The Importance of Bio-Temperament and Engagement from Eating Recovery Center's Laura Effland, LCSW
Struggling with opening yourself to the possibility of recovery from your eating disorder? A few weeks ago, I attended a San Diego training by the Eating Recovery Center (ERC), which provides eating disorder treatment in centers all over the United States. Its headquarters is in Denver, Colorado, which is where I grew up! :) It’s been fun to attend several of ERC’s annual conferences over the years to get up-to-date training on eating disorder treatment and research (and to visit my hometown as well!!!).
At this recent San Diego training, one presentation really stood out to me, and it was by Laura Effland, LCSW. She talked about the importance of understanding the role of bio-temperament in eating disorder treatment. Laura also discussed how improving levels engagement in the world around them helps people recover. She expands on this topic in her interview for this post. Enjoy!
Why did you choose to become an eating disorder specialist?
It was my first passion and professional desire to be a therapeutic support and guide for those struggling to fight for their lives from an eating disorder. Working alongside someone who is striving to understand recovery from an eating disorder is one of the most courageous and inspiring examples of a human’s strength. I was humbled and honored to be a part of a team who was so dedicated, motivated, and educated to treat such a baffling and persistent disorder.
What kind of treatment do you provide?
I started as a psychodynamic therapist who focused mostly in the object relations and client-centered theories. As I continued to practice, I developed a respect and focus on building behavioral and evidence based strategies to help clients work through high risk co-occurring disorders. I continue to be influenced by my psychodynamic roots, while specializing in mindfulness and evidence based therapies such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Exposure and Response Prevention, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
Do you work with only eating disorders?
I work mostly with co-occurring conditions: eating, mood, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorders.
How long have you been working with eating disorders overall?
Since 2005; 15 years.
I recently went to an amazing training you did for ERC on bio-temperament. Would you explain what bio-temperament is, and what it has to do with eating disorders?
Thank you! It has become a passion topic of mine. Bio-temperament relates to the genetic and biological conductors of emotional perception and regulation of the world around you. How we perceive threat, safety, or reward can happen in milliseconds at the sensory-receptors, the pre-conscious level. After we experience this automatic response, our central-cognitive, or conscious, level of processing can then lead to our reactions and responses to this stimuli. This has a great impact on our behavior, engagement, and overall felt sense of the world we live in. In other words, we are inherently wired, and our life experiences mold us, to respond to the world as either open and safe, or dangerous and threatening.
You also discussed the importance of engagement. Would you discuss what engagement means and how it helps eating disorder recovery?
Engagement is a main ingredient to one’s ability to be open, willing, flexible, and attuned to the world around them. It is through effort, focus, and attunement that one achieves engagement. In order to be engaged, one must perceive and experience safety, a neurosensory response that is elicited by the ventral vagal system of the brain. It is being in the mental, emotional, and physical place of safety that allows one to connect to others. Without the sense of safety, it is biologically and psychologically very challenging to engage fully in the world around you. Imagine being bored, having lost interest in the present moment, or being scared, having lost sight of your surroundings and focusing mainly on the threat. Engaging fully leads to the important feelings like satisfaction and connection. We need the sense of safety to experience such a state.
The other four cue states of the neurosensory system are: novelty, reward, threat, and overwhelm. To learn more about the neurosensory systems impact on temperament and engagement you can read about the Polyvagal Theory by Stephen Porges, PhD or Radically Open DBT by Thomas Lynch, PhD.
What do you wish people knew about getting treatment for eating disorders?
The treatment of an eating disorder is a non-judgmental, gradual, and collaborative experience. It takes time to break down the negative thoughts in your head that degrade you every day and steal the opportunity for happiness and contentment. First and foremost, you do not have to be alone with your thoughts, behaviors, or emotions. Hiding it makes it worse. It is important to remember that you inherently are worthy of happiness, as well as freedom from the eating disorder. Choosing to open up is the most wonderful and courageous thing you can do for yourself. It is an amazing place to start, and I hope that you do.
How can people learn more about and contact you?
I am the Regional Clinical Director of Eating Recovery Center and Insight Behavioral Health Centers and I reside in the state of Washington. I do not take personal clients; however, I do work with patients and staff at our centers in the Seattle and Bellevue, WA area. You may call us at our main line: 877-711-1878 and they can direct your call to the Washington Team.
Share one fun fact about you that most people don’t know.
I love listening to and singing Jazz. I married a jazz guitarist and he is a wonderful accompanist. I enjoy singing and hope one day to sing as a duo every Friday night at a nearby café. In the meantime, we are raising a wonderful family and enjoying seeing the world through young children’s eyes.
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Hey everyone, I really appreciate you reading my blog! Have a wonderful day. :)
Marianne
If you are struggling to find eating disorder treatment in San Diego, schedule a free, 15-minute phone consultation using the online scheduler, and I will help you get where you need to be!
You can find more information about me on Instagram @drmariannemiller or on my Facebook page.