As 2024 approaches, many look forward to ringing in the new year with a sense of joy and excitement. 

But for many of us, New Year’s tidings come with a hefty dose of shame. 

Through the process of recovering from an eating disorder or compulsive exercise, we learn to reconnect with the depths of our human emotional experience without fear that once led to symptom use. We see food no longer as the enemy, but as a source of nourishment and enjoyment.

Growing up with dysfunctional family dynamics isn’t easy, to say the least. And, it can impact many different areas of your life.

Dysfunctional family dynamics refer to patterns of interaction, communication, and behavior within a family unit that are unhealthy and destructive to the family unit.

Many people see the holiday season as a time of joy, celebration, and togetherness.

However, for many, it can be a poignant reminder of loss, unmet expectations, and the absence of loved ones. Read on for 8 ways to cope with grief.

People-pleasing behaviors can often stem from emotionally overwhelming experiences, or trauma.

To stop trying to please everyone, it's important to understand people pleasing from a nervous system perspective.

Let's explore how the nervous system affects our stress, social interactions, and desire for connection.

The amount of turmoil that we have experienced collectively over the past handful of years is significant.

As trauma therapists in Horsham, PA, we know that caring for yourself amidst the chaos has been hard at times. But, now more than ever, we know how essential it is to maintain your footing in recovery from trauma and disordered eating.

Tomorrow many will gather around tables, invited to share a moment of gratitude for what life has brought since last Thanksgiving.

For some it comes easy, this way of looking at life.

But for many of us, the smiles on our faces mask myriad distressing thoughts, feelings, and sensations.

In eating disorder recovery, food and body comments can be truly destabilizing.

This thanksgiving, we want you to feel supported in responding, preparing to respond, or building boundaries to protect from any food and body comments that might come.

Even the thought of managing trauma triggers during family gatherings can be a daunting task, especially for folks struggling with PTSD and complex PTSD.

Potential triggers vary greatly among folks who have experienced trauma due to their unique experiences, backgrounds, and sensitivities. And, like we’ve talk about, you might not even be consciously aware of all your triggers.

Securely attached individuals tend to feel comfortable both with emotional intimacy and independence. They trust their partners, express their needs openly, and believe their needs will be met. Secure attachment lays the groundwork for fulfilling, stable relationships.

In the journey of recovery, we often find ourselves addressing various aspects of our lives, from disordered eating patterns to the roots of childhood trauma.

While these challenges may seem distinct, they can often intersect in unexpected ways. Understanding the connections between overfunctioning, disordered eating, and childhood trauma is a crucial step towards healing and reclaiming your life.

In a world that places an undue emphasison physical appearance, many women find themselves trapped in a cycle of body shame, especially if they have experienced trauma or struggled with disordered eating.

EMDR Therapy, a powerful trauma therapy tool and approach, can support you in breaking free from the grips of body shame.

“Let’s go out to eat!”

A simple phrase that can bring on significant stress and overwhelm for folks who are struggling with an eating disorder.

The fear of the unknown can truly be paralyzing. And, the chatter in your head that can come alongside the fear can be truly overwhelming.

Shame and guilt are two complex emotions that often play a significant role in eating disorder treatment, especially for people who have experienced trauma.

Shame is a deep-seated feeling of unworthiness and self-disgust. It's the belief that something about who you are at your core is fundamentally flawed.

Sometimes wondering what will happen with all of the Halloween candy is even spookier than the holiday itself.

In our most recent episode of the Reclaim You podcast, Emily and Sarah discuss Halloween candy and the binge-restrict cycle. In today’s post, we’re recapping the episode and its major themes. We hope the episode and this blog post support you as you navigate recovery from binge eating.

We’ve talked a lot about trauma and PTSD treatment on the blog the past couple of months.

Many of the folks we work with here at Reclaim have heard of PTSD, but haven’t necessarily heard or learned too much about CPTSD.

On the our most recent episode of the Reclaim You podcast, we dove into a topic that resonates so many people on the journey to recovery– coping with weight gain. In today’s blog post we’re summarizing the episode with the intention of supporting you to begin to cope with weight gain in recovery from an eating disorder.

Trauma recovery is a process that invites patience, self-compassion, and an ongoing curiosity of understanding of yourself.

One concept that we often talk about here at Reclaim is The Window of Tolerance. In this blog post, we'll explore what the Window of Tolerance is, why it's an important concept to understand and how it can be a powerful tool on your path to healing.

Join us as we explore the importance of balancing the needs of others with self-care, the relationship between people-pleasing and authenticity, and how to invite struggles and communicate authentically.

Trauma triggers are reminders of past traumatic experiences that can elicit intense emotional and physical reactions. These triggers can manifest from, and in, many different forms such as situations, sights, sounds, feelings or even specific words. They have the power to flood us with how we were feeling at the time we experienced trauma.