Weight Stigma
An Obstacle in Treatment As an eating disorders therapist, one very challenging part of my work with clients is addressing the impact of societal values and messages on their recovery. Clients who have larger bodies or don’t meet society’s “thin ideal” can work...
Grooming in Childhood Sexual Abuse
As a psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of trauma and PTSD, I have worked with many survivors who have unfortunately experienced sexual abuse in childhood. Today I wanted to focus on the topic of grooming which is often present in ongoing childhood sexual...
Eating Disorders and Substance Use
A few months ago, I wrote a post about eating disorders and co-morbid disorders, meaning conditions that tend to occur along with eating disorders. One of these co-occurring conditions was substance use, which can be used as a way to aid with eating disorder...
Restricted Eating – What Are the Effects?
For people who want to pursue weight loss, whether for health reasons or to meet a certain beauty standard, restricting food intake seems to be the go-to logical, straightforward pathway to do so. The common rationalization behind this is as follows: restricting your...
When Your Sibling Has an Eating Disorder…
A few months ago, I heard a woman, Kym Piekunka, speak about eating disorders. Kym didn’t struggle with an eating disorder herself, nor is she a physician or mental health clinician who had formal training in these conditions. However, as a sibling of someone who...
Sex After Sexual Trauma
As a therapist specializing in the treatment of trauma and PTSD, I often work with patients who are struggling with their sexuality after a sexual assault. Often survivors will report feeling differently about sex or feeling that it has been tainted. Although these...
Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa – What Type of Help is Available?
Recovery may seem impossible if you are deeply embedded in a relationship with anorexia nervosa. You might be strictly adhering to food rules and rituals and feel unable to let go. The thought of eating something outside of your comfort zone or gaining weight...
Coping After Trauma
If you have ever experienced a highly stressful event or traumatic situation, you may be experiencing feelings of guilt, shame, helplessness, fear, or hopelessness. Having a self care plan is an essential piece of trauma recovery. The following tools can be helpful to...
Why Do I Binge Eat?
For someone who engages in binge eating behaviors, they may frequently experience distressing emotions such as self-disgust, guilt, shame, helplessness, and depression after they have taken part in a binge. Often times, there is an out-of-control feeling that arises,...
Sex After Sexual Assault
As a psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of sexual trauma and interpersonal violence, I often get asked by patients if they will be able to enjoy sex ever again. When someone has used sex against you and has used sex as a weapon, it can be challenging to be...
When We Eat to Cope – Emotional and Binge Eating
Eating is a natural, regular, and essential component of our daily lives. We eat to fuel ourselves, feel pleasure, and enjoy new experiences. As each person seems to have their own eating style and preferences, determining whether one's relationship with food is...
What To Do If Your Teen is Dieting
As adolescence brings about various physical and emotional changes, teens may become increasingly aware of their bodies – both how they appear and how they function. With these developments, societal messages, and other stressors that teens may encounter, dieting may...
Assessing Safety in Your Relationships
As a psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of trauma and PTSD, I often work with clients on issues that come up in relationships. When someone grows up in an unstable or unhealthy environment, they may be unable to recognize red flags in relationships. It’s...
Exercise – Another Disordered Behavior?
Exercise is often considered a panacea in both the treatment and prevention of physical and psychological concerns. Whether you want to improve your cardiovascular health or reduce your symptoms of depression, exercise is among the list of natural antidotes...
From Victim To Survivor To Thriver
We live in a world where being called a “victim” implies a connotation of weakness. “Don’t be a victim” is a phrase we hear all too often. But what if that is actually your experience? Victim is a term the legal system uses to identify someone who has been the...
Anorexia Nervosa in Males
Men can have anorexia, too. Yup, you read that correctly. Unfortunately, an obvious stigma exists towards men who struggle with eating disorders, although these conditions can affect anyone when certain risk factors are in place. As a society, we must recognize that...
Grief and Loss After Trauma
Often when we think of grief and loss, we associate it with the loss of a loved one. The five stages of grief are not necessarily what one thinks of in response to a sexual trauma but often survivors will report going through the stages at some point. While the stages...
Bulimia Nervosa – What Help is Available?
The struggle with bulimia can feel like you’re trapped in a downward spiral with no way out. You may be deeply entrenched in bulimic behaviors, whether they include binging and self-induced vomiting, laxative or diuretic abuse, other drug abuse, fasting, or...
What Are Boundaries and Why Do We Need Them?
As a psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of trauma and PTSD, I often work with patients who struggle with setting and maintaining boundaries. Often when someone grows up in a violent or abusive home, they miss out on the opportunity to explore their likes,...
Why Diets Don’t Work
Recently, I asked a friend if she wanted to get some ice cream. “I can’t,” she said. “I’m on a diet.” A few years ago, when I was stuck in my own cycle of chronic dieting, I would have felt fear for giving in to this craving, and some shame that I didn’t have the...