How to Avoid Binging on Thanksgiving: Tips From An Binge Eating Disorder Therapist

For some people, thanksgiving is a holiday they love and look forward to every year. They’re thrilled to cook and bake and to be around the people they love. For others, Thanksgiving is something they feel anxious about. They don’t have a good relationship with food and worry about the consequences of what they eat on this day. They struggle to be around their family which makes them uncomfortable. Everyone has a mixed experience on this holiday, and that’s ok. 

One way people cope with uncomfortable feelings is through binging or restricting food. Even the average person, struggles to not binge or overeat on Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is known as the meal that everyone binges on but that doesn’t have to be the case. If being uncomfortably full or binging is not your goal, I would love to help. 

How do I not binge on Thanksgiving?

The most important thing I need you to know is that we aren’t creating a rule that you can’t overeat on Thanksgiving. Honoring and listening to your body in the moment is what’s important. If you don’t want to binge eat on thanksgiving, I have some tips for you. 

Don’t skip meals before 

Whether you eat your Thanksgiving meal at lunch or dinner, you might feel tempted to skip the meals before. You can either be trying to compensate for the meal you’ll eat later or you want to save room for your thanksgiving feast but this ends up being counterintuitive. Restricting meals often leads to overeating when you do eat. This causes you to be overly hungry, and you are more likely to binge on Thanksgiving dinner. Eat normally leading up to your meal if you don’t want to be prone to binging. 

Eat only the things you love

When it comes right down to it, you’re eating to fuel your body and not to please other people. If you don’t like Aunt Susan’s green bean casserole, you don’t have to eat it. You don’t need to fill your plate (or your life) with things that you don’t really love and enjoy. Sometimes it helps to think beforehand about the foods you really look forward to on Thanksgiving. Plan on eating those because those are the things you like. Skip out on the food you don’t want or enjoy. You’re not alive to people, please. Take care of yourself. 

Be present while eating

Take some deep breaths before you start your meal. Put down your fork between bites. Again, this isn’t a rule, and you aren’t trying to restrict food. However, if you’re trying to listen to your hunger and fullness signals it can help to go slow. No thanks to diet culture eating slowly is another trick to restrict. That’s not what we are trying to do here. Eating slowly helps you stay present and in tune. Eating food fast will have a higher likelihood of resulting in a binge. 

Don’t plan to diet after

If you’re going into thanksgiving dinner or any of the holidays with the mindset that the diet starts on Monday or in the New year, you’re going to not just binge for one meal. You’re going to binge all weekend long or for the rest of the year. Just the thought of restriction will lead to a higher likelihood of binging. You will get into “the last supper” mentality and won’t be listening to your body. Dieting leads to a rebound in weight gain plus some in 95 percent of people. Dieting is out and listening to your body is in. 

Be compassionate, it’s just one meal 

In the end, it’s just one meal. Whether you overeat or binge, it’s ok. It’s one meal. It’s not going to ruin you. You don’t have to beat yourself up or give it any more thought. Be kind to yourself. You did the best you can. Berating yourself isn’t going to lead to long-term positive results. Try self-compassion instead. 

Binge eating disorder treatment can help

If you find yourself stuck in a cycle of restricting and binging, it can be difficult to stop on your own. I’m sure you’ve tried. There’s nothing wrong with you because this is where you struggle. Working with a professional that specializes in binge eating disorder can help you stop the cycle. It can erode your self-esteem to keep bouncing back and forth between binging and restricting. There is a way out and binge eating disorder treatment can help. 

Ready to start working with a binge eating disorder therapist in Utah?

You don’t have to keep struggling with your relationship with food. You can stop feeling anxious and not keep perpetuating the cycle of binging and restricting. Binge eating disorder treatment can help. This Utah Counseling Practice has a binge eating disorder therapist specializing in binge eating disorder treatment in Utah. To start the therapy process, follow the steps below: 

1. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation 

2. Meet with an eating disorder therapist 

3. Begin finding food freedom

Online Eating Disorder Therapy in Utah 

It’s important to be able to have access to a therapist that specializes in eating disorder treatment. There are many parts of Utah that don’t have an eating disorder therapist in their town. This is why I provide online therapy in Utah. It allows you to meet face-to-face with an eating disorder therapist over a video platform. It’s just as effective as in-person therapy.

Online counseling also means that wherever you are in Utah, we can work together. I work with clients in Salt Lake City, Provo, Logan, St. George, Cedar City, Heber City, and more.

Other mental health services at Maple Canyon Therapy 

Binge eating disorder treatment isn’t the only counseling service provided at this Utah Counseling Clinic. Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy include EMDR therapy, birth trauma therapy, eating disorder therapy, body image therapy, and anxiety therapy. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation to see how I can help. 

About the Author 

Ashlee Hunt is a licensed clinical social worker and founder of Maple Canyon Therapy in Utah. She has two bachelor's degrees: a degree in psychology and a degree in family life and human development from Southern Utah University. Ashlee has a master's degree in social work from Utah State University. She has worked with eating disorders at all levels of care from inpatient, partial hospitalization, and outpatient. Ashlee loves helping women work through eating disorder recovery and find freedom from the anxiety they feel around food. When Ashlee isn’t doing therapy, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two Goldendoodles exploring Utah.

Other Blog Posts You Might Enjoy

• 4 Tips to Recover From a Binge From an Eating Disorder Therapist

• Binge Eating Disorder: A Comprehensive Guide

• 6 Things Not to Say to Someone with Binge Eating Disorder 

• Binge Eating Disorder Treatment: Everything You Need to Know

3 Reasons Why You Might Love Online Eating Disorder Therapy

I’ve recently asked my clients about what they thought online therapy would be like and what some of their hesitancies were. The fear of not being able to read social cues, that it won’t be as effective as in-person or that it might just be weird. I’ve been doing online therapy since before the pandemic and was surprised that some people didn’t love the idea before they tried it. 

Despite some of the myths, you might actually love online eating disorder therapy. Online eating disorder therapy is effective, and I want you to love it because it’s so impactful to have access to an eating disorder therapist from wherever you are in Utah. 

