The Full of Beans Podcast

Have you ever walked into a healthcare setting and felt like one part of your identity was being used to explain away everything else? This one is for you.Eva Echo (she/they) is a distinguished activist, writer, and TEDx speaker, focusing on transgender+ rights, intersectionality, and eating disorders. After hearing Eva speak at the Dump the Scales march, I basically ran after her to get her on the podcast, and I am so glad I did.Eva has spent years fighting for trans+ people in healthcare, including taking NHS England to the High Court over unlawful waiting times, and many other incredible projects. She also has her own lived experience of an eating disorder, autism, and ADHD, and this conversation weaves all of that together in a way I haven't heard anywhere else.In this episode, we explore:Eva's experience of restrictive eating and how it developed alongside her identity as a trans womanHow autism and ADHD intersect with her eating disorderThe moment a GP told Eva she couldn't have an eating disorder and it's lasting impactEva's experience of Trans broken arm syndromeWhat medical gatekeeping looks like across eating disorders, gender identity, and neurodivergence,Eva's legal challenge against NHS England and the landmark ruling that came from itWhy the NHS can feel like a conveyor belt instead of individualised careEva's path analogy in relation to eating disorder recoveryEva's message to anyone who has never felt truly seen or heardEva's message is simple, and I think it is everything: be your own kind of beautiful.Connect with Us:Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTubeConnect with Eva via Instagram (@evaech0)⚠️ Content Note: This episode contains discussions of eating disorders, medical gatekeeping, gender identity, neurodivergence, and experiences of suicidal ideation. Please take care of yourself while listening.Photo credit: Lunar Sea.

Have you ever found yourself trying to balance the needs of your eating disorder, your treatment team, your family, and somewhere in the middle of all of that, completely losing sight of yourself? This episode is for you.This week on the Full of Beans Podcast, I'm joined by Sarah Parker, a psychotherapist based in West Yorkshire, who brings both professional expertise in eating disorder therapy and her own lived experience of fifteen years of anorexia.Sarah knows firsthand how people pleasing can keep you stuck in recovery, doing all the right things, saying all the right things, but doing it for everyone else rather than for yourself. That can be motivating to start with, but after time, motivation can fade and a true commitment to recovery is required.In this episode, we explore:Sarah's own experience of anorexia and what kept her stuck for so longSarah's experience of detainment, tube feeding, and how collaboration changed thisHow people pleasing shaped Sarah's experience of treatmentWhy bringing out the rebel can be more supportive than praising compliance in recoveryThe difference between motivation and commitment in eating disorder recoveryWhy commitment helps long-term recovery more than motivationHow to keep going on the days when every part of you is telling you not toWhy anger can actually be a sign that recovery is workingThe role of compassion in recoveryConnect with Us:Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTubeConnect with Sarah via her website or on Instagram (@wellofbeing13)⚠️ Content Note: This episode includes discussion of eating disorders, anorexia, detainment and tube feeding. Please take care while listening.

When an eating disorder enters a relationship, it doesn’t just affect one person; it changes the space between you. This episode explores how.In this week’s episode of Full of Beans, I’m joined by Charlotte Jefferson, psychotherapist and founder of CRJ Therapy, to explore how eating disorders impact relationships, communication, intimacy, and trust.In this conversation, Charlotte brings a relational lens to eating disorders, something that can quietly shape connection, closeness, and the way we show up with one another. We explore what happens when fear takes over in relationships, how communication can begin to break down, and why connection can feel so hard to hold onto during recovery.Because eating disorders don’t just affect the individual, they affect the relationship, too.In this episode, we discuss:How eating disorders impact romantic relationships, families, and friendshipsWhy food is deeply tied to connection, culture, and social lifeThe role of fear, silence, and “getting it wrong” in relationshipsHow partners and parents can slip into caring rolesWhy communication can break down during eating disorder recoveryThe impact on intimacy, closeness, and trustThe importance of curiosity and honesty in difficult conversationsWhy wider support networks matter when supporting someone with an eating disorderWhat relationship disconnection can look likeGentle ways to begin rebuilding connection and trustConnect with Us:Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTubeConnect with Charlotte via CRJ Therapy or on Instagram (@crjtherapy)⚠️ Content Note: This episode includes discussion of eating disorders, relationship challenges, and emotional distress. Please take care while listening.

