✨ Episode Summary: Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is often misunderstood and frequently misidentified as “picky eating.” In this episode, we’re joined by clinicians Valerie Reesner, PhD, HSPP, and Amanda Garant, RD, LD, to explore how ARFID presents, how it differs from other eating disorders, and what effective treatment can look like across the lifespan.

We discuss diagnostic nuances, the impact of neurodivergence, and practical strategies for clinicians and families. The conversation also highlights the Bridging the Food Gap workbook and how creative, flexible approaches can support recovery.

Whether you're a clinician, parent, or someone wanting to better understand ARFID, this episode offers practical insight and compassionate guidance.

🔗 Connect With Valerie and Amanda

• bridgethefoodgap.com

• @bridgethefoodgap

• Bridge the Food Gap: An ARFID Recovery Workbook

Get 20% off the Bridge the Food Gap Workbook by using code: ARFID2026

🧰 Takeaways:

• ARFID is not driven by body image concerns and presents differently from other eating disorders
• Neurodivergence, anxiety, and sensory sensitivities often play a major role in ARFID
• Family involvement is a key component of effective treatment and support
• Progress requires patience, creativity, and gradual exposure to new foods
• Structured tools like Bridging the Food Gap can support both clinicians and families

🎧 Rate & Review:

If you loved this episode, share it with a friend and leave us a 5-star review — it really helps us reach more folks!

🔗 Connect With Us:

Website: https://www.collab-counseling.com/

IG: @stop.collaborateandlistenpod 

IG: @collab.counseling

✨ Episode Summary: America’s Next Top Model shaped a generation’s body image. In this episode, Jen and Allison are joined by fellow CCN clinician, Brenna Banard, LMHC, to take a critical look at America’s Next Top Model and its lasting impact on body image, eating disorder risk, and media ethics. We unpack how the show normalized extreme beauty standards, reinforced diet culture, and exposed contestants to harmful power dynamics and exploitation. The conversation explores the psychological toll of reality TV, including shame, coercion, and disordered eating, while also examining the broader cultural messages about women’s bodies. This episode invites listeners to reflect on what we absorbed from media like ANTM—and how we can move toward more ethical, compassionate representation.

🧰 Takeaways:

• Reality TV helped normalize harmful beauty standards and body policing
• Media representation plays a major role in body image and eating disorder risk
• Power imbalances in entertainment can lead to exploitation and coercion
• Harmful messaging was often framed as “toughening up” or professionalism
• Critical media awareness helps challenge diet culture and body stigma
• Healthier representation requires accountability and cultural change

📚 Resources & Mentions:

• Reality Check Documentary
• Dirty Rotten Scandals

🎧 Rate & Review:

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🔗 Connect With Us:

@stop.collaborateandlistenpod

@collab.counseling

Collaborative Counseling and Nutrition

✨ Episode Summary: Intuitive eating gets talked about a lot — and misunderstood even more. In this episode, we’re slowing things down and having a real, nuanced conversation about what intuitive eating actually is (and what it definitely isn’t).

We break down the foundations, unpack common myths, and explore how intuitive eating can be adapted — especially for folks navigating eating disorder recovery, trauma, or years of diet culture conditioning.

Whether you're a clinician supporting clients, someone in recovery, or just feeling exhausted by food rules, this conversation offers a compassionate and practical lens for building trust with your body over time.

We also talk about why intuitive eating isn’t a quick fix, why structure can still matter (especially early in recovery), and how curiosity — not perfection — is the goal.

🧰 Takeaways:

• Intuitive eating is not a diet — and it’s not meant to be a weight-loss tool.
• You don’t have to “feel intuitive” right away — especially in recovery.
• Structure and intuitive eating can coexist (and often should early on).
• Healing your relationship with food takes time, patience, and self-compassion.
• Curiosity > perfection when learning to trust your body again.

