Workshops

Why Do I Feel Fat in my Skinny Jeans? A Workshop on Perfectionism, Body Image, and Self-Compassion

The goal of the presentation is to address the overarching theme of inadequacy and feeling fat, maladaptive strategies used to combat these feelings, while suggesting healthier ways to succeed or feel adequate. Appropriate for high schools, colleges, sororities, and professional settings. High achieving women who experience feelings of inadequacy often do so in the context of school, career, and appearance. Research shows that when hypercritical, negative self-talk is used for the purpose of motivation it fuels perfectionism, unrelenting standards, and is often unsuccessful in motivating. This causes increased risk for mood related disorders, anxiety related disorders, and eating disorders.

Through practicing and achieving more positive, self-compassionate self-talk, we can like ourselves more, lower our risk for mental illness, and become more successful in reaching our goals. Specifically in this presentation, you can expect a better understanding of the following topics: perfectionism, body image, feeling fat, the relationship between body insecurities and the desire to be successful, the ineffective practice of hypercritical-self-talk, and the adaptive use of self-compassion in self-talk.

General Overview of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy-Enhanced (CBT-E) for Eating Disorders

The goal of this workshop is to give other treatment providers a general overview of this gold-standard transdiagnostic treatment for Bulimia Nervosa and Binge-Eating Disorder (and applicable to Anorexia Nervosa). Both Dr. DiLossi and Melissa participated in a 22-week research study by Dr. Christopher Fairburn at the University of Oxford, wherein they were trained to implement this treatment modality in their practice while receiving bi-weekly supervision from a member of Dr. Fairburn’s team. Both providers regularly implement this short-term, scientifically-proven treatment at CHH for clients with disordered eating and have obtained great success. Despite CBT-E’s popularity overseas due to the abundance of research support, very few providers in the United States are familiar with it and even fewer are implementing it in practice.

This is designed to be conducted as a 4-5 hour continuing education for treatment providers to learn the basic tenets of CBT-E. This approach to eating disorder treatment is short-term, goal-focused, and centered on stabilization and reduction of one’s problematic eating behaviors. CBT-E’s primary vehicle for success is that it stays in the present by emphasizing the maintenance variables of the disorder (what is keeping it around currently) as opposed to what caused it in the past. Relevant target topics include the importance of collaborative in-session weighing, self-monitoring, and psychoeducation about food and weight. Other maintenance variables targeted include “feeling fat,” body checking, and body avoidance.

Clinical Supervision & Consultation

Dr. DiLossi and Melissa are both licensed as Professional Counselors in Pennsylvania and offer clinical supervision for unlicensed masters-level providers seeking to obtain licensure. This service includes a weekly recurring, in-person, individual meeting between the supervisor and supervisee in addition to as needed support between scheduled supervision meetings. CHH bills supervisees at the time of service.

Both providers at CHH have successfully treated eating disorders for several years and offer consultation to other health care providers, parents, and school officials. Consultation could include general information about eating disorder prevention and related topics (i.e., body image dissatisfaction) or signs/symptoms. Additionally, Dr. DiLossi and Melissa also offer consultation about CBT-E. This service is on a needs basis and billed accordingly.