Becoming Recovered: Body and Soul

Carolyn Costin
  • 5.0 (16)
  • Mental Health

Becoming Recovered: Body and Soul is an new podcast launching in June 2026, hosted by world-renowned eating disorder expert Carolyn Costin M.A, M.ED, MFT. This deeply insightful show explores what it truly means to move beyond survival mode and into full, lasting recovery—body, mind, and soul. Designed for individuals navigating eating disorder recovery as well as the loved ones, clinicians, and professionals who support them—this podcast brings together real stories, expert perspectives, and transformative conversations. Carolyn Costin, clinician and founder of the Carolyn Costin Institute and author of seven influential books on recovery including The 8 Keys to Recovery from and Eating Disorder, draws from decades of experience helping thousands heal their relationship with food, their bodies, and themselves. Each episode features candid interviews with individuals who have fully recovered from eating disorders, alongside leading experts in the field. Featured guests include Dr. Jennifer Gaudiani, world-renowned medical expert, author and founder of the Gaudiani Clinic; Jen Landon, acclaimed actress from Yellowstone and Lee Harris, a globally recognized energy intuitive. Carolyn will also be sharing her own wisdom and expertise through solo shows. Whether you’re at the beginning of your journey or seeking deeper healing, Becoming Recovered: Body and Soul offers a compassionate, empowering space to remind you that full recovery is possible. Please take a moment to subscribe to this new podcast and tune in each week so that you never miss an episode! Thank you for listening.  For more information about Carolyn Costin and her work, go to: https://www.carolyn-costin.com/

  1. 5d ago

    From Binge Eating to Freedom: Recovery, Hope & Helping Others Heal

    Binge Eating Disorder BED is the most common eating disorder, affecting approximately 3.1 million adults in the US in a given year...and it is substantially under-diagnosed. Our guest this week struggled with binge eating disorder and not only recovered but went on to help others do the same. In this inspiring conversation CCI coach, Connie Bowers, talks honestly about her own journey, from the struggles and patterns that kept her stuck to the experiences and insights that helped her break free. We explore recovery from binge eating, feeling trapped in cycles of bingeing, shame, restriction and self-judgment, and what can help begin the process of change. Connie shares practical strategies and lessons from her own recovery, as well as from coaching others who are working toward freedom. Once again this conversation shows that a life beyond any eating disorder is possible. If you struggle with binge eating, this episode will help you and your loved ones understand that you are not broken, you are not alone, and you don’t have to live this way forever ABOUT CONNIE: Connie Bowers is a fat-positive eating disorder recovery coach who helps people rebuild trust with their bodies, food, and themselves. She believes healing doesn't come from shrinking your body—it comes from expanding your life. With compassion, curiosity, and the occasional well-timed laugh, Connie creates a space where clients can show up exactly as they are, without judgment or the pressure to "fix" themselves. As the founder of Coaching Recovery Bodies, Connie believes everybody deserves dignity, respect, and compassionate care. Her coaching emphasizes body autonomy, self-compassion, and sustainable recovery over appearance or weight. She helps clients untangle diet culture, reconnect with their body's wisdom, and build lasting changes that fit real life. She also offers a sliding- scale fee structure because recovery should be sustainable financially, too. Connie completed her recovery coach training through the Carolyn Costin Institute and continues to expand her education through the Carolyn Costin Institute, the Center for Body Trust, and other respected leaders in eating disorder recovery, body liberation, and weight-inclusive care. Whether recovering from an eating disorder or chronic dieting, Connie is passionate about helping clients build lives rooted in freedom, authenticity, and self-acceptance—because life is far too short to spend it at war with your body. Eating Disorder Recovery Coach | Founder of Coaching Recovery Bodies LLC connie@coachingrecoverybodies.com | www.CoachingRecoveryBodies.com Follow: @coachingrecoverybodies CAROLYN COSTIN is a world-renowned eating disorder clinician, author, and speaker. Recovered from anorexia, she pioneered the belief that full recovery is possible. Founder of Monte Nido, she transformed treatment with a holistic, home-based model. She later founded the Carolyn Costin Institute, training coaches and clinicians worldwide. She has authored six books, including 8 Keys to Recovery From an Eating Disorder. RELEVANT LINKS: 🎁 A gift for listeners: Take Carolyn's free "How vs. Why" mini-course — the teaching video plus two readings from the 8 Keys to Recovery workbook. No account, no cost. https://carolyn-costin.com/free-course Receive 20% off the 8 Keys to Recovering from an Eating Disorder book: https://wwnorton.com/promo/costin Become a Carolyn Costin Certified Recovery Coach: https://www.carolyn-costin.com/ Follow the Carolyn Costin Institute on Instagram:   / ccicoaching   RESOURCES:  The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA): https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ Project Heal: https://www.theprojectheal.org/ ANAD: https://anad.org/ Thank you for listening. Please take a minute to review our helpful links and resources below. 🎁 A gift for listeners: Take Carolyn's free "How vs. Why" mini-course — the teaching video plus two readings from the 8 Keys to Recovery workbook. No account, no cost. Take the free course here. Important Links: Learn about the Carolyn Costin Institute Apply to become a CCI Certified Recovery Coach Follow the CCI Institute on Instagram Subscribe to Carolyn's YouTube Channel RECEIVE 20% OFF your purchase of the 8 Keys to Recovering from an Eating Disorder (book). Recovery Resources and Support: The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) Project Heal National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) Carolyn's Bio:  Carolyn Costin is a world-renowned eating disorder clinician, author, and speaker. Recovered from anorexia, she pi...

