Healing the Roots: Lasting Recovery with Embodied Recovery for Eating Disorders
Eating disorders arise from a multitude of factors and can be challenging to fully heal the underlying issues that contribute to maintaining behaviors. Many approaches to recovery are more “top-down”, which means they are working through issues cognitively. Top-down processing includes addressing thought patterns, beliefs, decision-making, and problem-solving. In many cases, these approaches tend to leave the body out of treatment.
What is the Embodied Recovery Approach?
Embodied Recovery for Eating Disorders is an approach to recovery that believes transformative and lasting change happens when we bring the body to the forefront of treatment and listen to what it is saying. It is a bottom-up approach, which means a body-centered, somatic, and sensory-based approach. It is an approach that is somatically integrated, relationally oriented, and trauma-informed. Embodied Recovery for Eating Disorders is a synthesis of many bottom-up approaches to healing and was co-created by Rachel Lewis-Marlow, a Sensorimotor Psychotherapist, and Paula Scatoloni, a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner.
There are four foundational principles of the Embodied Recovery for Eating Disorders approach.
Principle #1
Embodied Recovery for Eating Disorders is a Somato-Psycho-Social approach
Traditional approaches to eating disorder recovery have valued a biopsychosocial model that considers the interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors that impact the development of an eating disorder. The somato-psycho-social model values these factors but also brings in curiosity about the underlying neurological templates for regulation and nourishment that impact our ability to feel a sense of safety in our body and nourish ourselves.
Principle #2
Recovery is a result of deeper embodiment
This principle sees recovery not as a result of decreasing or eliminating eating disorder symptoms, but rather as an additive process of increasing embodiment of the attachment, defense, and sensory processing systems. Through embodiment, we can Uncover obstacles to our ability to embody and nourish ourselves, Discover what needs to be supported or transformed, and Recover our ability to express our authentic Self in the world, softening the protective strategies of eating disorder parts and symptoms.
Principle #3
Symptoms as the body speaking about how it makes sense of life, what it takes to be alive, and what it needs to thrive (Sensory Processing, Defense Response Cycle, Action/Relational Cycle)
This principle introduces the concept of three aspects of our experience that shape our embodiment. This includes our sensory processing system, our defense response system from our trauma history, and our relational system from our attachment history. By learning to speak the body’s language of 5 senses perception (sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell), sensation, and movement, we can translate what the eating disorder symptoms are telling us about our state of nervous system regulation, our sensory integration, and our trauma and attachment systems.
Principle #4
The body is a resource in recovery
Rather than exiling the body in this process, Embodied Recovery for Eating Disorders views the body as a resource. Learning to resource the body through the senses and movement allows us to listen to the body and respond with compassion and effectiveness. This builds a relationship with the body based on trust, nourishment, and nurturing. This process of reclaiming the body as a resource is a key factor in healing in Embodied Recovery for Eating Disorders.
In this approach, eating disorder behaviors are viewed as the body speaking. In some approaches to recovery, you may have heard someone say, “That’s just your eating disorder talking.” Rather than “shooting the messenger”, we start by listening to what the body has to say. Eating disorder behaviors are management strategies not to feel the feelings of a dysregulated nervous system. They also give us clues on the conditions of attachment that limit our ability to be regulated and resilient. With eating disorders, food is perceived as a threat because it creates a moment for us to become aware of the organization of the body.
What does an Embodied Recovery for Eating Disorders session look like?
Embodied Recovery for Eating Disorders is influenced by a variety of maps of understanding the nervous system and body. These maps include the Window of Tolerance, Polyvagal Theory, the Action Cycle, developmental movements, the Relational Cycle, and the Defense Response Activation cycle. Sessions will begin by introducing you to the language of the body. For example, sensory language and the near senses (interoception, proprioception, vestibular) and far senses (sight, sound, taste, touch, smell). We will also begin to learn about the nervous system and get a sense of what sensations, emotions, thoughts, and eating disorder behaviors show up for you in the various nervous system states. You will then learn about co-regulating and self-regulating resources to help shift nervous system states and explore the senses as a resource in this process. Adding in resourcing the body in this way allows you to begin to soften the strategy of coping with eating disorder behaviors alone.
You will gain an understanding of the various maps and how they impact your ability to nourish yourself and land safely in your body in the present moment. Obstacles to these tasks will be identified and addressed slowly. And each and every session you will be invited to come into contact with your body little by little, at a slow pace that honors your unique history and capacity for moving towards greater embodiment.
Reclaiming Beauty’s Compassionate Approach
So much gratitude to our mentors Rachel Lewis-Marlow & Paula Scatoloni for synthesizing and sharing this body-centered approach to eating disorder recovery. By bringing the body into the healing process, we have witnessed the most profound and lasting shift in eating disorder recovery. Through this process, we start the journey to Uncover, Discover, and Recover your embodied authentic Self. All of the therapists at Reclaiming Beauty are trained in Embodied Recovery for Eating Disorders. We bring in a lot of compassion and patience and are ready to accompany you on this healing journey every step of the way.
Getting Started with an Eating Disorder Therapist in Asheville, NC
We would love to support you on your unique journey toward healing. Please follow the steps below if you’d like a provider trained in Embodied Recovery for Eating Disorders.
Learn more about what we offer through our blog.
Begin the journey toward eating disorder recovery.
Other Services We Offer in North Carolina
Discover a holistic approach to well-being at Reclaiming Beauty. Our personalized embodiment coaching unlocks the wisdom within, fostering self-compassion and resilience. Or, explore the transformative benefits of the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP). This is a non-invasive auditory intervention that enhances social engagement and reduces stress.
