate their mind, as if ED thoughts are the only thoughts they think. In early stages of recovery, the voice of ED can be very loud, chattering on and on with judgments and criticisms – but it’s often like background noise in your client’s mind, because they may not be aware of everything ED says. However, because these are the dominant messages in your client’s mind, the voice of ED can be very destructive to their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. These ED thoughts are what drive ED behaviors – as you re-read the three examples above, can you think of ED behaviors that might follow those thoughts.

Encourage your client by saying something like, “You are not ED! You have another voice within you, which gently counters the voice of ED, and encourages you on a path of recovery.” This “recovery voice” is what you are modeling for them as their therapist, especially when you offer compassionate feedback or guidance to take that next small but healthy step. When you are speaking to your client in this way, you are likely accessing your own intuitive wisdom. In this sense, you are modeling the “Voice of the Intuitive Therapist” – or, IT. Intuitive wisdom goes beyond the analysis and thought processes of the logical mind. And while intuitive wisdom is typically heartfelt, it goes beyond raw emotion. From a Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) perspective, you can consider the Intuitive Therapist (IT) as the “Wise Mind.” Here are some words of wisdom that IT might say:

Wow! There are so many amazing things about you…
That was exactly what you wanted, and it’s OK to have eaten it…
Complete recovery is possible, by taking one small recovery step today…

In a session with your client, you might find yourself engaged in an ED-IT dialogue with your client. They reveal the critical messages which keep them stuck in their eating disorder behaviors, while you try to counter these messages with intuitive wisdom. Note that you’re not just saying the opposite of what your client says. For example, you would NOT want to have a dialogue like this:

ED’s critical thought: Ugghhh! My thighs are fat and disgusting.
Opposite of ED: Your thighs are not fat, they are beautiful!
ED’s critical thought: You’re lying to me. Anyone can see how fat my things are.

What happens if you say the simple opposite of ED to your client? They don’t believe you. In part, this is why basic affirmations are not effective to shift the deep rooted inner critic. These “opposites” or what might seem like affirmations can actually make the client’s ED voice even stronger. Your client feels stuck. And you as their therapist feel stuck! Let’s look at another example. Refer to the ED-IT Dialogue worksheet:

ED’s critical thought: Ugghhh! My thighs are fat and disgusting.
IT’s compassionate reply: Another possibility is that your thighs are strong.
ED’s argument: How can they be strong when they’re so fat and gross?
IT’s nonjudgmental observation: That’s interesting… so what does strong look like?
ED’s retort: Lean, toned, muscular legs!
IT’s curious query: What would happen if you noticed how strong your legs feel?

In this example, you as the therapist are guiding the client to shift away from how the body looks to how the body feels. This is one way to model intuitive wisdom for your client. Remember, as the Intuitive Therapist, you are guiding your client to go within themselves to access their “hidden” parts – from their mind and body, into their heart and soul. The above example guides clients to go into their bodies to feel sensation, and hopefully into their hearts to feel emotion as well. Going to a deeper level – the level of the soul – you might say something like this:

ED’s critical thought: Ugghhh! My thighs are fat and disgusting.
IT’s compassionate reply: Another possibility is that your thighs have a beauty you can’t see with your body’s eyes.
ED’s argument: My eyes see just fine. And they see fat thighs!
IT’s nonjudgmental observation: That’s interesting… that’s what your body’s eyes see. But what do the eyes of your soul see?
ED’s retort: What do you mean, eyes of my soul?
IT’s curious query: What would happen if you closed your eyes for a moment? I’ll guide you to see with your soul’s eyes…

Now, you have your client’s interest – and trust – and you can guide them with a visualization to imagine what their soul’s eyes might see. Perhaps their soul doesn’t have any labels to describe thighs from a physical perspective. Perhaps their soul can sense the amazing experience of “having a body.” Perhaps their soul feels gratitude for their whole Self, exactly as it is in this moment, serving a spiritual purpose on the physical plane. Meet your client where they are – and gently guide your client to explore the deeper parts of themselves.

