The Eating Disorder Therapist

Today I’m talking to Heidi Schauster, MS, RD, LDN, CEDS-S, SEP who is a nutrition therapist and Somatic Experiencing (SE)™ Practitioner who has specialised in eating and body image concerns for nearly 30 years. She provides individual and group counselling and clinical supervision/consultation and is particularly interested in the intersection between food and body concerns with trauma. Heidi considers herself a whole-self-wellness practitioner and Embodiment Warrior. She is the author of the award-winning book Nourish: How to Heal Your Relationship with Food, Body, and Self and writes the Nourishing Words newsletter on Substack.  Her most recent book is Nurture - Nurture: How to Raise Kids Who Love Food, Their Bodies, and Themselves. Heidi lives in Arlington, Massachusetts, with her partner and twin daughters when they aren’t in college. She recently choreographed a modern dance piece about the “empty nest,” performed by an ensemble of women age 40+. Heidi and her family enjoy most food that is lovingly prepared, especially if it’s followed by a dishwashing dance party.  In the episode today, Heidi talks about how parents can support their young children and teens in navigating a healthy relationship with food and body. She talks about responding to your individual child, and the delicate balance of providing structure with eating versus over-control. Heidi explains why it’s unhelpful to have good and bad foods and how to navigate food neutrality within your family. Heidi talks about educating children around body diversity and calling out fat shaming and weight stigma. She explains about how we will be imperfect as parents and get it wrong, when navigating all of this. Heidi helpfully normalises how many parents are dealing with their own food issues and how they can still helpfully support their children. She deeply advocates for food as pleasure and nourishment – for connection and joy, in addition to nutrition. So much packed into the episode. I hope that you enjoy it.   To find out more about Heidi: - Official site: www.anourishingword.com   Substack: https://heidischauster.substack.com/ LinkedIn: @nourishingwords Instagram: @nourishingwords Pinterest: @NourishingWordsHeidiSchauster Facebook: @NourishingWords     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        

In this episode, I explore getting started on the recovery road. This is an old episode re-shared - one that has had many downloads! It can be daunting and overwhelming to even think about acknowledging the existence of an eating problem to yourself, let alone taking steps to manage it. I talk you through some initial steps to support you and offer the opportunity to understand your food issues from a psychological perspective. I hope that you find it helpful.   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

Today I’m talking to Charlotte Markey, Ph.D., who  is a world-leading expert in body image research, having studied body image and eating behaviors for nearly three decades.  She is passionate about understanding how to help people have a healthy relationship with their body and food.  Charlotte is a psychology professor at Rutgers University and a research scientist who has published over 100 scholarly articles and chapters about health issues.  Dr. Markey is also an experienced book author, having most recently published The Body Image Book series (The Body Image Book for Girls in 2020; The Body Image Book for Boys in 2022, and Adultish: The Body Image Book for Life recently out this year).  She also recently co-edited the 3-volume Encyclopedia of Mental Health (2023).  She writes regularly for news outlets such as Psychology Today and is often interviewed for TV, news articles, and podcasts including the NY Times, Washington Post, and NBC. In the episode today, we’re going to do a deep dive into understanding body image. Dr Charlotte is going to explain why she decided to write books on this subject and her process in doing this. She’s going to bust some body image myths and explain why she’s written a separate book for boys and girls. Dr .Charlotte will explain how parents influence their children’s body image and how they can set a good example to their children. She’ll talk about social media and its role in body image and how parents can play a supportive role here too. She’ll also be delving into the latest body image research and exploring body positivity v body neutrality. So much value is packed into this episode. I hope that you enjoy it.   To find our more about Dr. Charlotte: - Connect with her on Facebook (Dr. Charlotte Markey), Instagram (@char_markey), TikTok (@charmarkey), Threads (@char_markey), or Substack (@BODY TALK) Website:  www.CharlotteMarkey.com  or the books’ webpages www.TheBodyImageBook.com   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

