#35: Why does mindfulness matter in body-positivity?
with Andrea Wachter, LMFT
In this episode we discuss…
Andrea’s own history with an eating disorder and how it led her to work in eating disorder prevention and recovery
the “negative body image epidemic” that leads to massive amounts of time lost to food and body obsession
how it’s more common than not to feel uncomfortable in your body
how andrea teaches mindfulness in kid-friendly language in her children’s book
how parents can help children treat and talk to themselves with kindness
why “feeling fat” is like a spell that takes away children’s joy
why people are more drawn to getting help for “overeating” even though they may also struggle with restricting food and accepting their bodies
the role of feelings and thoughts in poor body image — and how to help teens use mindfulness to address this
examples of how parents can take this information and put it into practice with teens
using the language your teen is using to describe what they’re struggling with
the importance of parents working on their own relationship with food and body image
andrea’s recommendations for meditation resources
andrea’s answer to the million dollar question
Therapist and author Andrea Wachter joins us to discuss how parents can use mindfulness to help kids of all ages who are struggling with poor body image or their relationship with food.
Andrea Wachter is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and author of Getting Over Overeating for Teens. She is also co-author of Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Breaking the “I Feel Fat” Spell and The Don’t Diet, Live-It Workbook. Andrea is an inspirational counselor, author and speaker who uses professional expertise, humor and personal recovery to help others.
Connect with Andrea on her website, read her HuffPost blog posts, check out her online courses, and meditate with her on Insight Timer.
Resources mentioned:
Andrea’s article “9 Ways to Improve Body Image”
Andrea’s courses and meditations on Insight Timer