  2. Sep 23

    3 Australian Coaches: Moving Beyond Managing an Eating Disorder to Becoming Recovered | Part 2

    We are back this week sharing part 2 of a special conversation with 3 Australian eating disorder recovery coaches who are inspiring examples that becoming fully recovered is possible and sometimes hearing from someone who has been there can help you believe it.  In this episode we dive deeper into the mindset shifts, strategies and everyday actions that can help someone move forward when their eating disorder self is keeping them stuck. We talk about ways to challenge old patterns, and how to begin creating a life that is bigger than the illness.  What do you do when you feel like recovery is not possible? How do you challenge the eating disorder self? How do you begin taking steps toward a life beyond food, weight, and body image? And what can help motivate you when recovery feels hard?  Each coach brings her own perspective, wisdom, and hard-earned experience. They share the things they wish they had known during their own recovery and approaches that have helped the people they now support.  We also talk about healing on a soul level, the WHY of recovery…. moving toward something….freedom, connection, purpose, joy, and a life in which the eating disorder no longer gets to call the shots.  These three recovered coaches  Olivia Soha, Mia Findlay and Millie Thomas, offer the lived experience of knowing that change really can happen and the practical tools to help make it a reality for others.   If you are looking for hope, practical ideas, or simply need to hear from people who have been where you are and made it through, this episode is for you.  ABOUT MIA: Mia Findlay is a CCI Certified Eating Disorder Recovery Coach and Founder of Beyond Body. Drawing on more than 13 years of experience in the eating disorder field, as well as her own lived experience of recovery, Mia has supported hundreds of individuals in breaking free from eating disorders and rebuilding their relationship with food, body, and self. Mia is a passionate voice for body acceptance and eating disorder awareness in Australia and co-hosts popular recovery podcast, Beyond Body. Beyond Body podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHrQEi61E_4&list=PLbjO8iff0lmgil Ts35GICdhmM7DBzZS5K&pp=sAgC www.beyondbodycoach.com Follow: @whatmiadidnext ABOUT MILLIE: Millie Thomas is a CCI Certified Eating Disorder Recovery Coach and a Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner. She battled Anorexia Nervosa for 15 years and very nearly lost her life to the illness. Her miraculous recovery was a catalyst for a complete career change. She became determined to use her lived experience to help bring eating disorders out of the shadows and into the light. She dedicates her time to eating disorder advocacy and eating disorder recovery coaching, helping clients around the world to gain freedom from their eating disorders and reclaim their lives. Millie has her private practice HealED and has also worked with Sunshine Coast based charity endED where she was involved in numerous projects including the establishment of Australia’s first residential eating disorders facility ‘Wandi Nerida’. www.healed.net.au Follow: @healedrecoverycoach | @millietnz ABOUT OLIVIA: Olivia Soha is the Founder and Lead Eating Disorder Recovery Coach at Uncovery, supporting individuals worldwide. With over 8+ years of experience in the eating disorder field, Olivia brings an integrated perspective as both a lived experience practitioner and service leader. Olivia leads and mentors a team of recovery coaches, working closely alongside psychologists, dietitians, and medical professionals to ensure support is collaborative, safe, and aligned with clinical treatment. Olivia’s professional background includes international experience at BALANCE Eating Disorder Treatment Center in the United States, alongside formal training with the Carolyn Costin Institute. She has presented at national and international conferences, and has contributed to sector initiatives with organizations such as the National Eating Disorders Collaboration and the Butterfly Foundation. www.uncovery.com.au Follow: @uncovery.ed.coaching CAROLYN'S BIO: Carolyn Costin is a world-renowned eating disorder clinician, author, and speaker. Recovered from anorexia, she pioneered the belief that full recovery is possible. Founder of Monte Nido, she transformed treatment with a holistic, home-based model. She later founded the Carolyn Costin Institute, training coaches and clinicians worldwide. She has authored six books, including 8 Keys to Recovery From an Eating Disorder. RELEVANT LINKS: Receive 20% off the 8 Keys to Recovering from an Eating Disorder book: https://wwnorton.com/promo/costin Become a Carolyn Costin Certified Recovery Coach: https://www.carolyn-costin.com/ Follow: @CCIcoaching | @CarolynCostin RESOURCES:  The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA): https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ Project Heal: https://www.theprojectheal.org/ ANAD: https://anad.org/ Thank you for listening. Please take a minute to review our helpful links and resources below. 🎁 A gift for listeners: Take Carolyn's free "How vs. Why" mini-course — the teaching video plus two readings from the 8 Keys to Recovery workbook. No account, no cost. Take the free course here. Important Links: Learn about the Carolyn Costin Institute Apply to become a CCI Certified Recovery Coach Follow the CCI Institute on Instagram Subscribe to Carolyn's YouTube Channel RECEIVE 20% OFF your purchase of the 8 Keys to Recovering from an Eating Disorder (book). Recovery Resources and Support: The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) Project Heal National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) Carolyn's Bio:  Carolyn Costin is a world-renowned eating disorder clinician, author, and speaker. Recovered from anorexia, she pi...

