Nope, That's Not Normal

In this mini-episode, Jessica and Stefanie discuss the “Move or Soothe” practice, which can help when navigating difficult emotional responses to food and eating—instead of spiraling, do this! They explore the concept of dysregulation in the nervous system and how it affects eating behaviors. Stefanie also provides practical techniques for addressing high energy and freeze responses, explaining what they are and why each response requires either moving or soothing.

* Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/

* Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal/

Meet Our Guest, Stefanie

Stefanie is a Certified Coach, Occupational Therapist, Intuitive Eating Counselor, and Somatic Experiencing Practitoner with a background in Human Development and Mental Health Psychology. Perhaps more importantly, she has

boots-on-the-ground experience with recovery from 20+ years of body and food disorder.

* Website: https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamstefaniemichele

In this episode, Brittany Taylor-Williams discusses her journey of unlearning harmful beliefs about body image and the societal pressures surrounding it. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing the impact of cultural influences, particularly for Black women, and the historical context of fatphobia.

Jessica and Brittany also dig into the healthcare disparities faced by marginalized communities and the need for a shift in how health is perceived and treated in medical settings. They emphasize the need for personal introspection and community support in challenging these biases, including systemic issues within healthcare, like weight bias and the lack of access to diverse practitioners.

* Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/

* Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal/

Meet Our Guest, Brittany

As a seasoned healthcare leader, Brittany brings over 16 years of experience in leadership roles within the federal public health and non-profit sectors as an operations, technical assistance, and design expert. Throughout her career, Brittany has served as an investigator, senior-level leader, full-spectrum doula, facilitator, and avid patient advocate, working with health systems, administrators, and directly with patients on the front lines.

Currently, Brittany focuses on increasing access to patient-centered and trauma-informed care. With intention, she curates spaces that center underserved communities across the country and amplifies the need for autonomy within care. Brittany brings together diverse minds to expand thought, ground practice in cultural competency, and build pathways to accessing care, impacting the experience of both communities and practitioners navigating systems.

Her dedication extends beyond her professional roles; Brittany serves as a board member for Planned Parenthood of Delaware and Black Mothers In Power. Her ability to lead, think critically, and adapt to evolving challenges makes her an invaluable asset to any initiative aimed at transforming health.

* www.thebghc.org

* https://www.instagram.com/blackgirlhealthcollective/

In this mini-episode, Jessica and Melissa discuss the practice of Inner Inquiry, a method that encourages individuals to connect with their true selves by making choices based on what feels most authentic in the moment.

Melissa shares insights on how this practice can help in intuitive eating, building self-trust, and navigating daily decisions. They emphasize the importance of support in the healing journey and how grounding practices can help you learn how to connect back to yourself. The conversation highlights the joy of celebrating authenticity in personal choices and the transformative power of listening to your body in every aspect of life, from eating to getting dressed.

* Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/

* Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal/

Meet Our Guest, Melissa

Melissa Shafer, LMP, FNTP has more than 2 decades of experience working in the field of well-being. She prioritizes all of her clients being able to be the truest version of themselves possible. She strives to have that reflected in how she supports them with craniosacral massage and in the recommendations she provides her nutritional therapy clients.

With a food-neutral and all-bodies-are-good-bodies approach, she uses various tools to gain information about signs and symptoms the body is expressing and combines that with her clients lived experiences, always being mindful of stress and the nervous system.

This brings a whole-person approach to her nutritional therapy work, allowing people to be the experts of their own bodies and live into their wholeness.

* Website: melissashafer.com

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_melissashafer_/

In this episode, Jessica and Jenn delve into the complexities of diet culture and body image during the transition into menopause and the experience of menopause itself. They dig into the misconceptions surrounding aging, the narratives that often accompany menopause, and the strategies for thriving during this time. Most importantly, they talk about the need for compassion and understanding as a woman experiencing these transitions and how wonderful the other side of menopause actually is!

* Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/

* Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal/

Meet Our Guest, Jenn

Dr. Jenn Salib Huber is a Canadian Registered Dietitian, Naturopathic Doctor, and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor and she's on a mission to help women manage menopause without diets and food rules. She helps women navigate the physical and emotional changes that happen in perimenopause and menopause, including their search for food freedom and body confidence. Working from a health at every size approach, she teaches women to become intuitive eaters and build body confidence at any stage of midlife. In addition to her 1:1 and small group programs, she's the host of 'The Midlife Feast' podcast and community that helps women "undiet" their lives after 40 so they can nourish a relationship with food that helps them discover the magic of midlife.

* https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/themidlifefeastcommunity

* https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/themidlifefeastcommunity

* https://www.instagram.com/menopause.nutritionist

In this mini-episode, Jessica and Kayla Jessop discuss the concept of fear foods and how this can impact so many aspects of your life—in ways you may not even realize. Kayla introduces a method to categorize foods based on the anxiety they evoke and then explores the importance of challenging fear foods, understanding the motivations behind it, and the benefits of mindful exposure to these foods. The burden of food-related anxiety is real—tune in to start letting it go.

* Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/

* Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal/

Meet Our Guest, Kayla

Kayla Jessop is an Anti-Diet registered dietitian, eating disorder specialist, and approved supervisor. With extensive experience working in various levels of care including PHP, IOP and outpatient groups, she specializes in helping individuals of all ages regain peace with food and body.

She will never tell you to deprive yourself or ban certain foods from your life. Instead, her mission is to help you recognize diet culture and help you rediscover your body's inner wisdom about how to truly nourish yourself. Kayla is passionate about utilizing the latest research to help her clients’ recovery and additionally teaching more clinicians the same. Kayla co-facilitated NYC’s first RO-DBT (Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy) class and is continuing that work in Utah.

In June 2023, Kayla was invited to present at the first annual RO DBT Conference in Chicago on the success of utilizing this modality in eating disorder recovery. She has had the opportunity to curate an amazing team of dietitians who are continuing to develop and use RO DBT in practice as well. Each member of the team brings a unique skillset to the practice and to their clients.

* https://www.kaylajessopnutrition.com/

* https://www.instagram.com/kaylajessopnutrition/

* https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083365267617 https://www.tiktok.com/@kaylajnutrition

* https://www.youtube.com/@Kaylajessopnutrition

* https://www.ro4rd.com/

In this episode, Jessica and Kelsey discuss the pervasive myths surrounding fitness culture, particularly the unrealistic expectations of perfection. They explore the importance of self-acceptance, flexibility in fitness goals, and the joy of movement. Kelsey shares her personal journey from a competitive athlete to a fitness coach who emphasizes intuitive eating and joyful movement (yes, please!).

You’ll walk away with an understanding of the need for a sustainable approach to fitness that prioritizes mental health and enjoyment over rigid standards and profit-driven motives. (And why that feels SO much better!)

* Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/

* Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal/

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Meet Our Guest, Kelsey

Meet Kelsey Ellis, the ultimate hype woman, armed with her body-positive fitness app and ready to lead you through the wellness journey back home to yourself.

Best known by her followers as “Healthy with Kelsey,” Kelsey is an award-winning, certified fitness trainer based in Vancouver, Canada. With her background as a holistic nutritionist, and anti-diet educator, she helps chronic dieters and exercisers liberate themselves from diet culture, build body confidence, and move their bodies unapologetically with joy! She will empower you to show up fiercely, let go of self-judgment, and discover your curvy confidence!

* Website/App: https://www.healthywithkelsey.app

* Instagram: @healthy_with_kelsey

* TikTok: @healthy_with_kelsey

* YouTube: Healthy With Kelsey

Welcome back, friends! In this episode, Jessica introduces Season Two of the podcast, focusing on the theme of Disordered Connections and Intersections related to disordered eating and body image struggles. Tune in to hear the run-down of what to expect (Hint: you’re still getting two episodes each week!) and how to join the NOPE Community!

* Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/

* Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal/

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nopethatsnotnormal.substack.com/subscribe

In the season finale of 'Nope That's Not Normal', Jessica shares about the ripple effect of healing. In it, she shares about the many resources, modalities, and practices that have impacted her disordered eating journey—but that had seemingly nothing to do with her disordered eating. She talks about mindful self-compassion, the ripple effect of small changes, various therapeutic practices that have supported her, how to rewire negative thought patterns, and the significance of understanding one's past. Ultimately, Jessica encourages listeners to embrace their healing journey, reminding them that it takes time and that every step counts towards a more joyful and authentic life!

• Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal/
• Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/

Links mentioned:

Mindful Self-Compassion Break

Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook

Radical Self Compassion

The Feelings Wheel (from Feelings Found)

The Four Agreements

Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nopethatsnotnormal.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of 'Nope, That's Not Normal', Jessica and Rae Thomas delve into the complexities of disordered eating, the emotional struggles surrounding food and body image and why feeling the feels is necessary. Rae shares her personal journey with food anxiety, the concept of introspective awareness, the consequences of avoiding emotions, and the significance of therapeutic relationships in the healing process. Remember ya’ll, you have to feel it to heal it—you just do!

• Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/
• Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal/

About Our Guest

Rae Thomas is the Chief Clinical Officer of Feelings Found, a women-owned company creating tangible tools for emotional exploration. Rae also sees clients as a licensed therapist through her private practice. She enjoys long hikes in the mountains and tending to her many house plants.

• Feelingsfound.com
• https://www.instagram.com/feelingsfoundco/
• https://www.tiktok.com/@feelingsfound
• https://www.youtube.com/@feelingsfoundco

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nopethatsnotnormal.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of 'Nope That's Not Normal', Jessica shares super simple habits to support healing and self-compassion—that anyone can do. She emphasizes the importance of mindful moments, empowering mantras, and untangling yourself from your food and body beliefs (that were never yours to begin with!). If you’re looking for some simple tools to support your healing journey—or kick it off—this is the episode for you.

• Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/
• Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal/

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nopethatsnotnormal.substack.com/subscribe