Eating Recovery Academy Podcast

About Eating Recovery Academy Podcast

The Eating Recovery Academy podcast was created to help mental health clinicians learn the necessary tools to effectively - and successfully - treat eating disorders and negative body image in their private practice. We are here to help you feel confident in treating this client population so that you can fill your schedule and stop referring these clients out.

Publisher

Kate Fisch

Category

health & fitness · health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

28 Sept 2021

Latest episode

13 Dec 2023

Latest episodes

31 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   13 Dec 2023

   Eating Disorders and Social Media

   Show Notes What role is Social Media playing a role in causing eating disorders or disordered eating? Are the effects of Social Media making treatment of eating disorders more challenging? In this podcast episode, Kate Fisch speaks with Dr. Samantha DeCaro about Social Media. She discusses the effects that Social Media has on patients recovering from eating disorders and the role it plays in causing disordered eating. MEET DR. SAMANTHA DECARO Dr. Samantha DeCaro, PsyD is the Director of Clinical Outreach and Education for The Renfrew Center, a licensed psychologist in Pennsylvania, and co-host of the podcast All Bodies, All Foods. She has been with Renfrew since 2012, completing her post-doctoral residency at The Renfrew Center Philadelphia – Spring Lane, then holding the position of Primary Therapist, and most recently serving as Assistant Clinical Director. As Renfrew’s national spokesperson, Dr. DeCaro has been featured in the media as an eating disorder expert on various television shows, radio programs, podcasts, and online magazines. She is a frequent lecturer and serves as the Alumni Representative for The Renfrew Center of Philadelphia. Visit The Renfrew Center (https://renfrewcenter.com/) to find out more. IN THIS PODCAST The focus on Social Media What are Pro-Ana and Pro-Mia sites?. What risk factors do Social Media pose for eating disorders? What makes eating disorder recovery so challenging?. Why did you choose to focus on Social Media and eating disorders? “I do a lot of trainings and education in my role and I realized that Social Media was really having a negative impact on people who were trying to recover from eating disorders.” Dr. Samantha DeCaro Are you on Social Media? “I'm on social media myself. I knew that it was causing certain issues for me as well. I noticed I wasn't feeling great after I was done scrolling. I was realizing I was spending more time on it than I wanted to be.” Dr. Samantha DeCaro It is interesting that even professionals within the field can be affected by Social Media and it puts an emphasis on making sure we are aware if it is leaving us in a more negative space. “Absolutely, I am in no way Immune to the effects of social media. I think it impacts all of us and I wanted to learn more about it.” Dr. Samantha DeCaro What are Pro-Ana and Pro-Mia sites? “I remember earlier in my career learning about Pro-ana Pro-mia, which were essentially these sites, and it's exactly what it sounds like, pro anorexia, pro eating disorder type content.” Dr. Samantha DeCaro There are so many different apps out there that we may know very little about and thinking of it from the perspective of being a treatment provider, it is vital that we become familiar with all the different platforms that our clients may be exposed to or using. “I remember being so concerned and horrified about the things that were happening on those sites and now with social media. Yes, I think those things still exist, to an extent, but I think that the harm is a lot more insidious. It's a lot harder to catch the different toxic messages about food, about the body.” Dr. Samantha