What Are Types of Trauma Responses in the Body, and What Does it Mean for Trauma Treatment? Trauma is defined as anything that overwhelms a person’s capacity to cope with it. The reason for such a seemingly vague definition is that trauma is more about the effect of an event (or events) on someone than […]
Re-Opening Anxiety
Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop – Lately, I’ve been consumed with an anxiety that’s somewhat confusing to me. People are getting vaccinated left and right. My state is going to actually reopen in June, in a way that actually feels reasonable. I actually have a vacation or two planned. By most definitions, we […]
The Importance of Family Treatment and Empowerment During Eating Disorder Recovery
Why is Family Therapy an Important Part of Treatment? Family therapy can be extremely helpful in the treatment and recovery process for both adolescents and adults experiencing anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), or any combination of eating disorder symptoms. Eating disorders are complex and multifaceted mental health […]
The Grief of Pregnancy Loss
While the statistics vary between research studies, it is found that around one-third of pregnancies end in miscarriage. Yet pregnancy loss continues to be a disenfranchised grief that is far too often experienced in isolation. In the last few years, we have seen more public figures share about their pregnancy loss. Both Chrissy Teigen and […]
Reflections on Washington D.C.
Stress. Chaos. Loss of hope. Sometimes even words can fall short when describing the events of these times. The events in Washington D.C. over the course of the past week have been exceptionally difficult and chaotic in a year that was already so exceptionally difficult and chaotic. It can be hard to know where to go […]
A Million Little Inconveniences: Cultivating Resilience in the Holiday Season
What I’ll remember about this time isn’t necessarily the big things. It’s the million little inconveniences. Remembering to bring the masks. Walking across the street to not walk too close to strangers. The extra time needed to wait in line at the grocery store. Thinking every outing through in terms of safety. The extra work […]
10 Tips to Thrive Instead of Survive During the Holiday Season
The Holiday Season, although considered to be a joyous time, can be extremely stressful for anyone. As a therapist, the holidays are always a topic of conversation between myself and my clients with eating disorders, past traumas, as well as various other mental health concerns. Generally, the Holidays can stir up mental health triggers including […]
Thoughts on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving in Recovery Thanksgiving can be an incredibly difficult holiday for anyone in recovery. A holiday that celebrates and glorifies food, it can feel almost impossible for anyone who struggles with their relationship with food and movement to face it without feeling a certain level of anxiety. Thanksgiving rhetoric around food and movement can be […]
Considering Therapeutic Involvement and Interventions Within the Treatment of Chronic Pain
Chronic Pain September is Chronic Pain awareness month, and unfortunately, in my experience as a therapist, rarely do therapists ask their patients about chronic pain or their experiences with physical pain. In addition, rarely do clients feel that therapy is the place to speak about physical pain issues. That’s what medical doctors are for right? […]
The Privilege of Uncomplicated Visibility
As the protests over the killing of George Floyd and countless others continue and Pride month comes to a close, it is time to acknowledge the profoundly dehumanizing effect of holding one or more marginalized identities in our stratified society. This, and other difficult discussions, have been serious omissions in our blog for various reasons, […]