Skin Hunger with Melissa A. Fabello, PhD

This week, Karin welcomes Melissa A. Fabello, PhD, board-certified life coach specializing in sex and relationships, to the show for, ”Skin Hunger.”

Tune in for a discussion on the intersection of eating disorders and sexuality, how a woman’s sexuality is “stolen” from them, restricting sexuality, understanding the full-scope of sexuality in client work, the Five Circles of sexuality, touch at all ages, the concept of Skin Hunger, political values, and more!

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You Have the Right to Remain Fat with Virgie Tovar

This week, Karin welcomes Virgie Tovar, author, lecturer, and leading expert on weight-based discrimination and body positivity, to the show for, ”You Have the Right to Remain Fat.”

Tune in for a discussion on fat discrimination and oppression from diet culture, dissecting the meaning of fat phobia, weight discrimination facts, the ways body size shapes gender roles and stigma, self-hatred as a barrier to finding self-love, recovering from fat phobia in a culture steeped in stigma, keeping hope of recovery in the face the limitations of society, behind-the-scenes of her 2018 TedX talk, and more!

Begin your healing journey with Karin and her team now!

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A Journey of Purpose with Melanie C. Klein, M.A.

This week, we welcome Melanie C. Klein, M.A., empowerment coach, respected thought leader and influencer in the areas of body confidence, authentic empowerment, and visibility to the show for, “A Journey of Purpose.”

Tune in to learn about the role of societal power, what it means to have agency, autonomy, and sovereignty of one’s body, yoga and empowerment, body image resilience, media literacy, diversifying media’s narrative, making room for ageism and ableism, and more.

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On the Outside Lookin' In with Abby Anderson

In this episode, Karin welcomes back multi-genre, singer-songwriter Abby Anderson to the show for, “On the Outside Lookin' In.”

Join Karin and Abby for a conversation on Abby’s self-growth gained through journal and lyric writing, the ways readiness for recovery presented for Abby, shifting anger to include empathy, the freedom found in feeling emotions, internalizing when something feels right rather than convincing yourself that it is, how accountability can break the suffering of an eating disorder, “Sugar Spice," and more!

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Burden on Her Shoulders with Abby Anderson

In this episode, Karin welcomes American country music singer-songwriter Abby Anderson to the show for the newest episode of Recovery Bites, “Burden on Her Shoulders.

Join Karin and Abby for a conversation on Abby’s recovery from her eating disorder, breaking down the roles and habits, mindfulness to create space to move towards authentic self, conveying deep emotions through art, censoring our own thoughts, the distance created by trying to “fit-in,” shedding feelings of shame and guilt, accepting that we are not responsible for other’s perceptions of us, “Bad Posture,” and more.

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Nobody Loses All the Time with Jess Sprengle, LPC

In this episode, Karin is joined by Jess Sprengle, Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in the care and treatment those impacted by eating disorders, disordered eating, body image disturbances, and adjacent issues for “Nobody Loses All the Time,” our newest episode of Recovery Bites.

Together, Karin and Jess discuss reciprocal openness in therapy (especially for adolescents and others in their formative years), the harm of fear-driven messages, the danger of waiting for “rock bottom” before beginning the recovery process, comparing eating disorders to a rigged game of chess, eating disorders as a social justice issue, and much more!

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Rise Up and Recover with Jessica Flint, MS

In this episode, Karin is joined by Jessica Flint, MS, Founder of Recovery Warriors, CEO of True Warrior, and host of the “Recovery Warrior Show” to the show for “Rise Up and Recover,” our newest episode of Recovery Bites.

Together, Karin and Jessica discuss how she uses her platforms to support and empower, finding your “true self,” healthy boundary setting, combating feelings of emptiness, supporting your humanness with compassion, the value of learning from your mistakes, owning who you are today to allow for you to become who you want to be, and much more!

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Spoiler Alert! It's Not About the Food with Katie Barbaro, OTR/L

Join Karin alongside Katie Barbaro OTR/L, intuitive guide, creative doula, coach, comedian, and author of “Fed Up: An Illustrated Guide to Food Freedom.”

Together, Karin and Katie as they discuss using your voice to dismantle the power of shame, breaking free from the identity of one’s distorted thoughts, accepting the “now,” the absence of “noise” in recovery, the joys of the “messiness,” extending the principles of Intuitive Eating, overcoming limiting beliefs, and the upcoming release of Katie’s book “Fed Up: An Illustrated Guide to Food Freedom.”

