https://www.erinpaimamft.com/blog daily 0.75 2021-04-02 https://www.erinpaimamft.com/blog/2021/eatingdisorders/nextstepsforlovedones monthly 0.5 2021-04-02 https://www.erinpaimamft.com/about daily 0.75 2021-02-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60035f0b3753c24df243c04d/1611358935083-2C4S99BRRBCZCHPZ5QVY/99A04663-8BBF-480B-AA8B-FF0960586D74.jpeg About https://www.erinpaimamft.com/therapy daily 0.75 2021-03-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60035f0b3753c24df243c04d/1612422801679-Y7R8NLHUS17J9D44FZKO/image-asset.jpeg Therapy - Areas of Clinical Focus Eating Disorders Christian Counseling Women’s Issues Trauma Intimate Partner Betrayal Treatment Techniques Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Attachment Theory Psychodynamic Therapy Person-Centered/Rogerian Therapy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60035f0b3753c24df243c04d/1612424752166-7TLTJ9OAMCLGTVVT05PU/image-asset.jpeg Therapy - Let’s chat. Do you acknowledge that your life feels out-of-control, but you are afraid of what finally “getting help” might mean? Have you felt defeated or alienated in your walk with God because it hasn’t worked to “just pray it all away” or to simply “lay it down”? Do you long for close relationships, yet find yourself sabotaging the very things that would lead to healthy intimacy with others? I provide individual therapy for older teens, young adults and adult women seeking to regain control of their lives and to learn to trust themselves, God and others in an accepting, safe and confidential environment. https://www.erinpaimamft.com/home daily 1.0 2024-01-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60035f0b3753c24df243c04d/1611098499909-RPZYH9YULMIW49ZL2XQJ/image-asset.jpeg Home - Attach. Let love in. Give your whole self. Most of the clients I’ve worked with over the years deeply want love, meaningful relationship and vibrant community. They are sick to death of the way they are living and can think of nothing they want more than to be free of the life-controlling behaviors, traumas or unhealthy relationships that have kept them stuck and kept them sick. But most have also been deeply wounded, sometimes even by the very people that should have protected them and provided a sense of safety in their world. As a result, they don’t trust themselves, and therefore, can’t even conceive of trusting someone else with their whole self. Instead, in order to protect themselves, they have become experts at giving people the version of themselves that they believe others most want. Trust is placed not in God or safe people, but in the behaviors and beliefs that they’ve adapted to cope with and survive the pain. And ultimately, these unhealthy coping strategies end up being the very things that sabotage what they want most- to be known, loved and accepted for who they truly are. But, here again there is better way. We can learn to place our trust in what is eternal, trustworthy and true. We can find our voice and learn to advocate for and protect ourselves. And we can learn to treat ourselves with, and recognize in God and others, the kind of love and safety that makes it possible to let love in. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60035f0b3753c24df243c04d/1611096116517-3WZ2ACR3PJVORPKH5YMQ/image-asset.jpeg Home - You are enough. Let go. There is a better way. When my clients come to me, they are exhausted- weary under the crushing weight of the unrealistic expectations of perfection in virtually every area of their lives. Often, they know that these expectations are fantasies; that they are unattainable. And yet, somehow this knowledge doesn’t transcend the head and penetrate the heart. Instead, many are constantly striving to do more, be more, give more. Others may say they don’t care, and even engage in self-sabotaging behaviors that seem to communicate this to the outside world, but deep down nothing could be further from the truth. Almost all are highly sensitive, intelligent, deeply empathic, and often high-acheiving, and yet, they are drowning in their feelings of failure, shame and self-loathing. They are repulsed and frustrated by everything from what they see in the mirror before them, to who they are as a friend, partner, parent, worker… person. And one thing is for certain, no matter how much approval, or how many accolades, compliments or achievements they receive, it is never enough. But, there is a better way. My clients don’t have a weight problem, an achievement problem or even a self-esteem problem. Perhaps much like you, the problem these incredible women share is an identity problem. When they understand who they were created to be, why they were created and what truly gives them value, everything changes. And like them, you are more than you’ve made. You are more than you’ve done. And you are not made more worthy or more loveable based on any measure of your performance. https://www.erinpaimamft.com/reviews-1 daily 0.75 2021-02-07 https://www.erinpaimamft.com/contact daily 0.75 2024-06-29 https://www.erinpaimamft.com/services daily 0.75 2021-03-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60035f0b3753c24df243c04d/1615367395710-6SX1DK4ADBTPWXYZG46F/unsplash-image-fZ2DnCBiLE8.jpg Services - Eating Disorders. If you know or suspect that you are dealing with anorexia, bulimia, compulsive or binge-eating disorder, orthorexia, exercise bulimia, body dysmorphia, and more, I have been specializing in all aspects of eating disorders since the beginning of my career. Assisting my clients in finding freedom from the prison of eating disorders is my absolute passion! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60035f0b3753c24df243c04d/1613459694050-ZUI1Z32SK3MM9CZ0M576/support+for+women%27s+issues Services - Women’s Issues. If you are looking for support related to mood disorders or mood-related challenges, postpartum depression or anxiety, balancing demands of motherhood, marriage and career, pregnancy and infant loss, body image distress and more, I can help. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60035f0b3753c24df243c04d/1613462331925-AV7ZIVKNF1OGN362TD9M/image-asset.jpeg Services - Trauma Recovery. If you are looking for a safe space to process the trauma of childhood abuse, growing up amidst the addiction of one or both parents, domestic violence, imitate partner betrayal and more, I offer a place to grieve and heal. https://www.erinpaimamft.com/eating-disorders daily 0.75 2021-03-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60035f0b3753c24df243c04d/1615366874880-T9RQUOOMXVPRWPOV68MQ/unsplash-image-gPQfaOxxZeM.jpg Eating Disorders - Outpatient Therapy for Eating Disorders in Roseville, California What Does an Eating Disorder Look Like? Most of us struggle at times with insecurities about our bodies, emotional eating or decreased appetite after a particularly stressful event, or wishing that we had more discipline in the areas of healthy eating or exercise. These phenomena are so common and relatable that often it is easy for us to shrug off concerns we might have in these areas, whether for ourselves or a loved one, and just chalk it up to “part of being a woman” or “the human experience”. However, research tells us that at least 9% of the U.S. population, or roughly 28.8 million Americans will have an eating disorder at some point in their lifetime. But, is a diagnosis really that important? At 10,200 deaths annually, eating disorders are the second most deadly mental illness, surpassed by only opiate abuse. Additionally, the distress, fear, shame and isolation that accompany an eating disorder are devastating, resulting in astounding 26% percent of all individuals struggling with an eating disorder attempting suicide at least once. If you suspect that you or someone you love may have an active eating disorder, or be at significant risk for developing one, getting timely, accurate and competent information and therapeutic support is crucial. There is hope. Eating disorders are treatable. It is not worth the risk or the pain to continue suffering in silence for one more day. Types of Eating Disorders People with eating disorders commonly develop a preoccupation with food and body weight that affects their lives across all domains- from their behaviors, to their thought life, to the very way they feel about themselves and the world around them. What commonly begins as a voluntary method of losing weight, bringing structure to one’s eating habits or coping with stress, eventually becomes totally consuming and life-controlling. Below are a few of the more common ways that eating disorders tend to manifest: Anorexia Nervosa People with anorexia are consumed with an intense fear of weight gain and becoming ‘fat’, driving them to extreme measures to control and lose weight. Such measures may include some or all of the following: food restriction/fasting, skipping meals, eating only select “safe” foods, seemingly bizarre food rituals at meals, weighing themselves and counting calories excessively and engaging in compensatory measures to lose weight such as over-exercise, purging, laxative abuse and more. Most often, the person suffering with anorexia will attempt to hide, minimize or deny a problem altogether, often resorting to extreme rationalizations, emphatic denials and elaborate excuses aimed at convincing those around them that nothing is wrong. Among all the eating disorders, and in fact amongst nearly all other psychiatric disorders, anorexia has the highest mortality rate. As scary as that sounds, 50-70% will go on to recover with treatment. Bulimia Nervosa As in anorexia, people with bulimia nervosa also suffer from disturbance in body image perception and an obsession with weight loss or preventing weight gain and feel their body shape and size are strong determinants of their self-worth. However, bulimia nervosa is characterized by the binge-purge cycle during which an excessive amount of calories are consumed in a short span of time and later ‘purged’ by method of self-induced vomiting, compulsive exercise, food restriction and/or laxative abuse to prevent weight gain from the ‘binge’. Most clients describe feeling out-of-control during the binge portion of the cycle and will endorse feelings of self-inflicted violence during the purge. This behavior is almost always done in secret and often evokes extreme feels of shame and self-loathing afterward, although the cycle may bring temporary emotional release or a numbing of intense feelings. Many individuals with bulimia will deny any issue and/or minimize or excuse any concerns about their behavior upon confrontation. In contrast to anorexia, most individuals with bulimia are at average or above-average body weight. Compulsive Overeating Compulsive overeaters chronically over-eat in response to emotional and psychological hunger, but often without regard for physical hunger cues. They may overconsume at meals, but more often graze throughout the day, usually in an unconscious response to stress, overwhelm and/or emotional triggers. Compulsive overeaters share a preoccupation with body weight, shape and size as major determinants of self-worth and often experience a great deal of shame and self-loathing associated with their body image. This shame and self-recrimination often further isolates those suffering from the community they desperately need, further entrenching unhealthy emotional eating. Most compulsive overeaters are overweight, but many also use compensatory measures of weight loss such as compulsive exercise or frequent dieting, such that they may be of average or fluctuating body weights. Binge Eating Disorder (BED) Binge eating disorder is the most common of all eating disorders with most current prevalence estimates ranging between 1-2 million Americans suffering at any given time. Binge eating disorder is similar to bulimia in that it is characterized by discreet periods of out-of-control bingeing, in which a large amount of calories are consumed in a short period of time, ending in extreme physical fullness and discomfort or sleep. Due to the absence of the compensatory measures taken after the binge as in bulimia, many people with BED are significantly overweight, and as noted elsewhere in the other eating disorders, the resulting shame and disgust over body image and out-of-control food behaviors only fuel more social isolation. Exercise Addiction Exercise addiction is an unhealthy obsession with physical fitness and