DeCaro Do we need to learn to be more mindful when using Social Media? “What I do in my trainings, I try to help Clinicians help their clients be more mindful on social media. How to help your client tap into what they're experiencing while they're scrolling. You might be strengthening that eating disorder without even realizing it. ” Dr. Samantha DeCaro That's interesting because it's almost like we teach our clients how to be mindful at the table  or how to be mindful in their relationships, how to be mindful even just right in the moment.. But this is a kind of Meta  in the way that it's like another virtual environment in which they have to be mindful in. “ Oftentimes scrolling is an act of distraction. I think that's another thing to be aware of: when are you reaching for your phone? and why?  What is that scrolling session actually doing for you in the short term?” Dr. Samantha DeCaro What risk factors are there for those with eating disorders? “We know that intentionally pursuing weight loss is going to do more harm than good. diets are one of the biggest risk factors of an eating disorder. Diets can trigger an eating disorder and eating disorders are potentially fatal.” Dr. Samantha DeCaro We know that many of those who come off diets and have not developed an eating disorder, still end up having a poor relationship with food and not feeling good about themselves. What makes eating disorder recovery so challenging? “Eating disorder recovery is so challenging because there's an unlearning that has to take place. An unlearning of diet culture, an unlearning of healthism and relearning how to have a healthier relationship with food, with your body and with the media.” Dr. Samantha DeCaro What tools do you use or teach clinicians to use? “One of the things that I think is so important is being able to actually spot harmful messages and tease those out and be able to spot toxic messages about food.” Dr. Samantha DeCaro A lot of messages give the impression that all bodies are the same. For example; that you're going to eat a turkey sandwich and your body is going to do exactly the same thing with that turkey sandwich as my body is going to do with it. We know now that we don't know what the differences are and how people's bodies absorb nutrients and the differences between them. Can anything be done to reduce the chances of seeing harmful content? “I also teach in my workshops about how to play with your settings in your phone to better protect yourself and to essentially just lessen the chances/decrease the chances that you'll see harmful content in the future.” Dr. Samantha DeCaro The world of Social Media is everywhere and we cannot get away from it. When we are scrolling through our phones. We're not in the moment. We are trying to be distracted, it becomes repetitive and reflexive and then we're not the owners of the information that we are consuming. There are studies showing what type of information gets fed to our clients and how they can fall prey to negative body image, eating disorders and diet culture. This is a fascinating topic and as therapists we need to become aware of what we are consuming, as well as, help teach our clients to be mindful about what they're consuming. Dr. Samantha DeCaro is filled with valuable insights, information and examples of Social Media’s role within our industry and some of these are discussed in-depth throughout the podcast. To learn more about Dr. Samantha DeCaro and her work, follow the links below. RESOURCES MENTIONED AND USEFUL LINKS Visit The Renfrew Centre (https://renfrewcenter.com/) Previous Episode: Eating Disorders and Bariatric Surgery with Sharon Ryan Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eating-recovery-academy-podcast/id1588408020), Stitcher, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, and Spotify.

