In our day-to-day lives, we hear a lot about how we “should” be showering ourselves with “positive affirmations,” “self-love,” and “positive body image”. But, frankly, most of the time, the patients I work with (not to mention myself!) have struggled to connect with these sentiments. This year, I had the privilege of supervising a dance … Read More
Our relationship with our bodies is complicated. With or without an eating disorder, research has determined that humans experience a normative amount of body image distress. Having a body is an uncomfortable experience. From infancy to adulthood, our bodies change in ways that are completely out of our control. Yet, the relationship we have with … Read More
The therapists at McCallum Place recently completed a training on Adolescent-Focused Therapy (AFT) based on Adolescent-Focused Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa: A Developmental Approach by James Lock. I was curious to learn and teach about an individual therapy for adolescent anorexia nervosa and how it differs from Family-Based Therapy (FBT). AFT is the current incarnation of … Read More
In the past several weeks the foundation on which many of us experience our lives has been pretty severely shaken. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, I would spend my days running art therapy groups and working alongside patients and their families battling eating disorders. Now, like many of you, I spend my days at home … Read More
It’s Valentine’s season! That means everywhere you go your eyes are likely overstimulated by everything red, pink, and hearts. Maybe you love everything Valentine’s day, or maybe you find the concept nauseating, but nonetheless everyone is familiar with the concept – celebrating someone you love. Some people celebrate by having date night with their significant … Read More
Contributed by a former McCallum Place patient I wrote this poem, A Farewell to My Eating Disorder, while in the partial hospital program at McCallum Place. It captures the recognition that the loud voice of my eating disorder became a little bit quieter the more I did the opposite of what it was yelling at … Read More
Julie Rami, M.A. Ed., B.S. Spec. Ed. McCallum Place Teacher Nancy Anderson, B.S. Ed. McCallum Place Teacher Many times an educator is the first person who notices some of the warning signs of an eating order. Think of all the time that a student spends in a classroom setting and how many different people consistently … Read More
Written by Rachel Makorsky, LCSW, Therapist at McCallum Place Austin Many of us have experienced self-judgment and self-critical thinking. It does not feel good. For clients suffering from an eating disorder, self-judgment can be a common challenge. Currently at McCallum Place Austin, we facilitate an innovative group called “Therapeutic Improvisation.” The rules, skills and lessons … Read More
Written by Elizabeth Bloomfield-Deal, MA, PLPC The effect of eating disorders on partners and loved ones has not received much attention in the form of empirical research. However, the sheer nature of an eating disorder can be extremely difficult to understand and accept. Watching someone you love deprive themselves of food and care or cause … Read More
Written by Ron Thompson, PhD, FAED, CEDS, Co-director of The Victory Program at McCallum Place Sport is a microcosm of society. That is, what we see in society, we will likely see in sport, including body image issues. Unfortunately, those issues tend to be more complex and conflicted for athletes, especially female athletes, than for … Read More
Read about how our clients continue to show improvement after discharging from our facility.
