Bodywhys Podcast

In this episode, Jenny and Harriet continue with the mini-series on self-harm and eating disorders. They discuss how using the cycle of change can help carers to support their loved one and encourage open conversations, as well as some helpful animal metaphors to use.

Jenny's website: https://newmaudsleycarers-kent.co.uk/

Jenny's shop: Shop - newmaudsleycarers-kent

Bodywhys website: ⁠https://www.bodywhys.ie/

https://www.bodywhys.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Decisional-Balance-Chart-NMCS-Podcast.pdf

https://www.bodywhys.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Decisional-Balance-Chart-NMCS-Podcast.pdf

In the first of this 4 part series on self-harm and eating disorders, Jenny and Harriet introduce the topic and begin thinking through how the New Maudsley Carer Skills can help carers to support their loved one when they are self-harming.​​

Notes:

• Jenny's website: https://newmaudsleycarers-kent.co.uk/
• Bodywhys website: https://www.bodywhys.ie/

Jenny and Harriet are joined by another special guest in this episode - Veronica Kamerling, a mother, carer, and someone who’s spent over 23 years supporting families affected by eating disorders and mental illness.

Veronica supported both her daughters when they developed an eating disorder. She founded Eating Disorders & Carers, a space for families who, like hers, were doing their best in the dark of mental health recovery.

Veronica talks to Harriet and Jenny about the value of the Maudsley carer skills for supporting your loved one with an eating disorder.

Notes:

• Veronica's website: Eating Disorders & Carers

• Jenny's website: https://newmaudsleycarers-kent.co.uk/
• Bodywhys website: https://www.bodywhys.ie/

Welcome back to the New Maudsley Carer Skills podcast - we are kicking off our third season with a very special guest - Prof. Janet Treasure OBE. Janet joins Harriet and Jenny to talk about supporting carers.

Notes

• Jenny's website: https://newmaudsleycarers-kent.co.uk/
• Bodywhys website: https://www.bodywhys.ie/

In this episode, Jenny and Harriet discuss the topic of the teenage brain and eating disorders, one of the topical sessions that Jenny runs regularly. We'll be thinking through the biology of the brain and how understanding it can help us better understand a teen's eating disorder, and most importantly how understanding the teen brain can help us support a teen with an eating disorder better.

Notes

• Jenny's website: https://newmaudsleycarers-kent.co.uk/
• Bodywhys website: https://www.bodywhys.ie/

In this episode Jenny and Harriet are joined by Hannah Hickinbotham. Hannah was diagnosed with Atypical Anorexia aged 14, and she talks about the twists and turns of her recovery journey, finding a therapy that worked and how she has dealt with a more recent ADHD diagnosis as well.

Notes

• Jenny's website: https://newmaudsleycarers-kent.co.uk/

• Bodywhys website: https://www.bodywhys.ie/
• Hannah's podcast - The Full of Beans Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5RcJRo9tyIP4RzeZr2kSNO

In this episode, Jenny and Harriet discuss the role of perfectionism in eating disorders, and how the New Maudsley Carer Skills can be used by carers to support their loved one to identify perfectionism and move away from the tyranny of perfectionism.

Notes

• Jenny's website: https://newmaudsleycarers-kent.co.uk/

• Bodywhys website: https://www.bodywhys.ie/

In this episode, Jenny and Harriet talk about the role of exercise and compulsive exercise in eating disorders. How do we know if a person is exercising to an extreme and how can we support a person as they change their relationship with exercise.

Notes

• Jenny's website: https://newmaudsleycarers-kent.co.uk/
• Jenny is running a session for those supporting a person with an eating disorder titled 'Compulsive exercise and eating disorders and return to healthy sport' on: Monday, October 13th, 2025 from 1.30pm to 4pm. Email: jenny@newmaudsleycarers-kent.co.uk to register your interest
• Bodywhys website: https://www.bodywhys.ie/

Resources mentioned in the podcast:

• CET : Compulsive exercise test
• REDS : relative energy deficit in sports
• SEES : safe exercise at every stage
• LEAP (CBT programme from Loughborough university)
• LEAP (finding areas of agreement – LEAP institute)
• Nottingham University – guidance forsports professionals, PE teachers, Personal Trainers, gym staff and others.
• Peace pathway – autism and compulsive exercise
• The Exercise Clinic : Specialist Eating Disorder & Compulsive Exercise Treatment

In this episode, Barry speaks with clinical psychologist, Dr Agnes Ringer, about paradoxes in eating disorder recovery. We explore the role of workshops, the analytical questions, ambivalence, mechanical eating and agency.

