Athletes and Eating Disorders
When I work with clients who struggle with eating disorders, very often I find that they have a history of being athletes, whether high school, college, or professional. Through my experiences with these clients, I’ve realized that life as an athlete can be tricky to...
The Dangers of Being an Uninformed Consumer of Pornography
We are a world of consumers. We browse, purchase, read, and view products every day. As consumers, we like to inform ourselves about the things we invest our time and money into. We purchase organic food at our grocery stores; we research a company’s founder before we...
Jews and Eating Disorders
No One Is Immune Jews get eating disorders, too. I say this because being in the Jewish community myself, I can attest to the shame and stigma that many hold around mental illness, including eating disorders. But just because eating disorders are not talked about or...
How Accessibility to Pornography is Harming Our Society
We live in a time where we are surrounded by amazing technological advances. Convenience is key, and it plays a major role in our decision making. We go grocery shopping using only our phones and get our purchases delivered to our homes within the hour. We conduct...
Mindfulness and Eating Disorder Recovery
Over the last 30 years, mindfulness has gained considerable acknowledgement in the practice of psychology and is an integral component of various theoretical approaches to psychotherapy. Research studies have demonstrated the positive effects of the practice of...
Defusion and Acceptance in Eating Disorder Treatment
Various psychotherapeutic approaches are used in the treatment of eating disorders. Since these disorders are so complex and multifaceted, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. One of the newer theoretical approaches that can be implemented in treating eating...
Bulimia and Alcohol Abuse
One of my recent blog posts focused on the comorbidity and link between eating disorders and substance use. In this post, I want to specifically focus on the co-occurrence of alcoholism and bulimia. Research has demonstrated that 34% of individuals with bulimia...
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...