How to Support a Loved One with an Eating Disorder – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Happy May Day! After a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad April (yes, it was that bad and I know I'm not alone in this), I'm very happy it is May and my intention is that it will be MAHvelous (thank you Billy Crystal for that word). This is my HOPE. Families with...
Hope in Recovery – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Celebrating National Month of Hope 🧡 - Finding Hope in Recovery Did you know that April is the National Month of Hope? It serves as the perfect reminder to believe that things will work out, even when it seems like the deck is stacked against you. As I wrote in a...
FEAR: Seven Tips to use NOW as an Eating Disorders Caregiver – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Parents and other caregivers of those with eating disorders you have so many valid fears to cope with daily. Simply taking the leap to help get a loved one into treatment can bring on so many fears: What modality is best? Which treatment program should I choose? What...
Accepting Our Loved One’s Where They are At – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Before you pull all of your hair out and scream, “THERE IS NO WAY I’M GOING TO ACCEPT THAT THIS IS WHERE MY LOVED ONE IS AT!” Please read the next sentence as well. When we can lovingly accept our loved one, no matter what awful stuff is happening, WHILE holding onto...
LGBTQ+ Youth and Eating Disorders – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
LGBTQ Health Awareness Week Last week, we celebrated the 20th National LGBTQ Health Awareness Week, which intends to promote mental health and trans health awareness for the LGBTQ community as well as professionals within and allies of the community. This year’s theme...
Being the Change for Eating Disorders – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
“Just Tell Her to Eat a Cheeseburger!" "Well, you know you’re just enabling them right?" "I wish I could become anorexic. I could stand to lose a few pounds." "She is just seeking attention." “Your child doesn’t look like they have an eating disorder.” "It’s not like...
Resilience When the World is Falling Apart – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
When the world is filled with atrocities, pain, suffering, fear and uncertainty it’s hard to keep all the balls in the air. Being a caregiver of a loved one with an eating disorder is extremely stress filled (serious understatement) in ‘ordinary’ circumstances, add...
Stress Antidotes for Caregivers- by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Even if you’re not a family caregiver of someone with an eating disorder, life can be pretty stress-filled right now. We can feel so helpless when others are suffering. There is a way towards having peace and joy even when your loved one is suffering deep in their...
Being the Change – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Last week you may have noticed there was no newsletter from me…as part of my plan to increase the access for families to more support, I was leading another training of Eating Disorder Caregiver (EDC) Coaches. I’ll be passing most clients onto these new coaches AND...
Three Reasons to set Firm Boundaries AND Enforce Them – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Boundaries are not cruel, they’re COOL! It doesn’t help family caregivers or their sick child to fall prey to all of the chaos and fear of the eating disorder (ed). We need to live in-tune with our own desires, needs, and feelings. FEAR can lead to SILENCE,...
When Your Adult Loved One is Resisting Treatment for an Eating Disorder – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Today I had the joy of learning about a family caregiver’s adult family member who was able to choose to go to treatment after a long and winding road of family caregivers trying everything. When your loved one is over 18 you might fear there is nothing you can do...
Antidotes to Burnout for Family Caregivers of those with Eating Disorders – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Who else has been feeling the ‘January Blahs’ that seem to transcend location and circumstances? Nothing like another Covid variant spike to really dial it up. Last week I took myself to a local pool (yes, I’m very lucky to be in sunny Southern California where I can...
Why is Self Love Needed for Caregivers? – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
What is self love? Why is it important while caregiving a loved one with an eating disorder? How do we practice self love? WHAT IS SELF LOVE? This week I learned of a school district in Mississippi that sent home a letter with middle school students informing them and...
Anosognosia in Eating Disorders – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Last week I heard this story on the radio (you can read it here in LAist) here in Southern California about anosognosia in mental illness. It both made me both happy and sad to see attention being given to this topic of lack of awareness of one’s mental illnesses...
You Survived 2021! ~ by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Finally, the December holidays as well as our SECOND YEAR of this PANDEMIC are over. And you have somehow survived, hopefully more or less intact. Perhaps you and your parenting partner are not on the same page - this is so common. Many families of those with eating...
Coping with Holiday Body Image Challenges – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Toward the end of each year we see even more messaging than usual that we should be afraid of how we look and we should “manage” our holiday foods and therefore, our size or our lives will be a disaster. Even when we have learned about Health At Every Size (HAES)...
Letting Go of “Shoulds” During December – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
The month of December can become very busy with holidays and year end duties no matter what/if any holidays you observe. Whether you have parties or gifts or family gatherings as part of your traditions, it can become a lot of pressure and we can fall into “shoulding”...
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...