Reasons why you might like online eating disorder therapy

There are numerous reasons why online eating disorder therapy is a good option. Here are just a few: 

1. You don’t have to travel 

I grew up in a rural part of Utah, and to get access to many normal amenities took nearly two hours. Having a specialized need like an eating disorder requires having a therapist who has the training in it. There are many parts of Utah that don’t have access to this kind of therapist. If they wanted this, they would have to drive a long distance to get to a therapy appointment. Even if you don’t live in a rural part of Utah, there’s still traffic. When you meet with an eating disorder therapist online, you don’t have to travel. 

2. You can stay comfortable 

Something important to me is that my clients are comfortable. I want them to feel safe and comfortable enough with me to open up about what they are experiencing. Women with eating disorders already feel embarrassed talking about their struggles, and I want to do anything to alleviate this. When you are able to have therapy from a place that you feel comfortable in, you are more likely to feel open to talking about your struggles. It doesn’t matter if you are in sweatpants or not because you’ll get the same treatment. 

3. It’s just as effective as in-person therapy

This is the most important thing for you to know: online therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy. It doesn’t change my therapeutic style or their ability to overcome their eating disorders. In-person therapy isn’t superior to online therapy. You certainly are allowed a preference, and you don’t have to do online therapy with a therapist if you don’t want to. However, it’s not ineffective just because it’s over a video platform. 

Online eating disorder therapy can help you with eating disorder recovery

You deserve to find relief from your eating disorder. Online eating disorder therapy can help you find lasting freedom from anxiety and from your disordered eating. Meeting with an eating disorder therapist will help you work through your negative beliefs about yourself. You may not know all that’s underneath your eating disorder but online eating disorder therapy can help. 

Start working with an eating disorder therapist in Utah

You don’t have to feel anxiety about eating or feel preoccupied with your body. You can find freedom from all of your fears. Eating disorder therapy can help. This Utah Counseling Clinic has an eating disorder therapist specializing in eating disorder therapy. To begin counseling follow the steps below: 

1. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation 

2. Meet with an eating disorder therapist in Utah 

3. Begin eating disorder recovery 

Online Therapy in Utah 

All services at Maple Canyon Therapy are available through online therapy in Utah. This means that if you are located in Logan, St. George, Cedar City, Salt Lake City, Heber City, Provo, and more, we can work together. 

Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy 

Eating disorder therapy isn’t the only counseling service provided by this Utah Counseling Center. Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy include anxiety therapy, body image therapy, binge eating disorder treatment, EMDR therapy, and birth trauma therapy. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation to see how I can help. 

About the Author 

Ashlee Hunt is a licensed clinical social worker at Maple Canyon Therapy in Utah. She has a bachelor of science in psychology and a bachelor of science in family life and human development. Both of the undergraduate degrees she received from Southern Utah University. Ashlee received her masters in social work from Utah State University. She has been working with eating disorders for several years and has worked with women with eating disorders in inpatient, partial hospitalization, and outpatient settings. Ashlee has had a passion for understanding and helping people with eating disorders since high school. When Ashlee isn’t in therapy she enjoys exploring southern Utah and has enjoys riding her ebike through Snow Canyon State Park.

3 Topics to Address in Eating Disorder Therapy

When my clients first start therapy they admit that they are feeling nervous because they aren’t entirely sure what to talk about in a therapy session. They’re already embarrassed about their eating disorder behaviors and even just admitting they have them is a feat. What else are they supposed to talk about in eating disorder therapy? I can totally understand how difficult it is to even reach out for help and to talk to someone every week about what you struggle with. You’ll find it will get easier with time but I also know it can help to know what you’re going to focus on in the session. 

What should I talk about in eating disorder therapy?

My clients are sometimes surprised that often times we aren’t talking about the details of their eating disorder in therapy every week. My focus as a therapist is to get to the deeper root of my eating disorder, and that often has nothing to do with food. The topics you could open up about in eating disorder therapy are endless. Here are some of the common topics to consider focusing on. 

Your relationship with food 

It seems like when my clients come to eating disorder counseling they worry that I’m going to judge them for how they eat and their eating disorder behaviors. To me, your eating disorder behaviors are symbolic of so much more. A topic to address is how you developed your relationship with food. How do you view food? Do you think there are good and bad foods? What unspoken rules have you adapted to about how and what you should eat? Where did your relationship with food start to become problematic? As a therapist, I want to explore the areas of your life that have influenced you to have a problematic relationship with food. Eating disorder therapy can help you heal your complicated relationship with food but first, we need to explore your history with it. 

The negative beliefs about yourself 

Having an eating disorder often means you struggle with your self-esteem and your beliefs about yourself and your abilities. Eating disorder therapy can help you focus on identifying what these beliefs are about yourself and where they started. Many of my clients feel that they aren’t good enough and are trying to compensate for this belief by trying to control their appearance. Processing these beliefs in therapy can help you challenge what you’ve learned to believe about yourself. It may seem impossible when you think about changing how you feel about yourself but this is a significant part of counseling. 

Past traumatic experiences 

Many of my clients don’t think they’ve experienced any level of trauma when they first come into therapy. They often share they have had a normal childhood, and don’t think there is anything that they could even consider as traumatic. Trauma doesn’t have to be a word that you believe describes your experiences but there are past experiences in your life that impact your brain in the same way trauma has. Therapy focuses on being able to find out what those are and to process them so they don’t impact your life. You might not think they are impacting your life now but through counseling will be able to see the connection and overcome them. 

Eating disorder therapy can help you find freedom

It doesn’t matter if you have an eating disorder or not. If you have some disordered eating or a history of chronic dieting, eating disorder therapy can do the same thing for you. You deserve to be able to change how you feel about food, your body, and your self-esteem. You may not realize how you’ve been robbed of your freedom but the good news is you can get it back. Eating disorder therapy can help you achieve peace of mind. 

Begin working with an eating disorder therapist in Utah 

You can find relief from the constant thoughts about food and the fear of gaining weight. Eating disorder therapy can help. This Utah Counseling Center has an eating disorder therapist specializing in eating disorder therapy. To begin counseling follow the steps below:

1. Book a free 15-minute phone consultation 

2. Meet with an eating disorder therapist in Utah

3. Start eating disorder recovery

Online Eating Disorder Therapy in Utah 

It’s hard to find a therapist who specializes in eating disorders, has the training to treat them, and is located in your town. I believe you deserve to work with someone that knows exactly how to help you. This is why I offer online therapy in Utah. Online eating disorder therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy without the hassle of traveling to a therapy appointment. 

