The Eating Disorder Therapist Understanding Grief in Eating Disorder Recovery with Brooke Carlson
Today I’m talking to Brooke Carlson, an eating disorder therapist and Licensed Professional Clinical Counsellor, working primarily with adolescents and young adults and based in Minnesota, USA.
Brooke has worked for a nationwide eating disorder treatment centre for three years called The Emily Program. She was an outpatient therapist and partial hospitalisation program coordinator during that time, while also running a recovery support group. Prior to this, Brooke worked at a university counselling centre, where she found her passion for working with students with eating disorders
Brooke now works in private practice as an eating disorder expert and sees clients daily. She is also an eating disorder ambassador for the state where she helps with social media and petitioning for congress, and legislation for more resources and care for eating disorders in the state. She currently has her own business called Brooke Carlson Therapy Services PLLC. She also independently contracts at Wholehearted Healing LLC in Wayzata, Minnesota.
Brooke has never personally suffered with an eating disorder, however she has struggled with her own disordered eating and body image distress. She brings this experience with compassion and understanding to her therapy work.
Brooke has been on the podcast twice before and her episodes have proved to be extremely popular. She previously talked about over-exercise and eating disorders in athletes. Also, she last talked about the relationship between social media and eating disorders. The links to those episodes are below if you want to listen.
Today, Brooke is going to discuss how grief can be a function in eating disorders. She is going to name the different types of grief and the different types of losses you can experience; as grief is a type of trauma.
She is going to explain how eating disorders are a form of coping and how a focus on food and body can be soothing or numbing from grief, or even a way to express pain from grief. Brooke explains how an eating disorder can even be a way to not feel as lonely or alone through your own grief
She then goes on to talk about the different griefs we might notice in recovery.
For example: -
. The grief of accepting that you can't do treatment alone and need a community.
. The grief of "pausing" on life (school, work, etc) to go to treatment to get your life back.
. The grief of realising that your eating disorder doesn’t serve you anymore, even if it did at some point in the past'
. The grief of life without the eating disorder.
. The grief of your past self when maybe you have lost your authentic self to the ED.
. The grief of losing your past body or your pre/post recovery body.
I know you’re going to really enjoy this thought provoking episode, as Brooke really dives into the deeper issues and gives wholehearted permission to grieve along the healing road. I hope that you enjoy the conversation.
To find out more about Brooke: -
Website: brookecarlsontherapyservices.com
Wholehearted Healing Clinic website: https://www.wholeheartedhealingllc.com/brookecarlson-ma-lpcc-1
Email: bcarlson@therapyservicesmn.com Phone: 612-470-8626 (USA) Previous episodes with Brooke: - Social media and eating disorders https://harrietfrew.podbean.com/e/social-media-and-eating-disorders-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-with-returning-guest-brooke-carlson/ Eating disorders in athletes, sports person and in fitness https://harrietfrew.podbean.com/e/healing-eating-disorders-and-problems-with-over-exercise-in-athletes-sports-persons-and-in-fitness-with-brooke-carlson/ This week's sponsor - Mindy Gorman-Plutzer:
Schedule your complimentary call with Mindy - https://p.bttr.to/36nzVUu
Harriet Frew's current offers: -
Online 10 Steps to Intuitive Eating Course
https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/online-courses.html
Online Breaking Free from Bulimia
https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/online-courses.html
Eating Disorders Training for Professionals
https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/eating-disorders-training-with-harriet-frew.html
Body Image Training for Professionals
https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/body-image-training-with-harriet-frew.html