Although eating disorder recovery requires behaviour change and a focus on food, it also requires psychological and mindset work. If this part of recovery is not addressed, you are at risk of being stuck in a quasi-recovered place or simply thinking that 'recovery doesn't work for me'. This is part two of what was going to be a two-part series (but may become three or four!) on all things psychology and mindset in eating disorder recovery. I talk about early life, emotional coping, emotional intelligence and learning to process emotions in a healthy way. I hope that you find it helpful.
 
This week’s sponsor:-
Tracy Brown and associates  www.tracybrownrd.com/get-started 
 
Harriet Frew's current offers: -
Online 10 Steps to Intuitive Eating Course with Harriet Frew - 50% off with code FREEDOMISPOSSIBLE
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
 20% off course until 31st January 2024 with code LOVETOLEARN
Body Image Training for Professionals
https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/body-image-training-with-harriet-frew.html
 20% off course until 31st January 2024 with code LOVETOLEARN

Psychological and Mindset Shifts in Recovery (Part 2): Focusing on Emotions

Overcome disordered eating and find peace with food.

Health & Fitness

Mental Health

Today I’m talking to Dr. Anita Johnston Ph.D., Depth Psychologist, Certified Eating Disorder Specialist, and author of Eating in the Light of the Moon: How Women Can Transform Their Relationships with Food Through Myth, Metaphor and Storytelling, which has been published in seven languages. Dr. Anita was a pioneer in eating disorders therapy and has been treating eating difficulties and body image distress for over 35 years. She has developed eating disorder programs nationally and internationally and currently serves as Founder and Executive Director or Ai Pono Hawaii Eating Disorders Programs which has a residential program in Maui.
Dr. Anita is very aware that as humans, we can understand complex concepts using metaphor in memorable ways – we love stories and relating this to real life. In society and in eating disorder recovery in general, we often use left brain, logical ways of healing, whereas engaging with our creativity and imagination engages the right brain, and for many people, this is where change actively occurs.  Dr, Anita is passionate about this.
In this episode today, Dr. Anita does a deep dive into cracking the code of disordered eating using metaphor and storytelling. She opens her treasure chest of metaphors for us today. She also shares about the neuroscience and brain chemistry changes that occur when we suddenly make a powerful recovery shift. This is a fascinating conversation and I hope that you enjoy it.
To find out more about Dr. Anita Johnston: -
http://www.dranitajohnston.com/
http://www.lightofthemooncafe.com/
http://www.aipono.com/
Instagram and Facebook: @dranitajohnston
 
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

The Use of Storytelling and Metaphor in Eating Disorder Recovery, with Dr. Anita Johnston

Today, I’m talking to Anna Schmidt who is a Food Freedom and Body Image Psychologist.
Anna has been on her own eating disorder recovery journey. She started dieting as a teenager, initially just wanting to lose a few kilos and going on a very restrictive and low calorie diet. Little did she know at the time that this would be the beginning of a 15 year struggle with weight, food and confidence. Anna never believed that she would be able to eat normally and to accept her body.
Fast forward to today, Anna has recovered from bulimia, binge eating and emotional eating and has found peace with food and her body. She became a psychologist and a nutritionist to better understand why and how we can end up in this disordered eating nightmare and how to get out of it.
Anna uses her personal experience and training to guide people through a life changing healing process providing her clients with evidence-based resources to use along the way. Anna is mindful that every healing journey is unique, and no one size approach fits all solutions.
In the episode today, you'll hear about Anna’s healing journey and what really helped her to recover from bulimia, binge eating and emotional eating. I hope that you find it helpful.
To find out more about Anna: -
Website: https://healthymindclub.eu/
Instagram: @healthy.mindclub 
 
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

What REALLY helped in Eating Disorder Recovery, with Food Freedom Psychologist, Anna Schmidt

