August 01, 2025

Eating Disorders as a Coping Strategy for Deeper Pain With Amy Ornelas RD @amyornelasrd

32 minutes

Eating disorders are not just about food. They often begin as survival strategies...ways to manage overwhelming emotions, cope with trauma, or create a sense of control in a world that feels unpredictable. In this powerful episode of Dr. Marianne-Land: An Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast, I sit down with Amy Ornelas, RD (@amyornelasrd), an eating disorder dietitian and somatic therapist, to explore what recovery really looks like beyond behaviors.

We discuss how eating disorders often develop as protective mechanisms, why nervous system healing is essential for deeper emotional work, and how somatic therapy helps bridge the gap between body and mind. Amy shares her professional expertise, her personal journey of recovery, and how her own healing has deepened her ability to guide others.

Content concerns: This episode discusses eating disorders, trauma, and recovery.

This episode also dives into:

How eating disorders can be rooted in trauma, sensitivity, or neurodivergence

Why recovery happens in layers, not in a straight line

The role of nervous system regulation and somatic therapy in healing

The importance of safe therapeutic relationships in uncovering deeper wounds

Why lasting recovery is about more than “just eating”

Amy and I also discuss our own experiences with vulnerability, relationships, and how healing from eating disorders often involves re-learning safety, connection, and authenticity over time.

If you’ve ever felt frustrated by the idea of a “quick fix” in recovery or wondered why healing feels so complex, this episode will validate your experience and help you see recovery as a layered, lifelong journey of coming home to yourself.

ABOUT AMY ORNELAS, RD

Amy is an eating disorders specialist, yoga teacher, and intuitive practitioner. She is trained in somatic therapy. Amy works with individuals, families, and groups. She has been in the eating disorder field for 18 years.

Her own eating disorder recovery really sparked her desire to help others fully heal from diet culture and body image struggles.

She lives and practices in San Diego, California. She is able to work virtually with people in many states across the USA.

Contact Amy via Instagram @amyornelasrd

Check out her website https://www.i-heart-nutrition.com/

Email Amy at [email protected]

Check out past episodes when Amy was a guest!

On Eating Disorders in Midlife & Our Personal Recovery Stories via Apple or Spotify.

On Atypical Anorexia via Apple or Spotify

On Eating Disorder Recovery, Higher Level of Care, & Renourishment via Apple or Spotify

On Reconnecting With Your Body in Eating Disorder Recovery via Apple or Spotify

On Trauma, Eating Disorders, & Levels of Care via Apple or Spotify.

INTERESTED IN HANGING OUT MORE IN DR. MARIANNE-LAND?

Follow me on Instagram @drmariannemiller

Check out my virtual, self-paced ARFID and Selective Eating course

Learn about my self-paced, virtual, anti-diet, subscription-based curriculum. It is called Dr. Marianne-Land's Binge Eating Recovery Membership.

Live in California, Texas, or Washington D.C. and interested in eating disorder therapy with me? Sign up for a free, 15-minute phone consultation HERE or via my website, and I'll get you to where you need to be!

Check out my blog.

Want more information? Email me at [email protected]

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By mariannemillerphd

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