2. 

   6 Dec 2023

   Eating Disorders and Bariatric Surgery

   Show Notes What is Bariatric Surgery? What is Bariatric Counseling? Is there a link between Bariatric Surgery and eating disorders? In this podcast episode, Kate Fisch speaks with Sharon Ryan about Bariatric Surgery. She discusses the challenges that patients face when preparing for, or after undergoing, Bariatric Surgery. MEET SHARON RYAN Sharon Lynn Ryan, MEd, AABC, LAC,  is a licensed associate counselor, therapist, speaker, and writer.  Sharon earned her masters degree in professional counseling (MEd) from William Paterson University, board certification as a bariatric counselor/educator from the American Association of Bariatric Counselors, certificates in personal training and nutrition from the National Personal Training Institute, and is clinically trained in EMDR, DBT, and CBT. Sharon specializes in eating and weight disorders, bariatrics, health and wellness, and is a firm believer in Health At Every Size (HAES)  intuitive eating, and body positivity. Visit Sharon Lyn Ryan (https://www.sharonlynnryan.com/) to find out more. IN THIS PODCAST What is a Bariatric Counsellor? What are the common feelings for patients, post bariatric surgery?. Is there a link between bariatric surgery and eating disorders? Post Surgical Eating Avoidance Disorder. What does it mean to be a board certified Bariatric Counselor? “There's an association called the American Association of Bariatric Counselors. You get board certified as a counselor so that you can work specifically with Bariatric patients. They require all the CEUs that you would get as a counselor or a therapist every two years you're reassessed and do your CEUs but it gives you specific training to work with people who are struggling with weight and maybe attempting to have bariatric surgery  ” Sharon Ryan When we speak about patients who have undergone bariatric surgery, it is easy to assume that all the patients are happy with their results. This is not always the case and there are individuals who are frustrated that they don't look the way that they want to look or that it didn't go as promised. “The American Association of Bariatric Counselors also covers the complications that come along with it and the problems that may come before and after, and how to address them so they cover not only the nutrition part of it, but the psychological part of it. Which is something that's really been overlooked, I feel like. in the field.” Sharon Ryan Why should patients go for counseling before having bariatric surgery? “I think there needs to be actual counseling and therapy for people prior to the surgery, because the people who are going for Bariatric surgery have, at the very least, disordered eating .” Sharon Ryan Is there a possible link between eating disorders and getting bariatric surgery? “From 2011 to 2019 there were about 2 000 000 bariatric surgeries performed in the United States. A study found out that 66% of them had a lifetime history of some sort of eating disorder and 48% of them at the time of them being approved for surgery had criteria for binge eating disorder.” Sharon Ryan It makes us wonder how many of those that are willing to have the surgery actually knew they had an eating disorder. How do you prepare patients for Bariatric Surgery? “They need to be educated prior to their surgery. They need to go through therapy prior to their surgery. They need to be with a Dietician prior to their surgery. Not just once. And figure out why they're eating the way they're eating, why they're at that weight.” Sharon Ryan It becomes important, when encountered with a client considering this surgery, to take the time to understand why they are considering the surgery, why they feel they need the surgery and build that relationship with the client. “ The first rule to me of being a therapist is to be non-judgmental. So, if someone walked in and said I'm thinking of Bariatric surgery, you're not supposed to put your opinion into them right? You're just supposed to help them figure out why they are where they are, what they're hoping to get from that.” Sharon Ryan What is the most common feedback to come from patients, post Bariatric Surgery? It is not always that people are either satisfied with their surgery or feel as if they can sustain it for the long term. Many of them end up gaining that weight back. “That's another reason why I'm so adamant because you need to have counseling before you have the surgery. Just because you have the surgery, it doesn't mean your behaviors are going to change.” Sharon Ryan Tell us a little bit about the different types of surgery? “So there is the band like you said, That's not done as much anymore. The most popular one is the gastric sleeve right now which is where they take out part of your stomach and they don't do any bypassing. Then the other one is the gastric bypass and that's the one where they actually remove part of the stomach and then bypass it to go through the intestine.” Sharon Ryan What is Post Surgical Eating Avoidance Disorder? “That’s those who have the surgery and something happens where like let's say they are vomiting every time they eat and then they actually get afraid to eat.” Sharon Ryan It would appear that some patients who undergo the surgery end up developing issues such as Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, more commonly known as ARFID. "It's like Anorexia, you know like the ARFID thing but they get extreme weight loss and those people are even more susceptible, because what are they going to do? They can't binge. They can't do anything. These people are really susceptible to turning to substances, because they are depressed. . .” Sharon Ryan There has been a shift in diagnosing which has happened over the past decade or so. Traditionally/ historically when we think about anorexia we would think about people, like the dsm 4, below 85% ideal body weight, so very low body weight, where we know in actuality that only 6% of people with eating disorders are actually underweight. What we now are able to watch out for, and luckily third party payers are catching on, is people who have lost a substantial amount of weight in a very short amount of time, whether they're still within range of “healthy weight” or not, it is still incredibly dangerous to lose weight so fast. So, as therapists we need to ensure we are aware of all the challenges facing clients and be able to provide any support or safeguards that can help our clients make decisions that give them the best chance of recovering. Bariatric Surgery and eating disorders may not be discussed together very often, but it has been fascinating to chat with Sharon Ryan about the relationship between the two. Sharon shares valuable insights, information and examples throughout the podcast. To learn more about Sharon’s work, follow the links below. RESOURCES MENTIONED AND USEFUL LINKS Visit Sharon Lynn Ryan for more on some of Sharon’s publications so far. Previous Episode: Let's Talk About Eating Disorders & Athletes Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eating-recovery-academy-podcast/id1588408020), Stitcher, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, and Spotify.

3. 

