bonds

Bonds: Wired in Our DNA

As mammals we are wired in our DNA for bonding. Our brain is flooded with happy chemicals and hormones when...

Anatomy of a Fight: What is Happening Below the Surface

The Tip of the Iceberg A fight generally begins with some sort of prompting event or trigger. This is generally...

Autism

3 Crucial Steps to Understanding and Addressing Autism Spectrum Disorder

1. What is ASD? Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that changes how you think and process information....

First Therapy Appointment

Three Key Things to Expect for Your First Therapy Appointment

Taking the first step to schedule a therapy appointment requires a lot of courage—congratulations on making that decision! If you’re...

Understanding Dissociation: Causes and Treatments

What is Dissociation Dissociation used to be a rare condition, but it has unfortunately increased and become more common for...

EMDR for Children

EMDR: Therapeutic Technique For Children

What Does EMDR Look Like for Children? EMDR for children involves a structured eight-phase process, incorporating bilateralstimulation through guided eye...

ASD

Navigating the Social Landscape With ASD

The Puzzle of Social Interactions Navigating the intricate social landscape can be a complex task, especially for children and teenagers...

social anxiety

Social Anxiety and PTSD During Inevitable Uncertainty

How Social Anxiety and PTSD Interact Social anxiety is also known as social phobia and can come hand in hand...

self-trust

From Surviving to Thriving: Choosing Self-Trust Over Self-Reliance

Growing up, I learned that being independent was something to be proud of. While self-reliance can be a strength, it can also become a trap when it’s the only tool we use. Asking for help feels uncomfortable and often leads to a tug-of-war between the part of me that wants to power through on my own, and the part that longs to reach out but hesitates. That’s where self-trust makes the difference. Instead of proving we can carry it all, self-trust helps us know when to rest, when to ask for support, and when to let ourselves soften.

Dog assisted therapy in this photo the dog is resting at our feet

What Is Animal-Assisted Therapy?

And How a Calm Dog Can Help You Feel More Human Again If you’ve ever felt the quiet comfort of...

Eating Disorders - It's Not About the Food

By Kelly Lopez

If it’s not about the food, what is it really about?

The eating disorder serves a function, it does a job. Despite the problems an eating disorder creates, it is an effort to cope, shield against, communicate, and solve problems. Behaviors may be a way to establish a sense of power or control, self-worth, strength, and containment. Bringing may be used to numb pain. Purging may be a way to release emotions. When one cannot cope in healthy ways, adaptive functions (behaviors) are created to ensure a sense of safety, security, and control.
According to Carolyn Costin*, some of the “adaptive functions that eating disorder behaviors commonly serve are”:
It’s not about the food, it’s a way of coping with low self-esteem, negative emotions, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, unstable home, difficulty resolving conflict and much more.
*Costin, Carolyn. The Eating Disorder Sourcebook: A Comprehensive Guide to the Causes, Treatments and Prevention of Eating Disorders. 3rd. edition, McGraw Hill, 2007.
Fuller, Kristen. “Eating Disorders: It’s Not All about Food.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 22 Mar. 2017