#5- Recovery is Possible

A client in recovery wishes you knew: I never really believed in the concept of recovery. And while I’m not fully recovered, I’m so much further along than I ever dreamed possible. And while it’s been tough, my life is so much better without the clutches of my ED. I’m starting to believe that full […]

#4- Societal & Cultural Norms Fuel the Fire

A client in recovery wishes you knew: There are so many things that I wish people knew about EDs – and primarily because people don’t talk about them as much as they should given their prevalence and our society’s warped perspective on women’s bodies. No one who has an eating disorder wants it; they affect […]

#3- The Judgments Really Hurt

A client in recovery wishes you knew: 1. I’m not lazy (even though I’m fat) 2. Your judgement hurts- a lot. (I’m probably more judgmental of myself than you are of me anyway, I constantly have to content with “negative voices”.) 3. You can help by valuing me as a person for my ideas and […]

#2- Eating Disorders Come In All Shapes and Sizes

A client in recovery wishes you knew: Bodies really do come in all shapes and sizes, and we don’t teach kids that it’s OK to follow your own genetic blueprint. For me, eating disorder recovery means accepting that plus-sized is my body’s healthy setting. Another client in recovery wishes you knew: Eating disorders come in […]

#1- You Can’t Always See The Pain

A client in recovery wishes you knew: I wish that people knew that even though you are eating and smiling again and look better on the outside, you can still be suffering on the inside. Rebecca Scritchfield wishes you knew: You can’t always see the suffering. Most people assume that “harmless” occasional body bashing, or […]

Lent: Supporting or Derailing Your Health?

This post is written by Sarah Patten, a registered dietitian nutritionist with Marci RD. I hesitate to type these words for fear of jinxing what I’m about to say, but after being pummeled with blizzards for the past few months and experiencing the official snowiest winter in Boston’s history, it seems as though the worst […]

Client Spotlight: Pregnancy and Eating Disorder Recovery

(This post is written by a client. Here is her story.) “You do not have to be good You do not have to walk on your knees For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.” ~ Mary Oliver “You don’t […]

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week: Client Spotlight

I thought long and hard about what I wanted to share on my blog for National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. And I didn’t think there could be anything more powerful than sharing a story of recovery from one of my clients. Enjoy. Committing to recovery was a difficult decision to make. Not because I didn’t […]

Client Spotlight: Things I Wish For

We all have wishes. Things we long for, dream about, hope of. And I believe that taking care of our minds, bodies, and spirits is a pre-requisite to living a full and abundant life. A life that is full of wishes coming true. This beautifully written client spotlight could not capture these sentiments more completely. Imagine the […]

Client Spotlight: Happiness Starts Now, Not in 10 Pounds

I talk about body image and weight a lot. Our culture values thinness (sometimes under the guise of health) and places one image of beauty on a pedestal (thin, lean, blonde, Caucasian). Consequently, a lot of women find themselves lost in self-loathing as they don’t seem to measure up. Rather than putting their energy into […]

Good-Bye Jeans

I learn a lot from my clients. In fact, that’s one of the things I love about my work. A few weeks ago, I got an email from a client who wanted to bring in some old jeans to our next session. These were jeans she wore when her eating disorder was pretty darn bad. […]

Client Spotlight: Ups & Downs of Recovery…Totally Worth It!

Every so often I have the pleasure of sharing with you a client’s story. (See the tag on the side of my blog: Client Spotlights). Eating disorder recovery is a long and scary road. Seeing the successes (both small and big), is a vital part of holding out hope and belief in a better life. […]

Client Spotlight: 5 Lessons on My Path to Recovery

Every so often I have the pleasure of sharing with you a client’s story. (See the tag on the side of my blog: Client Spotlights). Eating disorder recovery is a long and scary road. Seeing the successes (both small and big), is a vital part of holding out hope and belief in a better life. […]

Client Spotlight: Letting Go

I am continually grateful to my clients who teach me on a daily basis.  Their intelligence, compassion, and drive never cease to amaze me.  And I’m also grateful that they are willing to share their stories with my blog readers.  I can’t tell you the number of people who say that the client spotlights are […]

Client Spotlight: Cooking and Climbing

Each month I look forward to posting a client spotlight.  And I’m so grateful that “A” was willing to share her story with all of you.  It has been so gratifying to work with her as she has worked hard to develop a happy/healthy relationship with food.  She has fought hard in her recovery from […]

Friend Spotlight: Health & Self at the TOP of the List

So each month I try to highlight a client’s success whether big or small.  And this month I’d like to showcase my good friend Laci.  Over the past year she has fully committed herself to her health.  She, like many of you, was overworked and overcommitted with her job, volunteer work, and taking care of […]

Client Spotlight: Finding Peace with Food

I find immense joy in sharing my client’s successes (click on the Tag “Client Spotlights” for more inspiring stories).  Here’s another spotlight that gives me goosebumps.  Check out J’s story of learning to surrender control and find peace with food. Recently, I’ve caught myself at random times having an unfamiliar feeling: I’m no longer controlled by food; […]

Client Spotlight: 3 Lessons Learned

I have been working with a client who has made tremendous strides with her eating habits and her relationship with food. She is currently 37 years old and describes herself as a long time emotional eater and “on again/off again” dieter. She grew up with a father who equates food with love and has had […]

Client Spotlight: Honesty as a Tool for Change

Today I’d like to highlight a client I’ll call Tricia. I’ve been working with Tricia for nearly 8 months.  She’s battled bulimia for years, but her recent breakthrough is a lesson that applies to anyone looking to make positive change in their life. In short, Tricia decided to become transparent with me, her therapist, and […]

Client Spotlight: Physical Activity

I’m often inspired and amazed at the changes my clients make to improve the quality of their lives. Sometimes these changes are quite major, but most of the time they are small yet significant steps to better health.  So I thought it would be fun to anonymously spotlight my clients once a month.  I’ll focus on […]