What happens when “just eat” isn’t the solution, and the stakes are literally life or death?

Picture this: you’re at the dinner table. Your teenager is glaring at you like you’ve personally served up their worst nightmare—maybe broccoli, maybe a slice of pizza, who knows? They shout, “You’re ruining my life!” Meanwhile, you’re just trying to figure out if this counts as “parenting” or if you’re starring in some twisted reality show.

In this episode, I’m joined by Susannah Neufeld—a licensed psychotherapist, certified eating disorder specialist and consultant, author, and all-around badass about how FBT turns the chaos of food fights into moments of healing. Spoiler alert: it’s as heartwarming as it is messy.

Tweetable Quotes

"You know your kid the best, and I know a lot about eating disorders, and we're going to work together to figure this out." - Suzannah Neufeld

"When your kid yells at you, you're getting a gift because you're getting to see what's happening inside their head... if you can respond to it with strength and love, they're going to internalize that." - Suzannah Neufeld

"FBT really supports the idea that the kid is not alone in it. They're part of a team working on this." - Suzannah Neufeld

"The kid is not the one who's lying. The kid is not the one who might hide the food. That's the illness. That's the eating disorder that's doing that." - Suzannah Neufeld

"I’m not going to be the person who saves you or your family. You’re saving your own life, and I’m on the journey with you." - Rachelle Heinemann 

Resources

A network that supports the Bay Area ED Care Community

Suzannah’s book - Awake at 3 a.m.: Yoga Therapy for Anxiety and Depression in Pregnancy and Early Motherhood (Parallax Press, 2018). 

Suzannah is a contributing author in the anthology, Yoga Rising: 30 Empowering Stories from Yoga Renegades for Every Body. 

Suzannah Neufeld's Website

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You can connect with me on Instagram @rachelleheinemann, through my website www.rachelleheinemann.com, or email me directly at [email protected]