Episode 198: Anita Johnston, Ph.D., is a Depth Psychologist and author of Eating in the Light of the Moon, which has been published in six languages.  She is the co-creator of the online course, Light of the Moon Café, which is an interactive “workbook” and women’s support circle for Eating in the Light of the Moon.

She has been working in the field of women’s issues, feminine spirituality, and disordered eating for over 35 years and is a thought leader in understanding the Feminine as it relates to struggles with eating and body image. She is currently the Clinical Director of ‘Ai Pono** Eating Disorder Programs in Hawaii, including a residential treatment program in Maui.

Dr. Johnston provides individual consultations online, conducts Soul Hunger workshops and women’s circles, as well as professional trainings, around the world.  She is best known for her use of metaphor and the ancient wisdom found in storytelling, along with her training as a clinical psychologist, to address the struggles of women, their bodies and relationships.

Show notes:

• The first time I found Eating in the Light of the Moon (and how I had sooo much resistence to picking it up)
• "If you could think your way out of your eating disorder, you would have done it a long time ago."
• Why recovery is more of a labyrinth than a maze 
• Recovery is not about finding your way in and out-- it's about reaching the center
• Using archetypes (by Carl Jung) to heal your disordered eating and relationship with your body
• How the Mother Archetype can provide for you the love that you crave within: for people who struggle with eating disorders, what they are really desiring is mothering
• The reason why people reach for food when they are deeply craving mothering is because food is comfort
• Ways you can get mothering energy outside of your mom
• The difference between belonging and fitting in
• The Masculine part of ourselves desires to check things off, get things done and do things the correct way
• The Feminine part of ourselves is the emotional, intuitive, relational side of ourselves
• Considering that our society prioritizes the Masculine energy, you can see how the Masculine body is also prioritized (hardness, six-pack, buns of steel)
• How we have been brainwashed into thinking that fat = bad (and the history behind it)
• When people feel bad as adults, they immediately latch onto thinking that the root of the pain is because of their body
• The story of the King and his dog-- and how it's a perfect metaphor for how we treat our own bodies every day
• The story of the letting go of a log when you are deep in water--- and how it's a metaphor for recovery
• Speaking your truth is not about getting exactly what it is that you want
• The link between feeling sexy/free in the bedroom and disordered eating
• How a women's Full Moon Circle is a brilliant way to feel your sexuality without incorporating sex
• Must-read book: Crones Don't Whine and Goddesses in Older Women

Connect with Anita:

• FREE GIFT, The Food and Metaphor Guide: LightofTheMoonCafe.com/mbm
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Grab her book HERE
• Contact: [email protected]

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