Stop, Collaborate, and Listen

Episode Summary: 

In this episode, we sit down with CCN dietitian Amber Riggin for a deep, honest conversation about the intersection of neurodivergence and nutrition — and why traditional “just try harder” advice fails so many ADHD, autistic, and otherwise neurodivergent folks.

Together, we unpack the real-life experiences behind labels, stigma, and support. We dig into how neurodivergence shapes eating patterns: sensory needs, executive function, interoception, food rigidity, grazing, hyperfocus, meal-skipping, and everything in between. From intuitive eating to structure that actually supports ND brains, the conversation challenges old narratives about “willpower” and “healthy habits.” 

This episode is compassionate, validating, and full of practical insights for anyone navigating food, body image, or mental health through a neurodivergent lens.

Takeaways:

• Why labels aren’t limiting — they’re liberating
• How stigma, culture, and politics shape our understanding of neurodivergence
• The unique ways ADHD and autism influence eating patterns
• Why neuroaffirming nutrition beats rigid meal plans every time
• The hidden overlap between fitness culture and disordered eating
• How to build a more compassionate, realistic relationship with food

Resources & Mentions:

• ANAD statistics

• A Guide to Understanding the Neurodivergent Umbrella

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Connect With Us:

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

✨ Episode Summary: In this episode, Jen and Allison sit down with fellow CCN clinician, Megan, to talk all things PCOS — what it is, what it isn’t, and how diet culture has totally distorted the conversation. We unpack the myths, the medical confusion, and the real-life impact PCOS has on body image, hormones, and mental health. Megan shares insights from her work with clients navigating PCOS and offers a grounded, compassionate take on what supportive care actually looks like (hint: it’s not cutting out every carb).

Together, we explore how providers, clients, and caregivers can approach PCOS with curiosity instead of fear, focusing on individualized care, self-trust, and ditching the shame that so often comes with this diagnosis. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by conflicting PCOS advice or stuck in the wellness noise, this conversation will feel like a deep breath.

🧠 Takeaways:

• PCOS is complex — and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.
• Diet culture has turned PCOS into a fear-based diagnosis.
• Blood sugar, hormones, and mental health are all connected.
• Restriction and shame make symptoms worse, not better.

• It’s possible to manage PCOS without sacrificing your relationship with food or your body.

📚 Resources & Mentions:

What is PCOS? blog post by Megan

PCOS Nutrition Center

Ovasitol Inositol Powder Supplement

Rene Jay & Women’s Health Series on TikTok

Megan’s Fav IG Accounts:

• pcos.nutritionist
• pcosnutrition

Megan’s Iced Coffee Koozie

🎧 Rate & Review:

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🔗 Connect With Us:

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

IG: @collab.counseling

✨ Episode Summary: In this episode, we break down the basics of Internal Family Systems (IFS) in a way that actually makes sense for real life and eating disorder recovery. We explore the inner “parts” we all have—like the perfectionist, the food police, the people-pleaser, the inner teen, the one who just wants to check out—and how they’re all trying to help us in their own ways, even when it doesn’t feel helpful.

Together, we talk through the goals of IFS, the different types of parts, common misconceptions, and how this model can support healing, self-compassion, and a more peaceful relationship with food and your body. You’ll also hear some relatable examples from our favorite TV shows and gentle entry points if you’re curious about exploring your own internal system.

This one is equal parts educational, permission-giving, and grounding—perfect for anyone wanting to understand themselves with more softness, curiosity, and care.

🧰 Takeaways:

• IFS helps us understand the different “parts” within us and how they work together (or don’t!).
• Every part has a purpose—some protect us, some carry pain, and all of them are trying to help.
• The goal isn’t to get rid of parts, but to build connection so they can work with us instead of against us.
• Parts often fall into 3 categories: Managers, Firefighters, and Exiles.
• Our Self—the calm, compassionate, grounded inner leader—is who we want steering the ship.
• Eating disorder behaviors can be seen as protective strategies to manage emotional pain or overwhelm.
• All parts are welcome. Healing comes from understanding, not silencing, the parts of you that are struggling.