Today I’m talking with Julia Trehane (a returning guest to the podcast) who is an anorexia, orthorexia and compulsive exercise recovery coach. Julia has overcome 40 years gripped by eating disorders and is now passionate about instilling hope for change in others. Julia Trehane is a podcast host, eating disorder coach, food freedom advocate and anti-diet culture campaigner. 
Julia uses her wealth of scientific understanding, applied with a huge amount of love to help people all around the world to break free from eating disorders and love themselves once more.
Having survived 40 years of anorexia, orthorexia and exercise addiction, Julia has a deep understanding of how it feels to be gripped by food prison, how the mind processes information in an eating disorder and how to re-wire our thoughts to break free and return to freedom for ever. 
If you’re feeling lost, stuck and hopeless, living in the depths of an eating disorder, this is definitely an episode for you. Julia shares about her long and arduous battle with eating disorders, talking candidly about the reality of recovery. She explains the challenges of eating more and the body changes accompanying this. She talks about how she navigated this challenging process, not only managing food and body image but the tumultuous journey of engaging with emotions, finding identity and the impact on her closest relationships. You will be encouraged, supported and inspired by what is possible. I hope that you enjoy the episode.
 
To find out more about Julia: -
Website:             https://juliatrehane.com/
Email:                  julia@juliatrehane.com
Instagram:          https://www.instagram.com/juliatrehane/
                             @juliatrehane
Facebook:          https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090553513117
YouTube:           https://youtube.com/@juliatrehane
Podcast:             https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/julia-trehane
 

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 the Reality of Highs and Lows in Eating Disorder Recovery (Anorexia, Orthorexia and Exercise Addiction) with Julia Trehane

It's understandable that you might be in two minds about eating disorder recovery. Part of you will be desperate for change. Another part of you might be terrified of letting go of the ed. Ultimately, an eating disorder is a coping strategy for deeper issues. It might feel as though it's all about food, when in fact, it may be offering safety, numbing of feelings, identity and purpose. 
In this episode, I explore how to work through ambivalence and improve motivation for change. 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

Feeling in Two Minds About Recovery? 7 Ways to Shift Motivation by Working through Ambivalence

Today I’m talking to Ronni Robinson, eating disorder recovery coach, author, free-lance writer and public speaker. Ronni has 16 years recovered from 30 years of binge eating and compulsive eating, starting at the tender age of 9 years old. Ronni also experienced an 8-year abusive relationship whilst struggling with an eating disorder. She has written a book about the entire journey called, Out of the Pantry: A Disordered Eating Journey, which came out in 2020. The book's purpose is to help support her own recovery going forward, and to act as a helping hand to reach, as she calls it, back into the "fire" and to help pull others out.
Ronni was on the podcast back in February 2023, telling her story and the journey she has been on to being a recovery coach today. Do go back and listen to this episode if you’d like to. There’s lots of personal sharing about her journey and it’s an inspiring story about what’s possible in recovery. The link for that episode is in the show notes.
Today, we’re going to dive into what really helped Ronni in recovery. Ronni is going to talk about her process in recovering from binge eating and compulsive eating. She is going to share skills and strategies that will give you a deep insight into what is involved in healing a relationship with food and yourself. I hope that you enjoy the conversation.
 
To find out more about Ronni: -
Website: https://www.ronnirobinson.com/
Instagram: @recoverwithronni
 
Books that Ronni recommends: -
‘Breaking Free from Compulsive Overeating,’ by Geneen Roth
‘Eating in the Light of the Moon,’ by Anita Johnson
‘Goodbye Ed, Hello Me,’ by Jenni Schaefer
‘Intuitive Eating, A Revolutionary Program that Works,’ by Evelyn Tribole and Elysa Resch
Overeaters Anonymous Third Edition
‘Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia,’ by Marya Hornbacher
 
Previous podcast episode with Ronni: -https://harrietfrew.podbean.com/e/eating-disorder-recovery-building-self-worth-and-finding-your-voice-with-ronni-robinson/
 
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

Psychological and Mindset Shifts in Recovery (Part 2): Focusing on Emotions

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