   1 Dec 2023

   Let's Talk About Eating Disorders & Athletes

   Show Notes What is the approach to treating eating disorders in athletes? Are the pressures of having to perform as an athlete increasing the chances of developing an eating disorder? In this podcast episode, Kate Fisch speaks with Linda Steinhardt about eating disorders amongst athletes. She discusses the effects that measuring body composition, the pressure to perform and injuries have on athletes and developing eating disorders. MEET LINDA STEINHARDT Linda Steinhardt is a registered dietitian based in Denver, Colorado. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, she completed a sports nutrition fellowship at UNC Chapel Hill. She now works at the Athlete EDGE Program within EDCare, an eating disorder treatment center where she supports athletes and general population patients in lasting recovery from eating disorders. Visit Athlete Edge to find out more. IN THIS PODCAST What is body composition testing? Is there still a necessity for measuring body composition in athletes?. What is the approach for treating eating disorders in athletes? Is there pressure for athletes to perfect their performance at a younger age? What is body composition testing? “Body composition testing is really common, to be honest, in college athletics. I have seen, with body composition testing in colleges, they'll test an athlete 2 to 4 times per year and they'll say: hey here's your muscle percentage, here's your fat percentage.” Linda Steinhardt So what is the benefit of athletes knowing their body fat percentage etc. ? “I'm not sure I'm going to be able to help connect the dots. I think there's a lot of reasons why sports physicians in college settings are pressured, in a sense, to do body composition tests.” Linda Steinhardt It is interesting to think that there might be a belief that knowing your fat percentage (for example) and all of that could help with the goal of improving athletic performance. Are we moving away (at all) from this type of measuring? “I had seen some more openness and some more curiosity in the field just of why do we do this and is this affecting athletes and is this actually helpful for performance. Are we just doing it because we think we're (quote,unquote) supposed to? And I think that has been a good shift.” Linda Steinhardt How is the approach to treating an eating disorder in an athlete different to treating someone with an eating disorder who is not an athlete? “So, I think there is a lot of overlap and I think there's some additional kind of barriers that athletes might face that put them at a higher risk of potentially developing an eating disorder. Often times we look at things like athletes are in really high pressure environments.” Linda Steinhardt How do you manage the conversation around calories? “I find, more often than not, food and exercise have become kind of compensatory, even perhaps without athletes recognizing it as such. I think it's helpful to acknowledge that: hey what are the ways in which you notice yourself eating the same or different on rest days? Do you feel better about eating when you play well, or do you find it harder to eat when you have a bad game?” Linda Steinhardt When our diet and exercise culture has done us such an immense disservice that it's going to take decades to undo, which is simplifying humans' need for fuel. Do a lot of athletes seem to lose the ability to listen to their bodies? “That's a conversation we have often. A lot of times people come in and they are really disconnected from their bodies in terms of they don't know, because the way they have been eating is from rules. Over time we can build that kind of intuition and that interoceptive awareness.” Linda Steinhardt Is there pressure for athletes to perfect their performance at a younger age? “I think that oftentimes a really big component of things is identity. In athletics often people start from a really young age and they have practices day in and day out. I think it does kind of create a really tough situation for a lot of athletes.” Linda Steinhardt The world of performance and body composition is highly pressurized and many athletes will feel they have to lose a certain amount of weight in order to achieve the performance they are aiming for. It is important for therapists, dealing with athletes, to dig deeper into understanding why an individual believes they need to be at a certain weight to perform. And then begin to reconnect themselves with their bodies and listen to what their bodies actually need. This is a fascinating topic and as therapists we need to become aware of what affects competitive environments have on athletes, as well as, help teach our clients to be mindful about what they're doing to their bodies. Linda Steinhardt is filled with valuable insights, information and examples throughout the podcast and it is extremely informative for all therapists. To learn more about Linda Steinhardt and her work, follow the links below. RESOURCES MENTIONED AND USEFUL LINKS Visit Athletic Edge Click here for the article referenced in the interview with more info on her research. Article referenced in the interview with more info on her research: Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, and Spotify.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.9 / 5

28 ratings