Today I have a returning guest to the podcast I’m talking to Katie Bramlett from the company WeShape – a movement-based fitness product, inspired with the intention of advocating for people to stop focusing on the number on the scale and instead putting their energy and efforts towards something more meaningful. Katie worked previously in the more traditional fitness space and had built a very successful business promoting six-pack abs and weight loss. However, something didn’t feel right. Although Katie was outwardly successful, earning money and being ‘healthy’, deep down, she felt out of balance with her deepest values. Katie took the brave decision to step away from her thriving fitness business. She felt pulled towards authenticity, meaningful movement and a broader picture of wellbeing, health and self-worth. Hence the dawn of WeShape. Weshape’s entire product is rooted in intention, movement, community, and beliefs. Katie has a passion for bringing awareness to the toxic expectations placed on people in the fitness industry and believes that if we all unsubscribe to these messages, we can pave a new path that's rooted in self-acceptance, care, and kindness. In this episode today, you’ll hear about Katie’s story from traditional fitness into something more meaningful. If you would like to hear the longer version of this, do go back and listen to Katie’s previous episode on the podcast. The link is in the show notes. Katie will talk more about WeShape, focusing on the movement aspect and also mentality. WeShape is extremely personalised to each individual. With movement, it’s all about listening to your body. You can scale movements from having limited mobility, maybe due to living with pain or injury to being fully functioning and extremely fit. The emphasis is all about listening to your body, taking rest when needed and an individualised approach. The mentality side really works on self-acceptance and self-compassion, questioning with curiosity the internalised messages of diet and wellness culture, to help people really align with their deeper beliefs, values and purpose. It’s an inspiring business model and Katie comes from a place of authenticity and deep intention with her work, and this shines through in the conversation. I hope that you enjoy it.   To find out more about WeShape Website:   http://www.weshape.com/freedom Previous episode with Katie: https://harrietfrew.podbean.com/e/from-six-pack-abs-and-weight-loss-to-movement-and-mental-wellbeing-with-katie-bramlett-weshape/   This week's sponsor:  Welldoing: https://welldoing.org/   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

This episode was first published in the summer of 2021 and has proved to be one of my most popular episodes! Apologies for a re-share - I hope that you enjoy it, either for a first listen or a great reminder of how to put self-love into practice. A new episode will be back next week. The episode is inspired by an article by Laura Jane Williams who contributed 'The Art of Loving Yourself', to the Stylist book - 'Life Lessons from Remarkable Women'. I'd highly recommend it.  Link is in the show notes. I'm speaking as someone who has very much walked this path, finding self-worth after being in the very depths of the deepest well.  The strategies are valuable lessons for all. It includes a whole range of inspiring tips that actually make self-love seem that little bit more accessible. I hope that you enjoy the episode.    Life Lessons from Remarkable Women https://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Lessons-Remarkable-Women-Learning/dp/0241322820      This week's sponsor:  Welldoing https://welldoing.org/   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      

Today I’m talking to Dr. Kamila Irvine who is senior lecturer in Psychology at Lincoln University. Kamila specialises in body image and eating disorders and is particularly interested in perceptual body image and size/shape estimation. Kamila completed her PhD at Northumbria University, focusing on body image and then worked as a Teaching Fellow at Durham University before joining the School of Psychology at Lincoln University in May 2019. Kamila’s research investigates methods of measurement and the development of new tools of body size estimation with the use of Virtual Reality and 3D body scanning. She is also working on a number of applied projects, including a Virtual Reality-body image training, and school-based projects with Body Happy Org. In the episode today, Kamila explores her journey into this field and becoming a body image expert, emphasising the importance of 'going with the flow' and embracing opportunities as they arise. She talks about her role as a senior lecturer, including teaching students about eating disorders and body image; and her fascinating research. Kamila then gives us a whistle-stop tour through some of her (and her students') current research projects. Kamila also shares her thoughts on the ginormous problem of diet culture and it’s influence on body image development and how we can change things (from grass roots level) to really protect and improve body image of individuals today. There's so much value packed in this episode. I hope that you enjoy the conversation.   To find out more about Dr. Kamila Irvine:- https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kamila-Irvine https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3ED-XlwAAAAJ&hl=en https://staff.lincoln.ac.uk/kirvine   This week's sponsor - Mindy Gorman-Plutzer: https://thefreedompromise.com 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      

Today I have a returning guest to the podcast and I’m talking with Cara Byrne – an integrative humanistic psychotherapist based in Ireland. She is the founder of Hike Psych – offering walking and talking therapy in nature for her clients, combining her love of nature and psychotherapy. Cara has always been fascinated by other human beings and the experiences that shape them. As a child, she was the person that people confided in with their problems if they needed support. Cara’s interest and enthusiasm to support others, led her to train in psychotherapy. Cara also has her own food healing journey.  Being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 3; this understandably led to a focus and preoccupation with food, with carbohydrates needing to be counted and portions weighed to balance blood sugar levels and to manage insulin doses. Growing up, Cara also experienced being in a larger body in a naturally slim family. Cara’s family relationships were warm and accepting however she did experience some judgement and weight stigma outside of the family. In her late teens, Cara struggled with restrictive eating and inevitable binge eating, which then worsened following the birth of her first child. In the last few years, she has been on a healing journey in her own relationship with food and her body, leaning towards intuitive eating principles and finding a greater level of body neutrality and acceptance, all whilst navigating this around type 1 diabetes management. Since she began her therapeutic work in 2011, Cara has worked with a vast number of clients dealing with many different issues across the mental health spectrum however has a specialist interest in food, body image, type 1 diabetes, Health At Every Size and neurodiversity. In Cara’s previous conversation on the podcast, she talked about her healing journey with food, navigating type 1 diabetes and about the walking and talking therapy that she practices with her clients at Hike Psych. Do go back and listen to that episode if you would like to. The link is in the show notes. Today, Cara is going to talk all about neurodiversity and eating disorders. She is going to explain how neurodivergent individuals can be more vulnerable to developing eating disorders and the reasons for this. Cara will talk about different neurodivergent diagnoses and vulnerabilities to eating disorders. In her practice, Cara works regularly with people who have been diagnosed as neurodivergent late and she is going to share her experiences of supporting people in navigating this, around their relationship with food. Cara’s huge compassion and enthusiasm for her work shines through in this conversation. I hope that you enjoy it.   To find out more about Cara: - Website: https://www.hikepsych.ie/ Instagram: @hikepsych.ie Previous episode: https://harrietfrew.podbean.com/e/type-1-diabetes-binge-eating-body-image-and-hiking-therapy-with-cara-byrne/   This week's sponsor - Mindy Gorman-Plutzer: https://thefreedompromise.com 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  

