EP 102 From Fancy to Fundamentals: Ditching Diet Culture to Find Real Nourishment | In Conversation with Lauren Dorman, MS RD CDE

Lauren Dorman is a Mental Health Registered Dietitian with over 22 years of experience supporting children and adults in overcoming food anxiety, body image concerns, low self-esteem, and disordered or emotional eating.

After graduating from Pennsylvania State University, where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Nutrition, she obtained a Master's degree in Nutrition from Rutgers University. 

Lauren is the owner of Schools, Master Food and Mood, through which she regularly presents to school districts-offering both professional development and student-focused lessons. She is a sought-after speaker at conferences and wellness events. 

Lauren is committed to strengthening one's mental, physical, and emotional well-being. She strongly believes in making nutrition education accessible to all, and advocates for the importance of Registered Dietitians in promoting whole-person wellness.

EP 101 “The Journey Behind the Mirror: 100 Episodes Breaking the Silence on Eating Disorders & Mental Health” | Maureen Kritzer-Lange MSW LCSW

Does the reflection in the mirror reveal your true self—or does it amplify flaws and whisper doubts? For four years, My Secret Life with an Eating Disorder has tackled these questions head-on, transforming private pain into public healing. 💜

What began with my journals as a young girl struggling with an eating disorder has now grown into 100 episodes of stories, interviews, and real conversations about eating disorders, mental health, recovery, and resilience.

🎙 In this milestone episode, I step out from behind the mic and into the hot seat. Humor writer Barry Dougherty interviews me and my longtime producer/creative partner David Alan Kogut as we reflect on:
✨ The spark that started it all✨ The hurdles, heartbreaks, and persistence that got us here✨ How this podcast became a movement of hope and healing

This is not just a celebration—it’s proof that one voice, one step, one episode at a time can change lives.

💡 Join us for the laughter, the raw truths, and the vision for what comes next.

🎙️ Episode 100 Sneak Peek: The Story Behind the Mirror

What happens when you take a secret that once lived in the dark… and turn it into a movement?

In this special preview episode of My Secret Life with an Eating Disorder, Maureen Kritzer-Lange – The Queen of Self-Esteem – opens up about the journey from hiding candy wrappers under her bed to becoming “a woman with a mic, a mission, and a message.”

🌟 This isn’t just a podcast milestone. It’s a life milestone.
🌟 From a makeshift booth under her basement stairs to touching thousands of lives worldwide.
🌟 From silence and shame… to healing and hope.

👉 Episode 100 is coming. And this is the must-listen story behind it.

✨ You’re not crazy. You’re not alone. And you are more than the mirror ever told you.

🔥 EP 99 Hot Girl Summer? Or Healing Girl Summer? | Maureen Kritzer-Lange MSW LCSW🌻

Summer is here – and so is the pressure to “fix” your body before you dare wear shorts or a swimsuit.

In this raw, unfiltered episode of My Secret Life with an Eating Disorder, psychoanalyst and Queen of Self-Esteem Maureen Kritzer-Lange asks:

👉 What if this summer isn’t about having a bikini body… but about having a free body?

She shares her own deeply personal story of summers spent hiding in shame, bingeing and purging behind closed doors, and believing her worth depended on her reflection.

But now, she’s redefining summer – not as Hot Girl Summer, but as Healing Girl Summer.

💛 Learn how to:• Reject the toxic “summer body” narrative• Reclaim joy, freedom, and authentic confidence• Build a season rooted in peace, not punishment

🎧 Listen now if you’re tired of diet culture ruining your summer… and ready to choose healing, self-love, and hope instead.

✨ Because you deserve more than just a “hot body.” You deserve a life that feels like summer on the inside.

EP 98 My Story in a Nutshell: The Truth Behind the Mirror | Maureen Kritzer-Lange MSW LCSW

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🔥 INTENSE. PERSONAL. UNFILTERED.
🎙️ My Secret Life with an Eating Disorder – A new episode that rips the mask off.

Hi, I'm Maureen Kritzer-Lange — psychoanalyst, speaker, and the Queen of Self-Esteem. But before that?
I was a teenage girl in Dayton, Ohio, quietly unraveling under the pressure to be perfect.For 15 years, I lived a double life: high-achieving on the outside, secretly consumed by shame, starvation, binging, and purging on the inside.

In this raw, emotional episode of my podcast, I finally tell the full story.

👉 The moment a diet center visit rewired my brain.👉 The journals that kept me alive when no one else noticed.👉 The article that changed everything.👉 The therapist who reparented me.👉 And the decision to become the therapist I never had.