Notes

Troublesome Bodies: How Bodies Come to Matter and Intrude in Eating Disorder Recovery | Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry

Anorexia as Parody: Postmodern Feminism and the Paradoxes of Anorexia

In this episode, Barry speaks with Bridgette Becker about her MA thesis. They talk about the role of historical trauma in women's experiences of eating disorders and the role of the patriarchy.

Notes

Tending the Roots: Implications for Historical Trauma and Its Manifestations in Women's Eating Disorders - ProQuest

In this episode, Barry talks to Dr Laura Chapman, Senior Research Associate, University of Bristol, about the experiences and support needs of mothers with eating disorders. We explore previous research, and key themes, such as parenting as a double-edged sword and potential clinical implications of Laura's work. Laura also talks about her personal connection to eating disorders.

Notes

“I think it is woven through me, and sadly that means it is woven through our family life”: the experiences and support needs of mothers with eating disorders | Journal of Eating Disorders

In this episode, Jenny and Harriet discuss body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), and body image distortion in eating disorder recovery. Although these are not the same thing, the terms are often interchanged. Jenny and Harriet talk about both, and how they may intersect when an eating disorder is in the picture.

Notes

• Jenny's website
• https://www.bodywhys.ie/
• International OCD Foundation | Eating Disorders are Not the Same as Body Dysmorphic Disorder (And Why It Matters)

In this episode, Barry talks to Dr Elisa Lewis, London South Bank University. We explore hegemonic masculinity and its relationship to body image, appearance investment, male gender norms and key themes from Elisa's research.

Notes

“Awful Skinny Boys” – Male Musical Theatre Performers’ Experiences of Body Image: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis - Maria E. Carr, Elisa G. Lewis, 2025

In this episode, Jenny and Harriet talk through the difficult topic of NG feeding and how the Maudsley skills can be used to help tolerate the distress that goes with this.

Notes

Bodywhys website

Jenny's website

In this episode, Barry talks to Catholic moral theologian, Dr Megan Heeder, University of Scranton. We explore moral judgements about food, temperance, prudence, connatural knowledge and the work of the late Beth Haile.

Notes

Aquinas's Unity Thesis and Grace: Ingredients for Developing

A Good Appetite in a Contemporary AgeThe Beauty of a Good Appetite in a Social Media Age

In this episode, Barry speaks with Jinxu Li, Texas A&M University, about why people share their experiences of eating disorders on social media. Jinxu's episode focuses on research participants from China. We also discuss self-determination theory.

Notes

“I Want to Hold an Umbrella Over You Because I Have Been in the Rain”: Exploring Patient Influencers’ Motivations to Share Eating Disorders Experiences from a Self-Determination Theory Perspective: Health Communication

In this episode, Jenny and Harriet are joined again by Livia Sara. This time they talk about the fear of weight gain for autistic people in eating disorder recovery.

Notes

Here are the links to Livia's podcasts mentioned in the episode.

Part One Fear of Weight Gain in Autism and Anorexia[Part 1]

Part Two Autism, Anorexia, and Fear of Gaining Weight[Part 2]

Part Three Accepting Weight Gain in Anorexia Recovery (Asan Autistic Person)

In this episode, Jenny and Harriet talk through the third subtype of ARFID - fear of aversive consequences. Using real life examples, Jenny discusses the menu of Maudsley skills that can help carers supporting a person with this type of ARFID.

Notes

Bodywhys website

Jenny's website

In this episode, Barry speaks with Dr Veya Seekis, Griffith University, about social media detox strategies, body image and well-being. We explore some of the appearance-related content people may encounter when they spend time on social media.

Notes

To detox or not to detox? The impact of different approaches to social media detox strategies on body image and wellbeing - ScienceDirect

Growing skincare use by children is dangerous, say dermatologists

In this episode, Barry speaks with Cato Benschop, Utrecht University, about the life project account of eating disorders. We explore what this alternative framework offers for understanding people's experiences.

Notes

The life project account of eating disorders: agency in the pursuit of dietary goals

Cato's website