Managing your eating throughout the day can feel easier, due to distraction and busyness. You may feel less prone to out-of-control eating or mindless snacking. But, evenings can be a whole different story! After an exhausting day you might be feeling at the end of your tether. What to do with this final hour or two so before you go to bed? You may be in the pattern of: sofa, television, "time for me now - let’s see what’s in the cupboard." This podcast gives 5 reflections to help stop your overeating in the evening. I hope that you enjoy the episode.   This week's sponsor - Mindy Gorman-Plutzer: https://thefreedompromise.com 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  

Today I’m talking to Rebecca Amis - a woman on a transformative journey of eating disorder recovery and empowerment. Rebecca’s life's path has been shaped by profound blessings and challenges, including battling an eating disorder. Rebecca was raised in a large family heavily influenced by a diet culture society where image, food, and perfectionism were deeply engrained values (and judgments), She found herself ensnared in a cycle that stifled rather than nurtured her However, she describes her journey through recovery being a testament to tenacity and the power of self-discovery. Currently, Rebecca is embracing a new chapter in her life. As she continues to navigate post-treatment, she is committed to reclaiming her identity. Rebecca’s recovery vision extends beyond her personal healing; she aspires to create meaningful impact by hosting eating disorder recovery retreats and serving as a coach—both in eating disorder recovery and life coaching, where she can support individuals and couples in cultivating healthier relationships with themselves and others. She would also like to write a book to encourage and support others in their healing and possibly creating a sanctuary – a safe haven, where individuals can find solace, healing, and community as they embark on their own paths to recovery and life fulfillment. Rebecca has found through her experiences that healing is not just about overcoming challenges but also about transforming them into opportunities for growth and empowerment. She is dedicated to breaking the chains of the past and fostering a future where everyone can embrace their true selves and relish their lives to the fullest. In the episode today, you will hear about Rebecca’s healing journey in eating disorder recovery, finding out what really has helped her heal and navigate the ups and downs of this bumpy road. We will also hear more about the plans she has to give back and to support others. It's another truly inspiring guest for you. I hope that you enjoy the conversation. To find out more about Rebecca:-   Instagram: @rahforree   Email: rebecca@rebeccaamis.com   Website: https://www.rebeccaamis.com/     This week's sponsor - Mindy Gorman-Plutzer:   https://thefreedompromise.com 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

Today I’m talking to Flurina Thali who is an osteopath, coach, lecturer, researcher, dancer, artist and host of the podcast, ‘The Breathing Body’. She is also someone who suffered from an eating disorder for many years - and found healing through movement, body awareness and rediscovering the fascination and miracle our bodies express every day. She calls this the sweet song of feelings and emotions. Flurina initially trained as a dancer in Denmark and the Netherlands. During this time, she encountered many somatic practices, in particular the Alexander Technique and Ideokinesis which continuously taught her as a facilitator the art of creating space and finding ease in movement by using images and imaginations.   Flurina gained a Masters` degree at the European School of Osteopathy. She is currently practicing in private clinics in Kent and London, as well as working for the Osteopathic Centre for Children in London. Inspired by her own journey. Flurina has created various platforms to support women recovering from eating difficulties - and living a life beyond their wildest dreams. In the episode today, Flurina talks about her eating disorder recovery journey, delving into finding re-connection with her body and trusting its innate wisdom and intuition. She also talks about how she supports her clients today through women’s circles and one-to-one work. Flurina has incredible energy and presence in this conversation. I know that this will really inspire you. I hope that you find it helpful.   To find out more about Flurina: - Website: www.flurinathali.com Podcast: -https://linktr.ee/flurina_breathingbody This week's sponsor - Mindy Gorman-Plutzer:   https://thefreedompromise.com 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