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The Jots of Becoming with Lucie Waldman

Join Karin alongside Lucie Waldman, author of “The Jots of Becoming: A Journey of Hope and Recovery,” where she offers readers narratives and insights after fully recovering from Anorexia Nervosa. Lucie includes recovery pieces that intersect with the Jewish holidays and considers herself a Jewish recovery advocate. She is passionate about being part of the change of the recovery community and hopes to inspire others that full recovery is possible.

Together, Karin and Lucie talk about sharing your recovery experience, the harm in labeling clients, finding ways to recover “differently,” dietary restrictions in Judaism, the medical dangers in relapse and recovery, recovery communities, how Lucie uses her Instagram platform to create a supportive and healing environment, and much more!

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Two Queer Perspectives on Eating Disorder Recovery with thirdwheelED

Join Karin alongside thirdwheelED co-creators Jamie (OJ) Bushell and Jamie Dannenberg, MS, RDN, LDN as they share their insights and perspectives into eating disorder treatment and recovery within the LGBTQIA+ community.

thirdwheelED is a social media advocacy platform that strives to increase the visibility of how eating disorders and other mental illnesses disproportionately impact LGBTQIA+ communities as well as raise awareness of nontraditional caregivers who support folks in ED recovery.

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[Repost] Wasted and the Phenomenon of the Trainwreck Girl with Marya Hornbacher

As we get closer to end of our first season of Recovery Bites, we decided to share a previous episode that listeners may have missed. It is an honor to announce the re-release our twenty third episode, “Wasted and the Phenomenon of the Trainwreck Girl with Marya Hornbacher."

Join us as Marya candidly reveals the motives and controversy behind the raw, graphic nature of "Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia." In addition, Marya and I discuss the invasiveness and unintentional/intentional “glamorization” of eating disorders in the media, the line between being “triggered” and being an educated consumer, how recovery is “messy,” the roles of self in the process of healing, how Marya incorporates the Twelve Step model in her recovery and current life, and much more. This is a must-listen!

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The Inside Scoop On Eating Disorder Recovery with Jennifer Rollin, MSW, LCSW-C

 
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Episode 45-

The Inside Scoop on Eating Disorder Recovery with Jennifer Rollin, MSW, LCSW-C

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS


IN THIS EPISODE:

This week, I am joined by Jennifer Rollin, MSW, LCSW-C, therapist and founder of The Eating Disorder Center in Rockville, Maryland. Jennifer specializes in working with adolescents and adults with eating disorders including, anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder, body image issues, anxiety, and depression. With a passion for helping individuals to recover from eating disorders and body image issues, to discover self-compassion, food freedom, and body appreciation, Jennifer also does this work because she has been there. Recovered from her own eating disorder, she believes that everyone’s struggle is unique and uses her lived experience to relate and help others find the same freedom that she did. Jennifer is the co-author of the upcoming book 'The Inside Scoop to Eating Disorder Recovery: Advice from two therapists who have been there,' which will be published March of 2021. She is also a revered and prominent figure on Instagram and TikTok.


SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • If you think you have an eating disorder, there isn’t a line at which you are “sick enough.”

  • Finding purpose outside of self through connection and relationships.

  • Motivation to recover can wax and wane and that’s normal.

  • Embracing your imperfections and reminding oneself that you’re a “work in progress.”

  • The freedom found when you shift the energy put into an eating disorder to something self-fulfilling.

  • How the isolation and uncertainty of the pandemic foster further disordered thinking and behaviors.

  • Orthorexia and the ways in which it can morph into other eating disorders.

  • The idea that an eating disorder can contribute to someone’s “uniqueness” when, in actuality, it does just the opposite.


ABOUT JENNIFER ROLLIN:

Jennifer Rollin, MSW, LCSW-C is a therapist and founder of The Eating Disorder Center in Rockville, Maryland, who specializes in working with adolescents and adults with eating disorders including, anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder, body image issues, anxiety, and depression.

Jennifer has experience working in a variety of settings including, an outpatient mental health clinic, residential programs for adolescents, and a sexual assault crisis hotline. She serves as the chairwoman of Project Heal's national network of eating disorder treatment providers. Jennifer has been named as one of the top eating disorder experts in the world by Balance Eating Disorder Treatment Center.

Jennifer has a certificate in Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders. She also has a certificate in Dialectical Behavior Therapy. She is a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. She was on The Junior Board of Directors for The National Eating Disorders Association. She was invited to serve on the conference committee for The National Eating Disorders Association's 2018 Conference.

