Metamorphosis in Eating Disorder Recovery with Rachel Coleman, LMFT, CEDS
Transforming yourself during eating disorder recovery is so difficult and painful. It’s like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly—busting out of that cocoon is no small feat! Having an eating disorder therapist in California or elsewhere who understands this process is essential. I’d like you to meet Rachel Coleman, LMFT, CEDS. She owns a group practice called Monarch Rising Therapy and Nutrition Services that specializes in outpatient eating disorder care in Orange County, California. She also has a podcast geared towards helping break family diet legacies. Enjoy getting to know her!
Why did you choose to become an eating disorder specialist in California?
I have a passion for helping people unpack internalized weight and food stigmas and learn coping skills to manage difficult feelings directly, rather than using food or hurting their bodies.
What kind of treatment do you provide? Do you work with only eating disorders in California?
I provide outpatient treatment in a private practice setting.
My team and I work with most co-occurring diagnosis, including anxiety, depression, neurodiversity (Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD), and perinatal mood disorders.
Where are you located in California? How long have you been working with eating disorders overall?
We are located in Mission Viejo, California, which is in Orange County. I have been working for eating disorders for 15 years!
What are your favorite types of clients to work with?
I love working clients who have internalized diet culture and are wanting to deconstruct their beliefs about food and weight.
What happens during a first appointment with you?
I ask a lot of questions, perform a full psychosocial assessment, do goal setting, plus treatment planning.
What are the first steps you take when treating binge eating and/or bulimia?
I try to approach all eating disorders by acknowledging the resourcefulness of the behaviors as a protector from pain. When we validate and acknowledge the development of the behavior it can decrease shame and blame, which keep clients stuck in the eating disorder patterns. After the protector is noted as a way to try to help, we can look deeper at the underlying pain that the protective eating disorder was attempting to cover and deflect from. This allows the client to identify the buried pain and do the deeper work while externalizing the behaviors as a resource that is no longer working. When clients turn to food with binge eating, the comfort and distraction and mirroring of inner pain is all a disguise for something deeper and a longing that cannot be identified or met in another way. Unpacking this and helping the client imagine, visualize, and befriend both the resourceful eating disorder and the underlying pain is an amazing piece towards healing.
I love the metamorphosis metaphor in your eating disorder practice name, "Monarch Rising." How do you see metamorphosis happening in eating disorder therapy?
When I was growing my group practice and deciding what to name it, I kept imagining the clients I have been blessed to work with over the years and how to summarize their journey. All of my clients came in in a protective shell of an eating disorder and their journey was to slowly come out of their shell, find their identity and confidence, and then rise to living as their authentic self. We all know this is not a fast or linear process, nor is it perfect in the "end," but I truly believe that healing from past pain can lead to confident and authentic living, breaking free from internal beliefs about oneself, and creating systemic change in small family circles and larger societal circles. It is a transformation of a person through healing so they can "rise" to a life beyond using eating disorder behaviors to numb and shield. I hope people are inspired by the name and experience the transformation with one of our amazing therapists!
What do you wish people knew about getting treatment for eating disorders?
That there is no such thing as “not sick enough.”
How can people learn more about and contact you?
www.monarchrisingtherapy.com
IG@rachelcolemanmft
monarchrisingtherapy@gmail.com
Share one fun fact about you that most people don't know.*
I went bungee jumping off the Corinth Canal in Greece!
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Thanks so much for reading my blog, everyone!
Dr. Marianne :)
Begin Working with A Binge Eating Therapist Through A Live Interactive Workshop, Masterclass for Binge Eating, or Via Online Therapy!
FREE Masterclass on Binge Eating and Bulimia
🦋 Register for my FREE Masterclass: The Ultimate Training on Breaking the Binge Eating Cycle. It’s a live, virtual, 1-hour seminar on Tuesday, September 13th—and it’ll include a FANTASTIC bonus surprise for people who stay through the end! It’s an interactive workshop for binge eating online, and it will address both binge eating disorder (BED) and bulimia.
Live Interactive Workshop on Bulimia and Binge Eating
🦋 Learn more about my Fall 2022 Freedom From Binge Eating class*. It is a live, virtual, 4-week class on Tuesday, September 27th, from 12-1p. It’s an interactive workshop on binge eating. There will be many bonuses, including videos from yours truly, journal prompts, worksheets, and notes from each class! Anyone with BED, bulimia, binge eating, or emotional eating will greatly benefit!
Social Media
🦋 Check out my Instagram LIVES on Thursdays from 12-1p. I talk with professionals such as eating disorder dietitians and therapists on many topics, such as binge eating, BED, bulimia, body image, etc. Subscribe to my Instagram @drmariannemiller, and you’ll get bulimia and BED info sent to your phone with my reels, posts, etc.
1:1 Eating Disorder Therapy with Me
🦋 If you live in California, you can work with me in therapy**!
*Disclaimer: This class is not therapy and should not replace professional eating disorder/binge eating treatment or medical advice. This educational group is for learning, discussion, and encouraging connection.
**My practice is full at the moment, so I encourage you to work with Rachel today!