Bodywhys Podcast

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:

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:

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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.

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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.

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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.

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In this episode, Barry talks to Dr Madeleine Tatham, Norfolk Community Eating Disorders Service, about the impact of a podcast-based pre-treatment psychoeducation intervention. Dr Tatham also describes working with adults affected by eating disorders.

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In this episode, Jenny and Harriet are joined by Livia Sara, a well-established autistic advocate, recovery coach and eating disorder (ED) survivor. Livia is passionate about supporting families to learn how to support their loved one to use their autistic and ADHD traits to their advantage in ED recovery through a combination of science and lived experience. Livia has created a vast treasure trove of books, videos and podcasts. In this episode, Livia tells us her story, how she has come to reframe her experience to help her discover who she is without her ED, and how recovery for Livia, is not about overcoming fear, but rather understanding that what we fear most, is precisely what we most want to do.

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In this episode, Jenny and Harriet continue talking about binge eating, this time within the context of a person experiencing extreme hunger in recovery. They discuss hypermetabolism and coping with the difficulties this throws up for the person recovering and their carer.

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In this episode, Barry speaks with Dr Andrea Goldschmidt, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, about FBT in the home. We explore the practicalities of how this works and potential benefits and some case studies.

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In this episode Jenny and Harriet explore binge eating within the context of adhd and autism. What drives binge eating behaviour? What carer skills can support a person struggling with binge eating?

In this episode, Jenny and Harriet talk about the difficult situation of supporting a person (autistic or not) who is not ready to acknowledge they have a problem. They provide lots of suggestions for how to manage and approach this situation, and how as a supporter to not get totally exhausted when in this situation.

In this episode, Barry speaks with Hanna Christian, Clinical Research Coordinator, University of Pennsylvania, about challenges with diagnostic crossover.

In this episode, Harriet and Jenny talk about supporting adults with ARFID.

In this episode, Barry speaks with Dr Ann Haynos about the challenges of getting eating disorders research published.

In this episode, Jenny and Harriet continue to discuss ARFID, this time in children. Harriet and Jenny talk about treatment, how the Maudsley skills can be used, and lots of resources and books that are helpful.

In this episode, Barry speaks with Hannah Kuhn about her personal experience of an eating disorder.

Notes:

In this episode, Jenny and Harriet talk about the decisional balance technique when supporting an autistic person with an eating disorder.

*Please note: This episode was accidentally skipped in season 2, it follows on from NMCS S2E5 'Adapting the ALVS technique when supporting an autistic person with an eating disorder'

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In this episode, Barry speaks with Dr. Bryony Davies, University of Plymouth, about microinterventions for body image.

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In this episode, Jenny introduces Harriet to the purple balloon. The episode begins with a recap of the red and blue balloon and then Jenny describes, using lots of examples, how the purple balloon can help us support autistic / neurodivergent people with an eating disorder.

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In this episode, Jenny and Harriet outline the adaptations and developments of the New Maudsley Carer Skills model when applied to supporting an autistic or neurodivergent person with an eating disorder.

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Harriet and Jenny are back with a new season of the New Maudsley Carer Skills (NMCS) podcast series. In this episode, they discuss what they've been up to and what they plan to talk about in the upcoming season.

Find out more:

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

In this episode, Barry Murphy, Research and Policy Officer at Bodywhys speaks with Emily Colton, Monash University, about neurocognitive factors and binge eating.

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In this episode, Barry Murphy, Research and Policy Officer at Bodywhys speaks with Dr Gemma Sharp, Monash University, about artificial intelligence and ethics in relation to eating disorders.

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In support of Pride Month 2024, Barry Murphy, Research and Policy Officer at Bodywhys speaks with Dr Philip Joy, Mount Saint Vincent University, about compassion, recovery and LGBTQ experiences.

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In this episode, Barry Murphy, Research and Policy Officer at Bodywhys speaks with Dr Amanda Raffoul, University of Toronto, about auditing social media algorithms.

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In this episode, Barry Murphy, Research and Policy Officer at Bodywhys speaks with Dr. Jennifer Hamer about sports coaches & relative energy deficiency in sport (REDS).

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In this episode, Barry Murphy, Research and Policy Officer at Bodywhys, speaks with Cat Papastavrou Brooks (Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust) & Dave Chawner (Lived Experience) about co-producing principles to guide health research.

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In this episode, Barry Murphy, Research and Policy Officer at Bodywhys, speaks with Dr Blair Burnette of Michigan State University about the ignored role of disadvantage in eating disorders.

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In this episode, Barry Murphy, our Research and Policy Officer speaks with Dr Jennifer Harriger, Pepperdine University, about social media and body image.

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In this episode, Barry, our Research and Policy Officer speaks with Akansha Naraindas (UCD) about interoceptive sensibility and body image.