Can “Health At Every Size” Help Heal Trauma?
More and more people are educating themselves about what trauma actually is and how it impacts their daily lives. People want to know why they are the way they are and what to do about it! This interest in learning about trauma has become widespread. The New York Times even put the book “The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kirk on its bestseller list. I highly recommend checking it out because it breaks down how traumatic life events impact our physical bodies. Anyways, let’s get back to this idea of trauma and ways to heal from trauma.
There are several different ways that therapists help their clients with trauma. Some of these include EMDR, somatic experiencing, and IFS. However, all of these interventions are done with the help of a therapist. So the question comes down to how can people work to heal their trauma on their own if they don’t have access to therapy. One way is through a principle called Health at Every Size
What is Health At Every Size?
Health at Every Size, or HAES, is a lifestyle that encourages people to engage in healthy eating and enjoyable movement without focusing on weight loss or dieting. Of course, there is much more to know about HAES which you should definitely check out (HAES blog). For the sake of this blog though, I kept it as simple as possible.
Healing Trauma Takes a Bottom-Up Approach
There are 2 different ways therapists can approach healing. One is a top-down approach where we focus on using our cognitive, or thinking, brain to increase insight and awareness into why we are the way we are. The second is a bottom-up approach. Trauma lives in a different part of the brain that isn’t super great at receiving messages from your thinking brain. A more effective way is to use your body to communicate to your trauma brain that you are safe. This is primarily done through increasing your awareness and being present around your body.
HAES Can Be Used as a bottom-up approach
A significant part of HAES is compassion towards yourself and becoming attuned to what does and does not feel good for your body. This takes an incredible amount of mindfulness and self-observation. Most of us go throughout our day not truly paying attention to what’s happening in the present moment. Even when we do have downtime, we fill it with doom scrolling and having Netflix on in the background. (I am very guilty of this by the way). When we focus on the present, it starts to change the neuropathways in our brain in a way that tells our trauma brain that it is safe and not in danger.
This info is great, but how do you actually use it?
It can be incredibly overwhelming to know where to even begin. This is why I would recommend reading the book Health At Every Size to better understand how to apply it to your life. But here are some takeaways you can start applying today.
Take a walk. During this walk I want you to put away the headphones and focus on being in the moment. What do you see? How does your body feel while you walk? What emotions come up for you? What sounds do you hear? Etc. When doing this, the point is not to judge yourself for how you feel about the walk. It’s actually okay if you hate it! It’s about learning what you like and dislike when it comes to moving your body.
Take a moment and be mindful while drinking your morning coffee. Again, we are putting down our phones and limiting distractions. As you drink your coffee pay attention to how the coffee may smell or taste. What is the texture of the mug you are drinking out of? Are you enjoying the taste of your coffee or is it too bitter? Would it be better with more cream or sugar? Is it too lukewarm for your taste?
Begin Working With A HAES Therapist in Philadelphia, PA
Our team of caring therapists would be honored to support you in addressing past trauma. We are happy to offer in-person support from our Philadelphia, PA-based practice and across the state. You can start better understanding your body and its signals by following these simple steps:
Meet a caring therapist
Start improving your relationship with your body and overcome trauma!
Other Services Offered with Revive Therapy
Our team understands you may be experiencing a variety of mental health concerns in addition to eating disorders. This is why we are happy to offer mental health support including PTSD treatment and trauma therapy, body image issues, binge eating, and more. I offer support with EMDR therapy if you’re in need of more specialized support. Additionally, all services are offered via online therapy in Pennsylvania. When you’re ready for support. Feel free to visit our blog to learn more. Or, call now!