BFYB Professional Testimonials

I was ready and able to experience my body’s knowledge in a deeper way, increasing my awareness that the knowledge was always there. I’m very grateful to have learned how to access this knowledge on my own terms. I have been able to integrate into my own life daily, noticing my organ functions and more actively and checking into this connection with my mood and thinking patterns. I have started to integrate the knowledge of interoceptive awareness with my clients, I can see it working very well in the primary care setting and am looking forward to integrating it into my work and the possibility of its use with minority clients.

As a dietitian who works with clients who struggle with disordered eating and diagnosed eating disorders, this work changes everything. It provides practitioners with a deeply meaningful, evidence-based education that can help clients develop critical skills that can assist them as they work through their challenges with food, eating and their bodies. This radically beautiful program encompasses a step by step approach to healing. It is intentionally laid out, provides important education about the brain and body,and offers a deep level of healing through the door of self-compassion and embodiment. I cannot say enough positive things about this work. It is life-changing for everyone who has a body. The two levels of training provided meaningful opportunities for professional and personal growth. Participating in the level one training was critical for developing an experiential understanding of the practices and in gaining a personal appreciation of the work as it unfolded. The level two training provided practical experience with delivering education and feedback in appropriate ways. In addition, it taught the nuances of the work and the history of the research behind the program. If you work with clients who struggle with their bodies, this training is a must!

The BFYB teacher training program has significantly affected me both as an individual and a therapist. Through the training I have a stronger understanding of the mind and body connection and how important it is to utilize both in order to work through a multiple of different struggles. I have found, since completing the program, that I utilize the practices and the teaching points for not only eating disorders but also anxiety, depression, and trauma. I have seen both understanding and connection to the materials with my clients as well as a change in behaviors and self-compassion. This training has definitely helped to strengthen my skills as a therapist and I believe I will continue to utilize the teachings for many years to come.

I developed a deeper understanding of the overall program, the purpose in the order of practices and how they build on one another, and more comfort in delivering the practices. I also deepened my personal journey of befriending my own body and am forever grateful for this powerful work.  I love how the work doesn’t stop with the individual, but continues to spread like a beautiful flame of empowerment and embodiment.  I am honored to now be able to guide others towards this sacred place within.

Over the years, all 52 of them it seems, I have been searching for a way to quiet my mind and live a more peaceful existence within myself. I have found many modalities that support me in this quest but none quite like BFYB. Using Interoceptive Awareness, Embodiment and Mindfulness, I am learning to regulate my nervous system and live through the body rather than the mind. After what seems like a lifetime of trying to change an anxiety driven inner dialogue, I am instead using the breath to ground, release and calm the body so that I can flow from a place of understanding and self-compassion rather than judgment and criticism. Through a daily practice of relentless mindfulness and self-kindness, I am developing a new relationship with my body and food. This new relationship is dynamic and kind rather than perfectionist and extreme. With this new found knowledge, I am beginning to thread the BFYB teachings in sessions with clients and it is making a profound difference for them too! We need to know how to regulate our nervous systems in order to have a healthy, intuitive relationship with food and our bodies. Through the BFYB program I am moving, feeling, eating and thinking from a place of kindness and consciousness and I am guiding my clients to do the same.

After this training I realized that we can teach people to discover self-compassion through these somatic practices and self-reflections. I saw in my own body how these practices can regulate the nervous system. I found hope that people can recover long term from the devastating effects of eating disorders, disordered eating and struggles with body image. I came to appreciate the order of the program, too, and how we build the connection of body and mind and use this foundation to begin to approach the challenge of finding self-compassion. I came to see how self-compassion can in turn support the difficult work of taking steps to take care of one’s body and mind. I personally grew through this work as well. After this program I found myself thinking more self-compassionate thoughts, and the strident ubiquitous voice of self-criticism wasn’t so loud anymore. I even found myself feeling genuine gratitude towards my body and a greater desire to take care of it. I use the somatic techniques in my own life to tamp down anxiety and ride out difficult feelings.

The approach of self-compassion for disordered eating or eating disorders has given my practice an invaluable understanding of the treatment of eating disorders. I have also found that its application continues to positively affect those who struggle with other mental health issues. I use the practices, that I have learned in this program, almost daily with clients. Everyone responds in a type of awe and appreciation. It is an education that has exponentially improved my skills and understanding as a clinician.

Thank you Dr. Ann for such a unique experience. It was an honor to learn from the source herself. Your work has touched me in so many ways and I look forward to passing on the self- compassionate approach to freedom from disordered relationships with food and body. As I continue to use the somatic practices and meditations with my clients, I have noticed a shift in my own comfort level. I believe having done the practices has helped me to lead and have an idea of what to expect. I, like others in the group, used to only feel comfortable giving meditation or breathing practices for homework but now I notice myself asking clients if I can guide them through a practice during sessions. I know which ones to use for what , I.e Finding Your ground: F,S,&S for increased anxiety, or Compassion with Another Meditation for someone who is struggling with relationships/feeling alone. My clients seem to enjoy it. I also use the card deck and I use my own experiences with the cards to teach common humanity.

My experiences with BFYB have been so meaningful and impactful. Throughout the Professional BFYB training, I was reminded again and again, why I do the work I do (as Registered Dietitian). I have always enjoyed working with people, talking about their relationship with food and their body. Through this training, I solidified my understanding of how I can go beyond my academic education to help others in their recovery from the repercussions of Diet Culture. Every body deserves to live in peace, harmony and freedom from weight stigma and our society’s harmful definition of an ideal body. I am empowered to take my lived experiences, along with all that I have been fortunate to learn from Ann, and help guide lasting and life-altering positive changes in the lives of others.