Episode 010

A Personal Recovery Journey: Insights for Caregivers (with Hannah Hickinbotham)

In this episode, Jenni speaks with Hannah Hickenbotham, founder of the UK-based "Full of Beans" podcast about eating disorder awareness. Hannah shares her personal journey through atypical anorexia, body dysmorphia, and the late ADHD diagnosis (after 14 years of struggling) that finally unlocked her path to recovery. This conversation offers caregivers rare insight into what recovery looks like from the inside: why resistance happens, what support actually helps, and how to find "glimmers" of hope even in the darkest moments.

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast

06:19 What Caregivers Can Learn from Lived Experience

10:03 Hannah's Journey: Diet Culture and Feeling Different

15:53 Atypical Anorexia: The Pain of "Not Quite There"

17:22 Eating Disorders as Emotional Regulation

26:33 Advice for Parents: What Helped and What Didn't

34:21 Understanding Resistance: "Facing Your Worst Nightmare"

44:46 Thanking and Releasing the Eating Disorder (EMDR)

47:32 Supporters Who Made a Difference

54:41 Finding Daily Glimmers: Advice for Struggling Families

SUPPORT & RESOURCES

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FEAST website:

https://feast-ed.org/

FEAST flyer:

https://feast-ed.org/programs-and-services/

Hannah’s website:

https://www.wearefullofbeans.com/

Listen to Hannah’s podcast on your favorite app: The Full of Beans Podcast

Guest Bio

Hannah Hickinbotham is the founder of Full of Beans, an eating disorder awareness podcast all about reducing stigma and amplifying lived experience. Through inspiring conversations with people with lived experience of an eating disorder, alongside clinicians and researchers, Hannah creates a space where listeners can feel understood, validated, and a little less alone.

Hannah has lived experience of atypical anorexia, body dysmorphia, and ADHD, and found her path to recovery after finally receiving an ADHD diagnosis 14 years later. Passionate about widening the conversation beyond stereotypes, she reminds people that recovery is possible, even when it doesn’t look how you expected.

Episode 009

Navigating Family Based Treatment (with Dr. Amy Boyers)

In this episode of The Other Side of the Plate, hosts Laura and Jenni welcome Dr. Amy Boyers, co-founder and president of Galen Hope and a clinical psychologist with over two decades of experience treating eating disorders. Laura and Amy's friendship stretches back to childhood in Miami, making for a warm and candid conversation about family-based treatment (FBT). Dr. Boyers traces the evolution of eating disorder treatment from the "parentectomy" era of the eighties and nineties through the emergence of FBT, explaining the three phases of the manualized protocol while advocating for what she calls "FBT with a twist": adding meal support coaches, dietitians, respite from grandparents, and regular therapy sessions for burnt-out caregivers. She addresses common reasons families stall (inconsistent monitoring, "clean eating" that can't achieve caloric density, reluctance to enforce meaningful consequences) and offers a memorable reframe: when one part of a family system changes, the other parts engage in "change back behaviors" to restore the status quo. Dr. Boyers emphasizes that FBT is only the "gold standard" if it works for your family, and encourages parents to develop a Plan B before they need it.

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast

01:03 Meet Dr. Amy Boyers: From Childhood Friends to Eating Disorder Expert

06:42 What Is FBT? From Maudsley to Lock and Le Grange

13:25 When FBT Isn't the Right Fit: Recognizing Family Dynamics

21:52 Common Reasons Families Stall: "Change Back Behaviors"

27:07 Caloric Density and the "Two Entire Birds" Problem

29:25 Consequences That Signal Commitment

37:00 FBT with a Twist: Adding Coaches, Dietitians, and Therapy

45:02 When to Transition Away from FBT

51:35 The Future of FBT and Treatment

53:57 Advice for Families Starting Their FBT Journey

SUPPORT & RESOURCES

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FEAST website:

https://feast-ed.org/

Link from Dr. Amy Boyers:

https://www.galenhope.com/eating-disorders/10-foods-for-anorexia-refeeding/

FEAST flyer:

https://feast-ed.org/programs-and-services/

(FEAST webinar August 2025)

When FBT Alone May Not Be Enough: Adding DBT into Treatment

(FEAST webinar slides August 2025)

When FBT Alone May Not Be Enough: Adding DBT into Treatment

(FEAST Webinar-July 2024)

How We Developed FBT and Why it Works

(FEAST webinar December 2025)

Family Based Treatment for Young Adults: Parents as Partners in Recovery

(FEAST webinar slides December 2025)

Family Based Treatment for Young Adults: Parents as Partners in Recovery

Treating Eating Disorders -...

Episode 008

Body Image and Eating Disorders (with Dr. Anita Federici)

In this episode of The Other Side of the Plate, hosts Jenni and Laura welcome Dr. Anita Federici, a clinical psychologist and globally respected expert on eating disorders and DBT. Dr. Federici challenges the common assumption that body image naturally improves after weight restoration, explaining that for many people, body disturbance isn't a "lag" but a core neurobiological feature of eating disorders rooted in sensory and perceptual differences. The conversation explores the distinction between body dysmorphia and negative body image, the power of validation as a "safety signal," and practical communication strategies for caregivers—including Dr. Federici's four-step framework: validate what makes sense, reinforce adaptive behavior, invite rather than impose help, and offer sensory-based coping tools. Drawing parallels to how clinicians treat psychosis and dementia, Dr. Federici makes a compelling case for believing patients' lived experiences rather than dismissing them. This episode offers caregivers both scientific grounding and practical hope for supporting loved ones through the often-misunderstood struggles of living in their "earth suit."

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast

01:02 Meet Dr. Anita Federici: 25 Years in the Eating Disorders Field

06:30 The Body Image "Lag": Why It May Not Be a Lag at All

14:36 Validation as a Safety Signal

17:39 Body Dysmorphia vs. Negative Body Image: The "Earth Suit"

24:27 Normal Body Dissatisfaction vs. Warning Signs

30:35 What to Say: The "You Make Sense" Conversation

41:33 Hair on Fire: Sensory Tools During Acute Treatment

44:47 Lessons from Treating Psychosis and Dementia

50:01 A Message of Hope: Start Where You Are

SUPPORT & RESOURCES

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FEAST website:

https://feast-ed.org/

FEAST flyer:

https://feast-ed.org/programs-and-services/

FEAST Weekend Workshops - F.E.A.S.T.

Workshop 8 (Sunday – December 21, 2025)

What To Say When You Don’t Know What To Say

Led by Dr. Anita Federici

Bio:

Dr. Anita Federici is a Clinical Psychologist and Owner of The Centre for Psychology and Emotion Regulation, specializing in evidence-based treatment for eating disorders, emotion regulation challenges, and trauma. A sought-after international trainer, consultant, and researcher, she is also co-author of Treating Eating Disorders with DBT: The MED-DBT Protocol (Guilford Press, 2024) https://www.guilford.com/books/Treating-Eating-Disorders-with-DBT/Federici-Wisniewski/9781462558483?srsltid=AfmBOooqJiiIH63_128Czz7N-n3W5tZvzP_8I5o5mOPsw0JhVuQN5PAZ