Online counseling also means that if you’re located in Salt Lake City, Provo, Logan, Cedar City, St. George, Heber City, and more, we can work together for eating disorder recovery. 

Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy 

Eating disorder therapy isn’t the only mental health service provided by this Utah Counseling Clinic. Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy include anxiety therapy, EMDR therapy, birth trauma therapy, binge eating disorder treatment, and body image therapy. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation to see how I can help. 

About the Author 

Ashlee Hunt is a licensed clinical social worker and founder of Maple Canyon Therapy in Utah. Ashlee received a bachelor of science in psychology and a bachelor of science in family life and human development from Southern Utah University. She obtained her master's degree in social work from Utah State University. Ashlee has been working with eating disorders since 2013 and has worked at an inpatient psychiatric hospital for eating disorders providing therapy to clients at all levels of care. She enjoys continuing to learn the best practices for treating eating disorders and is inspired by the women she works with who focus on eating disorder recovery. When Ashlee isn’t doing therapy, she is exploring Utah and spending time with her husband and dogs.

What to Expect from Eating Disorder Therapy

You know that you struggle with food and anxiety but you aren’t sure if it’s bad enough to need to go to therapy. Besides that, you don’t know what eating disorder therapy would be like and you avoid things that make you anxious. I completely understand your hesitancy. It’s vulnerable and scary to open up to someone about what you are struggling with. I want to provide some reassurance that I’m genuinely interested in helping you. It doesn’t matter if you don’t think your eating disorder is as bad as other people, you still deserve help. I would never minimize your struggle nor would I wonder why you were reaching out for therapy. I pinky swear I’m here to help, and no matter what, you deserve help. 

If it helps you make your decision to go to therapy, I want to give you some ideas on what are the common themes for me in working with women with eating disorders. 

What’s the focus of eating disorder therapy?

There are plenty of areas to cover in eating disorder therapy. This is why eating disorder therapy generally takes 18 months to two years. These are the most common themes that are addressed with my clients. 

To learn to practice self-compassion 

If I only had one sentence to sum up what eating disorder therapy comes down to it would be: therapy helps you learn to be kind to yourself. If you struggle like my clients do this probably sounds impossible to you right now. You might also think that having kindness and self-compassion will make you lazy and complacent but research proves the opposite is true. Eating disorder therapy will help you learn to practice being kind to yourself. Self-compassion is the most healing practice, and it might sound hard right now but I can help you. 

To talk about things you didn’t expect to talk about 

I’m gonna be honest, we aren’t going to talk a whole lot about your eating disorder and your eating disorder behaviors. Of course, we will address those but more than anything we will be talking more about the negative beliefs you have about yourself, and how your past experiences have shaped you. We will also focus on helping you learn to cope in healthier ways. The work that I do is more than just what shows up on the surface. I’m here to dive in deep and help you do deep healing. 

To learn how to feel all of your emotions 

Your eating disorder has helped you numb your emotions. You probably didn’t consciously realize you were trying to cope with anxiety, stress, or feeling unworthy when you started using eating disorder behaviors. Even as you read this you might not be able to see it, and that’s ok. Eating disorder therapy helps you learn to feel your emotions again. Part of healing is being able to feel all of the things you are avoiding feeling. I know this is scary because it feels like once you start to feel things you’ll never stop feeling them. It might feel like that at first but eventually, you’ll feel more settled and better than before. 

Start working with an eating disorder therapist in Utah 

You don’t have to figure this out yourself. You don’t have to be overwhelmed by anxiety. Eating disorder therapy can help you leave your eating disorder behind. This Utah Counseling Practice has an eating disorder therapist who specializes in eating disorder therapy. To begin counseling follow the steps below: 

1. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation 

2. Meet with an eating disorder therapist in Utah 

3. Begin eating disorder recovery

Online Eating Disorder Therapy in Utah 

It can be difficult to find access to a therapist that specializes in eating disorders where you live. Utah has a lot of rural places in it and unfortunately, that means many people in those places will have to travel to eating disorder therapy. This is why I offer online therapy in Utah. It’s effective and convenient. 

Online counseling also means if you live in Salt Lake City, Logan, St. George, Cedar City, Heber City, and more, we can work together. 

Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy 

Eating disorder therapy isn’t the only counseling service provided by this Utah Counseling Center. Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy include body image therapy, anxiety therapy, EMDR therapy, birth trauma therapy, and binge eating disorder treatment. Schedule a free phone consultation to see how I can help you. 

About the Author 

Ashlee Hunt is a licensed therapist at Maple Canyon Therapy in Utah. Ashlee has been working with eating disorders since 2013 and enjoys helping women in their journey to eating disorder recovery. Ashlee believes in helping women achieve body neutrality by using a health-at-every-size approach. She has a bachelor's in psychology and a bachelor's in family life and human development from Southern Utah University. Ashlee also has a masters in social work from Utah State University.

Other blog posts you might find helpful

• A Common Fear In Eating Disorder Therapy 

• 5 Reasons to Go to Eating Disorder Therapy 

• Online Eating Disorder Therapy: A Therapy Guide

• Everything You Need to Know About Eating Disorder Therapy

What I Love About Being An Eating Disorder Therapist

When I was a graduate student at Utah State University, I had an internship at the counseling center on campus doing therapy with other college students. It was then that I had my first client who had an eating disorder. Seeing her struggle with an eating disorder was heartbreaking. She was lovely and inspiring, and I wanted to do everything I could to help her. I didn’t have the training to help her. As you can imagine a graduate student's wages were pretty spare but I wanted so badly to make sure she got the treatment she needed. I spent a good chunk of change as a college student on an eating disorder professional training over the course of the weekend. 

