The Body Is Not an Apology with Sonya Renee Taylor

In all of my years of being recovered, no one had ever uttered the words that I truly felt in my eating disorder until, Sonya Renee Taylor. Upon reading the title of her book, “The Body Is Not an Apology” my experience of suffering had become encapsulated in a way I didn’t think existed. Recording this episode with Sonya was (and is) one of the greatest gifts I’ve received as being a recovered person, and I am so proud to share her voice and wisdom, and so grateful that I no longer have to apologize for being me.

In celebration of our fiftieth episode of Recovery Bites, I am absolutely honored to welcome author, poet, and teacher, Sonya Renee Taylor, to the show for “The Body is Not an Apology”. Join us as we discuss the unique paths to liberation, our innate relationship with our body (and the bodies of others), living/existing/surviving/thriving in a society that profits from body-mind disconnect, internalizing radical self-love, dismantling the systems within ourselves, oppressive messages of “better” bodies, the Body-Shame Profit Complex, advocating and rebalancing oppressive systems through community building, and much more!

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Navigating Through Postpartum with Jaren Soloff, RD, IBCLC

 
Navigating Through Postpartum with Jaren Soloff, RD, IBCLC
Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS
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Episode 49- Navigating Through Postpartum with Jaren Soloff, RD, IBCLC

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

IN THIS EPISODE:

This week I welcome Jaren Soloff, RD, IBCLC, who serves as an expert in women’s health. While continuing to practice in the field of eating disorder treatment, Jaren gained additional experience as an IBCLC to fuse her love of nutrition and women’s health. Now working solely in private practice at FULL CRCL, Jaren combines her expertise as a skilled nutrition therapist and lactation consultant to support mothers in nourishing themselves and their babies with confidence. Informed by her own journey and the hundreds of women she has counseled, Jaren’s experience comes full circle to support women in navigating pregnancy, birth and postpartum from a simple and intuitive framework.


SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • The idea that everyone has been an intuitive eater at some point in their life.

  • The beauty and connection of the mother-baby feeding relationship.

  • How a parents’ relationship with food and body impacts how they feed their child.

  • The effects of weight stigma and diet culture for women in postpartum.

  • Navigating through the “triggers” during pregnancy and postpartum.

  • The impact of engaging in behaviors during pregnancy.

  • The ways in which social media can negatively impact someone during postpartum.

  • Jaren’s book, “The Postnatal Cookbook”

ABOUT JAREN SOLOFF:

Jaren Soloff is a Registered Dietitian and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) who has always felt a connection to supporting women in some way professionally. For the longest time, she was stumped on how to find a profession that would allow her to integrate her interest in feminism, social justice, health, law and community. Finding the profession of lactation consulting after Jaren had her daughter was a gift that provided her the opportunity to integrate both her lived experience as a mother and as a recovered professional.

Jaren spent the early portion of her career working as a Registered Dietitian counseling individuals who struggled with eating disorders, disordered eating and chronic dieting. In her counseling, she taught about how as babies we are all born knowing how to eat intuitively. Jaren thought ‘if I could help support mothers in preserving their infants ability to eat intuitively from the beginning when breast or chestfeeding that I could ultimately have a larger impact on how our children navigate their own relationships with food and bodies.’

After having her first daughter, Jaren’s desire to become a lactation consultant hit her with full force after having her own breastfeeding challenges. Now, Jaren’s personal and professional experience have come full circle (the inspiration for the name of her practice!) in helping to support other mothers in her community. FULL CRCL provides nutrition counseling and lactation consultations to help both mom and baby thrive in motherhood. Informed by her own journey and the hundreds of women she has counseled, Jaren’s experience comes full circle to support women in navigating pregnancy, birth and postpartum from a simple and intuitive framework.

Jaren prides herself on blending her experiences as both a nutrition therapist and lactation consultant to provide mothers with expert feeding support and a dose of compassion, listening and empowerment. Most recently, Jaren released “The Postnatal Cookbook: Simple and Nutritious Recipes to Nourish Your Body and Spirit During the Fourth Trimester,” for new moms.

CONNECT WITH JAREN SOLOFF:

ABOUT KARIN LEWIS:

Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS has been recovered from Anorexia Nervosa for over 20 years and has been specializing in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders since 2005. Karin is the founder of the Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center located in Boston, MA. You can visit Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center online to learn more about Karin and her center’s services. You can also connect with Karin on social media by following her on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Progress Not Perfection with Lara Reaves

 
Progress Not Perfection with Lara Reaves
Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS
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Episode 48 - Progress Not Perfection with Lara Reaves

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

IN THIS EPISODE:

This week I welcome Lara Reaves to the show. Lara is a certified Holistic Nutrition Practitioner, specializing in eating disorders, and recovered from her own battle with an eating disorder that nearly destroyed many of her dreams for her future. Since recovery, Lara has worked in residential clinical settings, adolescent mental health facilities, and is well-versed in communicating with a treatment team. She is the Chief Operations Officer and Coach for Rebecca's Eating Disorder Foundation, and a Recovery Coach for the Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center. Her mission became to increase awareness and educate the public about eating disorders and the journey of recovery.


SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • The ways in which the journey to recovery can be one of the greatest teachers and source of growth.

  • Using behaviors in an effort to soothe the pain form the voices in your head.

  • How eating disorder behaviors (falsely) “protect” loved ones from the severity of one’s pain.

  • Recovery requires learning how to not negotiate one’s values.

  • The idea that one can make space for courage through disallowing fear from paralyzing the process.

  • How the courage and self-esteem gained from moving through fear outlive and outlast fear itself.

  • Recovery allows one to be “a part” of life as opposed to being “apart” from it.

ABOUT LARA REAVES:

When Lara Reaves arrived at a place of meaningful recovery with an urge to help people like herself. When asked by mentor Rebecca Cooper “what do you want to do deep down inside in your gut,” Lara knew the answer was to help others with eating disorders and Lara’s training began her training shortly thereafter. The clinical expertise and decades of recovery from her mentor offered Lara a unique education that “I would have never experienced during a psychology master's program.” During this time, Lara assisted in building a virtual Disorder Eating program, seminars on Eating Disorder Treatment, workshops, and writing projects. The experience was inspiring, and watching people make peace with food and their bodies felt like witnessing miracles. Lara realized that the Recovery coaching aspect of the work was what she loved and felt the most passionate about, leading to Lara receiving her certification as an Eating Disorder Recovery Coach from The Rebecca's Foundation Institute.

Lara was supervised and trained directly under Rebecca Cooper, world-renowned eating disorder therapist, author, and founder of Rebecca's House residential treatment center. Lara also volunteered as a Recovery Mentor, an experience that planted the seed to pursuing work as a recovery coach. She found it deeply rewarding to be a part of someone else's transformative journey towards a deeper, more peaceful relationship with food, addiction, and themselves. Through looking at the causes, effects, and social pressures, she grew her awareness of how much needed to be done to help people with Eating Disorders and mental health. As a recovered anorexic, bulimic, and alcoholic, Lara realized her new mission was increasing awareness of multiple aspects of the problem, guiding people in steps on the journey to recovery, and educating the public about the seriousness of eating disorders.

Since recovery, Lara has worked in residential clinical settings, adolescent mental health facilities, and is well-versed in communicating with a treatment team. She is the Chief Operations Officer of The Rebecca's Eating Disorder Foundation, where they fund men and women who want to get treatment. Lara is a Certified Eating Disorder Recovery Coach from The Rebecca’s Foundation Institute, Chief Operations Officer and Coach for Rebecca’s Eating Disorder Foundation, Body Image Training for Clinicians: The Missing Piece of Whole-Body Healing with Marci Evans, CEDRD-S & Fiona Sutherland, and Certified Holistic Nutrition Practitioner from Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, Tempe AZ.

Lara continues to value and love doing the things that helped her to reach full recovery by continuing to deepen her sense of spirituality and connection with the world including attending 12 step support groups, prayer and meditation, journaling, walking in nature, and reading a mix of spiritual and self-help books. Lara resides in Southern California, where she lives with her beloved husband Amir and their two dogs Ariel and Ernest. In her free time, Lara enjoys doing what she genuinely loves. Lately, this has been a lot of writing, playing with her dogs, service work (collecting and donating food and clothes for charities), gardening, and watching “I Love Lucy.”

CONNECT WITH LARA REAVES:

ABOUT KARIN LEWIS:

Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS has been recovered from Anorexia Nervosa for over 20 years and has been specializing in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders since 2005. Karin is the founder of the Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center located in Boston, MA. You can visit Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center online to learn more about Karin and her center’s services. You can also connect with Karin on social media by following her on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Body Wisdom with Elisa Mott Jones, Ed.S, NCC, LMHC

 
Body Wisdom with Elisa Mott Jones, Ed.S, NCC, LMHC
Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS
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Episode 47 - Body Wisdom with Elisa Mott Jones, Ed.S, NCC, LMHC

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

IN THIS EPISODE:

This week we welcome Elisa Mott Jones, Ed.S, NCC, LMHC, Health At Every Size (HAES) Advocate, published author and national speaker on yoga, eating disorders, and body image. Elisa has worked at the nation's top eating disorder facilities across the country where she has designed mindful movement groups for children, adolescents, and adults. Her pieces express who she is as a woman, partner, daughter, yogi, and dancer, and reflect her own journey to healing. Elisa currently has a virtual private practice based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, and now teaches a virtual yoga class for participants across the country seeking freedom from anxiety, trauma, disordered eating, and body image concerns. 

SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • How those with eating disorders can be both hypersensitive and detached from their body.

  • The role of music, especially with adolescents, to create a window to someone's emotional state when they do not have the words to articulate.

  • The ways in which grounding exercises can bring the body back into the therapy room.

  • How yoga can offer a feeling of control after traumatic experiences.

  • Yoga is not about “working out,” but rather “working in.”

  • How connection and support from others can provide a connection with self.

ABOUT ELISA MOTT JONES:

Elisa Mott Jones received her Masters of Education and Education Specialist degrees in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Florida in 2010. While in graduate school, she completed the University of Florida's Arts in Medicine, Elisa obtained a Certificate in Spirituality and Health and Arts in Medicine. She also holds the title of National Certified Counselor from the National Board of Certified Counselors and is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of Florida.  