Jennifer is the co-author of the upcoming book 'The Inside Scoop to Eating Disorder Recovery: Advice from two therapists who have been there,' which will be published in March of 2021 with Routledge. She is an expert writer on The Huffington Post and Psychology Today. Her professional blog was named one of the top eating disorder blogs in the world. Jennifer’s articles have reached thousands of people through websites, magazines, and books, including, Eating Disorders in America: A Reference Handbook, How To Thrive: Expert Tips For Coping With Depression & An Eating Disorder, EatingDisorderHope.com, Anxiety.org, NationalEatingDisorders.org, and Social Work Today Magazine.

Jennifer has been interviewed speaking about eating disorders on television including on Fox, ABC, PBS, and NBC. She gives talks about eating disorders at national eating disorder conferences, therapy centers, and colleges. Jennifer is an expert writer for The Huffington Post and Psychology Today.


CONNECT WITH JENNIFER ROLLIN:


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.



 

Bodies Aren't a Trend with Christina Grasso

 
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Episode 44 - Bodies Aren't a Trend with Christina Grasso

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS


IN THIS EPISODE:

This week we welcome Christina Grasso, also known by the nickname ‘The Pouf,” writer, digital creator, eating disorder advocate, and bad-ass woman. In addition to her professional roles, Christina is also the co-founder of the non-profit peer support network, The Chain. The Chain is aimed at women in the fashion and entertainment industry struggling with eating disorders and was partially inspired by Christina’s own recovery journey from anorexia, which she has dealt with for nearly 20 years.


SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • The heightened challenges faced for those struggling with an eating disorder in the fashion and entertainment industry.

  • The fear that an eating disorder is necessary to succeed and stay relevant within the industry.

  • How The Chain is responsibly addressing the heightened triggers that come with being in the fashion industry.

  • Answering the question of how to not let an eating disorder strip you of a fulfilling career.

  • Body diversity and the importance of young consumers seeing bodies that look like their own.

  • How recovery success rates increase when treatment is sought sooner rather than later.

  • The ways in which the notion of not being "sick enough" can transform into unhealthy eating disorder “goals.”

  • Challenging the barriers to recovery due to loss of structure and connection during the pandemic.

ABOUT CHRISTINA GRASSO :

Christina Grasso is a writer, digital creator, and eating disorder advocate. Over the past decade, she has worked with top fashion and beauty brands including Chanel, Cynthia Rowley, Dermstore, Oscar de la Renta, Reebok, Yves Saint Laurent, and more, and is currently represented by Wilhelmina Models’ influencer board.

In addition to her professional work, Christina is the co-founder of The Chain, a 501c3 non-profit peer-support network for women in fashion and entertainment coping with eating disorders. The Chain was partially inspired by her own recovery from anorexia, which she has dealt with for nearly 20 years.

Christina graduated in 2011 from Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, IN, with concentrations in Communication and Italian. She lives in Manhattan with her cat, Stevie Nicks.

CONNECT WITH CHRISTINA GRASSO:


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.

KEEP LISTENING BELOW

 

Dismantling Fatphobia with Ragen Chastain

 
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Episode 33 - DISMANTLING FATPHOBIA WITH Ragen Chastain

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS


IN THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, I am joined by Ragen Chastain. Ragen is a speaker, writer, and thought leader in the fields of Body Image, Health at Every Size, Weight Stigma, and Corporate Wellness. Ragen's depth and breadth of knowledge come from a combination of her personal story of overcoming an eating disorder, her experience as a national dance champion and marathoner, and her training as an ACE Certified Health Coach, Functional Training Specialist, and researcher. Author of the blog danceswithfat.org, the book Fat: The Owner's Manual, and editor of the anthology The Politics of Size, Ragen is frequently featured as an expert in print, radio, television, and documentary film. Her ability to combine humor with hard facts in ways that educate, motivate, and entertain have makes her a sought-after speaker on the collegiate, conference, and corporate circuits.

SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • Ragen’s background including some of the weight stigma she has experienced in her life.

  • Navigating in a society designed to exclude, shame, and oppress people on the basis of shared characteristics or identities.

  • Medical weight stigma in regards to diagnosis, care, and treatment options.

  • Nurturing the parts of self that question authority and challenge the narrative.

  • The ways in which diet culture, dieting, and fatphobia perpetuate eating disorders and can make full recovery feel impossible.

  • The value and need for trust between client and provider.

  • How Ragen’s activism aims to dismantle diet culture and fatphobia in the community so that people of every size have equal opportunity to fully recover.

  • Strategies one can use to stand up for themself and advocate for equal healthcare and how Ragen has educated health practitioners.

  • The dangers of weight-loss interventions and weight loss surgery.

  • Challenging the beliefs that add to the oppression of fat people and moving into thoughts and actions that support body liberation for those of all sizes.

