Andreana Saffi Biasetti – Disordered Eating: Somatic, Self-Compassion, and Mindfulness Interventions for Lasting Recovery

Outline

Embodiment: Setting the Stage for Self-Compassion and Recovery

• What is embodiment and why does it matter?
• Why somatic interventions are the missing piece of sustained recovery
• The “mind-body divide” in Western culture
• Changing our perception of what sustainable recovery looks like
• Experiential Strategy: Breath Inside the Body

The Neuroscience Behind ED: Why Brain-Based Interventions Are Imperative to Recovery

• What happens in the eating disordered brain?
• Understanding interoceptive awareness (IA)
• The link between the nervous system, embodied cognition, and emotional regulation
• Reduce shame and blame with accurate psychoeducation
• Experiential Strategy: Interoceptive Awareness (IA) Practice of Emotional Containment

Self-Compassion: “How Do I Take Care of Myself When I Hate Myself?”

• The three components of self-compassion
• Delivery is everything when it comes to self-compassion!
• Developing self-compassion when there is none to be found
• Moving from compassion to action
• Strategies to help your client:
  • Reframe the recovery process as both nonlinear and continuous
  • Embrace themselves in a kinder, gentler way
  • Release the shame/blame cycle
  • Soothe the inner critic
  • Learn to re-parent themselves
• Experiential Strategy: Connecting with Another, Connecting with Self

Mindfulness and Emotional Regulation: Feel it, Label it, Attend to it

• What if your client can’t handle what they become aware of?
• Stay in the moment, contain the moment, move on from the movement
• Strategies to help your client:
  • Stay in the moment, regardless of how it feels
  • Build distress tolerance and emotional regulation
  • Manage body image triggers
  • Cope with challenging moments
• Experiential Strategy: Two Wings of a Bird; Compassionate Teacher

Clinical Considerations

• Integrating somatic interventions into existing frameworks (CBT, DBT, etc.)
• Does my client need a specialist or higher level of care?
• Countertransference issues; when to seek supervision
• Limitations of the research and potential risks