#119: Anxiety, Coping Strategies, and Therapy Red Flags with Edie Stark, MSc LCSW

Jun 3

In this week’s episode of Full Plate, we are joined by the insightful Edie Stark, MSc, LCSW, who shares about her experiences with anxiety, the need for authenticity, and how she learned about and implements HAES into her practice.

It’s a tale as old as time… We hear over and over again that eating disorders and anxiety are connected, that eating disorders exist because people are seeking control. Does this apply to everyone? Certainly not. And does it actually explain the root of the issue for those who do see themselves as seeking control?

In this conversation, Abbie is joined by Eating Disorder Therapist and Founder and Clinical Director of Stark Therapy Group Edie Stark. We explore Edie’s story with anxiety as a young child, the problems she sees in many professionals in this space, and why authenticity ultimately set us free to cope in ways that don’t require us to abandon ourselves.

In particular, we focus on the intersection between anxiety and behaviors that make us feel safe, the historically narrow-focus eating disorder research has been conducted with, and the ways we can help protect ourselves while we engage in social media.

Click here to hear more about the ways that you can make sure you’re listening to “safe” influencers and professionals rather than those falsely co-opting intuitive eating buzzwords for profit, as well as the ways you can change your narrative about the role disordered eating behaviors played in your life so far.

Tune in to hear more about…

Why our childhood experiences with anxiety can affect the ways our anxieties manifest later on
Learning to manage panic attacks and recurring anxiety
What healthcare professionals to look for and which to avoid when seeking help for healing your relationship with food and body
FInding and creating safe spaces online
The ways that Health At Every Size care benefits us all
And so much more

About Edie:

Edie Stark, MSc, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker and the owner of Stark Therapy Group, a psychotherapy group practice specializing in eating disorders, trauma, and anxiety from a humanistic, fat-positive, and inclusive lens. She believes in the value of lived experience being met with clinical knowledge to create a collaborative therapeutic experience for all of the clients. Edie is passionate about Trader Joe's snacks– we talk a little bit about that–dismantling the US healthcare system, and the complete and total takedown of diet culture in no particular order.

Learn more at https://starktherapygroup.com/

Support the show on Patreon: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at Patreon.com/fullplate

Join the Full Plate Patreon right here!

Looking for Edie's recipe for those life-changing chocolate chip cookies? You can grab it on Patreon!

Group program:

Looking for more support and concrete steps to take to heal your relationship with food and your body? Apply for Abbie's next 10-week group program: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/group-coaching

Group membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group