The Eating Disorder Therapist

It can be a very lonely experience suffering from an eating disorder. In this episode, I explore common themes that I experience daily inside the therapy room. It will help you feel less alone. I hope that you find it helpful.   Harriet's Substack:  https://substack.com/@theeatingdisordertherapist   Harriet Frew's current offers: - Online 10 Steps to Intuitive Eating Course  https://www.theeatingd...

In this episode, I explore the difference between orthorexia and healthy eating, this sparked by Gwyneth's recent sharing on her goop podcast about relaxing some of her food rules. I hope that you find it helpful.   Harriet's Substack:  https://substack.com/@theeatingdisordertherapist   Harriet Frew's current offers: - Online 10 Steps to Intuitive Eating Course  https://www.theeatingdisordertherap...

In this episode, I explore the challenges and benefits I have encountered in overcoming people pleasing. I hope that you find it helpful.   Harriet's Substack:  https://substack.com/@theeatingdisordertherapist   Harriet Frew's current offers: - Online 10 Steps to Intuitive Eating Course  https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/online-courses.html Online Breaking Free from Bulimia  https://www...

In this episode, I explore navigating weight change in recovery and addressing fears around this. I hope that you find it helpful.   Harriet's Substack:  https://substack.com/@theeatingdisordertherapist   Harriet Frew's current offers: - Online 10 Steps to Intuitive Eating Course  https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/online-courses.html Online Breaking Free from Bulimia  https://www.theeat...

In this episode, I explore 5 secrets from inside the eating disorder therapy room. I highlight the fact that eating disorders don't have a look and there are a lot of hidden parts beneath the surface. I hope that you find it helpful. Harriet's Substack:  https://substack.com/@theeatingdisordertherapist   Harriet Frew's current offers: - Online 10 Steps to Intuitive Eating Course  https://www.theea...

In today's episode, I do a deep dive into attachment styles and eating disorders. I hope that you find it helpful. Useful resource: https://www.attachmentproject.com/blog/attachment-theory-and-eating-disorders/   Harriet's Substack:  https://substack.com/@theeatingdisordertherapist   Harriet Frew's current offers: - Online 10 Steps to Intuitive Eating Course  https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist...

In this episode, I offer an alternative approach to getting beach body ready, which focuses on mental health and wellbeing. I hope that you find it helpful.   Harriet's Substack:  https://substack.com/@theeatingdisordertherapist   Harriet Frew's current offers: - Online 10 Steps to Intuitive Eating Course  https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/online-courses.html Online Breaking Free from B...

If you’re recovering from an eating disorder, you might well desire to eat all the foods that you have been depriving yourself of, as a rebellion against the restriction or dieting fatigue. You may have an all or nothing relationship with food. You’re either being super-healthy and good, or chaotic and devouring everything in sight. Maybe you binge on ‘bad foods’ that you would normally forbid you...

Binge eating is not simply scoffing an extra biscuit, with your morning coffee break. Instead, it involves eating fast, an extremely large amount of food (more than you would eat for lunch or dinner), and usually in secret. It can feel like a dissociative or ‘out of body’ experience. You are fully present and grounded on earth, but it feels as if demon has swept over you and taken all rational dec...

Therapy has the potential to transform your life in immeasurable ways. It can offer a wonderful container for much change and personal growth. Your therapist’s competency and skills are a hugely important part in this process. But therapy is not a passive process. You can influence your experience and outcomes greatly. By taking responsibility and being an active participant in the journey, you ha...

In this episode, I explore embodying the inspiration of role models in recovery. I hope that you enjoy it.   Harriet's Substack:  https://substack.com/@theeatingdisordertherapist   Harriet Frew's current offers: - Online 10 Steps to Intuitive Eating Course  https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/online-courses.html Online Breaking Free from Bulimia  https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co....

In this episode, I share my experiences of working as a therapist in an NHS adult eating disorder inpatient service for anorexia nervosa. I hope that you find it helpful.   Harriet's Substack:  https://substack.com/@theeatingdisordertherapist   Harriet Frew's current offers: - Online 10 Steps to Intuitive Eating Course  https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/online-courses.html Online Breaki...

