"A deep sense of love and belonging is an irreducible need of all people. We are biologically, cognitively, physically and spiritually wired to love, to be loved, and to belong. When those needs are not met, we don't function as we were meant to. We break. We fall...
It’s almost that time of year. In a couple of weeks, Christmas (for those of us who celebrate) will be said and done, and we’ll be turning the page into 2024. The new year offers us a chance to reflect on the year that has been and start thinking about how we’d like...
A number of years ago I went "all in", before I even really knew what that meant, or that there was a term for it.What is "all in"?"All in" is a phrase that sometimes gets used in eating disorder recovery circles, and it refers to the recovery practice of physically,...
There's a lot of myths and misconceptions out there about what body image is and how to improve it. There's even more well-worn advice that let's face it; just doesn't work. Therefore, I've put together this list to help you on your journey to improving body image....
Years ago, as a somewhat freshly qualified therapist, I stepped eagerly into the first of many eating disorder specific trainings that I would undertake.Personally, I was reckoning with almost two decades worth of my own disordered behaviour and thoughts around food...
Everyone has a relationship with food. If you are fortunate, this is something that you've never had to give a whole lot of thought.However, for many people in our culture; a culture which places a great deal of emphasis on appearance, weight, and attaining or...
Recently, I returned from a month-long trip to Nepal. Amongst sightseeing in and around Kathmandu and soaking in the chilled-out vibes of tourist-town, Pokhara, I spent 10 days as part of a group, hiking the Annapurna base camp trail. When telling people about my...
Working as an anti-diet, Health At Every Size (HAES®) aligned therapist, I can confidently say that I know a thing or two about what it takes to embrace body positivity, self-acceptance, and a more intuitive and peaceful way of relating to food and body image.A lot of...
In this day and age, most people know that "dieting" is a dirty word (and thus use other words to disguise and sell what essentially is still intentional weight loss..... a.k.a. dieting). So what does it really mean to strictly take a non-diet approach? In the 70's,...
Growing up, *Sally got the message loud and clear, that it would be bad if she ever got fat.No one said this to her directly. Yet she couldn't help but notice a lot of things; many of them subconscious, many not.Her mum, aunties and grandmother were always on diets....
Eating disorder recovery. Grief. And wait, what......conspiracy theories?? What could they possibly have in common?Seemingly nothing….yet in many ways, maybe everything.When I decided to write this piece, I’ll admit that I ran in to some writer’s block.Where the hell...
Last month, in a 3-part series dedicated to the time we are experiencing in the Covid-19 pandemic, I shared a piece detailing 3 things that you can do to feel more in charge, if you are struggling with mental health during isolation. If you would like to revisit this...
A couple of months have passed, and the covid-19 pandemic rages on.Whilst the world watches and waits, we do our best to isolate, physically distance and for many, simply survive. This last point means different things depending on who you are.If you identify as...
For the last few weeks, with the exception of collecting essentials, my partner and I have been self-isolating, along with our cat who it would appear was born for this.I think this feels like a strange time for a lot of people. Challenging, to different degrees and...
At some point in your life, if you are unlucky, you may find yourself amongst the estimated 10-15% of adults who experience symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Irritable bowel syndrome, or “IBS” is characterised by abdominal pain, diarrhoea, constipation and...
"[Self-esteem] is the disposition to experience oneself as competent to cope with the basic challenges of life and as worthy of happiness"- Nathaniel Branden, Psychotherapist I still remember being a teenager, almost twenty years ago, sitting in self-esteem...
“Fear is the memory of pain. Addiction is the memory of pleasure. Freedom is beyond both” - Deepak ChopraSomehow or in some way, you have found yourself in this little corner of the internet, on a site called Freedom from Food.Hello and welcome!I’m not sure exactly...
I got an email advertising a conference I might be interested in; the Body Image and Related Disorders Conference (BIRD) which was to be held in my home town of Melbourne, at Swinburne University.Now, anyone who knows me, knows that I am a sucker for a good...
Recently I completed a short course to improve my public speaking skills, in which I was required to craft a final presentation. Here, I speak about my experience with an eating disorder, and my passion for making a difference as to how we view things like body image...
Have you ever been to see a psychologist, counsellor, hypnotherapist or any other type of therapist who assists with mental or emotional health?No doubt that if you haven't personally, then it is likely that you know someone who has. These days there is much less...
Make no mistake; I've had a tortured relationship with food for as long as I can remember.I was about 8 or 9, doing gymnastics when I looked around and realised that I was 'bigger' than all of the other girls. Actually, the truth is that I was just hitting puberty...
Coming in to a new year, I am loath to write another blog post asking you to reflect on 2018 and plan for 2019. You’ve heard it all before, I know that. Such a blog would likely end up in the pile of other such similar blogs from every other well-intentioned blogger...