  3. Sep 16

    3 Australian Coaches: Moving Beyond Managing an Eating Disorder to Becoming Recovered | Part 1

    People with eating disorders consistently report that working with others who have recovered was one of the most significant factors in helping them get well. In this special two-part conversation, I sit down with 3 Australian eating disorder coaches who have walked their own difficult road from illness to recovery, and now dedicate their lives to helping others become recovered. Here, in part one, Olivia Soha, Mia Findlay and Millie Thomas share pieces of their personal journey, including being told they would have to manage their eating disorder for the rest of their lives. All are living proof that full recovery is possible and an eating disorder does not have to forever define your life. These coaches offer something incredibly powerful, not just professional knowledge, but the lived experience of knowing what it feels like to be caught in an eating disorder, AND what it takes to come out the other side. This episode illuminates how important recovered coaches are as role models and purveyors of inspiration and hope. Most importantly, these coaches share skills, strategies, and practical tools they used to heal themselves, and now use to help others, covering areas like body image, meal support and reaching out to others instead of the eating disorder. If you are struggling, supporting someone you love, or simply need a reminder that becoming fully recovered is possible and worth it, this conversation provides a good reason to keep going. And… there is so much more to come in Part Two, next week, where we continue to discuss tools to use and small steps to take to consistently move toward recovery. ABOUT MIA: Mia Findlay is a CCI Certified Eating Disorder Recovery Coach and Founder of Beyond Body. Drawing on more than 13 years of experience in the eating disorder field, as well as her own lived experience of recovery, Mia has supported hundreds of individuals in breaking free from eating disorders and rebuilding their relationship with food, body, and self. Mia is a passionate voice for body acceptance and eating disorder awareness in Australia and co-hosts popular recovery podcast, Beyond Body. Beyond Body podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHrQEi61E_4&list=PLbjO8iff0lmgil Ts35GICdhmM7DBzZS5K&pp=sAgC www.beyondbodycoach.com Follow me at @whatmiadidnext ABOUT MILLIE: Millie Thomas is a CCI Certified Eating Disorder Recovery Coach and a Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner. She battled Anorexia Nervosa for 15 years and very nearly lost her life to the illness. Her miraculous recovery was a catalyst for a complete career change. She became determined to use her lived experience to help bring eating disorders out of the shadows and into the light. She dedicates her time to eating disorder advocacy and eating disorder recovery coaching, helping clients around the world to gain freedom from their eating disorders and reclaim their lives. Millie has her private practice HealED and has also worked with Sunshine Coast based charity endED where she was involved in numerous projects including the establishment of Australia’s first residential eating disorders facility ‘Wandi Nerida’. www.healed.net.au Follow me at @healedrecoverycoach | @millietnz ABOUT OLIVIA: Olivia Soha is the Founder and Lead Eating Disorder Recovery Coach at Uncovery, supporting individuals worldwide. With over 8+ years of experience in the eating disorder field, Olivia brings an integrated perspective as both a lived experience practitioner and service leader. Olivia leads and mentors a team of recovery coaches, working closely alongside psychologists, dietitians, and medical professionals to ensure support is collaborative, safe, and aligned with