Fundamentally Disagree? The Key to Navigating Challenging Situations and Interactions with Jenna Hollenstein, MS, RD, CDN
You know that feeling when a conversation veers off the rails…
…but you can’t look away because the train wreck is oddly fascinating? Yeah, we’re about to do that—but in a way that will make you think, “Wait, why aren’t more people talking about this?”
Listen to the Episode Now
If this post resonates with you or makes you feel something, share it with a friend! My hope is that we can keep this important conversation going long after the post is over.
Today we’re diving into something a little different: the dynamics of conversations themselves—specifically, how we’re terrible at them when things get heated. It’s about division, harm, and why we’re so quick to throw each other under the bus the second someone says the wrong thing. But more importantly, it’s about what comes next—repair, nuance, and figuring out how the heck we keep talking when everything feels broken.
In this episode, I’m joined by Jenna Hollenstein. Together, we’re talking about what’s happening in the field, how we navigate division, and what it looks like to move from conflict to connection.
Spoiler alert: it’s not glamorous, but it’s worth it.
Jenna Hollenstein, MS, RDN, CDN, is an anti-diet dietitian-nutritionist, certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, speaker, meditation teacher, and author of five books, including Eat to Love and Intuitive Eating for Life. She blends Intuitive Eating with mindfulness to help people transform food and body shame into joyful eating and movement. Jenna received a Bachelor of Science degree in nutrition from Penn State University and a Master of Science degree in nutrition from Tufts University. She has trained in numerous integrative modalities, including polyvagal theory, somatic self-compassion, trauma-sensitive mindfulness, and embodied social justice. Jenna has spoken at universities, retreat centers, and extensively online for both consumer and clinician audiences. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, Yoga Journal, Health, Self, Lion’s Roar, Mindful, Vogue, Elle, Glamour, and Women’s World.
In this episode, we’re talking about:
A need for better communication to address harm and promote healing.
The lack of public examples of repair.
Finding the meaning in everyday life.
An intersectional recovery approach that bridges eating disorder recovery, Buddhist meditation, and holistic healing practices.
The challenges in recovery work like division, polarization, and avoidance of hard conversations.
How cancel culture creates exclusion and leaves no room for mistakes.
How curiosity and empathy are often limited to "safe" topics within people's comfort zones.
The fear of public shaming and how it often discourages honest learning, open dialogue, and personal growth.
Embracing mistakes as part of growth.
Somatic practices for healing; the 3 states of the nervous system.
Nervous system regulation during difficult conversations.
How society often prioritizes comfort, leading to escapism
Strategies for difficult conversations.
Tweetable Quotes
"What I'm missing and what I'm really hungry for are public examples of repair, public examples of somehow continuing the conversation." - Jenna Hollenstein
"Boring has got such a bad rap, right? Because boring is not just boring. Boring is also repetitive enough that you notice the subtle variations from day to day." - Jenna Hollenstein
"Something that I realized meditation had done for me was that it increased my appetite for reality as opposed to fantasy." - Jenna Hollenstein
"In our efforts to be inclusive, we’ve been so exclusive about it." - Rachelle Heinemann
"My fear is that when we're secretly hoping that we never publicly screw up, we actually stop doing any of the useful stuff we can really do to learn." - Jenna Hollenstein
"What helps us feel safe is the feeling that we are safe through our connection with others." - Jenna Hollenstein
Resources
Connect with Jenna on Instagram!
Looking for a speaker for an upcoming event? Let’s chat!
Now accepting new clients! Find out if we're a good fit!
Related Episodes
Episode 124 How the ED People Are Pushing the Masses Away
Episode 104. How Anti-Diet Culture Became Like Diet Culture with Jessica Brown
Episode 97. How to Handle the Hardest Situations (Clinician Series)
Episode 96. What ED People Got Wrong About Science with Dr. A'nna Roby
Newsletter update: If you’re not already signed up for my newsletter, then I’m not sure what you’re waiting for! I’m ✨obsessed ✨ with it. In an effort to keep things fun and fresh, we’re going to monthly newsletters rather than weekly. If you have any feedback on what you want to see in the newsletters, reply back to one or send me a message!
Grab my FREEBIE!: As you navigate recovery, you may be feeling like something is missing. You're doing a lot of work challenging yourself with the food, your body, and exercise. You're probably working on lots of other things at the same time, like stuff at work or relationship issues.
But, still, something doesn't feel like you're getting to the bottom of it. Grab my free journal prompts below and begin to work through the emotions of healing.
More From Rachelle
Hey there! I’m Rachelle, the host of the Understanding Disordered Eating Podcast. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, I work with clients to make sense of life’s messy emotional experiences.
I believe in the power of deep work and its positive impact on your life in the long term. Learn more about how we can work together here.
Sign up for my weekly newsletter for even more!
You can connect with me on Instagram, through my website or email me directly clicking the links below.
Subscribe & Leave A Review!
If you enjoyed this episode, you can show your support by leaving a review, subscribing, or sharing with someone who may need help. Click here to open this show in iTunes and leave a five star rating and review.