Eating Disorders & Body Image
Disordered Eating / Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are misunderstood - as are the people who deal with them. Having an eating disorder is more than just trying to be a certain bodyweight or having a fear of food. The function of the eating disorder behavior is usually rooted in something much deeper, and controlling food is just the way the brain navigated towards coping.
In working together on your disordered eating / eating disorder, I can help by:
Providing tools to decrease the urges to use eating disorder behaviors
Developing new skills to manage emotions related to your eating disorder behaviors
Figuring out the purpose and deeper meaning behind your eating disorder behavior
Reconnect with your deeper reasons to pursue recovery and create a plan for maintaining motivation
EMDR can also be helpful for work with DE/EDs to decrease urges to use eating disorder behaviors as well as heal trauma that contributed to development of the eating disorder. For more information on EMDR, click here.
Body Image
In the age of social media, we are more inundated with cultural body image ideals than ever before.
On the other hand, more and more narratives of self-love and body acceptance are arising, with intention of providing us with freedom to think about things besides how we look.
I understand this dichotomy very well. In working with me, my goal is to help you:
Explore the roots of your negative thoughts about your body
Learn and create tools to combat negative body image days
Gain understanding of your values to change perspective of your body image
Expand your options for navigating body talk and comparison in relationships
And a bit about athlete body image:
Athletes navigate the often unattainable “duality” of what culture says is the “ideal” body size/shape/color and what the athletics world defines as the “ideal athlete body” for your particular sport. As if you all need something else to stress or worry about!
My hope in working together would be to:
Explore the roots of your negative thoughts about your body
Learn and create tools to combat negative body image days
Explore new perspectives about the function of your body that allows you to do what you LOVE!
Align your values with what you want to believe about yourself
Make peace with a new body in retirement while celebrating what the body is still able to do beyond your athletic career