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By: Jennifer Rollin, LCSW-C, Therapist & Founder of The Eating Disorder Center  The changing of the seasons can bring about other changes. Some are going back to high school or college. Others are bracing themselves for the mood changes that may come with the colder and darker weather. For those in recovery from an eating disorder, the fall and then going into the holidays can sometimes bring up challenges when it comes to friends and family serving foods that may be out of their comfort zone. Plus, let’s be real - any season in which you are struggling with an eating disorder can be a difficult one. As an eating disorder therapist in Rockville, Maryland and founder of The Eating Disorder Center, serving clients in Rockville, Maryland and virtually in Maryland, Virginia, DC, Florida & New York and recovery coaching worldwide-the following are some of my tips for how to move forward in your recovery this fall. 1. Embrace the change of seasons with fun activities and foods. I know this is easier said than done when you are in recovery from an eating disorder, however I believe that you can do hard things. And that most things that are worth doing are challenging at first. This fall, I would challenge you to both embrace seasonal activities such as pumpkin and apple picking, as well as the seasonal foods that your eating disorder may be telling you to avoid. Life is far too short to spend it avoiding and in fear of delicious things like hot apple cider, pumpkin pie (my personal favorite kind of pie!), apple cider donuts, and pumpkin spice lattes. One way to take a step forward in your eating disorder recovery would be to challenge yourself to enjoy seasonal foods, without compensating (i.e. telling yourself you have to exercise or restrict your food after). This tip applies for all eating disorders, including binge eating disorder where folks sometimes will not allow themselves to have certain foods or will beat themselves up after eating them-which only serves to keep the diet/binge cycle going. 2. Wear comfy clothing that fits your body and challenge any ‘clothing rules’ created by negative body image. It’s totally fine to wear comfy clothing that fits your current body - in fact I would recommend doing this! However, for some folks who struggle with negative body image, as the weather gets colder there may be a desire to try to mask negative body image with clothing and clothing rules. It’s important to challenge this with what we call in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) an opposite action. For instance, if your eating disorder tells you that you can only wear black or baggy clothes due to body image distress, you could gradually challenge yourself to wear clothing that fits, or in alternate colors. By not feeding into the ‘rules’ that negative body image has created, you can start to empower yourself to wear things that you actually like vs. things you are only wearing due to body image distress. 3. Keep up and make social plans with friends. When you are struggling with an eating disorder, often there is a tendency to isolate. However, isolating yourself from other people typically only makes you feel even worse. I know that as the weather gets colder it’s also tempting to cancel social plans, but we have to remember that relationships can really serve to enhance mood and well-being. And, another benefit of socializing is that it’s an opportunity to challenge yourself around food while out with people. I know that this can also be challenging for some, however typically the more that you practice the easier it gets over time. Eating Disorder Recovery in the Fall Living with an eating disorder in any season can be miserable. I’ve been there myself in the past and all of the seasons felt hard because I was constantly anxious, stressed, and battling a voice in my head. So here’s to challenging yourself this fall to reach out for help from an eating disorder therapist - order that pumpkin spice latte, have the apple cider donut, and connect with friends. Think about the memories that you’d want to look back on from this fall and even if it feels scary, work to challenge yourself to take action in alignment with your true values. Schedule a free 15 min consult for eating disorder therapy in MD, VA, DC, NY, FL, or recovery coaching worldwide. Click here. The Eating Disorder Center is a premier outpatient eating disorder therapy center founded by Jennifer Rollin. We specialize in helping teens and adults struggling with anorexia, binge eating disorder, bulimia, OSFED, and body image issues. We provide eating disorder therapy in Rockville, MD, easily accessible to individuals in Potomac, North Potomac, Bethesda, Olney, Silver Spring, Germantown, and Washington D.C. We also provide eating disorder therapy in Arlington, Virginia and virtually throughout Virginia. Additionally, we offer eating disorder therapy virtually in New York (NYC), Florida, and California. We provide eating disorder and EMDR trauma therapy in Rockville, Maryland and virtually throughout Maryland. We provide eating disorder recovery coaching via Zoom to people worldwide. Connect with us through our website at www.theeatingdisordercenter.com
 The Eating Disorder Center provides therapy for eating disorders and body image in Rockville, Maryland serving Bethesda, Potomac, Gaithersburg, and Olney-and virtually throughout Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C. We provide eating disorder therapy for teens and adults in Rockville, Maryland and virtually throughout Maryland for children struggling with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, OSFED, ARFID, orthorexia, and compulsive exercise. We also have therapists who specialize in eating disorders co-occurring with trauma, OCD, and mood disorders. The Eating Disorder Center uses effective modalities including CBT, DBT, and ACT to help clients find freedom from eating disorders and body image struggles. Our founder at The Eating Disorder Center, and an eating disorder therapist in Rockville, Maryland Jennifer Rollin, MSW, LCSW-C was recently featured by CNN in an article titled, “Food as fuel might not be the healthiest approach, experts say.” Topics such as emotional eating, binge eating, and how to start having a healthier relationship to food are discussed. Check out the link HERE to read the article. The purpose of the article was for professionals to discuss some factors that challenge the perspective of the “food is fuel” idea. We can acknowledge that food does fuel our bodies which is important, however, oftentimes our relationship between our bodies and food is much more than that. Jennifer Rollin, MSW, LCSW-C discusses how food can have an emotional component and how it can be used for other things such as socialization, coping with distressing experiences, etc. We shouldn’t shame ourselves for eating out of emotion or experiencing different emotions while eating. Jennifer Rollin, MSW, LCSW-C also discusses symptoms of binge eating and how that can sometimes be related to emotional eating. We all experience emotions when we eat, but if you are feeling out of control or eating is your main coping tool, it may be something to work on with a therapist. Are you looking for support with your relationship with food or body image? The Eating Disorder Center is here to help! We provide therapy in-person in Rockville, MD and virtually in MD, VA, DC, FL, and NY. We also offer recovery coaching worldwide. Not sure where to start? Reach out to us for a free 15-minute consultation by filling out our contact form or give us a call at 301-246-6856! Schedule a free 15 min consult for eating disorder therapy in MD, VA, DC, NY, FL, or recovery coaching worldwide. Click here. The Eating Disorder Center is a premier outpatient eating disorder therapy center founded by Jennifer Rollin. We specialize in helping teens and adults struggling with anorexia, binge eating disorder, bulimia, OSFED, and body image issues. We provide eating disorder therapy in Rockville, MD, easily accessible to individuals in Potomac, North Potomac, Bethesda, Olney, Silver Spring, Germantown, and Washington D.C. We also provide eating disorder therapy in Arlington, Virginia and virtually throughout Virginia. Additionally, we offer eating disorder therapy virtually in New York (NYC), Florida, and California. We provide eating disorder and EMDR trauma therapy in Rockville, Maryland and virtually throughout Maryland. We provide eating disorder recovery coaching via Zoom to people worldwide. Connect with us through our website at www.theeatingdisordercenter.com
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The Eating Disorder CenterWe are a premier outpatient eating disorder therapy center in Rockville, Maryland.
We also provide eating disorder recovery coaching to people worldwide via Zoom. Click here to book your free 15 minute phone consultation! Phone: 301-246-6856 Email: [email protected] Archives
May 2025
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