Nurturing Yourself during the Holidaze
Holidaze is not a misspelling. I use it because it is so indicative of what the holidays can feel like—a holy daze! As we run around buying gifts and preparing our foods and celebrations, it is so easy to forget ourselves and go far beyond our limits. When the gift opening or the meal or party that we’ve been so busy planning and preparing for finally arrives, we wonder why it’s hard to enjoy it. We wonder why we feel so exhausted, strung out and stressed. This article is a reminder to remember yourself in the rush of the holidays. What would it be like to really nurture yourself during this season?
Food + Sex – What’s Weight Got to Do with It? (Maybe) Everything!
Although research has shown little conclusive evidence of the correlation between eating disorders and sexual trauma, it is a different story in my psychotherapy office. I will always explore any potential link between a client’s struggle with food, weight and body image issues and their history of sexual trauma. Below are a few clinical examples of how my clients’ struggles with their eating disorders were directly related to their sexual trauma.
How Does your Relationship with Food Affect your Personal Relationships?
At first glance it might seem like there could not be any possible connection between struggles with food/ weight/ body image and personal relationships but I have yet to see a client struggling with disordered eating who doesn’t also have issues in their relationships or issues with their lack of relationships.
Using EMDR to Address Eating Disorders
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing. A big name for a relatively simple but highly effective method for dealing with trauma or what I like to call “emotionally stuck places.” It involves what is called bilateral stimulation of both hemispheres of the brain with a variety of methods.
Super Negotiating for Couples
Learn to negotiate so you can effectively handle conflict. All healthy relationships need conflict to grow however many people are afraid of conflict because they don’t know how to negotiate. Learn how to create “win-win” situations with effective negotiating skills. Good negotiation will also vastly improve your communication skills.
Geneen Roth at Spirit Rock on her latest book: “Women, Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything’’
The title of Geneen’s latest book is big and bold. I had to finally meet this woman whose older book; ‘When Food is Love’ had such a big impact on shifting me out of my own eating disorder more than 15 years ago. After all she was coming to my neck of the woods; Spirit Rock, less than 10 miles from my home! My expectation mounted as I got to the Spirit Rock parking lot, which was overflowing. The meditation hall was the most full I had ever seen it. And there she was, this tiny blonde woman with a big smile. I liked her instantly. She seemed friendly and accessible. This initial impression was confirmed once she began to talk.
Do You Eat to Handle Anxiety? 3 Simple Steps towards Handling Anxious Eating
3 Simple Steps towards Handling Anxious Eating
What is a Healthy Body Image?
First of all what is body image? Body image is how I look- right? No! Body image is a mental idea about your physical body and how you look. Body image is something that constantly changes as it is based more on feeling than fact. This also makes it very vulnerable to distortion.