This week on the podcast, I’m joined by Holly Marsh, a psychotherapeutic counsellor who specialises in eating disorders in private practice, and someone who also brings her own lived experience of recovery into the room.Holly shares how, during her own recovery, she often found parts of treatment confusing… especially when they seemed to echo the very voice she was trying to challenge of not being "sick enough". That experience has really shaped how she now thinks about recovery, both personally and professionally.What We Cover in This EpisodeWhat the “eating disorder voice” actually is (and why it can feel confusing)How the eating disorder can shape-shift and mimic your own thoughtsThe “superpower” feeling and why it can be so hard to let goWhy recovery can feel worse before it feels betterThe role of values in guiding recoveryHow to start separating your thoughts from the eating disorderThe short-term “payoff” that keeps people stuckNavigating relationships and rebuilding trust with loved onesHonesty, identity, and the role of lived experience in recovery and professional workConnect with Us:Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTube⚠️ Content Note: This episode includes discussion of eating disorders, anorexia and recovery. Please take care when listening.If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share to help us spread awareness.Sending positive beans your way, Han 💛

In this episode of the Full of Beans Podcast, I’m joined by Mel Ciavucco, an integrative counsellor, writer and trainer, to talk about weight stigma and the impact it has on eating disorder treatment and recovery.This conversation explores something that often sits at the heart of eating disorders but is still too often left unspoken: the fear of weight gain, the internalised beliefs people hold about larger bodies, and the ways those beliefs can show up in therapy, treatment, and recovery.In this episode, we explore:What weight stigma is and why it matters in eating disorder workWhy fear of fatness is often central to eating disorder distressHow diet culture and anti-fat bias shape treatment and recoveryWhy people in larger bodies are often overlooked or misunderstood in servicesThe harm caused by focusing on weight loss instead of relationship with foodWhy “don’t worry, we won’t let you get fat” is so problematic in treatmentThe importance of curiosity over reassurance when exploring fear of weight gainHow therapists’ own internalised biases can affect ethical practiceWhy body acceptance and safety are crucial for recoveryHow self-worth, anger, compassion, and social justice can all play a role in healingThis is such an important conversation about compassion, nuance, and creating a world where recovery feels safer for everybody.Connect with Us:Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTubeVisit Mel's website or follow her on Instagram @melciavuccocounsellingContent warning: This episode includes discussion of eating disorders, body image, weight stigma, fatphobia, and disordered eating.

In this week's episode of Full of Beans, Han is joined by Vanessa Longley, CEO of BEAT, the UK’s eating disorder charity. Vanessa is also a mum to a 21-year-old who is in recovery, and she brings a deeply compassionate perspective on what it’s really like to support someone you love through an eating disorder.This conversation was recorded during Eating Disorder Awareness Week, where the theme is community, and it really sits at the heart of this conversation. From the fear carers often carry in silence, to the power of ordinary conversations and shared moments, Vanessa shares what helps people keep going through the hardest days.If you’re supporting someone with an eating disorder and feeling overwhelmed… if you’re in recovery and rebuilding trust with the people around you… or if you care about improving eating disorder support and services, this episode is for you.Key Takeaways:Why community can be a powerful protective factor in recoveryWhat carers often carry behind the scenes, and why they need support tooThe instinct to “rescue” and how to support without letting fear leadWhy you don’t need to be an expert in food, you need to be yourself The importance of ordinary conversations and shared interestsHow modelling a future, a life beyond the illness, supports recoveryWhy collaboration between charities, clinicians, researchers and lived experience mattersHow BEAT supports people with eating disorders and those who care about themVanessa’s message: recovery is possible, and asking for help is the first stepTimestamps:00:00: Introduction and Vanessa’s role at BEAT04:30: Vanessa’s personal journey and experience as a parent10:30: Supporting carers and managing fear19:30: The role of community and finding support26:00: Supporting someone day-to-day and staying connected32:00: Collaboration, research, and improving services44:00: BEAT resources and where to get helpResources & LinksVisit Beat's Website to find information, phone, webchat, and email support and the helpfinder for eating disorder support in your local areaConnect with Us:Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTube⚠️ Trigger Warning: Mentions of eating disorders, relapse, inpatient care, food restriction, carer stress/anxiety, and mortality risk. Please take care when listening.If 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 💛