How to actually love yourself? If you’re on the body image healing road, you’ve probably been told multiple times, by multiple people that you simply need to love yourself. That your desire for thinness is a marker of not feeling good enough and that you’re seeking scraps of worthiness through conforming towards the ‘body ideal’. When I was in the dreary depths of bulimia, wise people would often...

Compulsive exercise is not joyful. It has become a weary, punishing ‘should’ to endure despite injury and bone-weary exhaustion. You cannot stop. Your sanity depends on completing the next workout and achieving your step count. It’s rigid and time robbing of precious life moments. You rely on exercise to earn your meals and to give you permission to eat. It is a distraction from difficult emotions...

An episode all about learning to self-soothe and developing self-compassion. I hope that you find it helpful.   Harriet's Substack:  https://substack.com/@theeatingdisordertherapist   Harriet Frew's current offers: - Online 10 Steps to Intuitive Eating Course  https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/online-courses.html Online Breaking Free from Bulimia  https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist....

An eating disorder can become an integral part of your identity and this can leave you feeling stuck and powerless. In this episode, I share my own experiences of recovery and detachment from the ed identity. I explore how identity can be challenging to shift but how there are practical ways to do this. I hope that you enjoy the episode. Harriet's Substack:  https://substack.com/@theeatingdisorder...

Today, many of my clients enter the therapy room with a diagnosis or self-diagnosis of ADHD. They have often only recently realised the humungous impact on their lifetime relationship with food. If you have ADHD, you have increased vulnerability to suffering from an eating disorder, particularly bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder. This is backed up by research finding that people with ADHD a...

In this episode, I dispense five pearls of wisdom to my younger self. I hope that you find it helpful.   Harriet's Substack:  https://substack.com/@theeatingdisordertherapist   Harriet Frew's current offers: - Online 10 Steps to Intuitive Eating Course  https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/online-courses.html Online Breaking Free from Bulimia  https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/b...

Compulsive exercise is not joyful. It has become a weary, punishing ‘should’ to endure despite injury and bone-weary exhaustion. You cannot stop. Your sanity depends on completing the next workout and achieving your step count. It’s rigid and time robbing of precious life moments. You rely on exercise to earn your meals and to give you permission to eat. It is a distraction from difficult emotions...

Making sense of your eating disorder through psychological formulation If you’re lost in the jungle of your eating disorder, without a map to guide you safely, you probably feel intense confusion and overwhelm. Why can’t I just eat normally? Why the constant obsessions with food? What is wrong with me? You likely feel terribly alone. To begin to unravel the tangled ed vines that have wrapped thems...

Your thoughts play an important role in your relationship with food. This episode dives into raising awareness of negative automatic thoughts and how to challenge them. This is particularly relevant if you are struggling with binge eating, emotional eating, out-of-control eating and/or chewing/spitting. I hope that you find it helpful.   This week's sponsor: - Marcelle Rose  Book: https://amzn.eu/...

In this episode, I explore unhealthy competitiveness and how it can be destructive. Particularly, when it leaves you constantly comparing and not feeling good enough. I hope that you enjoy it.   Harriet's Substack:  https://substack.com/@theeatingdisordertherapist   Harriet Frew's current offers: - Online 10 Steps to Intuitive Eating Course  https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/online-cour...

CBT-E is one of the most favoured and researched therapies for eating disorders. It means enhanced cognitive behaviour therapy. If you access support via the NHS (assuming that you are based in the UK), you may well be offered this treatment, particularly if you meet diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder. The approach is described as transdiagnostic, as...

Being the eldest daughter can bring unique challenges to well-being. Eldest children tend to be super-carers, overly responsible and 'good children'. In this episode, I explore my personal experience as an eldest child and the impact on relationship with food and mental health. I hope that you enjoy the episode.   Harriet's Substack:  https://substack.com/@theeatingdisordertherapist   Harriet Frew...

Here I share 7 healthy hacks, which I love. These are centred around mental wellbeing, connection and self-care. I hope that you enjoy the episode.   Harriet's Substack:  https://substack.com/@theeatingdisordertherapist   Harriet Frew's current offers: - Online 10 Steps to Intuitive Eating Course  https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/online-courses.html Online Breaking Free from Bulimia  h...