Complete this ED-IT Dialogue worksheet in a session with your client, filling in the text bubbles for the conversation. Suggest to your client that they refer to this worksheet as an example, so they can practice their own ED-IT dialogue. Encourage your client to write ED-IT dialogues in their journal, and consider using different color pens to represent the different voices of ED and IT. With practice, your client will be able to “talk back to ED” in a consistently compassionate way, using their own voice of IT to guide their next healthy steps of recovery!

©2018 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 meets with clients at her treatment center, Positive Pathways PLLC, located in Evergreen Colorado. Learn more at: https://www.drdorie.com

Article may be reprinted with this author bio.

The post Love Your Self appeared first on INTUITIVE THERAPY™ | Healthy Weight Loss | Eating Disorder Recovery Coach.

Love Your Self – it might seem like a great concept, but how can you put it into practice, when you struggle with body image issues? You might think, “I will love myself when ___.” Fill in the blank: I lose xx pounds, my thighs don’t jiggle, I have flat abs, my arms are toned, I can fit into my skinny jeans… When I sculpt/mold/change my body into… what?

The perfect body. What is this, anyway? Would your body ever be good enough? Or, despite the changes that you make to your body, would you continue to have body image issues? What if your body is already good enough, just the way it is?

The body others love. Whose love are you really seeking? Is it worth it to become someone you are not in order to get others’ praise? If others love your body, would you love your body? Or, would you continue to have body image issues? What if your body is already lovable, just the way it is?

The body that is fit. Who determines what fitness is? If you can run a mile, 6 miles, or 26 miles? What does fitness look like? Even if you’re a fitness model, would you still have body image issues? What if your body has its own powerful abilities, just the way it is?

The body that fits in. Are you looking to fit into society’s standards of beauty? Do you really want to just blend in with the crowd? If you look just like everyone else, would you be happy? Or, would you still have body image issues? What if your body is beautiful in its own unique way, just the way it is?

The body that gets what it wants. Want a new job, new relationship, new life? Do you want your body to be used like a lure to get these things? Would you keep changing your body until you get them? Even if you could use your body to get what you want, would you still have body image issues? What if you are more than your body, and by being your True Self you can attract anything you desire?

Your True Self is your Whole Self – body, mind, heart and soul. Pause for a moment to reflect about these different aspects of your Self – and see if you can find one quality about each that you like. Maybe you value your heart-quality of being a good friend. Perhaps you appreciate your mind-quality of being a good writer. Possibly you enjoy your spiritual-quality of connection with nature. And, you just might like your smile.

Liking Your Self is a great place to start – keep thinking of one new quality you like about your Whole Self every day, and Loving Your Self will follow!

*****

©2016 by “Dr. Dorie” McCubbrey, MSEd, PhD, LPC, CEDS – the Owner & Clinical Director of Positive Pathways and Creator of Eating Disorder Intuitive Therapy (EDIT)™.  

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 Body Image Issues: How to Love Your Self appeared first on INTUITIVE THERAPY™ | Healthy Weight Loss | Eating Disorder Recovery Coach.

I’d like to introduce you to Emily Johnson, who is a Registered Psychotherapist and an EDIT™ Certified III – Eating Disorder Treatment Clinician. Emily completed her internship and continued to work under my supervision for several years, at my previous office location in Denver, Colorado. She is a knowledgeable and compassionate clinician, who is passionate about helping athletes in recovery from eating disorders. She is an amateur athlete who has overcome her own eating disorder, and finds “intuitive exercise” to be a healthy part of her recovery.
– Dr. Dorie

There are many things about the world of fitness modeling that makes an eating disorders therapist cringe. Most notably, there’s the very strict dieting, and also the large amount of time spent on intensive workouts at the gym. Less obvious – but extremely concerning – are the body image issues that arise from quests for physical perfection, as well as comparisons with other fitness models, along with judgments during competitions and photo shoots. And then there are those who are not fitness models, but who compare themselves to the images of fitness models in magazines. Stacking yourself up against another person, who may or may not be healthy in their pursuit of perfection, is never helpful.

