Love & Learn

Food was her enemy, something she was in battle with constantly. She was in a constant state of anxiety and hyper-vigilance. Keshia's courageous journey from questioning the need for treatment to finding validation and empowerment serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration. After going all in on her recovery this year, she is connecting to herself and others like never before. She's setting health...

🚨BIG UPDATE ON THIS PODCAST🚨 Louise has been on a long journey to recovery. Now in her 40's, she is not going back, she is going forward. In fact, after she got done recording this episode, she boldly followed through on a challenge and dropped a pair of smaller jeans she was struggling to let go of in the trash bin. Louise wrote, "Tuesday was my Birthday and I decided to throw away one of my cl...

"There's a lot of pressure in my industry and tech to look a certain way, to dress a certain way, to talk a certain way, to behave a certain way." Lia Parisyan felt immense pressure to conform to the perceived ideals of her highly competitive tech industry and diverse cultural background. Observing successful figures around her, she believed that mirroring their appearance, behavior, and lifestyle...

"The only reason that I started manipulating food was to manipulate my body." Join us for a candid talk with Joni O'Donnell, a certified intuitive eating counselor, body image coach, and facilitator of the Body Freedom program inside the Courage Club. Joni opens up about her personal journey with being recently diagnosed with Lipedema and the emotional challenges of living in a larger body. Tune i...

"The more we're aware of our patterns or cycles, the more we can start to change them." Do you fluctuate between trying to be "good" and eating less, until you find yourself bingeing? This one's for you. Registered Dietitian Dana Sturtevant joins us again to explore "The Cycle of Coping". Dana unpacks the intricate patterns we form around eating disorder behaviors, and shows us how to close the lo...

Welcome to Body Talk! The latest series on the Recovery Warriors Podcast Channel. In the premiere episode, Jessica Flint & Andrea Wells explore: The surprising parallels between discomfort around weight gain and aging. Releasing yourself from the shackles of feeling like you need to behave in certain ways to please others. The societal pressures of body image and why your worth isn’t tied to a...

"Life is much more beautiful and free if I'm not constantly scanning the world to see what other people think of my body." Today's episode features writer, mindset coach, and fellow Recovery Warrior Rachael St. Germain. After years of struggling with people pleasing, not feeling good enough, and believing that her physical appearance contributed to her value - Rachael has unsubscribed to society's...

"The number of folks who identify as male and experience eating disorders is going up." Take a listen as Registered Dietitian and Certified Body Trust provider Aaron Flores sheds light on the common barriers men face in eating disorder recovery, such as societal stereotypes and stigma, and hear how the power of community and compassionate connection can help bring healing. Aaron reveals the key fa...

"Our body liberation is bound up in one another. None of us are free until we're all free." Today's episode features registered dietitian, co-author of the book Reclaiming Body Trust and co-founder of The Center for Body Trust, Dana Sturtevant. Dana is a gem of knowledge and inspiration on the topics of body trust, and working with the societal forces of diet culture and other oppressions on the p...

"It’s okay to be fat and to stay fat. It’s okay to not pursue intentional weight loss." Today's episode features journalist and body liberation advocate Meghan De Maria. Take a listen as she uncovers her raw and transformative journey toward body acceptance and healing. Delving into the pressures of societal ideals, personal battles with food and exercise, and the profound impact of weight stigma,...

Discover how waves of grief can guide you towards healing. In this conversation, Hilary Kinavey, LPC, sheds light on the role of body grief. Take a listen as we explore the complex emotions tied to grief and body image, and how we can navigate them with compassion and self-awareness. The 5 stages of body grief are: 1. Denial 2. Anger 3. Bargaining 4. Depression 5. Acceptance Each stage is a crucia...

"Exposure therapy is like jumping off a cliff when you can't see the bottom, and hoping there's a landing." Dr. Carolyn Becker, leading expert in exposure therapy for eating disorders, breaks down how to effectively create and utilize a fear diary to help you find more peace and freedom with food & body. Take a listen as she sheds more light on the most scientifically backed method for reducin...

