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Do You Want to Feel Special and Loved this Valentine’s Day?

By: Julie.S February 14, 2024 – Posted in: adjusting expectations compassion embracing emotions emotional eating forgiveness gratitude holiday eating holiday overeating holiday overindulging hope hopelessness hurts Inner Nurturing loneliness and overeating losses and disappointments overeating, dieting, weight loss self connection self-acceptance self-compassion self-defeating thinking self-love self-worth stress and overeating stress eating sugar addiction sugar cravings Valentine's Day

Today is Valentine’s Day, a day to celebrate the great romantic love in your life, if you have one. Truthfully, every day is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate those you love. I’d like to encourage you to consider celebrating self-love today as well. Because, truly, that’s where it all begins. How can you be kind to

How Effective is Your Self-Talk?

By: Julie.S August 27, 2022 – Posted in: depression despair embracing emotions emotional eating mindfulness reducing stress self connection self-acceptance self-compassion self-defeating thinking self-love self-worth stress and overeating unrealistic expectations

Have you ever thought about how powerful your self-talk is and how quickly it can alter your mood? Truthfully, how often does a thought or series of thoughts ruin a perfectly good day for you? How often do you grab something to eat to calm or soothe yourself because of overwhelming, anxious, depressive or shaming

Can Mindfulness Curb Overeating?

By: Julie.S May 31, 2021 – Posted in: compassion depression embracing emotions emotional eating hope hurts identifying emotions and needs Inner Nurturing loneliness and overeating losses and disappointments Making lifestyle changes mindful eating mindfulness overeating, dieting, weight loss overwhelm reducing stress resolving emotional eating self-compassion self-defeating thinking self-doubt self-love stress and overeating stress eating weight loss

Mindfulness, according to Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Mindfulness for Beginners, is “awareness, cultivated by paying attention in a sustained and particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally. Mindfulness can be traced to Buddhist origins and the practice commonly referred to as “mindful eating” is an offshoot, involving slowing down and paying attention

Making Lasting Lifestyle Changes

By: Julie.S June 25, 2018 – Posted in: adjusting expectations compassion delaying gratification emotional eating excuses for not exercising Making lifestyle changes motivation motivation to change habits overeating, dieting, weight loss perfectionism self-acceptance self-compassion self-defeating thinking self-doubt self-love self-worth stress and overeating transitions worthiness

It's summertime and perhaps you're feeling motivated to make some positive lifestyle changes like reducing your intake of processed foods, exercising more, drinking more water and less caffeine and attacking your clutter. Yet, when you contemplate these changes, you wonder if you'll really be able to make them this time. After all, how many summers

Does Your Eating Have an Emotional Component to It?

By: Julie.S August 28, 2017 – Posted in: adjusting expectations delaying gratification diet mentality dieting embracing emotions emotional eating hope identifying emotions and needs Inner Nurturing overeating, dieting, weight loss purpose of emotions reducing stress resolving emotional eating self-compassion self-defeating thinking self-doubt self-love stress and overeating stress eating

We all eat for emotional reasons some of the time. Let's face it: food is convenient, pleasurable and exciting. It can also be comforting and soothing. And eating is a way to distract ourselves from dealing with the things we don't want to deal with, right? Generally, we're not bothered by a little emotional eating

Do You Turn to Food When You’re In a Transition?

By: Julie.S July 28, 2017 – Posted in: embracing emotions emotional eating greiving identifying emotions and needs Late night eating loneliness and overeating losses and disappointments Making lifestyle changes motivation to change habits overeating, dieting, weight loss overwhelm procrastination reducing stress resolving emotional eating self connection self-defeating thinking stress and overeating stress eating transitions unrealistic expectations

The Random House College Dictionary defines a transition as "a change from one position, state, stage, subject or concept to another." Many emotional eaters have difficulty with transitions and turn to food as a way to comfort and soothe themselves during the transition process. Here are some examples of what I call "transition eating": --You

Are You Taking Things Too Personally?

By: Julie.S September 25, 2016 – Posted in: adjusting expectations embracing emotions emotional eating hurts loneliness and overeating losses and disappointments overeating, dieting, weight loss painful childhood memories recovery resolving emotional eating self-defeating thinking self-love self-worth stress and overeating unrealistic expectations weight loss worthiness

I could tell when I entered the waiting room of my office that Samantha was having a bad day. She appeared depressed--she sat slumped in the chair and she was visibly upset. Her mascara was running and she looked like she had been crying. Unlike times when she was more upbeat, she was not distracting herself with her phone

Happy International No Diet Day

By: Julie.S May 6, 2015 – Posted in: diet mentality dieting Elimination Diet emotional eating gratitude hope identifying emotions and needs overeating, dieting, weight loss perfectionism recovery resolving emotional eating self connection self-acceptance self-compassion self-defeating thinking self-doubt self-love self-worth stress and overeating

I bet you didn't know that today is International No Diet Day. Well it is, and its observed annually on May 6th. It's a day dedicated to raise awareness regarding the dangers of dieting and to celebrate body acceptance and body shape diversity. Despite the entrenchment of the diet mentality in our culture, research demonstrates that diets don't

Self-Doubt and Overeating: What’s the Connection?

