Extended Abstract

Anyone struggling with an eating disorder lives with a harsh inner critic. The critic's voice thwarts freedom of expression, creates guilt and fear, feeds self-destructive behavior and diminishes self-esteem. While the inner critic may be strong, it can be calmed.

This workshop will present a model for understanding the protective function of the inner critic and how to help clients move from patterns of self-sabotage to patterns of self-support. This process will involve developing a powerful inner coach that detoxifies negative self-talk and opens clients to self-affirming experiences. Participants will learn what neuroscientists have discovered about brain patterns and how to change them.

This workshop will also explore the critic within the self of the therapist and the challenges for managing the therapist's negative self-talk. The presenters will draw upon case examples and lead experiential exercises toward strengthening therapeutic skills for working with these issues.

Brief Summary Abstract

Anyone living with an eating disorder lives with a harsh inner critic. This workshop will present a model for understanding the critic's protective function and how to move clients from patterns of self-sabotage to patterns of self-support. It will also explore the critic within the self of the therapist and the challenges for managing it. (case examples and experiential exercises)

Shame is an active ingredient in the development of any eating disorder. In order to help someone move forward in recovery or to guide family members with a loved one who suffers from an eating disorder, it is essential to understand how shame gets internalized and forms a defense structure incorporating body-hatred, self-recrimination, and disordered eating patterns. This workshop trains healthcare providers to understand the symbolic expression inherent in eating disorder symptoms and teaches strategies for intervention and treatment. It also helps participants identify common family dynamics when a family member has an eating disorder and consider prevention strategies.

Adolescence is a time of heightened self-consciousness and anxiety about "measuring up" in relation to schoolwork, appearance and social life. Today's culture promotes unrealistic and narrow standards of what is acceptable and attractive, increasing stress that can all too often undermine self-esteem and encourage feelings of inadequacy.

This teleconference looks at some of the unspoken messages implicit in common day media images and explores the negative and critical self-talk that they generate. Influencers of youth will be guided to understand body image development - how to engage young people in understanding that in the interest of boosting sales, advertisers purposefully increase viewers' dissatisfaction with themselves, and strategies to help bolster body-esteem and develop a healthy relationship to food. Recognizing that emotional resilience and strong self-esteem is essential to psychological well-being, we will explore ways to teach adolescents to own, accept and manage their feelings, to understand the impact of negative self-talk in promoting stress, self-doubt, and worry, and how to "talk back" in order to change internal messages and build self-confidence.

During adolescence there is a heightened self-consciousness and anxiety about "measuring up" in relation to schoolwork, appearance and social life. Modern culture promotes unrealistic and narrow standards of what is acceptable and attractive, increasing stress that can undermine girls' self-esteem and encourage feelings of inadequacy.

Together we will look at some of the concrete images of ultra-thinness and extreme fitness, the unspoken messages implicit in these common day images, and explore the negative and critical self-talk that they generate. Influencers of youth will be guided on how to engage students and daughters in understanding that in the interest of boosting sales, advertisers purposefully increase viewers' dissatisfaction with themselves. When young people are armed with tools to question and evaluate the media they are exposed to, they are best able to protect and promote their emotional health and sense of well-being.

This is an interactive, conversational workshop that helps parents and influencers of youth understand the factors influencing their daughter's self-esteem. Participants learn how to gently and deliberately help children bolster their self-confidence, develop a healthy relationship to food, and become resilient to harmful messages from outside sources, including the media and peer pressure. Throughout the workshop, participants will have ample time to ask questions, give examples, and learn to better dialogue about the issues that our children face.

This workshop trains healthcare providers to understand the symbolic expression of eating disorder symptoms and strategies for clinical intervention. It also helps participants to identify risk factors, signs and symptoms, learn about medical complications, and consider prevention techniques.

