Anna Lutz and Elizabeth Davenport have a conversation with Mimi Cole, a mental health counselor, about her work with people who have anxiety disorders, trauma, eating disorders and OCD. They delve into topics surrounding mental health and advocacy for weight-inclusive eating disorder treatment. Mimi is also the co-author of A Body Image Workbook for Every Body: A Guide for Deconstructing Diet Culture and Learning How to Respect, Nourish, and Care for Your Whole Self.

They discuss:

• The harm caused by making assumptions about whether someone has an eating disorder based on their body size.
• How malnutrition can affect bodies at any size.
• The myriad issues with the diagnosis “Atypical Anorexia”.
• The importance of seeking out health professionals who have training in the treatment of eating disorders because medical providers typically lack this type of knowledge, which can be very harmful.
• Building a positive relationship with food & body is a constant work-in-progress, especially when we live in a society that stigmatizes larger bodies and glorifies thinness.

Links: 

• Mindful Counseling
• The Lovely Becoming, Mimi Cole on Instagram
• The Lovely Becoming Podcast
• Mimi’s Body Image Workbook
• Sunny Side Up Nutrition Podcast 
• Lutz, Alexander & Associates Nutrition Therapy
• Pinney Davenport Nutrition
• https://thirdwheeled.com/
• https://m8.design/
• https://www.sonics.io/

Mimi Cole is a training counselor, currently working to complete her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Mimi received her bachelor’s degrees in Child Development and Medicine, Health, and Society from Vanderbilt University in 2020. After graduating, Mimi worked in a residential and outpatient eating disorder treatment center providing meal support, leading groups, and working with fellow providers to provide quality, interdisciplinary care. Mimi recently completed her practicum experience at a facility based mental health program where she worked with children ranging from ages 5 to 18. There, she primarily utilized cognitive behavioral therapy and worked with children experiencing suicidal ideation. Mimi believes that our earliest relationships in childhood influence our ability to communicate and to be in relationship with others, including ourselves. She is an advocate for weight-inclusive care and destigmatizing mental illnesses.

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