Supporting the Supporters in Eating Disorder Recovery with Harriet Parsons
This week, I’m joined by the incredible Harriet Parsons, CEO of BodyWhys, the Eating Disorders Association of Ireland.Harriet is a qualified psychotherapist with over 20 years of experience supporting individuals and families affected by eating disorders. Alongside her clinical background, she’s passionate about education, advocacy, and making services more accessible and compassionate for carers.Harriet joins us to discuss how services can better support the families, partners, and carers of people living with eating disorders, and why helping “the system around the person” is just as important as direct treatment.Together, we explore:The Pillar Programme and how it builds carer resilienceHow Maudsley Carer Skills can empower families to support recoveryThe myth of the “perfect carer” and why presence > perfectionThe importance of meeting carers where they are emotionallySupporting professionals to better understand the carer experienceHow carers can change their approach to support recoveryTimestamps:04:25 – Harriet’s pathway into ED work and psychotherapy08:10 – Understanding the unique needs of carers13:00 – Pillar Programme: what it is and how it works19:15 – Maudsley Carer Skills & emotional coaching24:45 – Why psychoeducation is game-changing30:40 – What Harriet wishes more professionals knew36:00 – Moving from “fixing” to “supporting”41:50 – Final reflections and words of encouragement⚠️ Trigger warning: This episode discusses eating disorders and caregiving. Please take care while listening.Resources & Links:Visit BodywshyConnect with Us:Subscribe to the Full of Beans Podcast hereFollow Full of Beans on Instagram hereRead our latest blog hereIf you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share the podcast to help us spread awareness.Sending positive beans your way, Han 💛⚠️ Trigger warning: This episode discusses eating disorders, disordered eating behaviours, and body image concerns. Please listen with care and seek support if you are struggling.
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Making Eating Disorder Services More Inclusive for Men with George Mycock
This week, I’m joined by my dear friend George Mycock, a PhD candidate at the University of Worcester, who is studying men’s help-seeking and access to care for Eating and/or Body Image Psychopathology (EBIP)George is also involved in several projects, including the Mental Health and Movement Alliance at the charity Mind, the steering group for the National Audit of Eating Disorders and the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and co-led a project with the Consider Male Eating Disorders Team from the University of Nottingham and King's College London.George joins us today to discuss his PhD research, focusing on how to make eating disorder services more accessible for men and his hope for future awareness.Together, we explore:The presence of imposter syndrome in academia and researchThe barriers men face when seeking help for eating disordersHow services and resources often unintentionally “other” menMuscle dysmorphia, body image pressures, and male experiences of disordered eatingGeorge’s work on developing inclusive guidance for servicesWhy hope, awareness, and representation matter for men’s recoveryTimestamps: 01:04 – George's PhD research on men and eating disorders 10:00 – Why terminology matters (EBIP vs eating disorders) 20:00 – Barriers men face in accessing services 30:00 – Research on clinician bias and awareness 40:00 – Developing inclusive guidance with lived experience 55:00 – Why opening up these conversations matters⚠️ Trigger warning: This episode discusses eating disorders, disordered eating behaviours, and body image concerns. Please listen with care and seek support if you are struggling.Resources & Links:Visit MyomindsReview paper from George's PhD"Touchy subject" paperLink to the guidance documentConnect with Us:Subscribe to the Full of Beans Podcast hereFollow Full of Beans on Instagram hereRead our latest blog hereIf you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share the podcast to help us spread awareness.Sending positive beans your way, Han 💛
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Neurodiversity, Eating Disorder Recovery & Burnout with Remie Colledge
In this week's episode, Han is joined by Remie Colledge. Remie is a neurodivergent public speaker, trainer and writer, with lived experience of recovery from anorexia. Remie discovered she was autistic many years after her struggle with anorexia began, and she received an even later ADHD diagnosis. Understanding and processing her experiences through a neuroaffirmative lens became a turning point, and a therapeutic part of her recovery journey. Remie is passionate about the value of sharing lived experience in an intentional way, along with working together with others to create a more neuro-inclusive world to live, work and belong, a world that really supports neurodivergent wellbeing.This week, we discuss:How undiagnosed neurodivergence shaped early eating difficultiesWhy ED behaviours can become coping strategies for sensory overloadHow autism & ADHD traits can get entangled with disordered eatingLetting go of “perfect recovery” and embracing the grey areasWhat eating disorder burnout looks and feels likeReconnecting with joy, identity, and special interests in recoveryBuilding a life that works with your neurodivergent brain, not against itTimestamps:04:00 – School transitions, sensory overload & early food struggles12:00 – Control, masking, and the early roots of anorexia17:00 – Autism, perfectionism & the “myth” of linear recovery24:00 – Burnout: neurodivergent & ED-related30:00 – ADHD, hyper-focus, and the illusion of “doing it all”38:00 – Building a recovery that respects your neurotype43:00 – Connection, identity & life beyond the EDTrigger Warning: This episode discusses anorexia, recovery relapse, diagnostic experiences, and burnout. Please take care while listening.Links and Resources:Connect with Remie on LinkedinVisit Remie's websiteConnect with Us:Subscribe to the Full of Beans Podcast hereFollow Full of Beans on Instagram hereRead our latest blog hereThank you for listening and being part of this important conversation!If you loved this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who might benefit!Sending positive beans your way, Han 💛