ABOUT RAGEN CHASTAIN:

Ragen Chastain is a Certified Health Coach, trained researcher, three-time National Champion dancer, and two-time marathoner who holds the Guinness World Record for Heaviest Woman to Complete a Marathon. She writes and speaks full-time about Body Image, Health at Every Size, Fitness, Corporate Wellness, and Weight Stigma - including with healthcare and eating disorders community. Ragen is the author of the blogs danceswithfat.org and IronFat, and the book Fat: The Owner's Manual. She has been featured as an expert in media including the Associated Press, the New York Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, FITNESS, Women's Running, and the Chicago Tribune. She is the editor of the two-volume anthology The Politics of Size - Perspectives from the Fat Acceptance Movement, and a former Editorial Board Member of the Fat Studies Journal.

A leading activist and thought leader in the Health at Every Size and Size Acceptance movements, Ragen is an internationally sought after speaker, having brought her captivating combination of humor and hard facts to stages including CalTech, Dartmouth, Amherst, Google Headquarters, the Multi-Service Eating Disorders (MEDA) National Conference, and a European Speaking Tour. She co-founded (with fellow activist Jeanette DePatie) the Fat Activism Conference, and the Fit Fatties Forum - an online community for people of all sizes who want to discuss fitness from a weight-neutral perspective, that currently has over 4,500 members. She led the campaign that raised over $20,000 in 8 days and put up 6 billboards and 10 bus shelter ads in Atlanta to counter a billboard campaign that fat-shamed children, and the Skinny Minnie petition which garnered over 140,000 signatures and resulted in substantial changes to a promotion by Barney's and Disney.

Ragen currently lives in Los Angeles with her partner and their two adorable dogs and is training for her first (and only!) Iron-distance triathlon.


CONNECT WITH RAGEN CHASTAIN:


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 @karinlewisedc on Facebook and Instagram.


 

Igniting Something Spectacular with Greta Gleissner, LCSW

 
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Episode 25 - iGniting something spectacular with greta gleisSNer, lcsw

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS


IN THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, I am joined by Greta Gleissner, LCSW. Greta is a NYC-based psychotherapist specializing in eating disorders. In recovery since 2001, Greta has firsthand knowledge of the challenges individuals face in the eating disorder recovery process, particularly during transitions. Her personal recovery and expertise in the field was the primary impetus for the co-creation of Eating Disorder Recovery Specialists and the Sanctuary Healing trauma intensive outpatient program. Greta is also the author of Something Spectacular: The True Story of a Rockette’s Battle with Bulimiaa raw, personal chronicle of the devastating effects bulimia had on her personal and professional life during her time as a Radio City Rockette.

SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • Fighting against the label of “chronic.”

  • Igniting even the tiniest flames of “hope” and setting fire to recovery.

  • How dance can support recovery.

  • How eating disorders numb out the feelings that accompany abuse and neglect/CPTSD.

  • Healing from an eating disorder in an entrenched family system.

  • The importance of finding and/or creating a sense of community and safety.

  • Managing the limitations of and creating our own “family.”

  • The multidimensional aspect of recovery may require the addition of treatment team members.


ABOUT GRETA GLEISSNER:

Greta Gleissner, LCSW (NY 083574), is a therapist who specializes in eating disorders and trauma, In 2013, Greta founded Eating Disorder Recovery Specialists (EDRS)–pioneering an in-home, on-campus, and virtual post-acute therapeutic care and recovery support model for adolescents and adults with eating disorders. EDRS utilizes over 150 recovery specialists, utilizing in-person and virtual recovery support nationwide.

Greta's most recent and exciting new project is Sanctuary, the first intensive outpatient program (IOP) in NYC that treats PTSD and related disorders, which she co-founded with Dr. Sarah Chipps. Sanctuary has a unique approach, utilizing top-down and bottom-up therapeutic modalities together to soothe the mind, body and nervous system simultaneously and expedite the path to healing.

Greta’s interest in eating disorders and trauma grew out of her recovery from eating disorders and complex PTSD, which provides her with both a personal and professional lens through which to support clients. Having been a professional dancer, she knew from the age of 16 if she could ever heal from her eating disorder it would be her life’s mission to help others. Shortly after graduate school at New York University, Greta published her first book, Something Spectacular: The True Story of a Rockette’s Battle with Bulimia, a raw, personal chronicle of the devastating effects bulimia had on her personal and professional life during her time as a Radio City Rockette.

In addition to founding Eating Disorder Recovery Specialists and Sanctuary trauma intensive outpatient program, Greta maintains a small private practice on the Upper West Side and is trained in EMDR, CBT, DBT, and Motivational Interviewing.

CONNECT WITH GRETA GLEISSNER:


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.