Body Hate, Body Love, and Everything In Between I lead the body image group at Opal, which often leads to the assumption that my own body image is flawless. And some days it is. But, my experience as an embodied woman is constantly shifting and changing. Just when I get Read more
Food+Body Freedom in the Backcountry One staff member’s experience of freedom from her eating disorder while backpacking in Washington Over the fourth of July weekend, I embarked on a four day backpacking trek to Washington’s finest and most envied spot, The Enchantments. As mentioned in its name, this captivating Read more
An empowered message to recipients of sizeism As a woman of size I have realized that many people in our society feel at liberty to comment on my weight. It could take the form of a “concerned” family member reminding me of diets and procedures at my disposal, or that Read more
[column width=”1/1″ last=”true” title=”” title_type=”single” animation=”none” implicit=”true”] Experiential therapy for exercise eating disorder treatment through the lens of art To begin exploring this idea of exercise and movement in eating disorder treatment, I need to give you some back story. Several years ago I had an idea. I was working Read more
How One Clinician’s Journey on a Silent Mindfulness Retreat Impacted her Work in Eating Disorder Treatment 2014 was a trying year; through the turmoil, I felt the fast momentum of life and knew I could not stop it. I noticed my inability to handle personal struggles was impacting my work Read more
I cried (tears of joy) the first time I went to The Pantry. This beautifully simple and cozy kitchen, tucked behind the famed Seattle pizza restaurant, Delancey, was a stark contrast and much needed breath of fresh air from the kitchen environment at Opal where I spend most of my Read more
[column width=”1/1″ last=”true” title=”” title_type=”single” animation=”none” implicit=”true”] When I was six or seven, I got my first diary. It had pink lined pages and a picture of Hello Kitty on the front. I still remember how eager I was to start putting things down in that book- I had just Read more
An address to the Puget Sound IAEDP Community at the Winter Celebration of Life December 6, 2014 Amae “In graduate school, I took a philosophy course where we explored Elisabeth Young-Bruehl and Faith Bethelard’s book titled “Cherishment: A Psychology of the Heart.” It has always stuck with me. Perhaps because Read more
Historically, I have struggled to identify myself as a social justice advocate. In my younger years, my introversion and lack of confidence made it challenging to even know what I believed in, much less to use my voice publicly. Through my own recovery process in early adulthood, however, I learned Read more
In celebration of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2013 Opal Staff answered, “What do you wish you would have been told about your bodies growing up?”. Video: Opal Staff Reflects on Their Bodies There are a lot of other events going on this week, February 24-March 2, 2013. Come join Read more