clinical treatment. Olivia’s professional background includes international experience at BALANCE Eating Disorder Treatment Center in the United States, alongside formal training with the Carolyn Costin Institute. She has presented at national and international conferences, and has contributed to sector initiatives with organizations such as the National Eating Disorders Collaboration and the Butterfly Foundation. www.uncovery.com.au Follow me at: @uncovery.ed.coaching CAROLYN'S BIO: Carolyn Costin is a world-renowned eating disorder clinician, author, and speaker. Recovered from anorexia, she pioneered the belief that full recovery is possible. Founder of Monte Nido, she transformed treatment with a holistic, home-based model. She later founded the Carolyn Costin Institute, training coaches and clinicians worldwide. She has authored six books, including 8 Keys to Recovery From an Eating Disorder. RELEVANT LINKS: Receive 20% off the 8 Keys to Recovering from an Eating Disorder book: https://wwnorton.com/promo/costin Become a Carolyn Costin Certified Recovery Coach: https://www.carolyn-costin.com/ Follow us @ccicoaching   RESOURCES:  The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA): https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ Project Heal: https://www.theprojectheal.org/ ANAD: https://anad.org/ Thank you for listening. Please take a minute to review our helpful links and resources below. 🎁 A gift for listeners: Take Carolyn's free "How vs. Why" mini-course — the teaching video plus two readings from the 8 Keys to Recovery workbook. No account, no cost. Take the free course here. Important Links: Learn about the Carolyn Costin Institute Apply to become a CCI Certified Recovery Coach Follow the CCI Institute on Instagram Subscribe to Carolyn's YouTube Channel RECEIVE 20% OFF your purchase of the 8 Keys to Recovering from an Eating Disorder (book). Recovery Resources and Support: The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) Project Heal National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) Carolyn's Bio:  Carolyn Costin is a world-renowned eating disorder clinician, author, and speaker. Recovered from anorexia, she pi...

  4. Sep 10 ·  Bonus

    Becoming Recovered: Body & Soul | Our Season 1 Highlights

    From the very beginning of Becoming Recovered: Body & Soul to the end of Season 1, we’ve had the privilege of sharing so many honest, powerful, and deeply personal conversations. We’ve heard from actors, former cult members, athletes, clinicians, and several of our incredible CCI coaches, with each guest bringing a different perspective on what recovery can look like and what it means to truly reconnect with yourself. The response to this season has meant so much to us, and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has listened, shared an episode, or connected with these conversations along the way. Here is Part One of some of our favorite moments from Season 1 ❤️ Thank you for listening. Please take a minute to review our helpful links and resources below. 🎁 A gift for listeners: Take Carolyn's free "How vs. Why" mini-course — the teaching video plus two readings from the 8 Keys to Recovery workbook. No account, no cost. Take the free course here. Important Links: Learn about the Carolyn Costin Institute Apply to become a CCI Certified Recovery Coach Follow the CCI Institute on Instagram Subscribe to Carolyn's YouTube Channel RECEIVE 20% OFF your purchase of the 8 Keys to Recovering from an Eating Disorder (book). Recovery Resources and Support: The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) Project Heal National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) Carolyn's Bio:  Carolyn Costin is a world-renowned eating disorder clinician, author, and speaker. Recovered from anorexia, she pi...