This is not just about food.It’s about trauma, silence, perfectionism, identity, anxiety, shame, and finally — finding hope.

This is my truth. But it may be your story too.

📘 My book Don't Trust the Mirror is coming soon.
🎧 Listen to this episode now — and let’s start healing together.

💬 Have you ever hated what you saw in the mirror? Comment below. You're not alone.

#DontTrustTheMirror #EatingDisorderRecovery #MySecretLife #MentalHealthAwareness #BodyImageHealing #TraumaInformed #SelfEsteemMatters #EDRecovery #TherapyHeals #MaureenKritzerLange #BulimiaAwareness #JournalToHeal #QueenOfSelfEsteem #YouAreEnough #HealingIsPossible #BingeEatingRecovery #StopDietCulture #SelfCompassion

EP 97: Nicole Smith – Sanity in the Storm: How to Stay Whole When Everything Falls Apart

What happens when your entire world starts unraveling—and you're still expected to hold everyone else together?

In this raw and deeply moving episode, author and caregiver Nicole Smith joins Maureen to explore the invisible chaos of caregiving, the emotional toll of dementia, and what it means to stay grounded when life throws you into the eye of the storm.

From balancing elder care with raising five children, to navigating behavioral health crises on both ends of the generational spectrum, Nicole shares her hard-won wisdom—and her unconventional “Holy Trinity of Sanity”: yoga, beer, and chocolate. 😌🍺🍫

This is not just a conversation about dementia—it's about resilience, guilt, rage, grace, exhaustion, and survival. It’s about the ways we lose ourselves, and the tools we must build to stay whole.

Whether you're battling burnout, navigating grief, or facing your own private storm—this episode will remind you: You're not alone.

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Please join the "Don't Trust The Mirror MOVEMENT at http://www.donttrustthemirror.com

Maureen’s life missionis to help women be all that they can be – by improving self esteem,help them find their voice and find freedom from shame, guilt and negativity.

“I change women’s lives by empowering them to trust THEMSELVES not the mirror.”

This podcast represents the opinions of Maureen Kritzer-Lange and her guests to the show and website. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions.

Views and opinions expressed in the podcast are our own and do not represent that of our places of work. While we make every effort to ensure that the information we are sharing is accurate, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors.

Privacy is of utmost importance to us. All people, places, and scenarios mentioned in the podcast have been changed to protect patient confidentiality.

This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity whatsoever, including but not limited to establishing “standard of care” in a legal sense or as a basis for expert witness testimony. No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of any statements or opinions made on the podcast.

In no way does listening, reading, emailing or interacting on social media with our content establish a psychoanalyst-patient relationship.

If you find any errors in any of the content of this podcast , please send a message through the “contact” page on www.donttrustthemirror.com

This podcast is owned by "Don't Trust the Mirror.”  Produced by: David Alan Kogut - Star Equity Group www.starequitygroup.com

EP. 96 - Bite Back: Smashing Food Myths One Meal at a Time - In Conversation with Anita StClair | Gut Healing Lab

In this episode, gut healing specialist Anita StClair ( Gut Healing Lab) joins Maureen to dispel the most common food myths and explore the emotional and physical impact of gut health. From challenging outdated beliefs about sugar and fat to revealing how inflammation silently harms the body, this empowering conversation offers both science and soul. Anita shares her story and explains how testing, food joy, and body trust lead to healing.

Anita StClair spent over 30 years in pharmaceutical education, helping launch large pharmaceutical drugs and interventions for breast cancer, Crohn’s disease, diabetes, depression, and cardiovascular disease. But her personal health journey changed everything.

By adjusting just 3 ingredients, she went from a teen struggling with allergies, attention deficits, and colitis to a high-energy, highly academic, veteran pharma marketing executive.

Using biomarker testing, Anita finds the personal contributors behind symptoms like bloating, fatigue, and inflammation. She creates personalized solutions that meet each client’s unique needs. Her mission is to empower people to take control of their health, restore their vitality, and feel truly confident.

When she’s not solving gut issues, Anita loves exploring the Colorado countryside with family and friends, hiking, rock scrambling, yoga, and soaking up the outdoors.

As a certified FDNP, and AFDNP Gut Health Specialist, she’s dedicated to helping everyone who faces stubborn gut issues that conventional medicine often overlooks.

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Please join the "Don't Trust The Mirror MOVEMENT at http://www.donttrustthemirror.com

Maureen’s life missionis to help women be all that they can be – by improving self esteem,help them find their voice and find freedom from shame, guilt and negativity.

