Reclaim Therapy’s Favorite Coping Tools
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So often when folks start working with us here at Reclaim Therapy they want tools to manage body image distress, urges to engage in eating disorder behaviors, and ways to cope with anxiety and depression.
We know firsthand that having coping tools at the ready is an important part of this work. And, because we’re humans too, we have our go-to coping tools to use in times of distress and emotional overwhelm.
To help you get some ideas of how to cope when you’re having a tough day, tough moment, tough week, each of the Reclaim eating disorder therapists in Pennsylvania wanted to share our favorite tools to use in our own lives.
Hi, I’m Laura!
I am an eating disorder therapist in Pennsylvania who is dedicated to walking with those seeking to reclaim their lives from eating disorders, body shame, addiction, trauma (including religious/spiritual trauma), and grief.
I’ll take you through my favorite tool.
1. Take a deep breath.
2. Find your feet and feel them grounding you to this present moment of infinite possibilities. Say to yourself: “I am here.”
3. Shift focus and notice the space between breaths, that pause between the in and out-breath. Allow it to be there alongside the breath. This can help slow down the breath without the need to count.
4. Continue to breathe and say “I am here” as you are able. This can help you stay connected in the midst of everything else that may be stirring around you. You can also change or add to the mantra as needed. For instance: “I am worthy.” “I am loved.” “I am enough.”
Hi, I’m Casey!
I’m an online trauma therapist who strongly believes in people’s ability to recover from trauma, disordered eating, and body shame. I do my best work with people who are looking for PTSD treatment and trauma therapy, grief and loss, and who are struggling with disordered eating.
Favorite Coping Skill
My favorite ways to cope are starting my day with a morning meditation and getting lost in the flow of knitting and baking.
Getting lost in knitting or baking can help soothe the senses, can help with obsessive thoughts or anxiety, can be great mindful activities, and often end with a sense of accomplishment.
Benefits of Meditation
Meditation has been shown to cause the brain to secrete endorphins- they make us feel good, emotionally and physically. Meditation also increases activity in the area of the brain that is associated with feel-good emotions and experiences. There are many studies that show that meditation is an effective tool in combatting depression and anxiety.
What Laura, an online therapist walked you through is a great practice to do in the morning. There are also many apps that can walk you through guided meditations. Try Calm, Headspace, or Insight Timer.
Here are a few tips From an ONline Therapist:
Make sure you’re not too sleepy if you’re just waking up! Meditating often relaxes you enough to doze back off.
Get comfortable in a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted or disturbed.
Start small. You don’t need to jump into a 20-minute meditation session- 3 or 5 minutes is just fine.
Find the type of meditation that works best for you. Give each of the apps a try and use what you feel most comfortable with. Some meditations focus on breathing, while others focus on the body, mantras, visualization, or yoga.
Remember, meditation is a practice. Like anything, it is a skill that needs to be developed.
Hi, I’m Jess!
I love working with teens, families, and adults who are struggling with eating disorders, body image issues, depression, and anxiety. I’d love to support you as you recover from your eating disorder, trauma, or body dysmorphia.
As an eating disorder therapist in Pennsylvania, I would say that my favorite coping skill is going for a drive and listening to music.
Listening to music has been found to help:
Lower our heart rate
Release endorphins
Lower cortisol levels
Improve our felt sense of well-being
Provide a distraction that reduces physical and emotional stress levels
And, reduces stress-related symptoms.
Hi, I’m Hannah!
My go-to coping skill for when I'm feeling emotionally overwhelmed is taking slow deep belly breaths and butterfly tapping. This is a form of bilateral stimulation, used in EMDR therapy.
Here’s an example of how to use this tool:
Find a comfortable, quiet place.
Sit up and close your eyes and take some deep, purposeful belly breaths.
Cross your hands and place them on your chest so the tips of your fingers rest right below your collarbone. Interlock your thumbs in the center of your chest and fan out your fingers.
Now, you are going to tap with alternating hands on your chest. Very slowly and rhythmically (right hand, left hand, right hand, left hand) for 16 total taps.
Continue to take deep belly breaths while you’re tapping with each hand.
After 16 total taps, pause and check-in with yourself. If you are feeling calmer, with less distress, try a couple more rounds of tapping.
I also try to pay attention to where I'm feeling a specific emotion in my body and acknowledge its presence, without trying to fix it, while doing deep breathing.
When I’m working with intrusive thoughts, I try to ground myself with the 54321 technique.
Name 5 things you can see
Name 4 things you can touch
Name 3 things you can hear
Name 2 things you can smell
Name 1 thing you can taste
Hi, I’m Sarah!
I’m a trauma-informed, eating disorder therapist and body image therapist who specializes in treating binge eating, online coaching, and more.
My favorite coping tool is what I consider pre-emptive self-care.
For me, this looks like doing my best to get adequate sleep, breaks in the day to check in with myself (giving myself the opportunity to respond to my mind and body with support and care) saying “no” to things when I don’t have the physical or mental bandwidth, and asking for help before I feel like I’m over my head with responsibility and to-dos.
As an eating disorder therapist and online therapist, I have found that the more I can stay embodied, responding to and regulating my nervous system, the better I feel.
Ready to Learn More Coping Skills from Our Eating Disorder Therapists in Pennsylvania?
Coping skills help you learn to tolerate and move through stressful moments and situations. Recovering from trauma, body image issues, and disordered eating is hard work, and using coping tools to help you throughout your day is important. Not only do you feel better, but also to keep you moving through your recovery process.
Our Eating Disorder Therapists in Pennsylvania, hope this gave you some ideas to get you started. Try one, try them all, and let us know what works best for you! If you need more support, please contact us for coaching services or online therapy in Pennsylvania soon!
🧡,
Reclaim Therapy provides in-person and online therapy in Pennsylvania
We are a group of eating disorder therapists who specialize in treating eating disorders, body image issues, trauma, EMDR, and loss and grief. Our mental health therapists provide in-person therapy and counseling in Horsham, PA. Additionally, we offer online therapy in Pennsylvania via zoom, often to clients living in other parts of the state. Contact us to learn more about how we can support you on your road to recovery.