Eating disorder therapy saves people’s lives

Ever since that experience, I have never wanted anything more than to work with eating disorders. That student has no idea that she inspired my entire career and life. One of the reasons why this became my life passion is because I saw what a significant change that can take place in the right place. The challenge with eating disorder therapy is that there are often health issues that accompany them. Not only the physical and medical issues but the horrible mental and emotional strain has on people experiencing disordered eating. Being part of something that can release women from the mental and physical prisons that they are in is all I have ever wanted to do for the rest of my life. 

You deserve the help of an eating disorder therapist 

If you are struggling with an eating disorder, I want you to know you deserve help. The most important thing to me is that you get the support that you need. You might think that your disordered eating isn’t bad enough to seek help but trust me, you deserve the help now. I can’t speak for every therapist but I can promise you that I would never think what you struggle with isn’t enough. Wherever you are at with your mental health and with your eating disorder, you deserve to find relief. You deserve to feel ok, and it’s completely possible. 

Start eating disorder therapy in Utah 

You don’t have to keep feeling anxious when you eat and are paralyzed by the fear of weight gain The scale doesn’t have to control your life. Eating disorder therapy can help. This Utah Counseling Practice has an eating disorder therapist specializing in eating disorder therapy. To begin counseling follow the steps below: 

1. Book a free 15-minute phone consultation 

2. Meet with an eating disorder therapist in Utah 

3. Begin eating disorder recovery

Online Eating Disorder Treatment in Utah 

Having access to a therapist that has specialized training in eating disorders is essential in being able to help you in eating disorder recovery. However, there are many parts of Utah that don’t have a therapist in their town who has experience in treating eating disorders. This is why I offer online therapy in Utah. It’s just as effective as in-person therapy but prevents you from the hassle of trying to travel to a therapy session. 

Online counseling means that if you are located in St. George, Cedar City, Logan, Salt Lake City, Heber City, and more, we can still work together. 

Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy 

Eating disorder therapy isn’t the only counseling service at this Utah Counseling Clinic. Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon therapy include binge eating disorder treatment, EMDR therapy, birth trauma therapy, and anxiety therapy. Reach out for a free phone consultation to see how I can help. 

About the Author 

Ashlee Hunt is a licensed clinical social worker at Maple Canyon Therapy in Utah. Ashlee has a psychology degree and a family life and human services degree from Southern Utah University. She obtained her master's in social work from Utah State University. Ashlee has been treating eating disorders since her graduate internship in 2013. She since has had extensive training in eating disorders and has worked at an inpatient treatment center for eating disorders. Ashlee uses a health-at-every-size approach to helping women recover. When Ashlee isn’t in therapy, she enjoys exploring Utah and has been enjoying riding her ebike through Snow Canyon State Park in Southern Utah.

A Common Fear In Eating Disorder Therapy

I work with women who have a wide range of issues with food, eating, and their bodies. Some share they are emotional eaters while others struggle with disordered eating and an eating disorder. All of it feels significant to me. When clients reach out to me they are afraid that their struggle is won’t be enough to warrant help. I start to notice the common themes that show up in my sessions regardless of where my client is on the disordered eating spectrum. 

A common fear is present with my clients when it comes to eating disorder therapy. “My body can’t be trusted”, they tell me. They fear that if they start eating they will never stop. They will never stop eating, and their body will never stop gaining weight. They are terrified to start this experience because they have learned to believe that their body has to be controlled. They can’t trust its hunger and fulness cues. 

The truth about eating disorder therapy 

Do you want to know the truth? Maybe for a while, your body will send you signals to eat more often than you’re used to. You might gain weight, and that might be scary. Neither you nor I get to decide what your body does to heal. You might not trust your body, and your body might struggle to trust you back. After not having access to the food it needs, and having repeated a diet and weight loss cycle more times than it wants to then it might rebel. Remember part of healing is learning to gain the trust back of your body that has kept you alive since your heart started beating when you were only a few weeks old. 

Eating disorder therapy is worth it 

What you learn about yourself in the process of eating disorder therapy will change your life. You deserve eating disorder treatment. You will learn to trust your body again. Your body will stop sending you the signals to keep eating when it knows you’re not going to withhold food again. Your body doesn’t know when it’s just a diet versus when you are actually starving. The fears you might be feeling now won’t always be fears. You’ll learn to be comfortable with your body and with food. This is not how it will always be. 

Start working with an Eating Disorder Therapist in Utah 

You don’t have to keep struggling with your body and with food. You don’t have to feel anxious about what you eat and be terrified that you’ll gain weight. Eating disorder therapy can help. This Utah Counseling Practice has an eating disorder therapist specializing in eating disorder therapy. To begin counseling follow the steps below: 

1. Book a free 15-minute phone consultation 

2. Meet with a Utah therapist 

3. Begin eating disorder recovery

Online Eating Disorder Therapy in Utah 

It’s important for you to have access to eating disorder treatment, and unfortunately, many people living all throughout Utah, don’t have access to a therapist who specializes in treating eating disorders. This is why I offer online therapy in Utah. Online eating disorder therapy lets you meet with a therapist that knows exactly how to help you without you having to travel long distances. It’s convenient and just as effective as in-person therapy. 

Online therapy allows me to work with clients all over the state of Utah. This means if you are located in St. George, Cedar City, Salt Lake City, Logan, Heber City, and more I can help you. 

Other mental health services offered at Maple Canyon Therapy 

Eating disorder therapy isn’t the only mental health service provided by this Utah Counseling Clinic. Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy include binge eating disorder treatment, anxiety therapy, EMDR therapy, and birth trauma therapy. 

About the Author 

Ashlee Hunt is a licensed clinical social worker and founder of Maple Canyon Therapy in Utah. Ashlee has a bachelor of science in Psychology and a bachelor of science in family life and human development from Southern Utah University. She earned her masters in social work from Utah State University. Ashlee has been working with women with eating disorders since 2013 and knew right away that this is the population she wanted to work with. She loves helping women learn to use self-compassion and to be kind to their bodies. Ashlee believes there is much more to eating disorder recovery than just learning to eat without anxiety. Outside of therapy, Ashlee enjoys spending time outside with her husband and dogs.