📚 Resources & Mentions:

• What is Internal Family Systems blog post: https://www.collab-counseling.com/blog/what-is-internal-family-systems
• Introduction Into Internal Family Systems by Richard C. Schwartz
• No Bad Parts by Richard C. Schwartz
• Unburdened Eating: Healing Your Relationships with Food and Your Body Using an Internal Family Systems by Jeanne Catanzaro
• We Can Do Hard Things IFS Episode Part 1 and Part 2 (Dick leads hosts through the IFS process)
• We Can Do Hard Things IFS w/Dr. Becky Kennedy Episode

🎧 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: From Mean Girls to Love Island to the endless “hot girl” eras, diet culture has been hiding in plain sight — and pop culture’s been serving it up for decades.

In this episode, we take a nostalgic (and slightly cringe) walk down memory lane, unpacking how our favorite TV shows, movies, and celebrities shaped the way we think about bodies, food, and worth. We talk about early 2000s media moments that fueled disordered eating messages, how “wellness” has become diet culture’s chic rebrand, and the generational ripple effects of those messages.

You’ll hear honest reflections, a few laughs, and some serious “wow, I didn’t even realize that was diet culture” moments — plus thoughts on what it might look like to create a new narrative around body image, one that actually leaves room for real life and real bodies. And, we hear from fellow CCN clinician, Brenna Barnard, with her take on The Real Housewives and Love Island.

🧰 Takeaways:

• Shows like Gilmore Girls and Love Island reflect (and reinforce) diet culture messages.
• Early 2000s media made disordered eating and fat shaming feel “normal.”
• Today’s “wellness” trends are often diet culture in disguise.

• Body image struggles often trace back through generations.
• Awareness is the first step toward change — you can’t challenge what you don’t notice.
• We deserve media that shows real, diverse, and dynamic bodies.
• Healing means questioning the stories we were raised on — and writing new ones.

🎧 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 conversation, Collaborative Counseling and Nutrition owner and founder, Lauren Reiker joins us to go back to the basics. We explore how food access, SNAP benefits, and food insecurity intersect with eating disorder recovery and gentle nutrition.

Takeaways:

• Food insecurity isn’t just about hunger — it’s about uncertainty, stress, and survival.
• You can’t heal what you can’t access. Consistent access to food is foundational to recovery.
• Gentle nutrition has to be flexible and realistic — not perfect.
• Access, not perfection, is the starting point for nourishment and healing.
• Everyone deserves access to food, safety, and dignity — especially during the holidays.
  

Resources & Mentions:

• The Minnesota Starvation Experiment: https://psychiatry.duke.edu/blog/starvation-experiment
• State Sanctioned Starvation & The Collective Unconscious IG post from @bodyjustice.therapist and @dr.han.ren: https://www.instagram.com/p/DQuMZXziVwN/
• Feeding America SNAP Myths & Facts: https://www.instagram.com/p/DQXIIanE0WI/
• Why You Might Want to Donate Money to Food Banks: https://www.instagram.com/p/DQWuhHMkZ7z/
• Food Insecurity and Eating Disorders blog post: https://www.collab-counseling.com/blog/food-insecurity-and-disordered-eating
• What is Gentle Nutrition blog post: https://www.collab-counseling.com/blog/what-is-gentle-nutrition
• Dr. Jessica Knurick IG post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DQm0XbuEjCM/
• The Intuitive Eating Deck
• Intuitive Eating Every Day by Evelyn Tribole
• Intuitive Eaters Bill of Rights Blog Post: https://www.collab-counseling.com/blog/intuitive-eaters-bill-of-rights

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:  “Love your body!” sounds great… until it doesn’t. In this episode, Jen and Allison sit down with Brenna Barnard, LMHC, a therapist from Collaborative Counseling and Nutrition, to talk about one of the most complicated relationships out there — the one we have with our bodies. Together, we unpack what body image really means, why “loving your body” can feel out of reach, and how the idea of body neutrality can offer some breathing room in a culture obsessed with appearance. We dig into how feelings (not just facts) shape the way we see ourselves, and how therapy, community, and compassion can help shift those internal narratives. If you’ve ever felt stuck between “love your body” and “I don’t even know where to start,” this one’s for you.

💕Connect w/Breanna: @healingwithbrenna

🧰 Takeaways:

• Body neutrality offers a realistic middle ground for body image.
• Feelings about our bodies are often rooted in deeper emotions.
• It's important to validate feelings rather than suppress them.
• Understanding the influences on body image can help in managing it.
• Practical strategies include focusing on comfort and self-care.
• Mantras can help shift perspectives on body image.
• Body image is just one aspect of a person's identity. 

