I know that reaching out for help can feel very daunting. It’s completely natural to have questions and uncertainties. As someone who has experienced an eating disorder, I once stood in your shoes too. So in order to appease some anxiety I have outlined what a typical first eating disorder recovery coaching session with me might look like.
Booking a Free Discovery Call
Typically before we schedule a first session you will have had a free 15-minute discovery call with me. We can have a chat about what support you are looking for and see if we are a good fit to work together.
Our first session is a mixture of getting to know each other and clarifying how we will work together.
Getting to Know Your Eating Disorder Recovery Coach
As an eating disorder recovery coach, I strongly believe that building a connection based on trust, mutual respect, honesty. Working collaboratively together is a game changer in helping to achieve full recovery.
Because of that, I think that it is also important that you know a bit about me. I will share with you a bit about me, my eating disorder, and my journey to recovery. As a eating disorder coach, I do this because:
I hope that by knowing my story and seeing me as an example of recovered living will give you HOPE and motivation full recovery is achievable for you too.
Also having lived with an eating disorder myself I am able to understand and empathise with your pain points in a way others cannot. Equally, it means that I will recognise eating disorder behaviours when others may not.
Getting to Know You
Getting to know you is the most important part of my job. It’s important for both of us that I understand what is going on with your life. As well as how you got here, what your biggest challenge is, and what you would like to get out of coaching. This will entail us talking and possibly going over parts of your intake form to give it some more colour for me.
It’s also really important for me to have a sense of what your relationship with food is like currently and what you would like to be doing with food that you are not currently able to.
I often use a Conscious Eating questionnaire from the 8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder (Carolyn Costin, Gwen Schuber Grabb).
How We Will Work Together in Eating Disorder Recovery Coaching
At Healthy Self Recovery, part of our first session will be setting out how we will work together and the practicalities that entails.
Weekly Eating Disorder Coaching
Typically coaching sessions are once a week for 60-75 mins. But if more support is needed we can increase this. I do not like leaving it more than a week without a session as I find that this is when goals slip and it is harder to make positive changes.
As progress is made with the recovery journey and you become more resilient. This may change and we will be able to see each other less frequently.
Coaching sessions are tailored to your specific situation. As well as the issues that the eating disorder presents in daily life and that are an obstacle to your recovery. This means that our remit is wide and flexible. Anything from the thoughts, feelings, and anxiety around eating, as well as the behaviours.
Goals
At the end of every session, we will decide together on a weekly goal for you to work on and we will try to make this as specific as possible.
Then, at the beginning of the next session, we will review how this went, what worked, what the obstacles were etc.
Collaborating with your medical team
Coaching is designed to be an adjunct to a multidisciplinary approach to eating disorder treatment. With your permission, I will liaise with both your therapist and dietitian. This ways our goals are seamless and so that you have daily help in implementing them
In order to do so I will ask you to sign a consent form which allows me to contact them.
Ongoing Support After Recovery
Recovery from an eating disorder is a continuous ongoing challenge. Because of this, I am available on a daily basis via messaging, email, or voice notes. This ensures that you don’t feel that you are struggling on your own and to help you with accountability in reaching your goals.
In our first session, we will discuss how you prefer to communicate. As well as how often you need accountability, and so on so that this is tailored specifically to your needs.
Additional Work
Very often I will suggest that you complete an exercise from the 8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder Workbook (Carolyn Costin, Gwen Schubert Grabb). I encourage all my clients to buy, or I have some journaling prompts of my own. I find that journaling and these exercises are very helpful in cultivating awareness and uncovering issues to discuss in sessions together.
Lastly please know that I am only human too so I will be anxious to meet you for the first time. However, I am also passionate and committed to helping you on your eating disorder recovery journey. I would be honoured if you choose me to be your coach.
Begin Healing With Eating Disorder Recovery Coaching in the United Kingdom
Struggling with an eating disorder can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to face it alone. Eating disorder recovery coaching provides a safe, compassionate space to explore your challenges and begin your healing journey. With the support of a skilled eating disorder therapist at Healthy Self Recovery, you can begin to take the first step towards a healthier, more empowered you. Follow these three simple steps to get started:
- Contact me to schedule a free discovery call to see if Eating Disorder Recovery Coaching is right for you.
- Begin meeting with me, Marianna Miles, a skilled eating disorder recovery coach
- Take meaningful steps toward healing and reclaiming your confidence.
Other Services Offered at Healthy Self-Recovery
As an eating disorder recovery coach, I am here to support you in navigating recovery and creating meaningful change. In addition to personalized eating disorder recovery coaching sessions, where we address the thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and anxieties surrounding your eating disorder, I also offer text support for moments when you need accountability or are having a difficult time. Recovery can feel isolating, so I strive to provide a dependable and compassionate connection to help you feel supported. I also offer meal support sessions, providing a safe space to challenge food rules and practice new skills, and I collaborate with your medical team to integrate treatment goals into our work. Together, we will build a recovery plan tailored to your unique needs and empower you to live a fulfilling life beyond your eating disorder.
