For more background on Mel, check out episode 27, Your Inner Binge Eater is on Your Side where we dove deep on Mel's history and how to address a struggle with binge eating.

Today we dive into something I once shrugged off and that's inner child work. This idea that so much of what I struggled with was rooted in childhood. And the reason I shrugged it off was because I looked at my childhood and while it had it's issues, it seemed kinda normal. At least compared to some of the horrific things many people endure in childhood. But as you'll hear Mel say in our conversation - just because a childhood was normal, doesn't mean it was healthy. 

We talk about how intuitive eating is the ability to tune into the body's wisdom - but how if we're disconnected from our emotions, noticing something as seemingly simple as hunger and fullness cues can be close to impossible. 

We talk about the way we disconnect from parts of ourselves as children and how if we don't RE-connect with those parts as adults - we'll see symptoms like binge eating, emotional eating, or restrictive dieting among many possibilities. 

We'll talk about the the needs we're attempting to get met with compulsive behavior and how things like creativity and authenticity and love ARE needs, not just luxuries. 

And we address how unexpressed emotions get stuck in the body and how if emotional eating is causing you pain - that's a SIGN that you're ready to hear what it has to say. 

I hope you enjoy this episode with Melissa Riccardi. 

Links:

Melissa's Instagram.

Melissa's Private Facebook Group Beyond the Binge.

Melissa's Facebook Page.

Free Spirit Academy website.

Free Spirit Academy courses.

Free Spirit Academy Facebook group.