How Healing Happens

“I couldn’t go a day without working out.
I panicked when I ate at restaurants. And I despised my body.”

Hey, I’m Juliana, and I have recovered from an eating disorder.

Healing happened for me. It was slow, and it was hard, but it eventually happened. I didn’t know I had a problem until my boyfriend pointed out that what I was doing with food wasn’t normal.

I was so scared.

Calling a therapist for the first time was so hard! I was so scared! I tried a few things before I found Erin. Other therapists didn’t seem to “get it” the way she does.

Working with Erin, I could really come to terms with what I was doing. I realized that my eating disorder was just my way of dealing with life and that I needed to learn new ways to cope without using food. She helped me see my strengths and how to use them to recover.

What I learned.

I learned how to practice self-care, how to set boundaries with people in my life, how to identify and deal with emotions, and how to love myself. All these things would have sounded so cheesy to me a few years ago, but now I know how important they all were to my recovery.

I also learned to think about food in a whole new way: to nurture my body. Erin used lots of science to help me understand the ins and outs of how food helps and harms. I liked that. I really needed the science to be able to trust the process. I reported my food to her via email every day for a while and that accountability helped so much! It was like having Erin in my kitchen with me! I don’t think I could have done it without that piece of the process. She would respond with great strategies and nutrition advice, and I felt so comforted.

Over time I was able to be flexible with food. Now I can go out to dinner with my boyfriend on a  moment’s notice without freaking out. I also haven’t binged in over a year! That is a huge miracle for me.

And the best part is, I am actually OK with my body now. It’s not perfect, but I’m OK with that.”
-Juliana, Oklahoma, USA

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Where are you located?

A. My office is at 407 4th Street, Suite #1, Crested Butte, Colorado.

I live and work in a rural ski town in Colorado.  I don’t currently have an in-person office, so I see all my clients remotely either via Zoom or Doxy.me.  I understand the unique challenges of finding a specialist in your area if you also live somewhere remote, therefore I specialize in helping people transform their relationship to food, even if we live thousands of miles apart.

Q. What is Eating Disorder and Body Image Coaching?

A. Eating Disorder and Body Image coaching is like being coached by an athletic trainer. At your first session, we’ll talk about where you are currently in your life and eating behaviors. Then we will set goals for where you want to be. We’ll co-create a plan for you to get there. You’ll have assignments and accountability along the way, help to change the limiting beliefs that hold you back, and have heaps of encouragement.

Q. Do you take insurance?

A. Coaches are not covered by health insurance. This is a great thing for your privacy and not having any diagnoses reported to HIPPA. Additionally, without the headache of having to bill your insurance and fit our sessions into insurance standard protocol, I am better able to focus on you and your unique needs.

Q. How long will it take?

A. Everyone is different and will take a different amount of time on their journey to wholeness. However, in my experience working with hundreds of men and women, my clients that commit to three full months of once per week coaching are very happy with their progress.

For clients with more debilitating eating disorders, a commitment of 20 sessions in 20 weeks usually brings about the most favorable results. I have discounted package pricing available to support you in the commitment.

Q. What’s the best way to get my loved one to see you?

A. If you think a loved one may be resistant to getting help, schedule a session with me yourself first. Then we can strategize approaches together. Since I have extensive personal experience with my own eating disorder, many potential eating disorder clients feel immediately connected to me and my experience, and do not have as much trouble committing to coaching as they have to methods of help in the past.

Q. Do you work with the families of individuals suffering from eating disorders?

A. Yes! Families can struggle so much with feeling guilty and responsible for the eating disorder. I love helping families come to terms with the eating disorder, discover ways they can help or hinder a loved one’s progress, and grasp what it is like to occupy a body and mind affected by an eating disorder to facilitate compassion for their suffering loved one.

Q. What age ranges do you work with?

A. I absolutely love teens 13-18. I have two precious teenagers of my own and have always loved working with the unique challenges and strengths of teens. I work with men and women 18 and up as well.

Eating issues are not solely a young people’s problem. Women and men even in their 60s and beyond are suffering greatly with debilitating body image issues and eating disorders that can cause intense health problems. It is wonderful when I can help clients in their 20s and 30s not have to suffer for a lifetime, and it is all too common that people find help in later life. I am here to help at every age and stage.

Q. What modalities do you use?

A. I use a unique combination of self-discovery, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, nutrition education, journaling, self-reflection, meditation, stress reduction, emotion regulation, spiritual work where appropriate, mindfulness training, and intuitive eating.

But my favorite modality is… laughter… and lots of it. I love to infuse laughter into all sessions with my clients, where appropriate of course. Eating disorder recovery can be a heavy topic, and one of the things I’m most grateful for about my own recovery is the ability to be silly again and to make others laugh. I can be a bit corny at times, so you might be laughing at me, but that’s totally OK!

Q. What is your professional training and experience?

A. Over the last ten years, I have coached individuals with a broad range of eating issues, combining all the modalities that helped me on my journey. I am the former founder and director of the first residential recovery center for women with eating disorders in Austin, Texas. I hold a life coaching certification from the Fowler Institute, an Intuitive Eating Certification from the authors of the book, and an Eating Disorder Intuitive Therapy Certification from Dr. Dorie McCubbery in Denver.

Q. Are you a dietician?

A. No, but my training in Intuitive Eating, as well as my own extensive journey using dieticians, provided me with enough experience and knowledge to help most people with eating disorders. Of course, there are some cases that will require a dietician that specializes in low weight anorexics or other specific health concerns. I will certainly refer you to a more appropriate dietician in those instances, and we can work as a team to help you beat this thing!