Supporting Someone With Negative Body Image: 4 Tips From a Body Image Therapist

The same thing seems to happen every morning. You’re watching your loved one look at themselves in the mirror with scrutiny. “I look disgusting!” they lament. “How is it that you can even stand to look at me?” they continue. A jab at the heart to go through this so often. Looking at this person you love and care about so much, and being so overwhelmed by all of their flaws is heartbreaking. They don’t see themselves the way you do. You don’t see someone that’s disgusting or ugly.  You see someone lovely, kind, and compassionate. You can’t imagine a more beautiful person than the one you’re watching shred their appearance apart every single day. It’s like nothing you do or say seems to make a difference at all. You feel discouraged and deflated. No matter how many times you reassure them that they aren’t disgusting, fat, or ugly, nothing changes. 

It can feel so helpless to be in this position. Loving someone with a negative body image can be challenging because you want so badly to fix it but it doesn’t matter which angle you take, nothing helps. They can’t seem to see themselves the way you do. I know there are days when you are sad that they feel this way, and I also know there are days when it’s frustrating. Whatever you’re feeling it’s completely valid. 

What are the effects of negative body image?

The impact of negative body image can destroy any form of self-confidence or self-esteem you have. People with negative body image avoid social situations or going out because of fear of judgment. They don’t want people to tear their bodies apart in the same way they do. Negative body image has a significant impact on relationships. When a loved one struggles with body image, it doesn’t feel like your opinion or thoughts matter, and they shut you out. The mental health impacts of negative body image are brutal. People with bad body image tend to be more depressed, isolative, and anxious than those that have a more positive body image. 

How do I support someone I care about with a negative body image?

The first thing I want you to know about supporting someone you care about that struggles with body image issues is that it’s really more about than what they look like. It comes down to negative beliefs they have about themselves. We live in a world that is driven by thinness and obtaining attractiveness is the most important thing. It’s understandable that your loved one would care about their appearance but when they look in the mirror it’s about more than just the size of their waist. However, most people aren’t consciously aware of that fact. My clients are convinced that it’s really just about wanting to look good. Try to understand this perspective. 

Tips for supporting a loved one with a bad body image

There is a lot that you can do to help support your loved one struggling with body image issues. Here are just a few of the suggestions. 

Focus on qualities outside of their appearance 

A common response that you might have is to reassure your loved one that they are beautiful and that they aren’t fat. I don’t know your circumstances but for some people, this can make it worse. Reassurance-seeking can reinforce this cycle of negative body image. Saying things like “I don’t see the same things that you see about yourself” is a neutral statement without reinforcing the importance of what their body looks like being so important. Focus on sharing the qualities about them that have nothing to do with their body or appearance. Keep in mind this isn’t going to be a magic fix but it’s important to put less emphasis on the body and appearance in general. Your loved one might need help remembering that they are more than a body and what they look like. 

Don’t comment on your body or anyone else 

It may seem harmless to be critical of your body or other people’s bodies. It may also seem even more confusing why you shouldn’t comment positively on other people’s bodies. We have been trained to believe that this is complementary and a good thing. However, complimenting other people’s bodies continues to place emphasis and importance on appearance. This isn’t helpful to someone that's struggling with body image. Your loved one needs to know there is greater importance on them and other people that have nothing to do with appearance. Avoiding comments can help lessen how important they might seem. 

Talk about feelings rather than flaws 

When you see your loved one standing in front of the mirror being critical of their body, they are feeling something powerful. You might hear them say, “I feel fat!”.  Just so we are clear I went to six years of college in total with 4000 hours of doing therapy before I could get licensed so I feel I can confidently say fat is not an emotion. Fat and ugly might mean the same thing to your loved one as unacceptable and uncomfortable. Encouraging them to talk about how they feel rather than focusing on their flaws can get to the root of their struggle. Talking about how they feel in general will be more helpful than reassuring them that they are beautiful and they look good in that dress. 

Learn to listen & validate 

The most important thing that you can do for your loved one and their body image issues, is to learn to actively listen. Active listening means that you are paying attention to what they are saying rather than how you want to respond. This isn’t where you give advice or tell them they shouldn’t feel the way they do. Be present and engaged. Show them that you hear what they’re saying. Validate their emotions and experience. Validation doesn’t mean that you agree with what they are sharing. It means that you are trying to understand their emotions and experience. This can help them take down the walls they might have up. 

Body Image Therapy can help 

As you probably already know, there’s only so much you can do to help a loved one struggling with body image. As I have shared earlier, there’s way more to it than wanting to be thin and beautiful. Body image therapy can help your loved one work through the beliefs they have about themselves and what is holding the importance of looking a certain way. Many women that I have worked with have shared that they were surprised by the things that came up in therapy that helped them recognize the connection. If your loved one isn’t able to make progress with their body image, try not to be discouraged and consider helping them see the benefit of going to therapy. 

Start working with a body image therapist in Utah 

You don’t have to keep struggling with your body image. You don’t have to hate the person you look at in the mirror or swipe away in disgust when you see a photo of yourself. You can come to a place of not thinking about your body so much. Body image therapy can help. This Utah Counseling Center has a body image therapist specializing in body image therapy. To begin counseling follow the steps below: 

1. Book a free 15-minute phone consultation 

2. Start working with a therapist for body image in Utah 

3. Find peace with your body. 

Online Therapy in Utah 

It can be hard to find time to attend therapy. Your schedule might not always line up with being able to commute to and from a therapy appointment. Many people put off going to therapy because they don’t think they can make time for it. Therapy can change your life and help you find relieve anxiety and self-hatred. I want it to be convenient and accessible for you. This is why I provide online therapy in Utah. It’s just as effective as in-person therapy but you don’t have to leave your house. 

Online counseling allows me to work with you wherever you are in Utah. I work with women living in Salt Lake City, St. George, Logan, Heber City, Cedar City, and more. 

Other mental health services in Utah 

Body image therapy isn’t the only mental health counseling service offered at this Utah Counseling Clinic. Other mental health services offered by Maple Canyon Therapy include eating disorder therapy, anxiety therapy, binge eating disorder treatment, therapy for birth trauma, and EMDR therapy. 

