Is Gratitude Possible in a Pandemic? – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Those of you who know of my work and philosophy know how much I like gratitude as a self care practice. Pre-pandemic is the last time I specifically wrote about gratitude (at least that I could find looking back through my blogs - I’ll send a deck of “What to Say,...
Reducing Fear in Parenting – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
No one prepares a parent for watching a child break a dish and then cut themselves with it because they are terrified of eating what is on the plate. No one is there to help them cope in that moment with the terror they are all feeling. Often parents share harrowing...
Coping with Life’s Harsh Realities – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Who knew listening to Chicago Blues could be so healing? Like many of you, I’ve been sitting with the feelings that accompany the passing of a person I care about. About a week ago our friend of over 35 years made a very sudden exit from this planet (it was not Covid)...
Eating Disorder Caregiver Calm; The Role of Neutrality – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Family caregivers are often overwhelmed and justifiably worried about finding treatment during this pandemic. The wait lists at some residential treatment centers (RTC’s) in the USA are up to 40 people deep. On a call with clinicians and outreach folks from around...
Accepting Realities That Stink – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Part of our ‘Parallel Process’ as a caregiver is to accept some really harsh realities. When a child or other family member has a life threatening illness such as an eating disorder, there are unfortunately so many really unexpected and brutal realities we must...
Pandemic Brain, by Becky Henry, CPCC
Who else is feeling it? Pandemic Brain seems to have hit me with; total exhaustion, lack of motivation, an underlying sadness and a strange feeling Bill Murray is going to walk around the corner of the kitchen because we’re probably in the movie “Ground Hogs Day” with...
Intentionality in the Midst of Chaos – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
How are you holding up? The past two weeks and this next week will go down as having been 3 historic weeks in a row. Three Wednesdays of monumental significance to the United States. In case you’ve blocked it already; Wednesday January 6 - Insurrection Wednesday...
2 Trainings to Support Family Caregivers – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Happy New Year! Well, we made it through this first week of the new year...I hope you are safe and finding the calm you need to cope with the events in our country and world. I’m here and happy to chat if you just need someone to talk with about all this. I know it...
10 Holiday Stress Tips for Eating Disorders Caregivers – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
We are in the darkest days of the winter and deep into the holiday season (read ‘stress’ for moms traditionally) and winter school break for many. The need for self care and reducing our stress has become even more needed than usual. Your presence in my life is a...
Wonder Instead of Fear, by Becky Henry, CPCC
won·der /ˈwəndər/ noun 1.a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable. "he had stood in front of it, observing the intricacy of the ironwork with the wonder of a child" verb 1. desire or be...
Calming our Mom Brain – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Here in the midst of the holiday season, many of us are having to release expectations of what we’d hoped our holidays might be like prior to Covid-19. It’s more important than ever to work at being calm, grounded and confident. This is challenging for anyone, and...
Expanding Hope in the Face of Despair, by Becky Henry, CPCC
Somehow we all have this most unusual Thanksgiving behind us. I hope you were able to have some moments of joy and gratitude amidst so much despair around us all. My thoughts are with each of you who felt loneliness, grief and/or despair during this holiday. During...
Winds of Change bring Hope – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Last week I wrote about resilience as we all find ways to cope during this ongoing pandemic and one of the most stressful election seasons many of us have ever experienced. Being a caregiver of a loved one with an eating disorder is extremely stress filled in...
Resilience for Eating Disorder Caregivers, by Becky Henry, CPCC
Have you been wishing you could hibernate like the bears too? I’m noticing I want to sleep a LOT lately. Not only are the hours of sunlight decreasing here in the northern hemisphere and the days getting colder, the world has become a very uncertain and scary place....
Trusting Yourself as an Eating Disorder Caregiver, by Becky Henry, CPCC
You may have noticed there was no newsletter last week...so many of us are just trying to keep putting one foot in front of the other in the midst of this ongoing pandemic and societal mayhem. In addition to all of that and an October 16th snowfall, I was creating a...
Struggling and Self Compassion
Even with a pretty conscious self grounding practice, it’s been a challenge to say the least to not be on an emotional rollercoaster this year. Right? We are each struggling in our own ways. For those who follow my work you know I’m constantly beating the drum of self...
Weight Stigma During Weight Stigma Awareness Week
On the plus side (see what I did there?) I love irony. 😉 As Maya Angleou said, “When we know better, we do better.” As a teen, I bought the belief that being thin was important and dieting, food restriction and exercise to compensate for what I ate were what I...
Self Care; Choosing What to Focus On, by Becky Henry, CPCC
As I was looking past the pink post it notes all over my windows to keep the birds from meeting an untimely death on my patio down below, I was reminded that we get to choose what we focus on. I’m training myself to look past those pink pieces of paper and see the...
Compassion Might Help Caregivers Too, by Becky Henry, CPCC
In the midst of a global pandemic, wildfires and too many more horrible things to list, babies are being born. The despair, sadness and fear are opposed by emotions of joy, hope and beauty. Both can exist. “Both, and” is an expression I learned many long years ago in...
How to Help Adults Who Don’t Want Help with Eating Disorders, by Becky Henry, CPCC
If you love, care about someone who is in recovery from an eating disorder, you may be feeling helpless, overwhelmed, afraid, upset, and more. And if your loved one is over 18 you might fear there is nothing you can do to help them with recovery from one of these...
Hopelessness Help, by Becky Henry, CPCC
Even if you don’t watch the news, we all know someone who is in some way affected by the plethora of problems plaguing the people of this planet. Sorry, not sorry about the alliteration (micro moment of joy is what that is). Between the wildfires, hurricanes,...
Pandemic Ponderings & Paradox Perspectives, by Becky Henry, CPCC
On the one hand, I cannot fathom how it’s already the end of August and on the other hand, February feels like it was 5 years ago. Both feel true at times. It’s in this uncertainty and timelessness where some of us with our basic needs met are noticing the juiciness...
9 Reasons for Caregivers of those with Eating Disorders to have Hope Now, by Becky Henry, CPCC
What does having hope have to do with helping families impacted by eating disorders? And why did I call my business “Hope Network, LLC” when the data is so dire? Hopelessness is a common feeling family caregivers of those with eating disorders report when they first...
How Caregivers Can Use Values to Make Decisions, by Becky Henry, CPCC
“Who do you be?” That is a question most coaches are familiar with even though it is improper English. Gaining clarity on who we are and what matters to us gives us insight into not only ourselves but gives us insight and clarity on our values. What does this have to...
Adapting to Living with Eating Disorders During a Pandemic, by Becky Henry, CPCC
Learning to live in the new reality of having a child with an eating disorder is a process of acceptance that takes a while. And doing that in the middle of a worldwide pandemic adds extra layers of complications and distress to your already mile high cake of chaos....