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The Role of Late Autism Diagnosis in Eating Disorder Recovery and Social Support with James Downs and Marissa Adams
In this week's episode, Han is joined by James Downs and Marissa Adams to discuss their recent publication exploring the link between eating disorders, late-diagnosed autism and social connectedness.James is a mental health campaigner, peer researcher and expert by experience in eating disorders. He works to develop collaboration across a range of professional and personal perspectives to improve mental health for all. He is also a musician, movement practitioner, and artist.Together, James and Marissa recently published research exploring the link between eating disorders, late autism diagnosis, and social connectedness.This week, we discuss:How late autism diagnosis can reframe the story of an eating disorderWhy one-size-fits-all eating disorder treatment often fails autistic peopleThe role of masking, misdiagnosis, and co-occurring conditions in ED developmentWhy individualised, neurodiversity-affirming care is essential for recoveryHow social connection looks different for autistic people (small circles, pets, nature)The importance of creating safe, validating treatment spaces where people can “re-story” identityWhy embracing difference can unlock more flexible, compassionate recovery support for everyoneTimestamps:06:30 – Late diagnosis, masking, and misdiagnosis 13:30 – Inpatient treatment, relapse, and the need for adaptation 18:30 – Making sense of autism post diagnosis 25:00 – Untangling autistic traits and eating disorder behaviours 31:00 – Social connection, pets, and neurodivergent-friendly community in recovery 38:00 – What flexible, individualised treatment can look like 45:00 – Identity, acceptance, and embracing neurodivergence in recovery Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussion of anorexia, bulimia, relapse, inpatient treatment, and diagnostic experiences.Read James and Marissa's recent paper [here].Connect with Us:Subscribe to the Full of Beans Podcast hereFollow Full of Beans on Instagram hereRead our latest blog hereThank you for listening and being part of this important conversation!If you loved this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who might benefit!Sending positive beans your way, Han 💛
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Exploring the Risks of Unregulated Weight Loss Medications with Rachel Egan
In this week's episode, Han is joined by Rachel Egan. Rachel is a mental health campaigner who has personal experience of anorexia, laxative use, depression and anxiety. Rachel is the Strategic Communications and Marketing Manager for Dump the Scales, a trainer and activist who delivers eating disorder training sessions and has appeared on Sky News, BBC News and has her own column on the Huffington Post, all to improve the understanding of eating disordersThis week, we discuss:Rachel’s experience of anorexia and laxative misuseWhy laxative abuse felt like a form of self-punishmentThe serious physical health risks associated with laxative misuseRachel’s concerns about GLP-1 weight-loss drugs being marketed to the general publicWhy GLP-1s could be especially dangerous for people with eating disordersThe urgent need for regulation, education, and behavioural support alongside medicationHow social media, body ideals, and fatphobia influence our health choicesRachel’s optimism about Gen Z and their resistance to appearance pressuresTimestamps:01:00 – Rachel’s experience of anorexia and laxative misuse07:00 – The shame and secrecy around bingeing and purging09:30 – Physical and emotional toll of laxative misuse13:00 – Recovery journey and finding support16:30 – Concerns around GLP-1 weight-loss medications and eating disorders24:00 – The impact of weight stigma, fatphobia, and diet culture30:00 – The risk of normalising disordered behaviours through medication34:00 – Body image, steroids, and pressure on young peopleTrigger Warning: This episode contains discussion of anorexia, binge eating, laxative abuse and GLP-1 mediations.Resources & Links:Rachel's InstagramRachel's WebsiteDump The Scales InstagramConnect with Us:Subscribe to the Full of Beans Podcast hereFollow Full of Beans on Instagram hereRead our latest blog hereThank you for listening and being part of this important conversation!If you loved this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who might benefit!Sending positive beans your way, Han 💛
Full of Beans Podcast: Sharing the Unheard Voices in Eating DisordersEating disorders are complex, often misunderstood, and wrapped in layers of stigma. That’s why Full of Beans is here - to open up the conversation and foster understanding through real, raw, and research-backed discussions.Hosted by Han, founder of Full of Beans and passionate mental health advocate, this podcast explores eating disorders through the lens of lived experience, clinical expertise, and the latest research. Each week, Han sits down with guests, including individuals with firsthand experiences, clinicians, researchers, and charities, who all share one goal: to raise awareness, challenge misconceptions, and support those affected by eating disorders.With a mix of heartfelt stories and professional insights, Full of Beans is a space for education, advocacy, and connection. Whether you're navigating your own eating disorder journey, supporting a loved one, or working in the mental health field, this podcast is here to provide knowledge, compassion, and hope.Join us in creating a community where eating disorders are understood, and no one feels alone in their struggles.(Please note: This podcast is for awareness and education purposes and is not a substitute for professional therapeutic support.)
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