I am so thrilled to introduce this part two of my conversation with Barbara Capp, licensed clinical psychologist with a specialization in disordered eating behaviors.
Today we continue our conversation about disordered eating and take a little bit of a different spin. Our discussion today was focused on the parents.
We talk about how to best include parents into the conversation about eating disorders and how sensitive a topic it truly is. According to Barbara, it there is a spectrum of engagement when it comes to parents and how they handle a child with disordered behavior. The one thing we do know is that it is never just about the food, or controlling how much a child is or is not eating. It’s often about the family dynamic and the role that everyone plays.
This can be a scary and uncomfortable place for so many parents to “live,” yet with the help of a professional Barbara explains that there is success and accomplishment if we can simply start the conversation and make it about connection.
Take a listen! What a great conversation this was!
We talk about:
- Supporting parents and not shaming them regardless of what has happened up to this point
- Why parents often have to look at their own relationship with food
- How kids can pick up on their parents’ anxiety
- Why we need to support our kids eating with intention and not sneaking food
- Looking at the messaging around food in a household
- The pressure kids feel to meet an expectation they think their parents have
- Why it’s never about just willpower
- The need to take baby steps and gradually make changes for both kids and parents
- Why kids often feel as if they can’t make changes if they want to keep the balance of the family together
- How Barbara can support a kid even when their parent is not on board with the work
- The importance of having and keeping a connection with your child
- The link between disordered eating and trauma
- Understanding the root cause of the disordered eating
To read a transcript of this episode, click here.