As an eating disorder therapist, I’ve worked with many current, former, and prospective fitness models, and while I do believe that some people can navigate that world unscathed, for many it is a slippery slope into dangerous waters, and many don’t know how far down they’ve gone.

So what makes the difference between a healthy approach to fitness modeling, and an eating-disordered approach to becoming a fitness model? The most important thing to consider is the motivation for fitness modeling. Is it the external validation? A desire to look like someone you saw on the internet or in a magazine? To make an ex-partner jealous? A desire for the “perfect” body? Or, for the enjoyment of challenging yourself?

Another area to consider is eating. If you are a fitness model, ask yourself how you feel if or when you eat something not on your meal plan. Would you even dare let yourself? Do you shrug it off, or do you try harder the next day to cut calories, reduce carbs, or spend an extra half hour working out to compensate? And if you do go off your meal plan, does that mean the rest of the day is blown and you might as well eat as much as you can before tomorrow when you vow to be extra strict?

Answering “yes” to questions like these is a red flag that you are heading into an unhealthy relationship with food, disordered eating, or a full-blown eating disorder – carefully justified  within the structure of training and meal plans.

Perhaps you’re not a fitness model, but you can relate to the quest for body perfection. You may be waiting until you get in shape to feel better about yourself, to be more confident, to start dating, to try something new, and so on. Maybe you tell yourself, “I’ll wear that when…”, or “I’ll hang out at the beach when…”, or “I’ll start dating when…” These are signs of an unhealthy body image. These are the motivations that will lead you on an elusive quest for happiness, when the key is to learn how to love the body that you have.

If you read this article and wonder if you might have a problem, or know you have a problem, there is hope. It is possible to have a healthy relationship with food, feeling freedom from rigid meal plans. It is possible to go to the gym because you want to, not because you have to – and to find enjoyment in the challenge, not in how others judge you. It is possible to love your body regardless of what weight, size, or body fat percentage is.

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Looking for guidance with INTUITIVE EXERCISE? EMILY JOHNSON, MA (the author of this blog article) is an EDIT™ Certified III – Eating Disorder Treatment Clinician, and is currently employed by an eating disorder treatment center. Although she does not work with clients unless they are patients at the center, Dr. Dorie is available to meet 1-on-1 with athletes with eating disorders.

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 Fitness Modeling and Eating Disorders appeared first on INTUITIVE THERAPY™ | Healthy Weight Loss | Eating Disorder Recovery Coach.

I’d like to introduce you to Juli Teng, who is an EDIT™ Certified III – Eating Disorder Treatment Clinician. Julie was a Counselor Intern under my supervision at Positive Pathways from June, 2015 through May, 2016. She is a knowledgeable and compassionate therapist, who is currently employed at a health center in Canada. Although she does not meet with anyone who is not a patient at the center, I can incorporate metaphors of eating disorders into my sessions with clients. Evergreen, Colorado is the perfect place to explore nature and animal metaphors!
– Dr. Dorie

What is Somatic Counseling?

Translated literally, “soma” means body. Somatic counseling is a form of psychotherapy that views the body as an integral part of the counseling process. Body psychotherapy is considered to be one branch under the larger umbrella of somatic counseling. Somatic counseling is derived from a rich lineage of psychologists, clinicians, bodywork practitioners, psychologists, dancers, and philosophers. The theories and perspectives of psychoanalysis, existential, humanistic, and gestalt psychology, expressive arts, neuroscience, and Eastern philosophy and spirituality all contribute to the practice of somatic counseling today. The founders of somatic counseling observed that the body often holds key wisdom that can be invaluable in understanding the psyche and in facilitating personal growth and transformation.