About the Author 

Ashlee Hunt is a licensed clinical social worker and owner of Maple Canyon Therapy in Utah. She has been working with women with eating disorders, disordered eating, and eating disorders since 2013 as a graduate student therapist. Ashlee is passionate about empowering women to be more self-compassionate and focus on body neutrality. Ashlee utilizes a health-at-every-size approach to helping women recover and move beyond negative body image.  She has a bachelor's of psychology, and a bachelor's in family life and human development from Southern Utah University. Ashlee has masters in social work from Utah State University.

3 Tips for Dealing with Anxiousness From An Anxiety Therapist

It’s been the third night in a row where you’ve been lying in bed, wide-eyed, and checking the clock to see what time it is. Sleep evades you. You’ve got that tightness in your chest, and you’re feeling anxious. There seems to be nothing you can do to stop feeling this way, and you just want it to stop. Feeling anxiety is one of the most uncomfortable feelings to deal with. It’s difficult when it manifests its symptoms in your body. The tightness, stomach aches, lack of appetite, and insomnia all cause problems in being able to do what you want to be able to do. 

Dealing with anxiousness can be a battle, and sometimes trying to fight it makes it worse. I know how badly you want to stop feeling the way you feel. You’ll do anything just to get rid of it. Part of dealing with anxiousness is being able to surrender trying to get rid of anxiety and finding ways to cope with it. Even if you could take the edge off of it, it might help you deal with it a little better. 

How do I deal with anxiousness?

There are numerous ways that people find relief from those anxious feelings. Not everything will be something you resonate with but here are some beginning tips to deal with anxiousness. 

1. Stop trying to fight it 

There’s a difference between giving into anxiety and to stop fighting it. I am not suggesting that you give up and become overcome with anxiety. What I am suggesting is to stop trying to make it stop and go away. Beating your anxiety into submission won’t work. Accept that you are feeling anxious. It’s ok to feel anxious! There’s nothing wrong with you for feeling this way. I don’t know your specific circumstances but it probably makes sense why you feel the way you do. Acknowledge the anxious feelings and validate yourself for what you are experiencing. What you don’t need is more self-judgment. Once you let go of making it a war, you can start working more to lessen your anxiety. 

2. Utilize movement 

Exercise and movement aren’t going to completely eradicate your anxiousness all the time. I think our society's mental health often gets dismissed as something to treat with diet and exercise. That’s in no way as simple as it is nor is that truly effective. The truth about movement is that it can help you complete the stress response cycle that your body feels when you have anxiety. Not only that but it can help you process what is making you anxious and help calm your nervous system. Movement can help get the nervous energy out of your body. 

3. Talk about it 

Another great form of processing is to be able to talk about what you’re feeling. People hesitate to talk about their anxiety because they don’t want to feel stupid or they don’t think it’s going to make a difference. You don’t need someone to solve your anxiety or necessarily do something about it. However, when you don’t share how you are feeling, it can make things worse. Talking about it is a form of processing your anxiety rather than feeling overwhelmed by it. Make sure that you can share your anxiety with someone that is safe and will be able to be present for you without making you feel invalidated. 

Anxiety therapy can help

One of the most important things you might end up doing for yourself and your life is going to therapy. You shouldn’t have to keep feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, and its impact. I know you probably want to figure it out yourself but you don’t have to. Therapy can be more effective than trying to do it alone, and in turn you will get better faster. Going to therapy doesn’t mean you’re crazy or that something is wrong with you. It means you care about improving yourself and finding relief from your struggles. Going to anxiety therapy not only can give you more ways of coping but it can also help you learn more about the root cause of anxiety. Often we don’t realize that the negative beliefs about ourselves stem from something that has happened in our lives. Part of anxiety therapy is recognizing what that is and finding a way to heal from it. 

Begin working with a therapist for anxiety in Utah

You don’t have to keep feeling anxious all the time. Anxiousness doesn’t have to keep impacting your life. Anxiety therapy can help you find relief from these feelings. This Utah Counseling Center has an anxiety therapist specializing in anxiety. To begin counseling follow the steps below: 

1. Book a free 15-minute phone consultation 

2. Meet with an anxiety therapist in Utah 

3. Find relief from anxiety 

Online Anxiety Therapy in Utah 

Taking the time out of your schedule to go to and from a therapy appointment in the middle of the day can be a challenge. I don’t want this to be a reason for you to put off going to therapy. I want you to be able to work through anxiety and feel that you are coping better and all around feeling less of it. This is why I provide online anxiety therapy in Utah. It’s accessible, convenient, and just as effective as in-person therapy. Online anxiety therapy is provided through a HIPAA-compliant video platform. 

Online therapy allows me to work with you wherever you are in Utah. I work with women in Logan, St. George, Cedar City, Heber City, Salt Lake City, and more. 

Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy 

Anxiety therapy isn’t the only counseling service provided by this Utah Counseling Practice. Other mental health services provided by Marcus Hunt Therapy include depression therapy, therapy for men, EMDR therapy, trauma therapy, marriage counseling, and premarital counseling. Reach out today to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation. 

About the Author 

Ashlee Hunt is a licensed clinical social worker at Maple Canyon Therapy in Utah. Ashlee works with women who struggle with generalized anxiety disorder, performance anxiety, dating anxiety, social anxiety, and postpartum anxiety. She believes that dealing with the symptoms of anxiety can help temporarily but an important aspect of therapy is digging deep into why anxiety is there in general. Ashlee has a bachelor's in psychology from Southern Utah University as well as a bachelor's in family life and human development also from SUU. She obtained her master's in social work from Utah State University. When Ashlee isn’t practicing therapy, she enjoys spending time riding her bike through the Spanish Fork River Bottoms.

5 Reasons to Go to Eating Disorder Therapy

Some of my clients share that they believe they are better people with their eating disorder. For some women, it feels like an eating disorder shows they have control, and that feels empowering to them. It can feel this way at the beginning but eventually, you surrender all of your control to your eating disorder. You are no longer the one calling the shots but it’s your eating disorder. You don’t want to feel like this anymore but you don’t know any other way to live. You might be skeptical that therapy can even help you. It’s hard to know if it’s worth the risk. 

What is eating disorder therapy?

