Edeology

Periodically, I hear someone describe a past therapist, a particular therapy modality, or a treatment center as “just in it for the money.” On the flip side, I’ve had many conversations with therapists and other mental health providers about how hard it is to hold fees, guilt for raising fees, strain strain related to enforcing […]

In this episode, I discuss why this podcast has no content rules and how I address information that might be triggering to the listener. I also do a deep dive into the question, can words cause harm? More on Elka: https://cubacubcounseling.com/  Elka’s book, Binge Eating Demystified https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FD493WZ3

How do we know what is real? There is a growing number of treatment modalities, each with its own acronyms and catchphrases. There is also a large diversity of opinions around issues related to food, health, and eating disorder recovery. How do we know what treatment approach to follow?  In this dialogue, I have two

When we argue with other clinicians about treatment-related issues, it’s natural to focus almost exclusively on content. And when it doesn’t go well, we often attribute that to the wrongness of the other person’s position. We might accuse them of perpetuating harm, or being small-minded or out of touch with reality or science. I would

It can be taken for granted that there are many non-disordered ways of eating. In addition to food preferences and aversions, allergies, food-sensitivities, and body composition, our food choices can be also shaped by spiritual, cultural, and ethical values. In eating disorder treatment, this simple truth becomes much more complicated for two reasons: Firstly, because

The therapeutic relationship is, in some ways, a bizarre one. On one hand, it’s a meeting between two people, a space where you share so much of yourself, your deeper emotions, and experiences. And at the same time, there are very clear and firm ethical and professional boundaries. Human nature alongside the depth and vulnerability

Is it a therapist’s responsibility to advocate for social justice, to take a stance on political issues that impact the lives of their clients and/or minoritized groups? Or are therapists supposed to be apolitical, to enter the therapy space without an ideological agenda so they can hold space for whatever belief systems the client brings

Bariatric surgery is a medical procedure that modifies a person’s stomach and sometimes intestines to help them lose weight. In the eating disorder recovery world, this topic isn’t discussed often because so many professionals take an active stand against fat phobia and, by extension, intentional weight loss. Our guest today brings together two worlds that

In healthcare, we know that the same set of symptoms can reflect different underlying causes. The more we understand the range of causality and underlying dynamics in eating disorders, the more we can offer truly individualized and effective care. In previous episodes, we’ve discussed the role that trauma, complex trauma, dissociation, and genetics can play

Is an eating disorder the result of past trauma? When we see someone stuck in self-destructive and potentially life-threatening behaviors, it’s natural to ask what terrible event created this? Clinicians often debate the importance of addressing past trauma in eating disorder treatment, versus targeting present symptoms. Psychodynamic and embodied approaches typically emphasize past history and