  5. Sep 2

    Healing the Soul, Not just the Symptoms: Carolyn Discusses the 8th Key

    This episode draws from Key 8 of Carolyn Costin’s book, 8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder, and explores one of the most foundational ideas in her approach to healing: care of the soul. Recovery is about more than changing eating disorder behaviors. In this episode, Carolyn explores what it means to care for the soul and why lasting healing requires more than meal plans, symptom management, or body image work alone. Carolyn describes the soul as the deepest essence of who we are—the part of ourselves that cannot be reduced to weight, shape, appearance, achievements, or roles. When recovery becomes overly focused on the body, she explains, it can be easy to lose sight of the larger purpose: building a life that feels meaningful, connected, and worth recovering for. Drawing on mindfulness, nature, ritual, truth-telling, and meaningful connection, Carolyn shares how shifting attention toward presence and purpose can naturally loosen the grip of body obsession. She also introduces her Four Principles of Living: show up, pay attention, tell the truth without judgment, and don’t be attached to the results. Carolyn also explores how rituals can become grounding rather than rigid, movement can become joyful rather than compulsive, and body neutrality may sometimes be a more realistic and compassionate starting point than forced body positivity. Ultimately, this episode asks us to think beyond simply stopping eating disorder behaviors and consider a deeper question: What are you recovering to? Healing can become more sustainable when it reconnects us with meaning, relationships, values, awe, and the parts of life that make us feel fully alive. Books Mentioned in This Episode Theft of the Spirit: A Journey to Spiritual Healing by Carl Hammerschlag — Purchase the bookCare of the Soul: A Guide for Cultivating Depth and Sacredness in Everyday Life by Thomas Moore — Purchase the bookDark Nights of the Soul: A Guide to Finding Your Way Through Life’s Ordeals by Thomas Moore — Purchase the bookThe Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life by Thomas Moore — Purchase the bookWaking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion by Sam Harris — Purchase the book directly from Waking UpThe Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav — Purchase the bookThank you for listening. Please take a minute to review our helpful links and resources below. 🎁 A gift for listeners: Take Carolyn's free "How vs. Why" mini-course — the teaching video plus two readings from the 8 Keys to Recovery workbook. No account, no cost. Take the free course here. Important Links: Learn about the Carolyn Costin Institute Apply to become a CCI Certified Recovery Coach Follow the CCI Institute on Instagram Subscribe to Carolyn's YouTube Channel RECEIVE 20% OFF your purchase of the 8 Keys to Recovering from an Eating Disorder (book). Recovery Resources and Support: The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) Project Heal National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) Carolyn's Bio:  Carolyn Costin is a world-renowned eating disorder clinician, author, and speaker. Recovered from anorexia, she pi...

  6. Aug 26

    Battle Scars and Body Wars, a Former Senior Navy Chief Discusses Eating Disorders and the Military

    Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussions of childhood sexual assault, suicide, and suicidal ideation. Please listen with care and consider whether this content feels right for you at this time. In this episode of Becoming Recovered: Body and Soul, Carolyn Costin sits down with retired Navy Senior Chief Leah Stiles for a powerful conversation about eating disorders in the military, the culture that can allow them to remain hidden, and what it takes to choose recovery after years of shame and secrecy. Leah shares how an eating disorder that began before her military service followed her into the Navy, where strict weight standards, mandatory weigh-ins, discipline, and pressure to perform often blurred the line between behaviors that looked “fit” and those that were deeply harmful. She opens up about the trauma and struggles that shaped her relationship with food and her body, as well as the turning point that led her to begin feeding herself and pursuing recovery even when healing felt impossible. Together, Carolyn and Leah explore the role of perfectionism, control, black-and-white thinking, and shame in keeping eating disorders alive—and how those same qualities can be redirected toward recovery. Leah also shares the practical tools and values that helped her interrupt long-standing behaviors and ultimately inspired her to create SeaWaves, an organization supporting service members, veterans, and military families affected by eating disorders. Their conversation also highlights the urgent need for greater awareness, screening, and access to care within military communities, particularly where eating disorders and suicide prevention intersect. At its core, this episode is about learning to move through recovery one step at a time and discovering that healing is not about returning to who you were before, but becoming someone new on the other side. Leah Stiles is a retired Navy Senior Chief, the CEO of SeaWaves, and the author of Battle Scars and Body Wars. Through her advocacy and her own recovery story, she works to bring greater awareness, support, and hope to military communities impacted by eating disorders. ABOUT LEAH:  Leah Stiles is a retired U.S. Navy Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist and the Founder and Executive Director of SEA WAVES. After two decades of military service, she transformed her lived experience with an eating disorder into a powerful platform for education, prevention, advocacy, and support within the military community. A recognized leader in military mental health reform, Leah develops programs that challenge stigma, promote early intervention, and connect service members, veterans, and families with life-saving resources. Her work centers on the critical intersection between eating disorders, suicide prevention, and readiness—issues too often overlooked in military culture. Leah is the author of the Best Selling book Battle Scars & Body Wars: A Personal and Professional Journey Shining a Light on Eating Disorders in the Military and a sought-after keynote speaker who brings her story to life on national stages. Leah’s mission is clear: to shine a light on what’s been hidden for too long and ensure that every service member, veteran, and family has access to the care and understanding they deserve. Through SEA WAVES and her advocacy, she carries forward one message above all: Need a light? Be a light. SEA WAVES website: https://sea-waves.org/ Purchase the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GPNN34LG?ref_=ppx_printOD_title_dt_b_fed_asin_title_0_0 Thank you for listening. Please take a minute to review our helpful links and resources below. 🎁 A gift for listeners: Take Carolyn's free "How vs. Why" mini-course — the teaching video plus two readings from the 8 Keys to Recovery workbook. No account, no cost. Take the free course here. Important Links: Learn about the Carolyn Costin Institute Apply to become a CCI Certified Recovery Coach Follow the CCI Institute on Instagram Subscribe to Carolyn's YouTube Channel RECEIVE 20% OFF your purchase of the 8 Keys to Recovering from an Eating Disorder (book). Recovery Resources and Support: The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) Project Heal National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) Carolyn's Bio:  Carolyn Costin is a world-renowned eating disorder clinician, author, and speaker. Recovered from anorexia, she pi...

