The Eating Disorder Therapist

A Deep Dive into ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) with Dr. Marianne Miller

Today, I’m talking to Dr. Marianne Miller (all the way from San Diego) who has been in the mental health field for 27 years and has specialised in eating disorders for the last 12 years. Marianne was a full-time academic for 12 years and had a part-time eating disorder practice for much of that time (until she left the university) and went into private practice full-time in 2018. Marianne has guested several times on the podcast, mainly talking previously about binge eating.

Dr. Marianne loves working with eating disorders as a therapist and a coach. She takes a non-diet, feminist approach that helps people of all genders live empowered, authentic lives. She embraces the Health at Every Size model and is LGBTQIAA+ affirming. Dr. Marianne recently launched her Binge Eating Recovery online program. It helps high-achieving professionals regain their mental and emotional energy by shifting their relationship with food to be fully present in their life.

In this episode today, Marianne talks all about ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder). I don’t think we have ever had an episode on this before. She explains what it is, who it impacts, who is vulnerable to developing ARFID, how to help someone heal and manage ARFID and also she tells us about her brand new course for professionals, sufferers and anyone supporting someone with ARFID. Marianne is absolutely passionate about this area of work, and you are going to learn so much from her. I hope that you enjoy the episode.

 

To find out more about Marianne: -

ARFID course:

https://marianne-miller-s-school.teachable.com/p/arfid-and-selective-eating

 

Website: http://www.drmariannemiller.com/

Eating Disorder Blog: https://www.drmariannemiller.com/blog/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmariannemiller/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drmariannemiller/

Membership program: https://www.drmariannemiller.com/binge-eating-101-class-1

 

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/bulimia-nervosa-online-course.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

A Deep Dive into Healing Chronic Pain, Trauma and Anxiety with Ella Matthews

Today I’m talking to Ella Matthews founder of Breath Body Mind. Ella is a West London Hypnotherapist specialising in Chronic Pain, Trauma and Anxiety Ella is also a Pain Neuroscience Educator, Buteyko Breathing Instructor, TRE (Trauma and Tension Release Exercise) Provider, NLP Master Practitioner, Yoga Teacher and Health Coach. She has over 20 years’ experience in helping people overcome chronic pain, eliminate anxiety and manage stress.

Originally practicing as a Sports Massage and Myofascial Release Massage Therapist, Ella retrained as a Cognitive Hypnotherapist in West London out of a deep desire to be able to help people out of pain.

In Ella’s spare time, she enjoys singing, dancing, reading, being by the sea, swimming, yoga and growing food.

In the episode today, Ella talks about her own journey in pain healing starting from when her mother was unwell to then dealing with her own spinal injury. Ella then talks us through the different approaches and techniques she uses in her practice. Ella does a deep dive into pain neuroscience education. She talks about Buteyko Breathing and TRE (Trauma and Tension Release Exercise). Ella talks about shifting negative self-talk. We even touch on manifestation, the reticular activating system and combining spirituality with science. So much packed in the episode. I hope that you enjoy it.  

 

To find out more about Ella: -

Website: https://www.breathbodymind.co.uk/

Instagram: @breath_body_mind    

 

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/bulimia-nervosa-online-course.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

 

A Deep Dive into Control as Coping and Eating Disorders

I think that it's a cliche to say that eating disorders are all about control. I guess it is a cliche for a good reason - an eating disorder can be a coping strategy and life-raft to cling to, when life throws its unpredictable turbulence at your door.

In this podcast, I talk about an eating disorder as a coping strategy, exploring feeling in control and out-of-control and suggest different and more healthy ways of coping. 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

 

Supporting Children and Teens in Navigating a Healthy Relationship with Food and Body, with Heidi Schauster

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

 

 

 

 

Getting Started on an Eating Disorder Recovery Journey

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

A Deep Dive into Body Image with Dr. Charlotte Markey

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

Changing the World in Fitness: Mentality, Body Neutrality and Personalised Movement, with Katie Bramlett (WeShape)

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

16 Ways to Actually Love Yourself, When you Have No Idea Where to Begin

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

 

 

 

Eating Disorders and Body Image: Research, Teaching Students and Inspiring Change, with Dr. Kamila Irvine

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

 

 

 

Working with Neuro-divergent Individuals and Eating Disorders, with Cara Byrne

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