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When you hear the phrase intuitive eating, what comes to mind? How does someone actually eat “intuitively”? Let’s start by breaking it down. Intuitive means “based on what one feels to be true, even without conscious reasoning; instinctive.” In other words, it’s something we already know how to do, it’s built in. Eating intuitively simply means listening to your body’s natural cues: hunger, fullness, and even cravings. At one point in your life, you were already a pro at this. Think back to infants and toddlers, they eat when they’re hungry and stop when they’re full. They don’t count calories, track meals, or stress about the “right” foods. They’re the perfect example of intuitive eaters. So what happened? Diet culture. Somewhere along the way, many of us were taught to ignore or override those natural signals. We’ve been told when to eat, what to eat, and how much to eat, often in direct conflict with what our bodies are asking for. Over time, that noise drowns out our instincts, and we start believing that someone else knows our body better than we do. Another common fear is that if we let go of food rules and eat intuitively, we’ll lose “control” and only want so-called “unhealthy” foods. But let’s pause here, why do we trust our bodies to breathe for us, to pump blood, to do thousands of incredible things every single day, yet assume it’s not capable of knowing how to nourish itself? Before dieting existed, intuitive eating was simply how people ate. So how do we relearn it today? The first step is rebuilding trust with your body. If you’ve ignored hunger cues for a long time, they may feel faint or even nonexistent. That’s why having a bit of structure at first can actually help. For example, try eating breakfast within an hour of waking, then aim for a meal or snack every 2.5–3 hours. It might feel awkward at the beginning, but with consistency, your body will start sending clear signals again. It’s also important to know that if you’ve restricted certain foods in the past, it’s normal to feel out of control when you allow them again. Sometimes that looks like overeating or binging. I know that can feel scary, but the key is not to respond with more restriction, that only keeps the cycle going. Instead, just move on to your next meal or snack. Over time, those foods lose their power, and you’ll find balance. Intuitive eating isn’t just about physical health, it’s about mental health and overall quality of life. Food is fuel, yes, but it’s also joy, comfort, culture, and connection. By ditching diet rules and rebuilding trust with your body, you free up energy for the things that truly matter. Your body is smarter than diet culture has led you to believe. If you’re willing to listen, it already knows exactly what you need.

When struggling with OCD or an eating disorder, it’s easy to become trapped in cycles of self-criticism, shame, and guilt. These mental health conditions often come with intrusive thoughts, compulsions, or disordered behaviors that feel deeply distressing—and in response, many people harshly judge themselves. This is where self-compassion becomes a powerful, healing force.   Self-compassion isn’t about ignoring problems or excusing harmful behavior. Instead, it’s about treating yourself with the same kindness, understanding, and patience you’d offer a loved one. Research has shown that cultivating self-compassion can reduce anxiety, support emotional regulation, and improve treatment outcomes for both OCD and eating disorders.   Why Self-Compassion Helps Interrupts the shame spiral: Shame often fuels both OCD and eating disorders. Self-compassion breaks the cycle by replacing harsh judgment with understanding. Reduces avoidance: When we’re kinder to ourselves, we’re more likely to face fears or triggers head-on—essential in exposure-based therapies. Builds resilience: Compassion fosters a sense of worth that isn’t defined by thoughts, symptoms, or appearance.   Tips for Cultivating Self-Compassion Practice mindful awareness: Notice your thoughts without judgment. Label them—“That’s an intrusive thought” or “That’s my inner critic”—and gently redirect your focus. Write a compassionate letter to yourself: Speak to yourself the way you would to a struggling friend. Use supportive statements: “I’m doing the best I can” or “It’s okay to feel this way”   Healing is rarely linear, and it’s never perfect. But when you respond to setbacks with compassion instead of criticism, you create space for growth, understanding, and lasting change.