Eating disorder therapy involves working with a therapist who has the specialized training to know how to help you overcome your eating disorder. Often times when you have an eating disorder, it is helpful to use a team approach. I recommend my clients work with an eating disorder dietitian and a medical provider to monitor their physical heal and nutrition. What I do in eating disorder therapy with my clients is help them recognize the underlying issues and experiences that have contributed to their eating disorder. As much as your eating disorder is about food and body image, it’s also about so much more. What you do with food and how you feel about your body are symptoms of negative beliefs you may be holding onto. 

Eating disorder therapy focuses on identifying the negative beliefs and where they came from. You can learn to challenge these beliefs and focus on viewing yourself in more helpful ways. How you feel about yourself holds a lot more power over you than your relationship with food does. 

Why should I go to eating disorder therapy?

There are probably hundreds of reasons why you going to eating disorder therapy might be beneficial for you. I’m happy to keep writing blog posts on the reasons why you should go to eating disorder therapy but here are some things to think about for now. 

Reasons to go to eating disorder therapy: 

       1. Eating disorder therapy can help you feel better physically 

Here is the reality, eating disorders cause physical complications in the body that you may not even realize. In fact, if a doctor isn’t trained in treating eating disorders, they can also miss them. Honestly, getting my clients to understand the medical issues that are associated with is one of the most difficult parts of my job. My clients have had medical doctors tell them to lose weight even in the midst of their eating disorders. They have missed issues that are a result of my client’s eating disorder or minimized at the least. If you have read “Sick Enough” by Dr. Jennifer Gaudiani then you know about the medical complications of your eating disorder. 

Attending eating disorder therapy can help you recognize the physical impact that your eating disorder is having on your body and to focus on getting your body to heal physically while therapy helps you heal emotionally and mentally. Clients have shared that they didn’t realize how much their eating disorder was impacting them physically until they start to focus on decreasing eating disorder behaviors and utilizing an intuitive eating approach to eating and recovery. 

2. Eating disorder therapy may improve your relationships 

One of the hardest things for the women I work with who have been struggling with their eating disorders is recognizing how it’s impacted their relationships. You don’t realize when you are in your eating disorder how much it is changing your relationships with the people you love. One of the ways an eating disorder thrives is in secrecy. You keep things from the people who love and care about you, and it’s hard to remain connected. Your eating disorder can keep you isolated and lead you to believe you don’t need other people or even worse that other people don’t care about you. Eating disorder therapy helps you rebuild and improve your relationships. A significant part of eating disorder recovery is replacing your eating disorder with meaningful and caring relationships. There will be people in your life that don’t even realize you have an eating disorder and being able to gain support from them can aid you in eating disorder recovery. Therapy can help you change your relationships for the better and help you feel more connected again. 

3. Eating disorder therapy can help manage anxiety better 

Part of what we explore in therapy when it comes to your eating disorder is how much it is used to manage or numb anxiety. This isn’t always a conscious connection for some people. Realizing that you are coping with anxiety using eating disorder behaviors is something that is addressed in eating disorder therapy. Finding newer healthier ways to cope with anxiety is also an important aspect of counseling. You can learn to understand how you started dealing with your anxiety using eating disorder behaviors and start utilizing healthier strategies instead. You may be reading this now and feeling skeptical that this is true for you. The women I work with don’t always realize they have anxiety until they stop using eating disorder behaviors. Eating disorder therapy can help you make connections that you haven’t realized before. When you begin focusing on eating disorder recovery, your anxiety might get higher than it was before because you have stopped using eating disorder behaviors. This is a normal part of the experience. However, the more you utilize therapy and understand yourself better the less anxiety will have an impact on you. 

4. Eating disorder therapy will help you make peace with food 

You have learned to manage a lot of your life using food. Food has become a weapon in some ways. You don’t trust it, and you don’t trust yourself with it. The women I work with share experiences where they heard someone, a parent, or a grandparent make a negative remark about themselves or someone else’s body. This changed the way they viewed their body and learned that food could be used to change their size in some ways. The clients I work with also have learned that foods are “good” or “bad” and have learned to avoid certain foods because they are “bad” and might make them “fat”. There is a lot to try and undo when these experiences have had a profound impact on how you view food. This is not a helpful way to view food or use food. Eating disorder therapy can help you learn to challenge the messages you have received about your body and foods. Working with an eating disorder therapist allows you to change what you believe about food to something more helpful and healthy. 

5. Eating disorder therapy can help you recognize your values

When we have troubles in our lives sometimes it’s helpful to recognize what we value the most and find ways to align our actions more so with our values and beliefs. What happens when you are engaged in eating disorder behaviors is that you often neglect the values and beliefs that mean the most to you. The women I work with share how they don’t even feel like themselves. When it comes to their eating disorder it feels like someone else is controlling them when are using eating disorder behaviors. They feel like they’ve abandoned themselves and the things they care about most for their eating disorder. Eating disorder therapy can help you find your values again and what you care about. Therapy can help you recognize how your eating disorder behaviors are behaviors that go against your values. Letting go of your eating disorder will help you live what you value more fully. 

Eating disorder therapy can change your life. 

Eating disorder therapy has the power to change the entire trajectory of your life. I know that sounds like a big and bold statement but it’s the absolute truth. I have worked with women in inpatient hospital settings to outpatient therapy, and I’m confident in saying therapy is the thing that has impacted these women. When you don’t have the tools it can be hard to see another way out of this. The feeling of hopelessness and being trapped doesn’t have to last. As a therapist, I have spent years and years learning how to help women that feel just like you. I have been able to see them leave their eating disorders behind and live happy and purposeful lives. You can experience this too. 

Start working with an eating disorder therapist in Utah 

You don’t have to live the way you are living now. You know you feel miserable in your eating disorder but you just can’t find a way out of it. You’ve probably tried everything you can think of on your own to feel better. You don’t have to do it alone and eating disorder therapy can help. This Utah Counseling Clinic has an eating disorder therapist specializing in eating disorder therapy. To begin counseling follow the steps below: 

1. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation 

2. Meet with an eating disorder therapist in Utah 

3. Begin eating disorder recovery

Online Eating Disorder Therapy in Utah 

It can be hard to find a therapist that lives close by in the town you live in Utah. There are many areas in Utah that are rural and don’t live close to an eating disorder therapist. Just because you live away from an eating disorder therapist doesn’t mean you can’t get quality care to help you recover. This is why I offer online therapy in Utah. Using online eating disorder therapy can help you recover from your eating disorder just as effective as in-person therapy.