On both subtle and overt levels, the body has witnessed and experienced all that has happened in each person’s life and holds its own memories and insights about these experiences. Accessing and honoring this information from the body in psychotherapy provides a wealth of knowledge that may not be part of more traditional “talk therapy” sessions. The information held within the body may also not readily be available to conscious awareness, though it may be influencing a person through illness, overwhelming emotions, or a sense of “stuckness.” Allowing the body to have a voice in somatic counseling through using specific techniques allows this information to enter cognitive awareness and provides an opportunity to process and work with it in a deep and profound way. Somatic counseling encourages a true integration of body, mind, and spirit in therapy. (Source: United States Association for Body Psychotherapy)

What are the benefits of working with a Body Psychotherapist?

Working with a body psychotherapist can be very beneficial for any issue typically addressed in more traditional forms of counseling: stress, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, addictions, trauma, eating disorders, and much more. Body psychotherapists integrate dialogue into sessions and address therapy issues on the cognitive and verbal levels, just as in traditional therapy. In addition, body psychotherapists offer the added benefit of not only supporting the voice of the mind and emotions, but also welcoming the body to “speak” and offer its perspective in sessions. Body psychotherapists use many different techniques, depending on what would be most beneficial for the client. These include awareness of breath, tuning into body sensations, relaxation, meditation, visualization techniques, conscious movement, and expanding spontaneous postures and gestures that may arise in therapy.

A major key to the benefits of body psychotherapy is the recognition that awareness of the physical body can create meaningful change in one’s life. Through body psychotherapy, hidden patterns can be seen more clearly, as well as points at which someone may be repeating the same patterns over and over again in his or her life. These patterns show up on the physical level and can be utilized in the therapy session to better understand their purpose. The body also provides insight into how these stuck patterns can be shifted and moved, pointing the way to change through physical sensations, movements, and insights that arise through attending to one’s physical presence. Body psychotherapy aids in getting to know the body on a deeper level than is often supported in daily life and inviting one to experience a sense of wholeness in ways unique to each individual.

How can Body Psychotherapy be useful for eating disorder recovery?

Body psychotherapy has a great deal to offer to assist people in eating disorder recovery. Often, when people experience eating disorders, there may be disconnection between mind, body, and emotions. The body may be viewed as a source of pain and something that needs to be controlled. There may be a sense of mistrust of the body, its urges, its hunger and fullness signals. One may also feel cut off from a sense of nourishment. Eating disorders arise in complex ways and in response to a myriad of circumstances. Disordered eating behaviors can provide a coping mechanism for these circumstances in the best way one may know how at the time. Body psychotherapy can facilitate deeply honoring the reasons why disordered eating may be arising and reconnecting with the purpose served by these patterns.

Body psychotherapy offers an avenue to shift from opposing and fighting the body to aligning with the body. Through the experience of tuning in to what messages the body has to offer and what needs it is trying to express through disordered eating behaviors, it is possible to experience recovery from eating disorders. Additionally, body psychotherapy offers the opportunity to feel more at home in the body, to view the body as a valuable tool, a resource, and an ally, and to repair the disconnection between mind, body, and emotions. Body psychotherapy approaches eating disorder recovery through facilitating embodiment, helping you work toward a mutually beneficial and compassionate relationship with your body and the experience of true nourishment.

*****

Looking for guidance with SOMATIC COUNSELING? JULIE TENG, MA (the author of this blog article) is an EDIT™ Certified III – Eating Disorder Treatment Clinician, and is currently employed at a health center in Canada. Although she does not work with clients unless they are patients at the center, Dr. Dorie is available to meet with clients who wish to incorporate mindfulness of the body into their recovery.

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 – GET CERTIFIED

The post Somatic Counseling and Eating Disorders appeared first on INTUITIVE THERAPY™ | Healthy Weight Loss | Eating Disorder Recovery Coach.