After being introduced to yoga in 2000, and after 5 years of practice, Elisa decided to become a yoga instructor. She graduated from Discovery Yoga’s 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Program in St. Augustine, Florida in 2005. In 2015, she completed my 500-hour yoga teacher training at Downtown Yoga in Pleasanton, CA, and is a 500-level, Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT 500) with the Yoga Alliance. Elisa has additional certifications in Restorative Yoga, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga, YogaDance, Colorgized Yoga, KarmaKids Yoga, and Pilates. In 2015, she became a Reiki Master and integrate the transformative healing of Reiki into her individualized sessions.

Beyond counseling and teaching, Elisa also writes about body image, eating disorders, and yoga. She co-authored “The Use of Holistic Methods to Integrate the Shattered Self,” a book chapter in the textbook Treatment of Eating Disorders: Bridging the research-practice gap, ( check it out) edited by Margo Maine, Beth Hartman McGilley, and Doug Bunnell. Elisa also authored “Client Perspectives on Strong, Restorative and Partner Yoga Classes”, a chapter in Carolyn Costin and Joe Kelly’s book Yoga and Eating Disorders. (check it out). 

Additionally, Elisa presents nationally on the use of yoga in the treatment of eating disorders and body image issues and utilizes yoga and movement in counseling centers and hospitals with adults, adolescents, and children. At Kaiser Permanente’s eating disorder intensive outpatient unit in Walnut Creek, CA, as well as Center for Discovery's eating disorder and mood disorder intensive outpatient and partial hospitalizations programs in North Palm Beach, FL,  Elisa led expressive movement and therapeutic yoga groups for adults and adolescents. 

Elisa is currently offering Accepting Your Body’s Wisdom: Nutrition, Yoga and Body Image, a transformational workshop designed for women who want to make peace with their bodies and their relationship with food.

Additionally, Elisa choreographs and performs YogaDance and Acro-Yoga across the country and at national eating disorder conferences. Her pieces express who she is as a woman, partner, daughter, yogi, and dancer, and reflect her own journey to healing. 

Elisa lives in Jupiter, Florida with her husband, Lewis Jones Psy.D and their two daughters. She offers workshops, groups, and individualized sessions for those seeking freedom from anxiety, trauma, disordered eating, and body image concerns. 

CONNECT WITH ELISA MOTT JONES:

ABOUT KARIN LEWIS:

Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS has been recovered from Anorexia Nervosa for over 20 years and has been specializing in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders since 2005. Karin is the founder of the Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center located in Boston, MA. You can visit Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center online to learn more about Karin and her center’s services. You can also connect with Karin on social media by following her on Facebook and Instagram.

 

The Language of Recovery with Carmen Cool, MA, LPC

 
The Language of Recovery with Carmen Cool, MA, LPC
Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS
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Episode 46 -
The Language of Recovery with Carmen Cool, MA, LPC

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

IN THIS EPISODE:

This week, I am joined by Carmen Cool, MA, LPC, a politicized therapist, educator, speaker, and activist helping people heal their relationships with food and their bodies. For the past 20 years, Carmen has been working to dismantle diet culture, support the next generation of body liberation leaders, and shift the psychotherapy profession toward justice. She has also started and run a nonprofit, created youth programs, and speaks internationally on Health At Every Size ®, feminism and eating disorders, and weight stigma.


SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • Owning and respecting oneself despite what other people think.

  • Recovering from an eating disorder vs recovering from weight stigma.

  • How personal views can change over time.

  • Doing “whatever it takes” to heal from an eating disorder.

  • Who decides what “recovered” looks like?

  • There is no “one-size-fits-all” eating disorder or recovery and the paths are unique to the individual.

  • Challenging and embracing anger

  • How meeting societal expectations/misconceptions can be an achievement when one is in their eating disorder.

  • The diagnostic criteria used by insurance companies as a contributing factor to weight stigma.

  • Believing in the healing and preventative strength of activism.

  • Looking at how outside influences affect one’s relationship to their body.


ABOUT CARMEN COOL:

Carmen Cool, MA, LPC is a politicized therapist, educator, speaker, & activist helping people heal their relationships with food and their bodies. For the past 20 years, Carmen has been working to dismantle diet culture, support the next generation of body liberation leaders, and shift the psychotherapy profession toward justice. She has also started and run a nonprofit, created youth programs, and speaks internationally on Health At Every Size ®, feminism and eating disorders, and weight stigma. Carmen served as the Board President of the Association for Size Diversity and Health, was named “Most Inspiring Individual” in Boulder, Colorado, and was the recipient of the Excellence in Eating Disorder Advocacy Award in Washington, DC.


CONNECT WITH CARMEN COOL:

ABOUT KARIN LEWIS:

Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS has been recovered from Anorexia Nervosa for over 20 years and has been specializing in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders since 2005. Karin is the founder of the Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center located in Boston, MA. You can visit Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center online to learn more about Karin and her center’s services. You can also connect with Karin on social media by following her on Facebook and Instagram.