September is National Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month. I want to take this opportunity to encourage you to consider the impact that can be made when we normalize saying something is wrong or encouraging someone to seek help. I often recall a comic strip a friend shared with me, where people responded to physical injuries like they would typically respond to mental health struggles. One character in the comic showed his friend his broken limb, and his friend responded with "have you tried not thinking about it?" This comic sparked an important question for me. If we wouldn't hesitate to encourage our friend seek medical help if they were physically ill, why don't we treat mental illness in the same way? I understand that stigma around mental illness is very much present in our culture. Because of this there can be a certain level of "shame" in admitting there is something that hurts or needs attention. But again, would we be ashamed to say my broken foot hurts? Why as a society do we treat this differently? On a more positive note, we have most recently seen a shift in the younger generation taking more of a stand through social media and normalizing seeking help (kudos to our Gen-Z-ers). I really believe this will have a great impact for the future of mental health, because saying “I need help with my mental health” should be as acceptable as saying “I need help with my physical health.” If you are feeling depressed or in distress, please remember you are not alone. It's important to bring awareness to the impact that normalizing this dialogue can make on someone’s life. Suicide awareness and prevention begin with speaking out about and listening to someone’s struggles. Sometimes the most difficult thing to do is to speak about our vulnerabilities. However, we also know this is the most important factor in building connections and a possible avenue to saving a life. Having lost a dear friend to suicide, this initiative really hits home.   I remember feeling very upset about not having had a clear understanding of the kind of pain they were going through before they passed. Depression, distress, mental illness, should not be so foreign to us. Perhaps it is because it may not make sense to us, that we need to learn more about it. I invite you to take this opportunity this month of September to get more familiar with mental illness, and together we can make a difference in diminishing suicide rates and increasing mental well-being.   To get you started here is a list of common signs of suicide to watch out: Increased substance (alcohol or drug) use Statements about having no reason for living or no sense of purpose in life Experiencing anxiety, agitation, difficulty sleeping or sleeping all the time Stating that they feel trapped or hopeless. Withdrawal from friends, family and society Rage, uncontrolled anger, seeking revenge Acting reckless or engaging in risky activities, seemingly without thinking Drastic mood changes ·       Giving away possessions ·       Tying up loose ends, like organizing personal papers or paying off debts ·       Saying goodbye to friends and family   Here is a list of wonderful organizations that are active on this initiative:   ·      https://floridasuicideprevention.org/   ·      https://nspw.afsp.org/     ·      https://nami.org/Get-Involved/Awareness-Events/Suicide-Prevention-Awareness-Month-(SPAM)?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-PPslviC-gIVHcLCBB1-lww-EAAYAyAAEgI5e_D_BwE     ·      https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/index.html     Also the number to dial is 988 . This is the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline   Lastly, here is the comic I was referring to in case you were curious:   https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/11/12/mental-illness-advice-physical-illness_n_6144398.html

While OCD affects people from all walks of life, individuals within the LGBTQIA+ community may experience unique challenges related to their identity. OCD symptoms can intertwine with their journey of understanding and accepting their gender and sexuality. Obsessions may focus on concerns, such as "What if I’m not truly gay?" or "What if I'm not really the gender I identify as?" These experiences of doubt and uncertainty then lead to significant distress. Individuals then engage in compulsions like excessive checking, reassurance seeking, mental rituals to try neutralizing these concerns or ritualistic behaviors aimed at proving or disproving their identity. Because OCD is so black and white, it feels as thought there is no room for doubt and there should be a 100% guarantee of absolute certainty. Any hint of doubt or ambiguity, feels unacceptable. This then goes against the natural and normal course and journey of sexual and gender identity development and exploration. An important component of working on sexual identify and gender identity OCD, focuses on honoring and giving space for each individual's journey of finding themselves and their identities. The gray areas within the journey can feel stressful when OCD is present, but this should not rush the journey! It's crucial for mental health professionals to provide culturally competent care, recognizing the unique experiences and stressors faced by LGBTQIA+ individuals with OCD. Safe spaces where individuals can share their experiences without fear of judgment can help reduce the isolation that often accompanies both OCD and the challenges of being LGBTQIA+. Treatment should then focus on helping individuals recognize how OCD can get in their way, and better tolerate anxiety while eliminating compulsions. The goal is to increase the ability to have positive relationships, positive functioning and overall well-being, living a life that is most authentic and affirming of who they are.

A common mistake I find clinicians making when utilizing Exposure and Response Prevention (E/RP) is not talking about what to do after an exposure. I would argue that what one does after an exposure is just as if not more important than the exposure itself. Keep in mind the only purpose of engaging in an exposure is to have the opportunity to practice response prevention. For example, if we touch something that we view as very contaminated, but proceed to wash our hands after, we continue to reinforce to our brain that whatever we just touched is super dangerous! Ask yourself, how do we teach our brain something new? While yelling at our brains about how illogical anxiety can be is often a tempting route- think about how you can show your brain new information about safety and danger. Engaging in consistent and conscious response prevention teaches our brain that no additional action is required to be safe. But wait…there’s more! I must emphasize how important it is to CONTINUE ON with valued action after the formal E/RP. You’ve done your exposure…check…you’ve maintained response prevention…check…but what now? First tip: Avoid Avoidance! It’s often tempting to “shut down” after ERP is done because emotions are still just so difficult to tolerate. Consider what information you give your brain when you stop your day after a difficult exposure…you’re showing your brain you can’t handle what you just did- and you likely just reinforced previous learning about how dangerous the trigger is. Second tip: Values, values, values. So, you’ve decided you’re committed to moving on with your day after a particularly tough E/RP session- what’s next? Tap into your value system- ask yourself- what do I want to do or need to do that’s important to me? If you’re still feeling anxious this can be a particularly helpful north star when big emotions might otherwise lead to big avoidance. Third tip: Caution…choose your exposure carefully! Creating an exposure hierarchy and rating how challenging each would be is certainly a useful way to figure out where to start, but let’s consider an additional component. When choosing an exposure think about which exposure you can complete AND continue with your day. Completing an exposure is often no easy task, but, as we explored above, what message are we sending when we complete an exposure and then engage in avoidance. Try to commit to both your E/RP and continuing with some value-driven behavior. This will help you further increase your distress tolerance and work toward creating new patterns of learning! For more information on exposure work and how this can be a good addition to your treatment, please contact us!