Clinicians in Recovery with Sarah Rzemieniak
Alright, let’s be real—working in the eating disorder field while navigating your own relationship with food?
That’s messy. Like, “double-booked therapy sessions and forgot your coffee on the roof of your car” kind of messy. And yet, it’s something so many clinicians face but rarely talk about.
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So, let’s talk about it.
This week, I am joined by Sarah Rzemieniak, a Carolyn Costin Institute Certified eating disorder recovery coach. Together, we’re diving into the oh-so-light (read: deeply complex and slightly terrifying) topic of whether clinicians with lived experience should—or even can—work in the field. Should they disclose? Should they keep it locked up tighter than a secret family recipe? And most importantly, how do we make sure we’re actually helping our clients, not just bringing our own baggage into the room?
We’ll unpack the ethical dilemmas, the unspoken rules, and the good ol’ “but what will my clients think?” anxiety spiral. Whether you’re a clinician, a client, or just someone who loves a good behind-the-scenes therapy debate, this episode is for you.
Sarah Rzemieniak is a Carolyn Costin Institute Certified eating disorder recovery coach, working in private practice since 2018 providing one-on-one recovery coaching to individuals worldwide along with her small team of other CCI-certified coaches. Before this, Sarah worked as an eating disorder dietitian until she realized that her true passion was in the coaching and counselling aspect of the work. Sarah has her own lived experience of an eating disorder and considers herself fully recovered from anorexia nervosa. She lives in Vancouver, Canada with her husband and their two sons.
In this episode, we’re talking about:
Complexities of clinicians with lived experience in the eating disorder field.
How clients can often sense when their clinician is struggling, even if nothing is disclosed.
The importance of clinicians maintaining professional boundaries while ensuring they are emotionally available for their clients.
The ethical responsibility of stepping away from work if personal struggles impact clinical effectiveness.
How different roles, like psychiatrists versus recovery coaches, influence the appropriateness of self-disclosure.
The necessity of supervision, therapy, and self-assessment for clinicians to ensure they are providing quality care.
How assumptions about what clients need can be misleading and the importance of asking instead of assuming.
How different therapeutic approaches impact the level of personal sharing that is appropriate.
The need for clinicians to receive proper training when integrating lived experience into their work.
How every situation is unique, and the best approach depends on the client, the clinician, and the therapeutic setting.
The importance of self-awareness and critical thinking in deciding whether or not to share lived experiences.
How clinicians need to have a solid, clinically sound reason for their decisions regarding disclosure.
The isolating nature of working in the field while struggling with food and the need for community and support.
Tweetable Quotes
"There’s something particularly scary about being supported by someone who is really struggling." - Rachelle Heinemann
"The moral of the story is to be the best clinician you can and try to keep your client's needs forefront, but also not make too many assumptions about them." - Sarah Rzemieniak
"People with eating disorders have a radar that is so on point, they can tell." - Rachelle Heinemann
"We all have our blind spots, and we can only be as good as our ability to assess ourselves." - Sarah Rzemieniak
"We can’t do any good in this world if we don’t get the proper support." - Rachelle Heinemann
"It’s not about whether a clinician can have lived experience; it’s about whether they can show up and hold space for their clients." - Rachelle Heinemann
Resources
Bergen Mental Health Group Inc. is hiring! If you think you’d be a great fit, check it out!
Learn about our 6 week body image group! If you're interested, send an email to me (rachelle@rachelleheinemann.com), or you can book a call with Sydney to see if this would be a good fit!
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 115. How To Recover When Everyone Around You Is Dieting
Episode 94. Unraveling the Truth: It's Not About the Food
Episode 73. Food and Desire with Dr. Judith Brisman
Episode 67. Is It All About Control?
Episode 64. When Words Fail and Bodies Speak with Tom Wooldridge PsyD, ABPP, FIPA, CEDS-S
Episode 30. Eating Disorders are the Solution not the Problem with Jessica Setnick, MS,RD, CEDRD-S
Episode 27. Eating Disorders and the Mind/Body Disconnect with Danielle Novack, Ph.D
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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.
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