Hi Navigators! Victoria Ying, a critically acclaimed author and artist living in Los Angeles, visits the podcast to talk about her new young adult graphic novel, “Hungry Ghost”, which features a charactor who has experiencing an eating disorder. Victoria, having her own lived experience, talks about her recovery journey and how it influences the work she does today. From telling her mother about her eating disorder in a public space to learning what it means to have an eating disorder in a white, thin female cishetero space, Victoria shares the ups and downs of her journey. She started her career in the arts by falling in love with comic books, this eventually turned into a career working in animation and graphic novels. Her film credits include Tangled, Wreck it Ralph, Frozen, Paperman, Big Hero 6, and Moana. She is the illustrator on DC’s “Diana Princess of the Amazons” and the author and illustrator of “City of Secrets,” and the sequel “City of Illusion” in stores everywhere! Her upcoming graphic novel projects include the sequel to “Diana Princess of the Amazons” and of course, a YA debut, “Hungry Ghost.” She loves Japanese Curry, putting things in her shopping cart online and taking them out again and hanging out with her husband and furry friends.

CW: eating disorders, eating disorder behaviors, brief mention of a plane crash, fatphobia and weight stigma

Hi Navigators! We’re excited to welcome Courtney Gioia, CEO and founder of Loyobo, to the podcast! Loyobo (meaning Love Your Body), is a virtual wellness community dedicated to helping women ditch diet culture, find joy in movement and to finally figure out how to love their body. Courtney’s own journey with health and struggles around body image and weight loss inspired her to become an ACE Certified Fitness Professional and Mindset Coach. Her mission is to help women use self-love to learn how to trust their bodies and take up space in their lives by living intentionally. This episode explores the complexities of uncomfortable conversations, change, and language, and how boundaries, empathy, and community are ways to promote an inclusive and educational environment for everyone, wherever they may be in their anti-diet culture journey. In the digest, Catherine opens up about what it was like to take the Implicit Association Test (IAT) about weight, and how to address our own biases in conversation with others and ourselves. This was a moving, educational, and valued conversation with Courtney, and we were so glad she joined us! Enjoy!

UPDATE: Francis also completed the IAT about weight, which indicated a slight preference for thin bodies, a challenging result for him!

CW: eating disorders, body image dissatisfaction, weight loss, dieting, exercise

Hi Navigators! Catherine and Francis are excited to welcome Heather Russo, LMFT, CEDS-S, Chief Clinical Officer at Alsana, an eating disorder recovery community and treatment proivder with programs in Alabama, California, and Missouri (as well as virtual services nation-wide). Heather is responsible for nurturing the growth and success of Alsana’s clinical treatment teams and maintaining the integrity and efficacy of the Adaptive Care Model®’s Therapeutic Dimension. The discussion was very insightful, and covered topics about adaptable and different approaches to nutrition and movement in treatment spaces, with an ultimate mission of being more inclusive. We very much appreciated Heather’s perspective and knowledge, and look forward to following all the great work she’s doing in the eating disorder care and healing space. Thank you, Heather!

CW: eating disorder behaviors, eating disorder treatment spaces, mention of trauma histories, clinical work, family dynamics

Hi Navigators! Catherine and Francis welcome Shira Charpentier and Tasha Golding to the podcast for a meaningful discussion about their lived experience, recovery, treatment, and the different paths that lead us to healing. Shira began her nonprofit, Beyond Rules Recovery, in 2019 as a way to support others who experience eating disorders and are looking for their own healing; and Tasha joined Shira in 2021 after her own recovery. Together they share the same desire to change the outcome of future generations and empower individuals worldwide, and focus on educating individuals about eating disorders and recovery. It was truly a wonderful, insightful conversation, and we hope those who listen are able to connect and take away pieces they can use moving forward in their own experiences. Enjoy!

Hi Navigators! Catherine and Francis are excited to welcome Angelo Thomas to the podcast. Angelo is a filmmaker and mental health advocate, and has directed, produced, and edited two feature films, The Incredible Jake Parker and DeRosa: Life, Love & Art in Transition. Currently, he serves as the Digital & Social Media Director with Mental Health America, where he oversees the organization’s overall voice and messaging across all social media platforms. Previously, Angelo worked with the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) as the Associate Manager of Communications. In this episode, Angelo welcomes listeners into his recovery journey from anorexia nervosa, including how admitting to treatment, developing his ever-evolving story, and writing and film all played significant parts in his healing. Angelo’s passion for mental health advocacy stems from his own lived experience. Since recovering in 2018, he has been proud to give a voice to men, Latin Americans, and LGBTQ+ folks affected by eating disorders and other mental health concerns. We were thrilled to have him and hope you have a chance to check out his work and advocacy.

CW: eating disorder behaviors, strained parental relationships, eating disorder treatment, talk of weight

Hi Navigators! Catherine and Francis take some time to discuss perfectionism, and how it impacted their lives, its intersection with eating disorders, and what the research says about it.

Have a topic you’d like to hear in a digest this season? Feel free to contact us at www.navigatingrecoverypodcast.com.

Hi Navigators! We’re back, and we’re excited to kick off Season Three of Eating Disorders: Navigating Recovery Podcast with Amanda Campbell, lead designer at Sassy Jones, a fashion and lifestyle brand that offers audacious style solutions for statement-making women. Amanda joins the podcast to talk about her lived experience with anorexia nervosa and how finding motivation for healing and body acceptance through sewing and designing – a skill she learned at a young age – helped give her a sense a purpose. In recalling a moment when she made her first pair of pants, Amanda delivers a powerful message to all who seek healing from their own lived experience. Now, working in an industry she loves, Amanda wants to share that love by empowering others with clothing that makes them feel confident, strong, and beautiful in their own skin. It was really wonderful to have her on the show – we certainly felt empowered afterwards! Enjoy!

Hi Navigators! We’re thrilled to be back behind the mics, connecting and sharing with our incredible listeners, with our amazing guests, and with each other. While we introducing a slightly different release schedule, we think this season’s slate of guests bring the same insight, passion, vulnerability, and humanism to each conversation. In a new twist, if you have a specific topic you’d like the hosts to discuss during an episode, reach out – we want to hear from you and address topics important to our listeners directly!

Thank you for being with us along this journey – we’re so happy to be back with you!

Hi Navigators! Catherine and Francis are excited to welcome Dr. Breese Annable, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Certified Eating Disorder Specialist, and owner of Living Balance Psychotherapy, a private practice based in Asheville, North Carolina (yes, this is yet another connection through the amazing Carolina Resource Center for Eating Disorders!). Breese specializes in working with clients who also have co-occurring Borderline Personality Disorder, anxiety disorders, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. She is passionate about raising awareness on the damaging effects of diet culture and providing education on weight neutral approaches to health. In this episode, Breese talks about shame, why it’s not necessarily a “bad” emotion to feel, and potential antidotes to help manage a typically distressing emotion. When it comes to diet culture, Breese takes an approach that we cannot unlearn what we’ve been sold our entire lives, so we must learn about diet culture for what it is, and not what we’ve been told. As she poignantly inquires, “what if there’s nothing wrong with you…what if the solution you’ve been sold is the problem.” We were so grateful for her time and energy!

CW: eating disorders, diet culture, healing stories, disordered eating