⏰ Chapters:

• 00:00 Introduction to Body Image and Body Neutrality
• 10:38 Exploring Body Image: Feelings vs. Facts
• 22:51 Understanding Body Neutrality
• 39:05 Practical Steps for Body Image Improvement
• 42:39 Final Thoughts and Resources

📚 Resources & Mentions:

• Body Neutrality blog post by Brenna: https://www.collab-counseling.com/blog/body-neutrality
• You Don’t Have to Love Your Body blog post: https://www.collab-counseling.com/blog/you-dont-have-to-love-your-body
• 8 Ways to Support Yourself on Tough Body Image Days: https://www.collab-counseling.com/blog/8-ways-to-support-yourself-during-tough-body-image-days 
• Inside Scoop on Eating Disorder Recovery by Colleen Reichman and Jennifer Rollins
• Body Neutrality by Eleanor Clark
• More Than a Body by Lexie & Lindsay Kite

🎧 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: Grab your emotional support popcorn, because in this episode, Jen and Allison are pulling back the curtain on the real horror movie most of us grew up in: diet culture. We talk about how the rules, fears, and “shoulds” around food and bodies can feel like being chased through a haunted house you never signed up to enter.

We unpack the classic villains—yes, the BMI chart makes an appearance—and the subtle jump scares, like unsolicited body comments or “wellness tips” that are… actually just restriction in a cute outfit. Expect humor, real talk, and some compassionate reframes as we explore what recovery can look like when we stop following diet culture’s script and start writing our own.

If you’re craving more peace with food and your body (and maybe a little horror-movie catharsis), this one’s for you.

🧰 Takeaways:

• Diet culture truly has big horror movie energy.
• The BMI chart? A villain that just won’t die.
• Fear sells — and diet culture banks on that.
• “Wellness” can often be restriction with better branding.
• Jump-scare marketing keeps us anxious and disconnected from our bodies.
• The fear of weight gain is real and often rooted in systemic harm.
• Food is meant to nourish, comfort, and connect — not punish.
• You don’t have to do this alone. Community helps us opt out of the madness.
• You get to rewrite the story you were handed about food, health, and your body.

⏰ Chapters

• 00:00: Welcome to the Horror of Diet Culture
• 02:55: The Villains of Diet Culture
• 05:35: The Monsters We Face
• 08:29: Jump Scares in Everyday Life
• 11:43: Fear as the Real Villain
• 14:37: Tools for Survival
• 17:27: Rewriting the Script
• 20:12: Finding Joy Beyond Diet Culture

🎧 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, Jen, guest host Cilla, and special guest, Rae Thomas of Feelings Found, dive into all things feelings—why they matter, what makes them so hard, and how they show up in recovery. Together, we explore some of the biggest myths about emotions (spoiler: they’re not weaknesses!) and talk about how emotional regulation actually looks in real life—especially for folks navigating eating disorder recovery.

Connect with Rae: 

• @feelingsfoundco
• Feelings Found

🧰 Takeaways:

• Emotions aren’t weaknesses—they’re a bridge to connection and healing.
• Eating disorders often serve as tools for managing overwhelming emotions.
• Emotional regulation means responding to emotions, not suppressing them.
• Caregivers who tune into their own emotions are better able to support others.
• Emotional literacy can be built through creativity, art, writing, and conversation.
• Recovery often means relearning how to feel after years of emotional disconnection.
  

⏰ Chapters

• 00:00 - Introduction to Feelings and Emotions
• 03:59 - The Importance of Feelings in Recovery
• 09:52 - Myths and Misconceptions About Emotions
• 14:00 - Understanding Emotional Regulation
• 17:51 - Navigating Feelings in Recovery
• 19:35 - Reconnecting with Emotions in Recovery
• 23:48 - The Tension Between Old and New Approaches
• 28:44 - The Role of Body Image in Eating Disorders
• 33:11 - Becoming Emotionally Literate
• 40:04 - Supporting Caregivers and Clinicians
• 44:01 - Emotional Management in Recovery
• 46:34 - The Journey of Co-Regulation to Self-Regulation
• 49:34 - Understanding Regret and Nostalgia
• 52:37 - Navigating Resentment and Family Dynamics
• 55:25 - Exploring Rage and Emotional Expression