By: Julie.S April 25, 2015 – Posted in: adjusting expectations compassion depression embracing emotions emotional eating hopelessness identifying emotions and needs overeating, dieting, weight loss overwhelm perfectionism procrastination reducing stress resolving emotional eating self connection self-acceptance self-compassion self-defeating thinking self-doubt self-love self-worth stress and overeating stress eating unrealistic expectations

Everyone struggles with self-doubt occasionally. It's not only normal to experience self-doubt, it's actually healthy and a sign that you're open minded and questioning your choices, abilities and behaviors. A little self-doubt is humbling, keeping our self-confidence in check and reminding us that we're still mortals who make mistakes and have short-comings. The key is not

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Testimonials

“Through working with Julie, I gently and gracefully was able to address the real reasons for my overeating, which had nothing to do with hunger. She helped me get in touch with those places deep inside that in the past I was afraid or unwilling to address. This underlying anxiety, depression and pain that I wasn't even aware of was triggering me to eat compulsively, to cover up the pain. Julie's work is so brilliant at giving me tools to work with myself, ways to be gentle with myself, and ways to comfort myself without using food. To this day, I use Julie's work to continue to heal my experiences with food and my body.” –Arriane Alexander, Actress/Singer

"I never connected with my true emotions until I started seeing Julie. Before I started working with her I certainly knew on a surface level what emotions were, but Julie gave me the tools to actually tap in and feel all the feelings I had been avoiding my entire life. My work with Julie was the first time in my life that I was able to truly connect with myself and understand the big picture of how emotions interplay with eating. Julie's compassion, knowledge and empathy helped me to realize that a lifetime of beating myself up for overeating was simply one that I was not willing to live anymore, and she helped me to break a cycle that I had almost resigned myself to living with for the rest of my life. With so much clutter in the dieting and self-help world, I feel blessed to work with someone whose approach is nothing short of life-changing." –Laurie B., Attorney

"Julie, Thank you Thank you Thank you! Working with you has helped me in ways I didn't at first imagine. I first came for a specific issue and stayed for the whole me! My connection with you was so instantaneous. I felt immediately understood, which was a big thing for me. With your knowledge and gentle loving guidance, I've been able to understand myself and my life and make new choices, blossoming in ways that bring such clarity and peace to my life. I am finally able to really be the person I always wanted to be - happy, healthy both physically and emotionally, feeling truly grounded and connected in my life. Working with you has enhanced my life and I am grateful beyond words." –M. K., Film & TV Producer

"After years of yo-yo dieting and fruitless therapy, I was lucky to find Julie and her unique approach to dealing with emotional eating that addresses imbalances in body, mind, emotions, and spirit. Julie has a talent for zeroing in on the issues underlying problems. She has guided me through some very challenging times and facilitated my personal growth. Julie possesses a keen intellect, coupled with warmth, caring, compassion, patience, and a wisdom that makes her truly remarkable." –J.N

“Julie—being in groups and classes and individual therapy with you has been life-saving. I’ve been in therapy before, but nothing has ever been this helpful and transformative. You’ve helped me put together all the broken pieces from a dysfunctional childhood. You’ve been a wonderful, nurturing and inspiring guide and you are a living, breathing example of what true recovery looks like. Thank you.” –C.G., Actress and Mother

"You offered more than I could have expected. I have done W.W., O.A. and J. Craig. But I always ended up in the same place. Now I know why. Thank you for showing me that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and hope for recovery. Your program was really great, useful and revelatory! It was an opportunity for many “firsts” in my long journey of self-discovery. Thanks for being my angel." –J. L., Attorney and Mother

"I've been struggling nearly all my life with this overeating issue. I've tried all the diets and exercise programs. I couldn't get a handle on my compulsive eating until I attended this Program. Oh My God, I've learned so much and gained so much insight and new tools. I've already lost over 15 lbs and it's easier than it's ever been. I can now truly understand how addressing the deeper issues helps to effortlessly release the weight. And I'm not so afraid anymore of addressing those issues. This Program taught me how to do that and the Follow-Up group is helping me practice my new skills. And correcting the physical imbalances I had really made it even that much easier. Thank you Julie for all that you do." –K. W., Writer/Artist

"Julie, Thank you Thank you Thank you! Working with you has helped me in ways I didn't at first imagine. I first came for a specific issue and stayed for the whole me! My connection with you was so instantaneous. I felt immediately understood, which was a big thing for me. With your knowledge and gentle loving guidance, I've been able to understand myself and my life and make new choices, blossoming in ways that bring such clarity and peace to my life. I am finally able to really be the person I always wanted to be - happy, healthy both physically and emotionally, feeling truly grounded and connected in my life. Working with you has enhanced my life and I am grateful beyond words." –S. H., Therapist/Nurse

"An incredible amount of most helpful information for the money! The most inspiring and motivating part was your authenticity and sharing from your heart. I thought I knew all there was to know with years of therapy, but you really pulled everything together for me." –C. W., M.B.A., Financial Analyst

"Julie, what a wonderful, enlightened, incredibly smart woman you are. Thank you so much for all that you are and all your tools and teaching are making of me. I finally can see an end to overeating and dieting." –P.K.

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