love our bodies, love ourselves

My views expressed in this brief article are based on my clinical experience, research and leadership that include supporting health care teams and health agencies. These teams and agencies have helped people with mental illness and particularly eating disorders. My views are also based upon direct individual and group work with persons who have eating … Read More

I’ve written many things about my past struggles with an eating disorder. Sometimes, it feels as though it was so long ago, and other times the memories are fresh in my mind as if it happened yesterday. However, one thing is for sure: life without and eating disorder has always been so much better than … Read More

When I practice therapy with women around issues of food and disordered eating, I often come across the theme of ‘Loss’. Loss is being without someone or something that was loved, familiar, important or desired. Especially for children, a loss may be based on safety, trust, comfort, and familiarity, rather than on what adults speak … Read More

I am going to be honest and tell you I thought writing this would be easy, that it would flow from within ~ from my heart. I love to write! I enjoy writing and during my daughter’s most medically challenging times with anorexia, I did a lot of writing. Writing in the form of journals … Read More

It was an illness born in the corners of my mind. It paralysed me, affected every aspect of my life but no! it was not a bid for attention. For years, I suffered from a mental illness. It was invisible to the naked eye, and though I hid it really well, its effects were quite … Read More

Unusual? Unique? Perhaps… and you would be forgiven if you’ve never heard of using a Drum Circle as a health care intervention with eating disorder patients. In this post, I’ll briefly describe what a Drum Circle in a health care setting might look like. Then, drawing from a few of the most common patient comments … Read More

Quick! What do you think of when you think of eating disorders? Bulimia? Anorexia? Women and girls? What do those individuals look like? If it’s anything like the images and stories in the media, they’re rail thin young women barely hanging on to life. Now don’t get me wrong. These are accurate depictions of eating … Read More

Important Dates: ~The beginning of February marks the launch of the Provincial Eating Disorders Awareness (PEDAW) campaign ~National Eating Disorder Awareness Week (February 2rd – 8th) ~February 7th:  Wear Purple for PEDAW.  BC Place/Science World light up purple. Wear Purple for PEDAW! WHEN:  February 7 WHERE:  Anywhere in BC WHAT:  Wear Purple in support of … Read More