📚 Resources & Mentions:

• Grab Your Own Wheels: Feelings Found Wheels
• If You Have Feelings Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2raeRfef6GaOR7XpxjnYuh?si=8ea616e2fb264094
• How to Recognize Your Feelings blog post: https://www.collab-counseling.com/blog/recognize-and-feel-your-feelings

🎧 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: We’re diving deep into the world of fibermaxxing — the viral gut health trend that’s taking “wellness” a little too far. From internal showers to fiber supplements in every smoothie, Jen and Allison unpack how something genuinely good for digestion can get twisted by diet culture. We’ll talk about the science of fiber and digestion, how it connects to mental health and eating disorder recovery, and why balance (and a little humor) matter more than perfection. Expect real talk, practical insight, and the occasional poop joke — because sometimes, roughage gets rough. 💩

🧰 Takeaways:

• FiberMaxxing is a trending concept in wellness culture.
• Excessive fiber intake can lead to digestive discomfort, but gentle nutrition means adding fiber rather than replacing foods with high fiber options.
• Social media influences dietary choices, often leading to fixation on fiber.
• Fiber has numerous health benefits, including aiding digestion and stabilizing blood sugar.
• Eating disorders can complicate the relationship with fiber and fullness.

⏰ Chapters

• 00:00 Trendy Foods and Personal Experiences
• 03:11 Introduction to Fiber Maxing
• 05:53 Understanding Fiber and Its Popularity
• 08:36 The Impact of Fiber on Health
• 11:50 Navigating Fiber Intake and Eating Disorders
• 14:34 The Balance of Fiber in Diet
• 17:52 Physical and Emotional Effects of Fiber
• 20:39 The Role of Fiber in Digestion
• 23:25 The Gut-Brain Connection
• 26:39 Challenges of High Fiber Diets
• 29:29 Final Thoughts on Fiber and Health

🎧 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: 

Whew, navigating your relationship with your eating disorder AND your partner can be tricky! This episode explores the complexities of supporting a partner through eating disorder recovery. Jen, Allison, and Cilla discuss the emotional dynamics involved, the importance of communication, and the challenges faced by both the individual with the eating disorder and their partner. Cilla shares her personal experiences, while Zach provides insights from a partner's perspective, emphasizing the need for open dialogue and mutual support. The conversation highlights practical strategies for navigating recovery together, fostering joy outside of food, and maintaining individual well-being.

🧰 Takeaways:

• Eating disorders can feel like a relationship that competes for attention.
• Partners must understand the emotional weight of an eating disorder.
• Open communication is key in navigating recovery together.
• Support looks different every day and requires flexibility.
• Finding joy outside of food can strengthen relationships.
• Partners should not feel pressured to be perfect; effort is what matters.
• Partners need to set their own boundaries.
• Celebrating small progress is vital in the recovery journey.
• Understanding that recovery is a trial-and-error process can alleviate pressure.
• Both partners need to take care of their own mental health. 

⏰Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Eating Disorder Recovery Support
• 02:01 Understanding the Relationship with Ed
• 04:23 Navigating Relationships During Recovery
• 09:43 Shifts Towards Recovery
• 14:00 Challenges in Communication
• 19:11 Finding Joy Beyond Eating Disorders
• 24:14 The Importance of Open Communication
• 28:06 Bringing in Supportive Partners
• 29:34 Navigating Support During Recovery
• 38:04 The Importance of Communication in Relationships
• 46:21 Advice for Partners Supporting Recovery
• 52:11 Reflections on Growth and Learning
• 56:56 Key Takeaways and Closing Thoughts

📚 Resources & Mentions

• 3 Ways to Support Your Loved One with an Eating Disorder blog post: https://www.collab-counseling.com/blog/3-ways-to-support-loved-one-with-eating-disorder
• Impact of Food Insecurity on Eating Disorders: https://www.collab-counseling.com/blog/food-insecurity-and-disordered-eating

🎧 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

Keywords: eating disorder recovery, partner support, mental health, communication, relationships, coping mechanisms, recovery journey, emotional support, mental health awareness, eating disorder awareness