Is it r eally possible to trust your body after living with an eating disorder? Today's guest says YES. Body trust is a birth right, and you can find your way back to it again. Licensed professional counselor, educator, author, and coach - Hilary Kinavey joins host Andrea Wells to unravel how societal pressures, fatphobia, and diet culture distort our natural ability to trust our bodies. Learn why...

Recovery is possible at ANY age. Courage Club alumni, social worker, and fellow recovery warrior Julie Wickham has had a transformative journey finding recovery in midlife through Recovery Warriors' programs . She’s here today to share her body image healing story. Exploring the misconception that 'skinny equals healthy’, Julie challenges harmful cultural narratives and promotes a balanced approac...

Be seen for all your diverse beauty, sadness, strength, and struggles. In this empowering talk, Jessica Flint and Andrea Wells dive deep into the heart of vulnerability, overcoming rejection, and the transformative power of setting boundaries. They're peeling back the layers of fear that are holding us back and lighting up the path to self-assuredness and visibility. Discover how to confidently es...

Unlock the secrets to navigating comments on your body size. Are you struggling with the constant pressure from societal beauty standards? Do comments about your body size trigger feelings of shame or fear? We hear you. Dr. Chuks returns to Recover Strong to share strategies to maintain your strength amidst societal pressures, and reclaim your power over body comments. Take a listen as he dives de...

What's wrong with being confident? Imagine the cascading effects of waking up with more confidence over weeks, months, years You would likely.... Have more opportunities because you would ask for what you want. Experience better treatment because you would ask for what you need. Care less about the opinions and judgments of others. Trust you can navigate your way through the highs and lows in life...

Dial down your deepest eating disorder challenges using THIS technique. Today is a sneak peek, a little sample, into an exclusive expert Q&A session that recently occurred live inside the Courage Club. Dr. Carolyn Becker, PhD, author of the recently released Eat Without Fear guides us through the transformative world of exposure therapy for eating disorder recovery. Discover how to face your f...

Never underestimate the power of sharing ED stories.   In today's conversation with Dr. Chuks, MD, we delve into the heart of eating disorder recovery, and explore ways to overcome common recovery roadblocks on both an individual and cultural scale. Plus, Dr. Chuks shares details on his powerful new book, 'Eating Disorders Don't Discriminate,' which unfolds the diverse faces of these afflictions a...

Ever feel like you had a "bad" day if you don't exercise? This one's for you. Today's guest, certified personal trainer Sam Previte says " In order to make peace with movement, we have to have unconditional permission to rest ". Take a listen as Sam once again joins host Andrea Wells to dive deep into joyful movement, and peel back the secrets on how to go from using exercise as a punishment or tr...

To give into cravings, or to resist them - what's the best strategy? Fellow recovery warrior, mental health nurse, and best-selling author Cara Lisette returns to the show to answer a burning recovery question from our audience of warriors about extreme hunger and cravings that can come up in the recovery process. Take a listen and hear just what it is you can do when you feel like you want to eat...

Guilt after eating is diet culture's shadow. Today's episode is a sneak peek into our latest Expert Q&A with Alex Raymond, RD held inside the Courage Club .  In this transformative conversation, Alex and host Jessica explore the intricacies of intuitive eating and how it forms the bedrock for adapting to a life free from eating disorders. Take a listen for invaluable insights on understanding...

Could these lies be holding you back in recovery? "You must be thin to be worthy" "It's your fault if you can't lose weight" "Weight=health" Today's guest, Sam Previte of Find Food Freedom says "this isn’t working, the system is broken". Take a listen as she joins host Andrea Wells to discuss her work and dive deep into diet culture to peel back it's lies that could be holding you back, to help yo...

Who are you without an eating disorder? Today's guest is fellow recovery warrior, mental health nurse, and best-selling author Cara Lisette. Over the years she’s candidly and vulnerably shared her journey of recovering from an eating disorder and bipolar disorder through social media and her blog Cara’s Corner . Cara is passionate about recovery, and breaking down the stigmas around eating disorde...

"I was using food and exercise as a way to get control of something, anything. Because the rest of my life felt completely out of control." In this episode, we're honored to have a courageous voice join us – Errin Witherspoon, an amazing alumni of our Recovery Warriors programs.  She takes us through the transformative arc of her journey, and how she found power in her passion of art and creativit...