exercise. Although exercise addiction is not itself an eating disorder, it is discussed here because it often co-occurs with, and must be ruled out from, part of a larger eating or body image disorder. Some signs distinguishing exercise addiction from a healthy routine involving heavy exercise or athletic training are: the need for greater and greater amounts of exercise to achieve the desired effect, feelings of irritability, anxiety or restlessness when unable to engage in exercise, unsuccessful attempts to manage or reduce exercise, excessive amounts of time being devoted to exercise to the exclusion of previously meaningful non-fitness related activities or relationships and continuance of exercise despite adverse physical or relational consequences. Orthorexia Orthorexia is an obsession with healthy eating that has a significant impact on one or more areas of daily functioning. Unlike in anorexia, in orthorexia the focus on food rigidity is not necessarily related to fear of weight gain, as much as it is a fixation on eating healthy or alternative foods. Many who suffer from orthorexia describe their obsession as having moral overtones, in which their self-assessment is impacted positively or negatively depending on the quality of their food choices. In the absence of available “safe foods”, those with orthorexia feel increasingly out-of-control and anxious. Over time, many find that fewer and fewer foods feel acceptable or “safe” to them, often ending in unhealthy weight loss or the development of a primary eating disorder such an anorexia or bulimia. Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) People with body dysmorphia obsessively focus on a real or perceived flaw in physical appearance and spend excessive amounts of time and energy trying to hide or repair it. As in exercise addiction, body dymorphic disorder is not itself an eating disorder, but the disorder can precede, co-occur or end in an eating disorder. People with BDD often spend excessive amounts of time examining their appearance in the mirror, comparing their physical appearance to others and avoiding social situations or photographs which they feel highlight their perceived flaw. They may additionally resort to extreme measures such as repeated plastic surgeries or excessive exercise to alter their physical appearance. While there is no noted ‘cure’ for BDD, treatment can provide significant relief. Causes While there is no single known cause for an eating disorder, we are learning more everyday about the multifaceted factors that influence their development. In addition to what has long been known about the influence of genetics, body image, the media and culturally derived standards of beauty, in recent years we have come to understand much more about the role of trauma, co-occurring mental health disorders (particularly anxiety and depression and anhedonia) and neurobiology (specifically the role of feeding-reward related neurotransmitters) in the development and maintenance of eating disorders. On Treatment Tragically, less than 50% of those suffering from an eating disorder end up getting the treatment that they need. When it comes to seeking help for an eating disorder, early intervention can not be overemphasized. In general, because of the shame, secrecy and denial surrounding these disorders, by the time an individual (or their loved ones) become concerned, it is already past the ideal point of intervention. While this by no means is an indicator that you or your loved one are beyond help, it often can mean that a higher level of care may be required, especially as time continues to pass. My goal is to see you achieve recovery, health and freedom in the safest and least restrictive setting possible, so please, don’t delay! Signs a higher level of care is needed failure to thrive in outpatient therapy and dietary counseling after a significant period of time medical complications (severe malnutrition, electrolyte imbalance, irregular heartbeat) suicidal ideation self-harm behaviors not safely contained at a lower level of care Treatment Focus I heard a quote once that I believe describes the evolution of the eating-disorder so succinctly and beautifully: “We are constantly telling our stories, sometimes with words.“ An eating disorder serves an important function in the life of the person battling it. If it didn’t, it wouldn’t be so hard to give it up! Often, the eating disorder has represented an attempt to care for the self and cope with deep pain. And despite the tremendous suffering, shame and bondage that it brings, in many cases for the person with the eating disorder, it is still considered preferable to facing life without it. There are many different functions an eating disorder can play from voicing a need, providing protection, calling attention to a problem, simulating control, preserving a sense of self, medicating feelings, creating an ‘identity’ and much more. The function of an individual’s eating disorder is as uniquely personal as the individual themself, and is very often unconscious at the beginning of treatment. Only through a safe, affirming and trusting relationship can such meaning be explored and processed. Only then, can the path forward be clearly perceived. Additionally, I work with my clients on creating meaning from the pain of this experience, on clarifying their values and on grounding their identity and self-worth in what is eternal and true. In fact, several of my former clients have gone on to become therapists themselves and are today helping others on their path to recovery and freedom (wounded healers are the best in my opinion)! For most of my clients, the work they do in treatment proves to be some of the most stretching, gut-wrenching, messy, and ultimately profoundly liberating and rewarding, of their lifetime. Along the way, more than a few have been known to get a little loud, eat a piece of cake and smash a scale or two… Sources: National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), The Body Myth- Margaret Maine and Joe Kelly Do I have an Eating Disorder? Take the short screening tool developed by the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) below. https://www.erinpaimamft.com/rates daily 0.75 2024-06-29