In the world of mental health and therapy, there's often a buzz around "evidence-based treatment" or EBT. It sounds great, right? But what exactly does it mean, and is it the be-all and end-all of effective therapy? Is there a difference between EBT and psychodynamic psychotherapy (deep work therapy)? Why has CBT gotten a monopoly on the evidence-based title? So many questions!

In today’s episode, I am joined by Douglas Bunnell. Douglas W. Bunnell, Ph.D., FAED, CEDS-S is a clinical psychologist in Fairfield, Connecticut. He has specialized in the treatment of people with eating disorders for the past 30 years. Dr. Bunnell is a past board chair of the NEDA and recipient of their Lifetime Achievement Award.

You might not be surprised to hear that perfectionism and eating disorders do hand-in-hand, but WHY is that and HOW do we go about addressing it? Colby Golder is a Registered Dietitian who specializes in eating disorders and disordered eating. Read or listen to the podcast episode as we discuss what perfectionism looks like, how orthorexia plays a role, and questions to ask yourself to address your perfectionist tendencies. Find more information on therapy sessions and treatment in NYC and Brooklyn on my website.

Exploring your past and your relationships in deep work psychotherapy is more important than you realize — and ignoring them might actually be holding you back from recovering from your eating disorder. In this podcast episode, will discuss the affect your past has on your present (even if you don’t feel like you had any childhood trauma), why it’s important to look at your past with curiosity and not judgment, and how to get started today. Use these as your first steps toward disordered eating treatment and find more information on therapy sessions in NYC and Brooklyn on my website.

If you’re struggling with disordered eating or an eating disorder diagnosis, and even if you’re in deep work therapy or treatment, you might feel like you don’t understand WHY you do the things you do. It can be frustrating to have read all the research and know exactly what you’re supposed to do, but still feel like you’re not able to make a change. That’s where Jennifer Diaz, mindset success coach, comes in. She uses her training in psychology and neuroplasticity to help ambitious optimize their potential and feel more fulfilled in business and life.

When you’re in therapy — deep work therapy, psychoanalytic therapy, or otherwise — and hoping to find recovery from an eating disorder, it can be frustrating to feel like it’s not working out with your therapist. Take this as your guide to how to start the conversation in your next session and start finding the disordered eating treatment you need.

Taking the step toward treatment for an eating disorder, whether it’s bulimia nervosa or anorexia nervosa, can be terrifying… and that’s where Ibbits Newhall comes in. Follow our conversation about steps to recovery from eating disorders, how to approach treatment and therapy with family and loved ones, and more.

Unlike any other disorder in the DSM (diagnostic bible for mental illness), eating disorders have become glamorous and even enviable. “OMG how do you eat so little?” and “You’re so good. You work out at the gym all the time.” Robyn and I talk about how in the world this happened and what to do about it. Robyn also shares some possible impacts of restriction on the body.

Robyn is a Certified Eating Disorders Registered Dietitian and Supervisor in private practice in Los Angeles, CA and has been in the field for 25 years! She is a contributing author and is a nationally and internationally known registered dietitian nutritionist. She has been quoted in The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Vogue, The Fix, Shape Magazine, Fitness, Oxygen, Pilates Style, Diabetes Forecast, BH Weekly, and Life & Style. She has been on national television as the eating disorder expert on The Insider.   Robyn is the author of the new book The Eating Disorder Trap: A Guide for Clinicians and Loved Ones and the host of the podcast The Eating Disorder Trap Podcast.

Dr Lara Zibarras is a psychologist and food freedom coach. She helps women create a healthy and happy relationship with food, without guilt or emotional eating. She is the founder of the Health Mindset Matters program which helps women discover the science and psychology behind their eating struggles and binges. She teaches women how to tune into their bodies and rediscover how to eat for both nourishment and enjoyment - creating a mindset for sustainable health.

This conversation is all about research. Alright, it may sound boring. But trust me, you’ll learn things that you haven’t heard before (come back and thank me later). Sitting with us today is Molly Fennig, an author and clinical psychology student dedicated to eating disorder research. Her book entitled Starvation has received multiple recognition and has inspired many. Molly is always one step ahead in impacting the world by using quantitative and qualitative strategies to back up her interest in eating disorder treatments. She’s now pursuing her Ph.D. at Washington University in St. Louis. and has been a part of multiple studies in the eating disorder field. 

Learn what does evidence-based research mean, fact-checking studies, interpreting subjective research, and the fundamentals of how we become better critical thinkers when we hear the famous term “research shows.” Tune in to this episode and discover more.

Jessica Setnick has worked in the eating disorder field for nearly 25 years, as well as her own eating disorder recovery. She envisions a world where no one is ashamed to talk about their eating issues, and everyone who wants it has access to help. She works toward these goals by educating health professionals and the public, especially through her training workshop, Eating Disorders Boot Camp, and her Eating Disorders Pocket Guides. She started a professional organization for eating disorder dietitians through which she advocates for legislation to improve access to care. 

Anyway, about the title. I know what you’re thinking, “Um, eating disorders are definitely a problem,” and you’re not incorrect. This chat will highlight why eating disorders have come about because they were solutions to a larger problem. Solving that problem will enable you to get rid of ED for good. Solving just the problem of ED will leave you with the roots untouched. That’s when your body, psyche, whatever will find another solution to the larger problem.

Also, we talk about how anger can get the best of us and how we can approach conflict in a way that helps us learn more. Obviously not easy 🙄.

Welcome to another episode of the Understanding Disordered Eating Podcast. Today I teamed up with Catherine Silver, a licensed clinical social worker in private practice who specializes in depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and body image concerns. She was also the previous Senior Team Leader at one of the nation's leading eating disorder treatment centers. 

Join the conversation as we talk about higher levels of care. Catherine shares her insight on diet culture, the different care levels, recovery process, eating disorder red flags to consider, and more. Catherine has a knack for breaking ideas down to be really easy to listen to and understand,  I hope you will learn from this episode!