Eating Disorders and Substance Abuse

By Quinn Nystrom, MS When I first went to residential treatment for my eating disorder in 2012, we had a lot of educational classes that we attended. One of those…

Eating Disorder Relapse Prevention in a Time of New Year’s Resolutions

By Quinn Nystrom, MS Frankly, I’m always ready for January to be over. Not because I don’t love January (my birthday month), but I’m not too fond of the hyper-focus…

Celiac Disease & Eating Disorders: Safety & Recovery

By Krista Lample, M.Ed Center for Change Outreach Specialist I had to have surgery last year. It was a day surgery but was a long, extensive reconstructive type of deal,…

Getting Through the Holidays

By Quinn Nystrom, MS My father always sings the famous Christmas song, “It’s the most wonderful time of year…”. It’s kind of a running family joke because we know he’s…

There is No “Uncontrolled Diabetes”

By Quinn Nystrom, MS I’m nearing the 7-month pregnancy mark, WHOO! I have weekly medical appointments to check on my type 1 diabetes, eye health, baby’s health, heart, etc. This…

Mental Illness Awareness Week: Breaking the Stigma

By Quinn Nystrom, MS Did you know that 1 in 5 adults experience mental illness? Less than half receive proper medical treatment. Additionally, about half of the U.S. population lives…

Pregnant and Living with an Eating Disorder

By Quinn Nystrom, MS This spring, I discovered that I was expecting my first baby (I’m already a proud Mom to two incredible stepdaughters). The news came as a beautiful…

15 Ways to Relax and Recharge for National Relaxation Day

by Quinn Nystrom In a world that is constantly moving at such a quick pace, with things always thrown your way and a to-do list that never seems to end,…

Freedom from Eating Disorders

By Quinn Nystrom What does freedom from an eating disorder look like for me? It means utilizing the tools I learned and learning from treatment and therapy. I don’t ever…

Social Media’s Effect on Mental Health in Youth

By Quinn Nystrom, MS Did you see the Surgeon General’s recent report on the dangers of youth going on social media too early? It states that up to 95% of…

Pride Month: What does it mean to be an ally?

By Quinn, Nystrom, MS I will start by saying this: I’m a cis, heterosexual female who grew up in a small, rural town in central Minnesota. When deciding what I…

Standing By Your Partner: Navigating an Eating Disorder as a Couple

Guest Bloggers: Utah Valley University MFT Program Contributors Karina Bahr, Sydney Bean, Hayley Jorgensen, Timothy Tsai, and Natalie Wennergren When you fly on an airplane, one of the first things…

Eating Disorders and Food Insecurity

By Quinn Nystrom Many misconceptions exist about people living with an eating disorder (ED). What caused it? What do we look like? What do we eat? Or not eat? So…

How Eating Disorders were Affected by the Pandemic

By Quinn Nystrom, MS Three years ago, we started to hear about a thing called COVID-19. What was it? Was it going to hit the states? Is it as bad…

The Surprising Connection Between Mind and Heart

There’s a long history of people seeing the body and mind as two separate things. However, much research has shown, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirms,…

Learning to Love Yourself First

By Quinn Nystrom, MS I walked into an appointment today, and they shouted, “Happy 25th Birthday Quinn!” They were joking, of course. I’m not turning 25; I’m celebrating my 37th…

New Year, Same Me

By Quinn Nystrom As I sat scrolling through my social media feeds on New Year’s Day, I was inundated with ads to buy into plans to “get thin” and “lose…

Ways To Shift Your Eating Perspective During the Holiday Season

By Quinn Nystrom Around the holiday season is when every commercial, Facebook ad, Pinterest Pin, and grocery newsstand is bursting with colorful images of decadent desserts, festive recipes, and well-staged…

World Diabetes Day for ALL Ages

By Quinn Nystrom Can you believe that 100 years ago, a young boy named Leonard Thompson received his first successful insulin injection? On January 11, 1922, 14-year-old Leonard became the…

It’s Time to Have Hard Conversations

By Quinn Nystrom, MS Though it has been many months since the verdict, I (like many) believe that the wild media circus known as the Johnny Depp -vs.- Amber Heard’s…

Tap Out September

By Quinn Nystrom, MS I don’t know about you, but this summer has been filled with new adventures, projects, and fun family milestones. And tons of fun. As exhilarating as…

Waving Goodbye to Summer and Welcoming Autumn

By Quinn Nystrom, MS Sun, flowers, travel, beach parties, and lazy evenings around the backyard campfire are all the makings of a magical summer. The days and weeks between May…

Working through Body Image Concerns in the Summer

By Quinn Nystrom, MS I know so many people that can’t wait to ditch their winter duds and climb into shorts, tank tops, and swimsuits. I get it, but I’d…

Acknowledging Men’s Health Month by Recognizing the Fact that Men Struggle with Food Issues Too

By Quinn Nystrom, MS I know this may sound stereotypical, but there was a time when I thought an eating disorder diagnosis was a female issue. It wasn’t until I…

Together For Mental Health (#Together4MH)

By Quinn Nystrom, MS It is hard to believe that Mental Health Awareness has been observed since 1949. That’s over seven decades of raising awareness of trauma and the impact…