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Thoughts Are Like Clouds
I am here at Kalua Beach in Hawaii. And I’ve been sitting here, listening to the waves and watching the people and the dogs strolling down the beach. And watching the clouds as they float on by. I’ve also been watching my own inner...
An Invitation to the Recovery Party
An Invitation to the Recovery Party “When we lose our job, the soul throws a party.” - Carl Jung There are many ways to rephrase Jung’s quote (see also: “a blessing in disguise”) but I rather like his wording because it implies there’s a part of our self...
Showing up…
Showing Up Hello. Doctor Anita Johnston, here. I am in Kailua Beach in Hawaii, and I rushed on down to the beach because it looked as though there was rain coming. And so who runs to the beach if you think it's going to rain? Well, I knew...
Wisdom Tales
Traditional folk tales and multicultural myths can be used as powerful tools in the treatment of eating disorders because they are repositories of ancient wisdom about the human condition and because they teach the language of symbolism, imagery, and metaphor. These...
The Power of Storytelling
I told her the story of Persephone, the teenage goddess, who one day was in a beautiful meadow picking narcissus flowers with her mother, Demeter, and the next day found herself in the deep, dark underworld. The earth had suddenly parted on that spring day and she had...
Disordered Eating Recovery Story
Dr. Anita Johnston, author of Eating in the Light of the Moon, uses this palindrome to show how to reverse the disordered eating and negative body image thoughts. Inspired by Jonathan Reed’s Lost Generation.
An Old African Folktale
Anita Johnston uses the art of storytelling to connect women to their innermost feelings. Here is a condensed version of one of the stories she tells along with a condensed version of her interpretation: There is an old African folktale about a girl who lived in a...
Eating Disorders – Understanding Your Inner Hungers
Anita Johnston, PhD, best selling author of Eating in the Light of the Moon talks about eating disorders and understanding your inner hungers, through using the metaphor of The Red Herring.
It is ok to be sensitive…
My adorable gorgeous dog is Ozzie. He is more than my companion. I want to tell you a little bit about Ozzie. Ozzie is a really sensitive being. And sometimes in my sessions with clients, Ozzie will come in and join...
Exercise Resistance Syndrome
I recently had the privilege of interviewing Francie White about Exercise Resistance Syndrome. Below you will find the transcription of the interview itself. I would love to hear what you think, share a comment below! Enjoy! Anita...
Metaphor of the Eclipse
Dr. Anita Johnston here. I'm in Boulder, Colorado, at the time of the eclipse. It's so interesting, because all the warnings are out: Don't look directly at the sun without special glasses. We know that if you look directly at the sun you...
Understanding the Communication from Our Unconscious Mind
Hello, Dr. Anita Johnston here. I'm in Palau, Nikko Bay and I'm about ready to go diving into an underwater garden and I'm taking you with me. One of the rock islands stands alone but there's a whole cluster of them surrounded by coral...
Balance in Recovery
Hello. Dr. Anita Johnston here, and I am at Nikko Bay in Palau, in the backyard of my very, very dear friend, Cliff, who goes paddleboarding in probably the most beautiful, pristine water in the world. The key, clearly, to paddleboarding,...
The extraordinary changes that mark the change from girlhood to womanhood
Hello. Doctor Anita Johnston here and I am in Palau right now. Wait, where is Palau? Well, Palau is south of Guam. Where is Guam? Well, both Guam and Palau, are part of the Micronesian islands. Polynesia, which most people know about,...
There’s meaning to what you eat!
Hello Dr. Anita Johnston here. I’m at the Little Theater in Epidaurus and I’m going to tell you the story about Demeter & Persephone. There were once these two goddesses. Demeter was the mother goddess, and her daughter’s name was...