Caregivers and Rest, It’s not Impossible – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
If you’re a practical person like me, you’re likely thinking, “Oh sure, sounds good on paper or in a research lab.” Finding time to rest when you’re a caregiver, even if your loved one is away at treatment can feel impossible. And even if one can find time, how do we...
Radical Acceptance; More Peace, Less Suffering – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Family caregivers often are desperately searching for support when a loved one’s eating disorder and co-occurring diagnoses bring; sadness, crises, disappointment and a litany of other painful emotions to the family. Our natural inclination is to try and fix things,...
Social Media Can be the Thief of Joy – Intern Anna for Becky Henry, CPCC
Due to the shame and secrecy with eating disorders and the fact that parents are not attached at the hip to their kids, it is often very well into the illness that parents become aware that detrimental social media behavior is occurring. The vast majority of parents...
Back to School, Eating Disorders and Boundaries – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
It’s hard for many of us to admit that summer is coming to an end here in the Northern Hemisphere. You may have noticed that I took a bit of a break from my regular newsletter/blog this summer. Parents and other family caregivers are telling me that there is so much...
How to Support a Loved One with an Eating Disorder via Boundaries – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
The heat of summer is ON here in the Northern Hemisphere and I hope you're each finding ways to stay cool. If you're a regular reader (and I so appreciate you!), you've likely noticed my summer break from weekly newsletters. This wild world energy challenged most of...
How to Support a Loved One with an Eating Disorder via Validation, Listening and Acknowledging – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
We know that when family caregivers of those with eating disorders have support and tools, they're better equipped to effectively provide a more conducive recovery environment. Sadly, we have broken health care systems in every country and especially in the USA that...
A Gift to Eating Disorders Caregivers on World Eating Disorders Action Day – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Living with, and loving someone who is experiencing an eating disorder can be, usually is actually, very isolating and terrifying. Unlike so many other illnesses and life challenges, many of our loved ones with the eating disorder are in it's icy grasp and don't feel...
How to Support a Loved One with an Eating Disorder Without Enabling – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Every day in the USA at least 23 people die from eating disorders. The line between being a supportive caregiver or parent, and enabling a family member struggling with an eating disorder can become blurry when fears run the show. Enabling is defined as ‘Protecting...
How to Support a Loved One With an Eating Disorder through Treatment – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Family caregivers of those with eating disorders have often told me that it broke their hearts to take a child or other loved one to a Residential Treatment Center (RES or RTC). Often this can feel like a “last ditch effort” to families new to this. Learning the...
How to Support a Loved one with an Eating Disorder via Communication – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
When family members of those with eating disorders come to me in distress, one of the top topics on their minds, after beginning to tackle fears, is how to communicate with both their loved one and with the treatment team. Sadly, treatment teams have typically not met...
How to Support a Loved One with an Eating Disorder via Education – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
How Education about Eating Disorders Helps Caregivers BE More Effective for a Loved One with an Eating Disorder When a loved one is diagnosed with a serious illness, some of us want to run and hide and pretend it’s not happening. Some of us will be frozen with fear,...
Joy and Sorrow Can Co-exist for Caregivers – by, Becky Henry, CPCC, ACC
While waking up this morning this all came to me in about 15 minutes. You see, today, after a month of alternately working my tail off and walking my talk of life balance with self-care, fun, friends and colleagues, my family are coming to visit us in Palm Desert and...
Differences in Treatment Outcomes when Family Caregivers have Support? – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Family caregivers receiving support is a factor in treatment outcomes. We finally have research showing that treatment outcomes improve when caregivers have support! Check out this research link from 2021: Sheetal Patel , Autumn Shafer , Jane Brown , Cynthia Bulik...
Why Do Caregivers Need Their Oxygen Mask on First? – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Imagine if there was an easy, convenient resource to help family caregivers get the information, support and help they need to cope with this unplanned role they've been given...Clinicians and family caregivers, this is for you! For my newsletter subscribers, I’m...
Ready Made Resource for Family Caregivers – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Clinicians and family caregivers alike often ask if there is an easy, convenient resource to help family caregivers get the information, support and help they need to cope with this unplanned role they've been given. Some of you have asked if I'm still providing...
New Year/New You? What’s Rest Go to do With it? – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Amidst all of the talk of New Years Resolutions and New Year, New You, it can be tempting to judge ourselves and our actions. Sometimes, often maybe even, especially early January when the days are short and cold in the Northern Hemisphere, it can be helpful to just...
Is Preventing Holiday Stress Possible? – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Next week I'll be sharing Intern Anna's wonderful tips for relieving holiday stress that some of you may remember from last year. Her article is HERE on my website. So if my tips today for preventing holiday stress don’t resonate or work for you, take a sneak peek at...
How to Cope this Thanksgiving – Intern Anna’s 5 Tips
Family caregivers have shared how utterly painful and difficult the holidays are for their loved one with an eating disorder. Thanksgiving typically being the most difficult with so much of the focus on food for many families. Last year Intern Anna shared her helpful...
Caregiver Fear Can be a Barrier to Recovery – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Fear is a normal response when a loved one is in crisis. Fear can take away our capacity to engage our wise minds and can spiral us into trying to handle what is not ours to handle. The line between being a supportive caregiver or parent, and enabling a family member...
Combating the Caregiver Self Blame Cycle – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
It's common for family caregivers to get stuck wondering, "What did I do wrong?" And there isn't a simple or quick solution. In the beginning when getting a loved one stabilized is of utmost importance, this takes a back seat, some would say it is relevent. Many...
What We Wish Recovery Looked Like – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Family caregivers of those with eating disorders often STILL get a bad rap. Thankfully, many clinicians now see the value in supporting these caregivers who are typically trying to help save a family member’s life. It’s still very common sadly to hear clinicians say...
How to Practice Resilience as a Caregiver – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Hello Dear Caregivers and Clinical Colleagues, I hope you are able to have some moments to renew your spirits this holiday weekend. Not only are the hours of sunlight short in the northern hemisphere and the coming days getting cooler (thank goodness after what has...
Can Boundaries Help Caregiver Effectiveness? – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Often I hear the raw terror from parents and partners telling me they are so uncertain about how to support a loved one with an eating disorder. There may be the sadness and fear about your child or partner who has been physically harming themselves and often...
Therapeutic Apology – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Thank you to all of you who take your time and energy to read my newsletters/blogs, I really appreciate it and am so glad to hear of how so many of you have found helpful information and support from them. Sometimes I miss the mark for some folks. After my post last...
How Caregivers Can Have Freedom from Ed – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
As I was lying in a zero gravity chair in the Irish countryside watching clouds float by after a 90 minute massage to work out the kinks from various mediocre air bnb beds, I thought about caregivers, parents in particular, finding this kind of rest. And yes, I was...