Eating disorders therapy can be very beneficial, and in fact necessary – and yet, eating disorders therapy can also seem like a lot of work, so it might be tempting to let issues pile up until they absolutely have to be dealt with. And then, by facing these issues a little bit at a time with lots of guidance and support, the work in eating disorders therapy isn’t so hard. The outcome of fresh perspectives and a sense of freedom from past pain is worth it! Isn’t eating disorders therapy a little bit like doing laundry?
Introduction to Erica Faulhaber’s blog post written by
Dr. Dorie McCubbrey, MSEd, PhD, LPC, CEDS, Owner & Clinical Director at Positive Pathways
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Laundry – the necessary evil to get out dirt, grime, stains and unwanted stench. A task resulting in revitalized, fresh and clean garments to go forth into the world. Doing laundry for most involves time, sorting, detergent, water and folding skills. Manufacturers provide labels that suggest hot or cold water, low or high heat and “lay flat to dry” or the fan favorite “dry clean only.”
Who really likes doing laundry? There may be a few folks out there that enjoy this task, but for the most part it is just something that needs to get done. Like laundry, therapy is an option to get out the gunk – it may take longer than the standard seventy-minute wash cycle, but it will be well worth it!
I think of coming to therapy (including eating disorders therapy) like coming into a laundromat. You bring a bag or two or three, and we will start to work on the pieces together. YOU pick the order in which we proceed. Whether you want to start with:
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The “most odiferous” piece – you think nobody is ready for or can stand
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The “wine stain” – you have tried repeatedly to get out or get rid of
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The “easiest” to clean with a small blemish – you might feel safest dealing with this first to build our rapport
No matter what you pick, we will look at cycle speed (delicate vs. normal – meeting weekly or more/less often), H20 temperature (cold vs. warm – maintenance or deeper/targeted/specific topic sessions) and load size (small, medium, large – weight of the struggles you are feeling). When you are ready to get some laundry done, it may not be fun all the time, but together we can make the task not as daunting!
© Erica Faulhaber 2016 – this blog article may be shared in its entirety, including copyright and contact information. Reprint only with permission from the author. Article adapted and reprinted by Positive Pathways, Ltd with permission.
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If you’re looking for eating disorders therapy or counseling for trauma, contact Erica Faulhaber, MA, NCC, LPCC – the author of this blog article. Erica is an EDIT™ Certified Counselor, and has a specialty in eating disorders therapy and trauma recovery. EMAIL ERICA OR LEARN MORE: http://positivepathways.com/edit-certified-counselors/
You can also consider attending our Monday Night Support Group which Erica helps to facilitate. Try your first group for FREE! This group focuses on eating disorder recovery and Intuitive Eating Skills. MORE INFO about this and other groups: http://positivepathways.com/workshops-and-groups/
Interested in a FREE CONSULTATION? Erica would like to get to know you and give you feedback about EDIT™ eating disorders therapy and other options. Call 720-606-3242 or learn more: http://positivepathways.com/free-consultation/
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