Global Virtual Community for Emotional Eaters, Overeaters & Binge Eaters

In 2014, Dr. Julie T. Anné  and Dr. Ashley Southard set out to change the world.  Well, maybe it’s more accurate to say that they set out to change the manner in which people struggling with chronic overeating, emotional eating, binge eating disorder, and associated issues with weight, were treated.

As seasoned eating disorder specialists, Dr. Julie and Dr. Ashley knew that compulsive overeating had very little to do with food. And just about everything to do with deeper underlying processes that affected your relationship with your emotions, your relationship with your Body, and your relationship with your Self.

After having had the privilege of helping literally hundreds of individuals FULLY heal their dysfunctional relationship with food through participation in TheHealthyWeighOut workshops and in-person therapy services, they KNEW they needed to bring their original approach to true emotional eating resolution to people outside of their Scottsdale, Arizona treatment center.

And the rest is history.

International podcasts, a very popular YouTube channel, a Mayo Clinic School of Medicine Faculty appointment, media spots and growing status as international emotional eating experts all led to Dr. Julie & Dr. Ashley receiving an outpouring of global requests asking to make their groundbreaking healing work available to people around the world.

The result?

A cutting edge, international educational platform…TheHealthyWeighOut Circle of HOPE was born!

 

Welcome to Circle of HOPE ~ where Full Recovery from Emotional & Binge Eating happens!

Circle of HOPE is a one-of-a-kind virtual community for people struggling to overcome Binge Eating, Compulsive Overeating, Emotional Eating, and Chronic Yo-yo dieting. The goal of this very special online community is to provide an emotionally safe, judgment-free zone where you have access to life-changing education that will transform your relationship with food, your body, and your Self…allowing you to create Full Recovery from the inside out.

Circle of HOPE is led by co-hosts, Dr. Julie & Dr. Ashley, internationally-recognized specialists in the field of emotional eating, binge eating, overeating, and related struggles (think anxiety, trauma, and challenging family systems). With 44 years of combined experience effectively treating and resolving disordered eating, we have become the go-to experts because of our in-depth understanding of what’s really going on under the psychological surface of your compulsive eating behavior. We know your desire to overeat is not simply about food, and we know the solution cannot be found solely in diets and exercise! Rather, we’ll help you connect-the-dots so that you can understand how your relationship with emotions and with your Self has everything to do with your relationship with food.

Discover our Signature Approach, “The Deeper Work”

Dr. Julie & Dr. Ashley credit their professional success and international following to their unique approach that effectively helps you “connect-the-dots” between your oftentimes frustrating and CONFUSING eating behavior (we know you really do want to eat “normally”), and the underlying “hidden pieces” that are frequently related to emotional, relational, and/or trauma issues that are unconsciously being “managed” through your relationship with food.

This is what we call, “The Deeper Work.”

In Circle of HOPE, we offer weekly, LIVE VideoCasts to educate our members about these deeper pieces. We discuss things like:

Vulnerability – We all want closeness, and we all fear closeness! Especially, if you have been wounded by people in your past. We discuss how approaching Life in an emotionally guarded manner can lead to feeling alone, misunderstood, not cared for, not loved (or lovable), or resentful toward others… making food a “safe” and reliable best friend. And, more importantly, we share what you can do to change that.

Living Life in a Passive vs. Empowered Manner – Do you speak up for your Self? Let others know your needs? Express hurt feelings when they occur in interpersonal relationships?  Many times, when you do not express your true feelings, it makes you feel a lack of control in your life or a lack of value within your Self.  This can lead to feelings of hurt, frustration, resentment, or the desire to retreat from others…  leading to the use of food as a means to comfort your Self, cope, or “stuff” hurt or painful feelings.

Fear of Feeling – Did you grow up in a family where it was not emotionally or physically safe to express your feelings?  Were you ridiculed for sharing delicate parts of your Self?  Or, was there SO much anger, physical violence, or emotional rejection in your home environment, that you learned how to thwart your feelings as a means to survive…  making you an Adult who is completely disconnected from your Self, and your Emotions?  If so, you are NOT alone and you likely have absolutely no idea why you are overeating. This can make it really frustrating when you are asked, “What are you feeling when you reach for food?”

Fear of Intimacy – Many times, past traumatic experiences, in which you’ve been betrayed, abused, neglected, or significantly hurt, make it overwhelming or scary (at best) to fathom getting close to and trusting others in adulthood. Yet, as human beings, we are literally neurologically hard-wired to want close connection with people. This underlying push-pull can unconsciously drive you toward food, which can feel like a safe replacement that provides emotional and physical comfort, soothing, and satisfaction…without the risk of rejection, betrayal, or hurt.

Shame – Typically, people who struggle with emotional overeating feel an abundance of shame; shame for their emotions and needs, shame for their Body or weight, shame for their Self.  This can be misunderstood as related solely to food-related behaviors, when oftentimes the experience of shame is related to earlier, underlying feelings about your value or your Self, which were created long before your eating behavior became problematic. In a gentle, empathic and compassionate manner, we explore this important topic throughout our VideoCasts, as it is a cornerstone issue to the building of Full Recovery.

Intuitive Eating – Quieting all of the diet and exercise “noise” in your head and returning to what feels right in YOUR mind, body, and soul is truly at the heart of crafting a peaceful and enjoyable relationship with food…otherwise known as Intuitive Eating. This way of relating to food, eating, and your body will feel starnge at first (maybe even impossible), but with the wisdom and compassionate support from our Intuitive Eating guru, Amy Reynolds, RD, CDE, you can learn how to let go of diets and trust your Body.

 

Through awareness, education, and encouragement, it IS possible to develop a healthy relationship with food! Helping you make sense out of these not-so-obvious “deeper” psychological pieces is key, and we can’t wait to teach you all of this when you join Circle of HOPE!

 

 

 

Every Monday, Dr. Julie gives our Community Members a gentle Dr. Julie “Nudge of Encouragement” which parallels the education provided in the previous weeks’ VideoCasts.  Personal sharing oftentimes takes place as Dr. Julie uses herSelf and her personal growth process as a means to reduce shame and help members understand the concepts that are being discussed.

 

Dr. Ashley LOVES to educate our Community Members by providing concrete, hands-on changes that will help you take the next step in your behavioral change process.  She’s a master at videos!  This “Recovery Hacks” series is a special treat for our members.

 

To watch more video clips from our weekly VideoCasts & Educational Video Series, check out our YouTube Channel: Online Educational Community Playlist.