Learn more about Intuitive Eating: https://www.collab-counseling.com/blog/intuitive-eating-101 

🎧 Rate & Review:

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🔗 Connect With Us:

• IG: ⁠@stop.collaborateandlistenpod⁠ 
• Website: https://www.collab-counseling.com/
• Collab Counseling IG: @collab.counseling
  

✨ Episode Summary: Can diabetes care be approached from a non-diet,  weight-neutral lens? In today’s episode, Jen and Allison break down what actually matters for blood sugar management, including natural fluctuations, how tools like continuous glucose monitors can help, and the role of consistent nourishment. They unpack diabetes stigma, common misconceptions, and the role diet culture and the wellness industry play in shame and confusion.

🧰 Takeaways: 

• Blood sugar fluctuations are normal—management isn’t about perfection
• Diet culture and stigma often create shame and confusion around diabetes
• Regular, consistent nourishment supports blood sugar stability
• Diabetes is influenced by multiple factors, including genetics—not just lifestyle
• Mental health and self-trust are essential parts of sustainable care

🎧 Rate & Review:

If you loved this episode, share it with a friend and leave us a 5-star review — it really helps us reach more folks!

🔗 Connect With Us:

Website: https://www.collab-counseling.com/

Podcast IG: @stop.collaborateandlistenpod

Collab Counseling IG: @collab.counseling

✨ Episode Summary: What can the Olympics teach us about eating disorder awareness, autonomy, and the scrutiny placed on women’s bodies? Using recent conversations in elite sports as a starting point, Jen and Allison unpack how female athletes’ bodies are often publicly judged, privately criticized, and politically weaponized. The discussion highlights how performance culture, body surveillance, and societal expectations intersect with eating disorder risk—and why autonomy, consent, and respect for bodies matter far beyond the world of sport.

🧰 Takeaways:

• Women athletes often experience intense public scrutiny of their bodies
• Performance culture can reinforce harmful body expectations
• Conversations about eating disorders in sport must include autonomy and consent
• Women’s bodies are frequently treated as public property in media and culture
• Eating disorder awareness includes challenging body policing and stigma
• Respecting bodily autonomy is essential in both sport and healthcare

🎧 Rate & Review:

If you loved this episode, share it with a friend and leave us a 5-star review — it really helps us reach more folks!

🔗 Connect With Us:

• Website: https://www.collab-counseling.com/
• IG: @collab.counseling
  

✨ Episode Summary: What happens when eating disorder recovery support isn’t enough — but you don’t need a higher level of care?

In this episode, we talk about the often-overlooked “in-between” stage of eating disorder recovery, when weekly outpatient therapy doesn’t feel like enough but returning to higher levels of care doesn’t feel right either.

The conversation also introduces the Transitional Recovery Program (TRP) — a new evening program designed to provide additional support for individuals who are medically stable but need more structure, community, and guidance as they continue their recovery journey.

We also discuss how supported meals, group therapy, and collaborative care can help people practice recovery skills in real time while still living their everyday lives.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re “not sick enough” for intensive treatment but still struggling with food, body image, or emotional overwhelm, this episode is for you.

🧰 Takeaways:

• Needing more support in eating disorder recovery does not mean you’ve failed.
• Community and co-regulation can make difficult recovery moments more manageable.
• The transition between levels of care can be one of the most vulnerable times in recovery.
• Finding the right level of support can make eating disorder recovery feel more sustainable.

📚 Resources & Mentions:

• Transitional Recovery Program

🎧 Rate & Review:

If you loved this episode, share it with a friend and leave us a 5-star review — it really helps us reach more folks!

🔗 Connect With Us:

• Website: https://www.collab-counseling.com/
• IG: @collab.counseling
  

✨ Episode Summary: In this episode, we are joined by CCN therapist and former school counselor, Michelle Butler, LCSW, to explore the often-misunderstood role of school counselors in supporting youth mental health. We talk about how school environments shape body image and eating disorder risk, what counselors actually do behind the scenes, and how schools can become safer, more supportive spaces for students. We also explore how humor and joy breed meaningful connections in an educational setting!

🧰 Takeaways:

• How school counselors support youth mental health beyond academics
• The impact of school culture on body image and eating disorders
• Creating safer, more connected school environments through joy and relationship

🎧 Rate & Review:

If you loved this episode, share it with a friend and leave us a 5-star review — it really helps us reach more folks!

