Holidays and Caregiving – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
How do we support a loved one in eating disorder recovery when a holiday is as focused on food as some traditional Thanksgiving celebrations have become? Previously, I have offered up the possibility of simply skipping a holiday that makes being in treatment for an...
Providing Powerful tools to Empower Family Caregivers – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
If you have never parented a child with an eating disorder you may be surprised to learn that many parents tell me that they feel like running away from home, they are out of ideas, they are desperate, they are terrified, and nothing works. In addition to that they...
Belonging – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Seeing the Palm Springs community come together to support and celebrate LGBTQ folks makes me smile. What a life saving and life giving gift Pride Celebrations have become to rally around and show support for the folks who’ve been marginalized for so long. What...
Tools for Caregivers Coping with Rough Times – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Walking back and forth in the desert sand next to the I-10 freeway outside of Palm Springs I had loads of time, three hours it turned out, to ponder how to sit with the many feelings that were present in me. And to consciously choose how I wanted to BE during this...
Managing Expectations as a Family Caregiver – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
In planning for this big two year travel adventure (aka: being nomads) I had the expectation of myself that my weekly newsletter would get written last week in the midst of packing and getting on the road...well that didn’t happen. We all hold expectations for so many...
Prioritizing Priorities; 3 Life Rings for Caregivers – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Some weeks the topic for this newsletter just shows up and other weeks my brain is scrambled eggs and nothing is bubbling to the top... I had a great night’s sleep (9 amazing hours!) and have been practicing massive self care and trying to balance; work, joyful...
Coming Home from Treatment; Tips for Parents – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
One of the biggest fears parents have during a child’s eating disorder treatment is when their child is coming home from treatment for the first and hopefully last time. Tips for Parents When You’re Terrified about Your Child Coming Home from Treatment Support...
Living with; The Good and the Bad – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Many parents or other family caregivers will tell me that they feel badly because they feel frustration, bitterness, resentment and sometimes anger along with the massive sadness, fear, worry and compassion for their loved one with an eating disorder. It can be tricky...
Comorbidities – by Intern Anna
One of the most difficult things about battling with my eating disorder was also dealing with the other mental health problems I had on top of it. Comorbidity means that an individual is dealing with two or more physical/mental illnesses at the same time (NEDC, n.d.)....
Back to School; Make sure you and your loved one have the support you need
Back to School! As summer comes to a close, many of us are preparing to send our children back-to school. It’s common to experience “the jitters” as we adjust to a new daily routine, but that anxiety can be enhanced if you’re sending a loved one in the midst of eating...
Parental Guide to ED, by Summer Intern Anna
Navigating an eating disorder through the role of a caregiver can be quite difficult. You may feel as though you don’t know what to say to your child or that you tend to get into arguments when you bring up certain topics. This blog post will be about things my...
How to Define Recovery – Edward P. Tyson, MD
If you read my newsletter last week, you won't be surprised that this weekend is a bit wild and we're in the process of selling our house here in Minnesota. So, I'm re-sharing Dr. Ed Tyson's definition of recovery as I've been getting more questions about what...
Cup Half Empty or Half Full? by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Looking on the sunny side of life and seeing my cup as half-full has fortunately mostly been in my nature. But when I’m stretched to my limits in too many areas, even the smallest things can feel overwhelming. You know, the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s...
Social Media Can Be the Thief of Joy – by, Intern Anna
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...
The Tipping Point in Eating Disorders Recovery – by, Intern Anna
Parents desperate for hope inevitably ask me, “Do you think my child can recover?” When they hear the statistics about only about ⅓ of all people with eating disorders recovering fully, they tend to lose hope. First, the sooner an eating disorder is treated, the more...
The In-between Time in Eating Disorder Recovery – by Intern Anna
Understanding that recovery isn't linear and that it's not just us the parents who want it sooner than later can help us be more patient. My summer intern, Anna shares her insights here on what she calls, "The in-between time" before full recovery. Letting go of logic...
Tips for Parents from a person in Recovery – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Thinking of all of you this Father's Day. Parents often tell me that they feel so helpless when it comes to supporting their child during treatment. It can feel so limiting on This past Wednesday on our Weekly Online Group Support Call, our Summer Intern Anna joined...
Self Soothing Techniques, by Intern Anna
Today’s blog post is brought to us by my summer intern Anna. She shares her insights on how both a person in recovery and their family members can soothe ourselves during the many moments of distress. ~ Becky Henry, CPCC Self Soothing Techniques, by Intern Anna ...
Parallel Process & Believing in our Adult Child’s Capacity – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
A family caregiver’s role is important no matter the age of the child. We don’t stop loving or caring about our child just because they hit the magical age of 18. See my photo here of Dr. Adele LaFrance's slide on the research on involving caregivers in treatment....
Navigating Boundaries through the Eyes of an Individual Who Had an ED, by Intern Anna
Today our Hope Network, LLC summer intern Anna is sharing her perspective on boundaries around disclosing a loved one's eating disorder. It can be very hard to overcome the shame and stigma of these illnesses. We need to have honest conversations about what is theirs...
Finding Your Ground as a Caregiver – by, Anna Heltemes Hope Network, LLC Summer Intern
This summer I’m fortunate to have the help of an intern, Anna Heltemes. She’ll be my guest blogger every other week for the summer. I’ll be previewing and approving all her posts and will assure that they all adhere to Health At Every Size (HAES) principles. Meet...
Reducing Suffering this Mother’s Day- by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Big hugs to you on this day that can be such a mixed bag. It makes me think of the metaphorical boxes we put ourselves in. What boxes do we put ourselves into you ask? Victim? Rescuer? Caregiver? The Problem? The Solution? Bad/Good Parent? As I’ve been wrapping...
Allowing Relief as Caregivers – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Relief can be tenuous, fleeting, temporary, short lived. For family caregivers, the relief of a loved one’s progress alongside the reality of the dangers and problems that still exist can quickly take away the joy of the moment of relief and switch one back to fear. ...
Imperfect Caregiving, by Becky Henry, CPCC
The title for this could also have been; “Separating your Child From the Eating Disorder and Not Doing it Perfectly” “Perfection, Vulnerability and Shame, Oh My!” “Parenting our ‘Other”Children During a Child’s Eating Disorder” “Making Mistakes while Parenting a...
Why Joy, by Becky Henry, CPCC
Until I became a parent trying desperately to get my child the help needed to survive a life threatening eating disorder, I had no concept of what real sorrow and pain are. Many of you have heard me speak and know my story of not being listened to by so many health...