This workshop will help participants understand:

• How eating disorders develop and their far reaching affects
• How eating disorder symptoms impact couple relationships
• How to provide guidance in handling comments/questions about food and exercise behaviors; confronting denial; challenges to intimacy and sex
• How to work with historic factors of shame and abuse
• How to help couples explore and manage these issues and their impact on their children

Many of us live with the constant "self-talk" of a harsh inner critic. The critic's voice can thwart spontaneity, limit freedom of expression, create guilt for what we have said or done, and keep us fearful that we're not good enough. While the inner critic may be strong, it can be countered with a powerful inner coach that knows how to detoxify negativity and open us to life affirming experiences.

This workshop will help you to:

• Identify the voice and messages of your inner critic
• Discover how your inner critic originally developed to protect and motivate you
• Learn effective strategies for constructive "self-talk"
• Explore what neuroscientists have discovered about how your brain can change from patterns of self-sabotage to patterns of self-support.

Through guided meditations, experiential exercises, and interactive demonstrations, you will reach into the depth of your soul, open your heart, and discover a non-judgmental, compassionate inner voice. Transform your relationship with yourself and return home inspired and empowered to take the next steps for successfully moving beyond your inner critic.

We are bombarded daily with images of thinness and perfection, encouraging us to turn out bodies into civil war zones. The discrepancy between the idealized body and the real body often leads to body shame, self-judgment and disordered eating patterns. While negative feelings about our selves may be deeply embedded, they can be changed.

Join us as we:

• Present a model that explains the connection between current body-criticism and childhood wounds
• Help you create an inner coach that strengthens your body-esteem
• Teach strategies to resist self-incrimination and encourage healthy self-acceptance
• Learn about the brain's role in reinforcing positive vs. negative body image



Through guided meditations, writing and interactive demonstrations, this workshop will help you open your heart to quieting the voice of your inner critic, and finding a new way of relating to Your Body/Your Self.

This is an interactive, conversational workshop that helps parents understand the factors influencing their children's self-esteem. Using this information, parents learn how to gently and deliberately help children bolster their self-esteem, develop a healthy relationship to food, and become resilient to harmful messages from outside sources, including the media and peer pressure. Throughout the workshop, parents learn how their children's ability to engage in constructive self-talk and self-care will assist them to lead a full and healthy life. Parents have ample time to ask questions, give examples, and learn to dialogue about the issues that their children face.

Short version:

Training for parents on how to raise kids with healthy attitudes towards food and their body image.

Option to add:

and on what to do if you suspect your son or daughter has an eating disorder.)

During adolescence there is an increased tendency to compare oneself to others. There is heightened self-consciousness and anxiety about "measuring up" in relation to what is significant to them: their schoolwork, their appearance and their social life. The unrealistic and narrow standards of what is attractive and acceptable are pervasive in our culture, and can become a significant source of stress that undermines both girls and boys self-esteem. Research in the field of Eating Disorders identifies 6th Grade as the ideal time for providing preventative educational programming. Cognitive development is advanced enough for most children to have a capacity for conceptually understanding how the mind works, how the media's messages affect us, and how we can work to protect ourselves and our friends from the cultural pressures to feel bad about ourselves.

Using a power point presentation to provide concrete images of thinness and extreme fitness, I lead students to consider the unspoken messages in the everyday images that surround them. I explain negative self-talk and positive self-talk and how we can work to promote more opportunities to consciously talk in neutral and positive language, replacing the instinctive negative language that gets promoted in modern culture. I also explain how advertising of diets, low-fat and low-carb foods are ways of marketing for economic profit, while undermining consumers physical and emotional health. Essentially, this class/assembly is intended to build greater awareness of the forces that influence young people to feel bad about themselves and equip students with tools for combating these forces.

Without understanding these influences, students are much more vulnerable to their harmful effects. When the peer group is made aware, they can better support each other and minimize the potential self-harming behaviors that can develop in later adolescence.

Body-image is a very complex concept because it involves both self-perception and assumptions about how others experience us. Many of our beliefs and feelings about our bodies were shaped in childhood and may still be frozen in time.

This workshop will explore both the direct and indirect messages mother's convey to their daughters suggesting ideals and dislikes, thereby influencing the development of body-image.