🔗 Connect With Us:

Website: https://www.collab-counseling.com/
IG: @collab.counseling

✨ Episode Summary: In this episode, we are joined by Farah Myers, FNP, DipACLM, nurse practitioner and direct primary care provider, to unpack how weight stigma shows up in healthcare—and why it causes real harm. We explore how weight-centric care can delay diagnoses, overlook eating disorders, and erode trust between patients and providers. This conversation highlights the mental health impacts of weight stigma, the benefits of direct primary care, and what providers can do differently to support better outcomes.

Connect with Farah:

• Cool Creek Family Health
• Cool Creek Family Health Instagram

🧰 Takeaways:

• Weight stigma is a healthcare issue that can delay diagnosis and treatment
• Weight-centric care often misses the complexity of eating disorders
• Weight-neutral care prioritizes health without focusing on body size
• Direct primary care allows for more personalized, compassionate relationships
• Building trust and asking the right questions improves patient outcomes
• Collaboration across providers is essential for effective eating disorder care

📚 Resources & Mentions:

• Hex the Patriarchy, Curse the Bigots Sweatshirt
• SCOFF Questionnaire

🎧 Rate & Review:

If you loved this episode, share it with a friend and leave us a 5-star review — it really helps us reach more folks!

🔗 Connect With Us:

• Website: https://www.collab-counseling.com/
• IG: @collab.counseling
  

✨ Episode Summary: In this episode, we explore communication in romantic relationships through a trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming lens. Joined by a couple's therapist, Sara Blacklidge, LPCC, we unpack why communication breaks down, how emotional regulation and safety shape conflict, and what happens when ADHD, neurodivergence, or eating disorders are part of the relationship dynamic.

We discuss common misunderstandings couples face, the role of couples therapy, and why focusing on impact over intent can transform conflict. This conversation highlights practical, real-world strategies for improving communication, building emotional safety, and strengthening connection—whether you’re navigating mental health challenges or simply want a healthier relationship.

Connect with Sara: Sara's PsychToday Profile

🧰 Takeaways:

• Communication is less about “saying it right” and more about feeling safe, heard, and understood
  Emotional regulation plays a critical role in conflict and repair
  Neurodivergent partners may have different communication and processing needs
• Eating disorders can significantly impact intimacy, trust, and communication
• Effective apologies focus on impact, not intent
• Emotional safety is the foundation of healthy communication
• Couples therapy can be helpful before a relationship reaches crisis
  

📚 Resources & Mentions:

• Neurodivergent Love Languages

🎧 Rate & Review:

If you loved this episode, share it with a friend and leave us a 5-star review — it really helps us reach more folks!

🔗 Connect With Us:

Website: https://www.collab-counseling.com/

IG: @collab.counseling

✨ Episode Summary: Buckle up, because we are diving into all things GLP-1s in today’s episode! We take a critical look at GLP-1 medications—cutting through the hype to examine their mental health impacts, weight-loss marketing, and lack of long-term data. We unpack “food noise” as a mental health concern, the systemic pressures driving weight-centric care, and why GLP-1s can pose real risks for people with eating disorders. This episode emphasizes informed consent, self-advocacy, and the need for more nuance in conversations about health, weight, and well-being.

Content note: This episode includes discussion of weight loss medications, eating disorders, and diet culture. There are brief mentions of calorie numbers.

🧰 Takeaways: 

• GLP-1s impact mental and emotional health—not just appetite
• Long-term data on GLP-1 medications is still limited
• “Food noise” is often rooted in mental health and context
• Weight loss is not the same as well-being
• GLP-1s may increase risk for people with eating disorders
• Informed consent requires more than marketing claims
• Self-advocacy matters in weight-centric healthcare systems

📚 Resources & Mentions:

• Fearing the Black Body by Sabrina Strings
• Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness by Da’Shaun L. Harrison
• GLP-1 Informed Consent Resource from Medical Students for Size Inclusivity
• All About BMI blog post

🎧 Rate & Review:

If you loved this episode, share it with a friend and leave us a 5-star review — it really helps us reach more folks!

🔗 Connect With Us:

• Website: https://www.collab-counseling.com/
• IG: @collab.counseling