In today's fast-paced world, self-care can seems like an indulgence reserved for special occasions. As we scroll through social media, we're bombarded with images of extravagant spa days, luxurious vacations, and complex wellness routines. These images can leave us feeling inadequate in our own self-care efforts.

But what if we told you that authentic self-care doesn't need to be all that extra?

Seasonal transitions, like the shift from summer to fall, can be both exciting and challenging. While many of us excitedly anticipate cozy sweaters, pumpkin spice lattes, and the vibrant colors of autumn, these changes can also trigger anxiety and body image concerns. In this blog post, we'll explore strategies for managing anxiety during seasonal transitions.

Body image and self-image are fundamental aspects of our individual identities that form over time, and can be influenced by a number of factors. One factor that can have a significant impact on body image is childhood trauma. This relationship is often complex and multi-faceted, underlining the need for comprehensive and compassionate understanding.

In a recent episode of the Reclaim You podcast, Reclaim Therapy eating disorder and trauma therapists, Laura and Sarah had a conversation about the impact of self-compassion on trauma recovery, disordered eating, and body image issues. Today we’re diving into the key takeaways from the conversation!

Binge eating disorder (BED) and overachieving are two behaviors that can feed off of each other, and impact our physical and emotional health.

While seemingly unrelated, many people who are struggling with binge eating disorder also struggle with a tendency to overachieve.

Disordered eating and binge eating, isn't just about food – it's a winding maze of emotions, restriction, triggers, and overwhelming cravings that often leave us feeling tangled in guilt, shame, and a sense of lost control.

The thing to remember?

This isn't about willpower.

What many people don’t know about her, is her lifelong struggle with anorexia, bulimia, and childhood trauma, caused by her manipulative mother. In her autobiography, “I’m Glad My Mom Died” McCurdy dives into her career as a child actress that she was coerced into by her mother. Throughout the book she shares about the development of, and her experience with, anorexia and bulimia.

Childhood has a way of leaving its mark, and sometimes it's not in the ways we expect. The experiences we go through during our early years truly shape how we react to the world around us, even long into adulthood. You might wonder why certain reactions or struggles seem to resurface without warning.

Childhood is often painted as a time of laughter and adventures, but for many of us, it was a mix of both good and tough moments that still linger in our minds. Today, we're diving into those less-talked-about experiences that quietly shape who we are and how we engage in our world.

One such innovative approach is remote Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR therapy), a therapeutic technique originally conducted in-person but now adapted to virtual platforms. In this blog post, we’ll talk about the world of remote EMDR therapy and explore how it can be a powerful tool for trauma recovery, allowing individuals to heal and grow from the comfort of their own homes.

For trauma survivors, the aftermath of a traumatic experience can be accompanied by complex emotions, including grief. In this blog, we explore the profound ways in which grief can manifest in trauma survivors, shedding light on the importance of recognizing and addressing these emotions to promote healing and resilience.

I awoke suddenly and violently after surgery, struggling for breath.

Vomiting followed, the kind that feels as if you’re emptying the very depths of your soul. The pain of surgery was sedated by the morphine pump that took up residence next to me those first couple of days. One never knows how much they use certain muscle groups until pain makes it clear.

At the time, foods with fat were the socially identified enemy, so I religiously consumed cupboards full of fat-free snacks and a fridge full of fat-free dressings and yogurts despite my intense dislike of chewing on cardboard cookies or ingesting the weird viscosity of plasticky condiments.

At the time, foods with fat were the socially identified enemy, so I religiously consumed cupboards full of fat-free snacks and a fridge full of fat-free dressings and yogurts despite my intense dislike of chewing on cardboard cookies or ingesting the weird viscosity of plasticky condiments.

In our fast-paced and often stressful lives, it's essential to find moments of peace and grounding. Coping in the aftermath of trauma can be difficult, and is always brave. We believe that connecting with the natural world can be grounding, regulating and supportive of treatment for PTSD and CPTSD.

Now that summer is in full swing, we are too often bombarded with messaging from diet culture about “summer bodies” and all of the ways we “should” be moving our bodies to get those results.

UGH!!

Why is decision making so hard!?

Sources state that we make upwards of 35,000 decisions per day.

Whether or not this number is accurate, I imagine most of us can attest to how often we make decisions throughout the week. We can also likely call to mind moments we’ve felt lost or directionless. F

Struggling with body image issues and body dysmorphia can be overwhelming, and at times, debilitating. Body checking is one of the behaviors that many people with and without eating disorders engage in attempt manage their anxiety about their appearance. However helpful it might feel in the moment, body checking typically only fuels more negative thoughts, feelings obsession and hyper-vigilance about the body, making recovery difficult.

In this blog post, we explore what boundaries are and why they're challenging to set after experiencing trauma. We also prove some practical tips for setting and maintaining healthy boundaries, and how a trauma therapist near you who can support you as you navigate recovery and healing.

What are boundaries?

Boundaries are guidelines, rules or expectations that a person creates to identify reasonable, safe and permissible ways for other people to behave towards them, and how they will respond when someone passes those limits.

Boring self-care involves the small, everyday actions that may not seem glamorous, but can have a big impact on your overall well-being. This can include things like taking your medication as prescribed, getting enough sleep, eating often and adequately, feeling your feelings and engaging in joyful and connecting movement practices.