My Approach
Eating disorders are complex mental health conditions, not problems rooted solely in food or willpower. Sustainable recovery happens when we focus on shame, self-worth, emotional patterns, and creating a sense of safety within ourselves.
The three pillars of self-compassion offer the practical foundation required to interrupt shame and build a healthier relationship with yourself over time.
The 3 pillars of Self-Compassion:
Mindfulness
Learning to notice and name thoughts and emotions with accuracy.
This creates space to respond with intention instead of reacting on autopilot.
Common humanity
Recognizing that suffering, mistakes, and imperfection are part of the shared human experience — not something that makes you broken or alone.
Self kindness
Learning to treat yourself with warmth, care, and understanding instead of criticism — especially when old patterns are activated.
My Why
My own experiences of childhood abuse led me to hide my authentic self behind coping mechanisms.
This wasn’t a conscious choice.
These patterns formed before I could read, write, or tie my shoes. As children, we adapt to survive. We develop ways of being that help us feel safer and ensure our needs are met.
But as we grow, that same mask shapes how we see ourselves and connect with others. Beneath it often lives a belief that we are unworthy, unlovable or only acceptable under certain conditions.
That was my reality. This led to perfectionistic tendencies, a deep fear of rejection, dissociation, hyper-vigilance, performative adaptation, and emotional suppression — all mostly subconscious.
Outwardly, these patterns showed up as an eating disorder, isolation, and relationships with emotionally unavailable men, all while appearing as though I had everything under control.
At five years old, I remember a clear and simple knowing:
“Everyone is so angry… there must be a happier way to live.”
That stayed with me.
My journey has been about finding that happier way — and I realized it’s not done by fixing myself, but by creating safety within myself. By understanding trauma, learning to feel again, and meeting my shame based patterns with compassion.