The Eating Disorder Therapist

Today I’m talking to Jack Rose, a 25 year old, gay man who is a trainee therapist in Integrative Therapy at Bangor University in Wales. He is currently living in Manchester, a city with a large LGBT population.. Jack previously graduated with a 2:1 in Psychology, with counselling and psychotherapy from Manchester metropolitan University.  Jack’s undergraduate research was focused on gay men’s perception of self (body image) and the influence that porn plays on formation and maintenance of body image among gay men. This was a qualitative study that was analysed using thematic analysis.  In the episode today, Jack shares insights into understanding and improving awareness of body image concerns amongst gay men. He talks about unrealistic body standards and the pressures felt in this population. Jack talks about his own journey and what has motivated him to delve deeply into this area of work. He talks about the impact of porn, social media, steroid use and education (or lack of).  He shares about his current research exploring specifically  LGBT perceptions of their therapist and if they perceive them as more competent if they share a sexuality. It’s a fascinating conversation and I hope that you find it helpful. To find out more about Jack: - Facebook Jackrose Twitter @itsjackrose Tiktok @jackofalltrades911

A Bite Size episode. A question this week from a listener, all about living with chronic illness and an eating disorder. This episode has mainly been created by my listener, Lauren. She shares the grief in coming to terms with the limitations imposed on her life through illness, and moving to find her own acceptance and peace. I hope that you find it helpful.

Today, I’m talking to George Mycock, the founder of MyoMinds, the mental health platform that works to improve knowledge and awareness of exerciser mental health. George is also a PhD researcher focusing on men’s experiences with muscularity-oriented issues like muscle dysmorphia, disordered eating and exercise addiction, and has delivered presentations on these topics to a range of audiences. George also brings a lived experience perspective, having experienced muscle dysmorphia and associated behaviours for a number of years. In the podcast today, George talks about his own journey in navigating through these issues. He explores muscularity orientated issues in men and the link between masculinity and these behaviours. George talks about how the fitness community can feed into poor help-seeking behaviour for distress associated with these concerns. He also explains the link between muscle dysmorphia and suicidal ideation. Currently, if you are suffering, then getting help for these concerns is challenging. George discusses the need for radical change in this area. I hope that you enjoy the conversation. To find out more about George and MyoMinds: - Website: https://www.myominds.com/ Instagram: @myo_minds      

A Bite-Size episode. All about how to cope with managing symptoms and holding onto hope, whilst you are on a very long waiting list, for eating disorder therapy. Although eating disorder support provision has improved significantly in recent years, many NHS services (UK reference) are still under-resourced, and it can be a post-code lottery, as to whether you can access the treatment you need. In this episode, I explore 5 ways to support and encourage yourself along, whilst in this difficult phase of waiting. I hope that you find it helpful.

Today I’m talking to Adrien Paczosa from Texas, the founder and Chief Clinical Officer of Nourish - a national tele-nutrition company with all anti-diet dietitians. Adrien is also a Business Strategist and Coach for and helps private practice owners and and dietitians build their businesses. Adrien has over 20+ years of working with clients on their recovery and food freedom journey and is passionate about these issues. In the show today, Adrien talks about her new venture, in making nutritional/dietetic support available to every corner of the USA. She explores gastro-intestinal issues in recovery and how these might need addressing before stepping into an Intuitive Eating place. Adrien also shares her radical thinking about how to change diet culture and create an environment that promotes health for each individual, rather than a weight-focused approach. She also explores creating better access to care, for those seeking recovery. I hope that you enjoy the conversation.   To find out more information about Adrien/Nourish:- Website: https://www.usenourish.com/ Instagram: @usenourish

A Bite Size episode. In eating disorder recovery, for some people it can feel incredibly challenging to have permission to eat a full meal.  You might be worried about breaking your food rules or that your eating habits will be judged by others. In this episode, I dive into the problems around this and give some thoughts on how to challenge faulty habits using thought challenging, exploring underlying beliefs and behavioural experiments. I hope that you enjoy the episode.

Pregnancy, birth and the months after you’ve birthed your baby can be incredibly magical, and also incredibly challenging times. If you have an eating disorder you may struggle with the changes in your body and appetite. If you’ve previously struggled with an eating disorder, you can be vulnerable to relapse during the prenatal and postpartum periods. Some people who have not struggled previously with disordered eating, may also find this to be a triggering time with all the physical and emotional changes. Having said this, some people also find that these times helped them with a shift in body image, with a change in values and perspective. There is no right way to cope and you probably won’t know how you’ll fare with all of this, until you in the situation. In this episode, I explore the challenges of navigating these phases, when you are struggling with an eating disorder and offer some tips on getting through. I hope that you enjoy the episode.  

Many of us have food rituals in the way that we shop, prepare, store, cook, present and eat our meals. Mainly, these habits or rituals are likely harmless and can in fact be comforting and beneficial. But sometimes, rituals become compulsive or a way to avoid or hide deeper issues. If you feel compelled to carry out your food rituals, otherwise experiencing high anxiety or distress. Or if you are avoiding social situations and if your diet has become very imbalanced due to rituals - these are signs it could be time to reflect with curiosity and compassion about the function of them. I hope that you enjoy the episode.

In this episode, Dr. Marianne Miller, a specialist in eating disorders, shares her personal journey and highlights the importance of regular eating in cognitive behavior therapy for overcoming binge eating. She discusses her online program and provides resources for listeners to connect with her and learn more about her work.

Another Bite Size episode today!  If you are constantly struggling with sugar cravings, then this one is for you.  And it can be such a common phenomenon in eating disorder recovery. As a passionate Intuitive Eating advocate, I am certainly not anti-sugar by any means and I enjoy sugar consumption (to a degree!) daily. However, if you are feeling 'out of control' around sugar, this episode will give you some thoughts on how to change your relationship with this.   I hope that you enjoy it!