“I change women’s lives by empowering them to trust THEMSELVES not the mirror.”

This podcast represents the opinions of Maureen Kritzer-Lange and her guests to the show and website. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions.

Views and opinions expressed in the podcast are our own and do not represent that of our places of work. While we make every effort to ensure that the information we are sharing is accurate, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors.

Privacy is of utmost importance to us. All people, places, and scenarios mentioned in the podcast have been changed to protect patient confidentiality.

This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity whatsoever, including but not limited to establishing “standard of care” in a legal sense or as a basis for expert witness testimony. No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of any statements or opinions made on the podcast.

In no way does listening, reading, emailing or interacting on social media with our content establish a psychoanalyst-patient relationship.

If you find any errors in any of the content of this podcast , please send a message through the “contact” page on www.donttrustthemirror.com

This podcast is owned by "Don't Trust the Mirror.”  Produced by: David Alan Kogut - Star Equity Group www.starequitygroup.com

EP 95 Am I Crazy or Is It Abuse | Maureen Kritzer-Lange MSW LCSW

My Secret Life with an Eating Disorder is a raw, unfiltered exploration of life after the behaviors stop—but the pain still lingers. In this deeply personal podcast, Maureen Kritzer Lange shares her journey through recovery—not just the physical healing, but the emotional and psychological battle that continued long after the eating disorder subsided.

This isn't a story about perfection. It's about vulnerability. It's about what happens when you don’t believe you're good enough—even as you're trying to rebuild your life. It’s about the silent, relentless voice of self-criticism that tells you you’re unworthy of love, success, or confidence.

Through candid storytelling and soul-baring reflection, Maureen gives voice to the hidden struggles so many face while appearing “better” on the outside. This podcast is a safe space for anyone who’s ever felt not good enough—even in recovery.

Because healing isn't just about stopping the behavior.It’s about learning to believe you deserve to be here.

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Please join the "Don't Trust The Mirror MOVEMENT at http://www.donttrustthemirror.com

Maureen’s life mission is to help women be all that they can be – by improving self esteem,help them find their voice and find freedom from shame, guilt and negativity.

“I change women’s lives by empowering them to trust THEMSELVES not the mirror.”

This podcast represents the opinions of Maureen Kritzer-Lange and her guests to the show and website. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions.

Views and opinions expressed in the podcast are our own and do not represent that of our places of work. While we make every effort to ensure that the information we are sharing is accurate, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors.

Privacy is of utmost importance to us. All people, places, and scenarios mentioned in the podcast have been changed to protect patient confidentiality.

EP 94 Confidence is More Than Cosmetics... Putting Your Best Self Forward | Maureen Kritzer-Lange MSW LCSW

How do you put your best self forward? Is it when you’re stepping into a job interview… showing up for a first date… attending a family gathering… or simply walking into the grocery store? In this episode, I’m sharing some honest reflections on what it really takes—not just on the outside, but from the inside out.

I recently did a photo shoot, and I was reminded how much effort goes into being "camera-ready." From hair and makeup to lighting and wardrobe—it truly took a village. But here’s the thing: most of us don’t have a glam squad behind us every day. And putting your best self forward isn’t about having the perfect look—it’s about feeling aligned, confident, and radiating your energy.

So… how do we show up for ourselves when there’s no photo shoot, no stylist, no filters?

It’s about planning, yes—but it’s also about mindset. It’s about giving yourself those extra few minutes to feel put together. It’s about surrounding yourself with people who support your shine. It’s about knowing what makes you feel good—whether that’s wearing your favorite outfit, practicing affirmations, or simply taking a breath before you walk out the door.

Remember: Don’t Trust The Mirror. Trust Yourself.Confidence is more than cosmetics—it’s how you feel inside.

EP 93 Both Sides Healing through the Creative Process | Maureen Kritzer-Lange MSW LCSW

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Please join the "Don't Trust The Mirror MOVEMENT at http://www.donttrustthemirror.com

Maureen’s life mission is to help women be all that they can be – by improving self esteem,help them find their voice and find freedom from shame, guilt and negativity.

“I change women’s lives by empowering them to trust THEMSELVES not the mirror.”

This podcast represents the opinions of Maureen Kritzer-Lange and her guests to the show and website. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions.

Views and opinions expressed in the podcast are our own and do not represent that of our places of work. While we make every effort to ensure that the information we are sharing is accurate, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors.

Privacy is of utmost importance to us. All people, places, and scenarios mentioned in the podcast have been changed to protect patient confidentiality.