  7. Aug 19

    Fit or Fanatic? An Elite Runner Discusses When Determination, Perseverance, and Willpower Go Wrong

    In this episode of Becoming Recovered: Body and Soul, Carolyn Costin sits down with Rachael Steil, author of Running in Silence and founder of the organization by the same name, to explore the complicated intersection of athletics, eating disorders, compulsive exercise, and recovery. Rachael shares her personal experience as a competitive runner, including how disciplined training and a desire to improve gradually became entangled with food restriction, calorie counting, body image concerns, binge eating, and secrecy. Together, she and Carolyn discuss why eating disorders can be especially difficult to recognize in athletes, particularly when harmful behaviors are praised as dedication, discipline, or commitment to the sport. They explore warning signs that coaches, parents, teammates, and athletes themselves may overlook, from fatigue and withdrawal to missed periods, underfueling, rigid eating habits, and an unhealthy relationship with exercise. The conversation also examines RED-S, perfectionism, appearance-based pressure, and the culture of pushing through pain at all costs. Rachael reflects on what ultimately supported her recovery, including therapy, working with a registered dietitian, and learning to listen to and strengthen her healthy self. Carolyn and Rachael also discuss how coaches and schools can better recognize eating disorders, respond with compassion, and create systems that support athletes before they reach a crisis point. ABOUT RACHAEL: Rachael Steil (pronounced "Style") is an author, cross country and track coach, and nationally recognized speaker. Her book, Running in Silence, details her experience with an eating disorder as an NAIA All-American runner, and challenges the stigma surrounding eating disorders, looks past appearance, and dives into the heart of obsession. Steil was awarded the 2021 Aquinas College Outstanding Young Alumni and the 2025 Kirsten Haglund Foundation Advocacy awards for her work in founding the non-profit Running in Silence. She has presented at schools and conferences nationwide, sharing honest, inspirational stories from her time as an athlete to empower the athletic community to address disordered eating in sports. Steil has appeared on The Dr. Nandi Show, WGVU’s Family Health Matters, Vogue, U.S. News & World Report, and Women’s Running, and has written for Runner’s World and Techniques magazine. Rachael's website: https://runninginsilence.org/ Rachael's book: https://runninginsilence.org/cart/ Thank you for listening. Please take a minute to review our helpful links and resources below. 🎁 A gift for listeners: Take Carolyn's free "How vs. Why" mini-course — the teaching video plus two readings from the 8 Keys to Recovery workbook. No account, no cost. Take the free course here. Important Links: Learn about the Carolyn Costin Institute Apply to become a CCI Certified Recovery Coach Follow the CCI Institute on Instagram Subscribe to Carolyn's YouTube Channel RECEIVE 20% OFF your purchase of the 8 Keys to Recovering from an Eating Disorder (book). Recovery Resources and Support: The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) Project Heal National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) Carolyn's Bio:  Carolyn Costin is a world-renowned eating disorder clinician, author, and speaker. Recovered from anorexia, she pi...