Online eating disorder therapy means that I can help you wherever you are located in Utah. I work with clients in Salt Lake City, St. George, Cedar City, Logan, Heber City, and more. 

Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy 

Eating disorder therapy isn’t the only counseling service provided at this Utah Counseling Clinic. Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy include body image therapy, anxiety therapy, binge eating disorder treatment, EMDR therapy, and birth trauma therapy. 

About the Author 

Ashlee Hunt is a licensed therapist and owner of Maple Canyon Therapy in Utah. She has a master's degree in social work from Utah State University in Logan and two bachelor's degrees from Southern Utah University in Cedar City. Ashlee has worked with women with eating disorders since being a student therapist at Utah State University CAPS. She enjoys helping women find freedom from their eating disorders by utilizing self-compassion and learning their identity again. Ashlee believes that women (and of course men!) can recover from their eating disorders and live happy and fulfilling lives. When Ashlee isn’t doing therapy, she enjoys exploring the outdoors of Utah County. 

4 Tips From A Body Image Therapist

If you are one of the many women that struggle with looking in the mirror, avoid photos, and are constantly thinking about how you need to change what you eat and exercise, that probably means you struggle with body image. I understand how hard it is to deal with these feelings day after day. It seems like no matter what you do you continue to hate what you look like. It doesn’t seem to matter. It can be hard to know where to start and how not to keep doing what you’ve always done when you know it won’t work long term. 

Tips to improve your body image from a body image therapist 

As a body image therapist, I work with women who really struggle to exist in their bodies. They can’t stand how they feel and they believe things would be better if they were smaller, or they just looked different. While that isn’t anywhere close to being the truth, I want to offer you some tips on how to relieve some of the body image stress. 

Wear Clothes That are Comfortable 

This might seem like a no-brainer but when you think about it how many items of clothing do you wear that you feel comfortable in? If you are constantly thinking about how tight your waistband is then you are going to be thinking about your body a ton more than when you are dressing comfortably. Dressing in comfortable clothes even if it means you go up a size can help you stop feeling so consumed by your body image. When clothes don’t feel right on your body you are more prone to think negatively and to spend more time considering ways to change your body. The solution might be to find different clothes. 

Get rid of clothes that don’t fit 

Every time I talk to my clients about getting rid of clothes that don’t fit, they tell me, “I don’t want to spend the money on new clothes!”. I totally understand that financially it can be difficult to get rid of the clothes that don’t fit and replace them with new ones. However, first I want to challenge you on whether is it really the money that is the biggest barrier to this. Or is it because you have rules for yourself on what size you can be or that you might hold beliefs about yourself if you go up a size? If it is financial stress, you can consider selling your clothes that don’t fit as well as consider buying clothes that do fit from a thrift store. Holding onto clothes that do not fit your body in hopes that you will lose weight or fear that you will gain weight is going to hold more power over you and your body than you realize. 

Stop body checking 

Body checking can be an unconscious behavior that you don’t realize you do to make sure your body is “ok”. Body checking can be looking in the mirror too often to check what you look like, weighing yourself, or measuring parts of your body to make sure it hasn’t changed. There are numerous behaviors that people can engage in that I couldn’t even name them all. I have had clients who have measured how their towel fits around their body after they shower to make sure their body hasn’t changed to other behaviors. Whatever they look like for you, work on decreasing these behaviors. They aren’t serving you and they are keeping you focused on your body and its size. 

Don’t keep changing clothes 

The women I work with have been known to change their clothes numerous times a day. It could be that you try on 5 outfits before leaving the house and you hate what you look like in all of them. It seems like the more and more you do this and look in the mirror the more and more unsatisfied you are. Please realize it’s how you feel about yourself and not the outfits that are causing the problem. If you are a compulsive clothes changer stick to not changing your outfit more than two times to start. Again, this is in an effort to help you stop focusing on what you look like. If you never looked in the mirror again, I think your life might be better for it. I’m not going to go to the extreme but if you can decrease it, you’ll likely feel better. 

Body image therapy can help

If you are struggling with your body image, and you’ve done everything you can on your own, and you still feel horrible consider body image therapy. It’s not easy to overcome this all on your own especially when you’ve struggled with body image issues for a long time. Struggling with body image and going to therapy doesn’t mean that anything is wrong with you. It means that you are a person that wants to grow and change. That’s something admirable. You deserve to feel better about yourself and your body. Working with a body image therapist that can help you work through how you feel can change your life. 

Ready to start working with a body image therapist in Utah?

You don’t have to keep battling with your body and cringe every time you look in the mirror. You can feel so much better about yourself and body image therapy can help. This Utah Counseling Clinic has a body image therapist specializing in treating body image. To begin therapy follow the steps below: 

1. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation 

2. Meet with a body image therapist in Utah 

3. Start making peace with your body

Online therapy in Utah 

I know it’s not always convenient to take time out of your schedule to travel to a therapy appointment. However, I believe therapy is worth it and can lead to big changes in your life. I want to make it more accessible for you, which is why I provide online therapy in Utah. This is safe and effective as much as in-person therapy is. 

Online counseling means I can work with you wherever you are in Utah. I work with clients in Salt Lake City, Heber City, Logan, St. George, Cedar City, and more. 

Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy 

Body image therapy isn’t the only mental health service provided by this Utah Counseling Center. Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy include eating disorder therapy, anxiety therapy, EMDR therapy, and birth trauma. 

About the Author 

Ashlee Hunt is a therapist and owner of Maple Canyon Therapy in the state of Utah. Ashlee has a bachelor's degree in psychology and a bachelor's degree in family life and human development from Southern Utah University. She has a master's degree from Utah State University in Social Work. Ashlee works with women who struggle with eating disorders and negative body image by helping them utilize self-compassion. She has been working with women with eating disorders since 2013 and hopes to continue working with these wonderful women forever. When Ashlee isn’t doing therapy she enjoys spending time outside and playing with her Goldendoodles in Spanish Fork.