It’s been a very busy summer my end. Since moving to Victoria, BC this spring, I’ve been spending lots of time meeting other healthcare professionals to talk about what I do for a living- empower women to become all that they dream of being. One topic that always comes up is eating disorders and women’s problematic relationship with food and their bodies. Many of these health professionals have asked me to come up with a handout or article on how to help someone with an eating disorder, as well as tips for preventing eating disorders in our youth. So here it is… How Do I Help Someone with an Eating Disorder? The first section is adapted from The National Eating Disorder Information Centre […]
Dissecting the bizarre phenomenon of “fat head”
I want to talk to you this week, my dear readers, about a condition my clients suffer with extensively which I have labelled, “fat head”. I talk extensively about this condition in my book, “It’s Not About the Food: A Woman’s Guide to Making Peace with Food and Our Bodies”, but for the purposes of this brief article, I shall give you the quick version of this fascinating phenomenon. Here’s how the conversation with a sufferer of “fat head” usually goes: Client: “I feel fat today and I hate my body.” Me: “I must point out here that “fat” is technically not a feeling. You may feel sad, angry, joyous, etc., but “fat” most definitely is not one of the common […]
Esther’s ‘Swimsuit Issue’: Finding the right fit
Hello Dear Readers, This ‘swimsuit issue’ will look a whole lot different than Sports Illustrated and I say it’s about time. Those things really piss me off and I’m guessing they don’t make you happy either. Here are some sobering facts: Over 24 million people suffer from some form of an eating disorders, and the root of these problems are often linked to rampant advertising that portray skinny, overly-bronzed, hyper-sexualized women as the ideal woman. A study found that 3 minutes spent looking at a fashion magazine caused 70% of women to feel depressed, guilty, and shameful. Sources: http://www.anad.org & http://www.bradley.edu/thebodyproject/ Which brings me to a funny but hopefully helpful tale: It’s June and I’m in sunny Osoyoos for the entire month to escape […]
The New Mental Illness: “Googlechondria”
I’m not grandiose enough to believe that I invented the term, “Googlechondria”, but if I have, let me know how I can copyright it and make a bit of extra cash! This term came to me after seeing three highly anxious clients in one week who all assured me they were afflicted with some sort of highly complex physical or mental illness. When I applied some cognitive behavioral questions to their stories (in this case, it mainly consists of finding real evidence for one’s assertions), they all came up blank. Let me give you one of my favourite examples: Client: “I have a brain tumor and I’m dying”… Me: “When did your doctor give you this devastating news?” Client: “Well, […]
Family Cut-Offs
I thought I’d start the New Year off by addressing a phenomenon that is quite common after the holidays- family cut-offs. What I am referring to specifically is the conscious decision a person makes to cut off contact from another family member for a time- this can range from a few days to an entire lifetime. As a family therapist, I am constantly working with cut-offs and they are very tricky to navigate. Most people I know have been at one or both ends of the cut-off continuum. Either they have had to end contact with a relative because it is abusive and harmful to their well-being, or they have been cut off by another relative and are suffering deeply […]
Balanced Weight Loss
Normally, I try to avoid talking about weight loss, being an eating disorders therapist- it can be a touchy subject indeed. But lately, I’ve come to realize that there is what I believe to be, a balanced approach to losing a bit of extra weight if you really need to for health reasons. How did I come to this realization, you ask? Personal experience of course! Turning 39 recently has brought with it much appreciated wisdom, calmness, material comfort, and settling comfortably into myself- all of which I prayed and longed for in my teens and twenties and for which I am forever grateful. However, the not-so-easy-to-deal-with aspects have included graying hair, wrinkling skin, downward pointing breasts, and alas, weight […]
Helping Your Daughter Feel Good About Her Body
Thanks to Twitter, I’ve been able to connect with some amazing women who also have as their goal helping women love and appreciate their bodies exactly as they are. One of my new friends is Dara Chadwick, author of “You’d Be So Pretty If… Teaching our daughters to love their bodies- even when we don’t love our own” She kindly sent me a copy of her book and I devoured it with gusto. In fact, in a phone conversation we had, I told her that I wish that I had written this book because it’s all about what I try to teach mothers about raising their daughters to be whole, healthy, and self-confident people. If you are a mother of […]