In this episode of Full of Beans, Han is joined by Jo Read, a mum to two daughters, ARFID advocate and 1/3 of 3 Mums 1 Mission ARFID. Jo's youngest daughter, Ethel, is diagnosed with ARFID and is awaiting an autism assessment. Since supporting Ethel through her sensory-based eating difficulties, Jo has poured her energy into raising awareness, because when you’re living it, ARFID can feel unbelievably isolating.If you’re a parent or carer navigating food fears, sensory sensitivities, “helpful” comments that aren’t helpful, and the constant planning that comes with ARFID, this one is for you. You’re not doing it wrong. You’re responding to a very real, very complex need.Key Takeaways:The reality of ARFID as a genuine fear that can override hungerSensory sensitivities (texture, smell, predictability) are at the core of ARFIDWhy consistency and familiarity make certain foods feel saferThe limits of BMI as a marker of health in children with arfidHow sensory overload at mealtimes can increase food avoidanceThe impact of ARFID on family life, routines, siblings and social plansWhy “just stop feeding them” advice doesn’t work for ARFIDThe value of community, advocacy and finding people who understandHow progress in ARID can look small but still be meaningfulTimestamps:00:00 Jo’s story and Ethel’s ARFID diagnosis02:20 Early Signs of ARFID 05:30 BMI and Nutrition10:50 Safe foods, Predictability and Super Senses 14:10 The Sensory Overload of Eating 17:00 Family Impact: Days Out, Siblilngs, Friends20:20 Social Judgement and Support29:00 Looking Ahead and Slow ProgressResources & LinksFollow @eff_and_arfid on InstagramListen to the 3Mums1Mission ARFID PodcastConnect with Us:Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTube⚠️ Trigger Warning: Mentions of eating disorders, ARFID. Please take care when listening.If 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 💛

Kel O’Neill is a UK-based counsellor, educator, researcher, and lived-experience advocate specialising in eating disorders. She is the founder of Mental Health Bites, creator of The Eating Disorder Recovery Companion, and the curator of VOXED – Voices of Experience in Eating Disorders. Kel’s work focuses on ethical, trauma-informed practice, challenging stigma, and bridging the gap between lived experience and professional knowledge.This week, we discuss:What VoxED is and why Kel created it.Why eating disorder education often feels inaccessible, and what VoxED is doing differently.How VoxED broadens “lived experience” to include clinicians, carers, researchers and community voices.Why lived experience shouldn’t be tokenistic, and how it can be valued as expertise.Why the eating disorder field needs shared spaces for nuanced, difficult conversations.How recovery goes beyond food and weight to identity, meaning and living.Timestamps:00:00: What is VoxED?02:10 :Where did the idea began (EDAW 2021)05:10: Who's speaking at VoXED06:40: Moving beyond “tick-box” lived experience08:10: The purpose of VoxED: shared space + shared power14:40: Why change has been slow in eating disorders (and what’s missing)21:10: Recovery beyond food and weight: identity, meaning, and living42:10: VoxED details: date, access, recordings, and low-cost ticketsVoxED conference details:Date: Friday 13th FebruaryFormat: Fully online (9:00–18:30, with breaks)Tickets: self-select pricing options £20 / £37 / £50Resources & LinksFollow Kel on Instagram (@kel_mhb)Visit Kel's website (www.counsellingandtraining.co.uk) to find out more about VOXEDSubscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTubeIf 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 💛