  8. Aug 12

    Black Women are Under Diagnosed and Under Treated, a Coach who is Making a Difference

    In this episode of Becoming Recovered: Body and Soul, Carolyn Costin sits down with recovered coach, educator, and advocate Giva Wilkerson to discuss the often-overlooked experience of eating disorders among Black women. Giva shares her personal journey through grief, perfectionism, restriction, bingeing, and the realization that her struggles with food and body image were serious and deserving of support. Together, she and Carolyn explore how harmful stereotypes about what someone with an eating disorder “looks like” can prevent people—especially Black women and those in larger bodies—from being recognized, diagnosed, and treated. They also discuss why effective treatment requires looking beyond weight and appearance, truly listening to patients, and creating spaces where people feel believed, understood, and safe enough to be honest about what they are experiencing. Throughout the conversation, Giva reflects on being recovered as more than changing eating behaviors. It is a gradual process of rebuilding identity, connection, joy, and freedom. She shares how therapy, community, coaching, creativity, movement, and self-compassion have supported that process. Carolyn and Giva also talk about raising children with a healthier, more balanced relationship with food, their bodies, and their self-worth—and why becoming recovered is ultimately about building a full life, rather than spending that life trying to control or “fix” the body. About Giva: Giva Ann Wilkerson, MA, MPA is a writer, educator, advocate, Certified Eating Disorder Coach and yoga teacher of Jamaican and Black American descent. She is a graduate of both the University of Pittsburgh and Indiana University-Bloomington, with graduate degrees in African American & African Diaspora Studies and Public Administration. To date, Giva has been teaching and writing on personal development, eating disorders and healing for over 15 years. In addition to her academic credits and work in the eating disorder fields, she is a trained sexual assault counselor, trauma-informed care provider and mindfulness instructor. She has implemented over 50 personal development programs and workshops, been quoted in Refinery 29 magazine and has made appearances on several national programs, including Good Morning America. Her loves include nature, all things Brooklyn and spending time with her daughter. Giva's website: https://www.givawilkerson.com/ Giva's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/givawilkerson/ Thank you for listening. Please take a minute to review our helpful links and resources below. 🎁 A gift for listeners: Take Carolyn's free "How vs. Why" mini-course — the teaching video plus two readings from the 8 Keys to Recovery workbook. No account, no cost. Take the free course here. Important Links: Learn about the Carolyn Costin Institute Apply to become a CCI Certified Recovery Coach Follow the CCI Institute on Instagram Subscribe to Carolyn's YouTube Channel RECEIVE 20% OFF your purchase of the 8 Keys to Recovering from an Eating Disorder (book). Recovery Resources and Support: The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) Project Heal National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) Carolyn's Bio:  Carolyn Costin is a world-renowned eating disorder clinician, author, and speaker. Recovered from anorexia, she pi...

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Becoming Recovered: Body and Soul is an new podcast launching in June 2026, hosted by world-renowned eating disorder expert Carolyn Costin M.A, M.ED, MFT. This deeply insightful show explores what it truly means to move beyond survival mode and into full, lasting recovery—body, mind, and soul. Designed for individuals navigating eating disorder recovery as well as the loved ones, clinicians, and professionals who support them—this podcast brings together real stories, expert perspectives, and transformative conversations. Carolyn Costin, clinician and founder of the Carolyn Costin Institute and author of seven influential books on recovery including The 8 Keys to Recovery from and Eating Disorder, draws from decades of experience helping thousands heal their relationship with food, their bodies, and themselves. Each episode features candid interviews with individuals who have fully recovered from eating disorders, alongside leading experts in the field. Featured guests include Dr. Jennifer Gaudiani, world-renowned medical expert, author and founder of the Gaudiani Clinic; Jen Landon, acclaimed actress from Yellowstone and Lee Harris, a globally recognized energy intuitive. Carolyn will also be sharing her own wisdom and expertise through solo shows. Whether you’re at the beginning of your journey or seeking deeper healing, Becoming Recovered: Body and Soul offers a compassionate, empowering space to remind you that full recovery is possible. Please take a moment to subscribe to this new podcast and tune in each week so that you never miss an episode! Thank you for listening.  For more information about Carolyn Costin and her work, go to: https://www.carolyn-costin.com/

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