While I now answer to Dr. Reinold, my health journey began long before medical school. I was inundated with the television advertisements from millennial childhood days that claimed lifting light weights and eating fat free were the avenue to health. Then, I drank the green juice kool-aid (literally) and even became a direct marketing rep for a popular wellness juice staking its credibility on the all-healing, omnipotent powers of the acai berry. All the while, seeping deeper into my eating disorder and further from true holistic health. Now some eight years later, I have not only found true holistic health personally, but professionally, I have helped more than a thousand patients find health in their own lives. From my personal, professional, and clinical experience, I must clarify what holistic health really means.

1. Holistic health is more than physical health. This should go without saying; however, with the countless diet advertisements and beautiful food porn photos that...

There comes a time when you realize that you can't continue on the way you once did. You realize that calories, food, and exercise are ruining your life and you want off the high speed train to Nowheresville. 

You mentally understand that this behavior isn't and hasn't ever served you and you are ready to change. You are ready to make peace with food. The mountain though that I think so many people struggle with isn't necessarily just the food piece, it's the body piece, and it can be quite a climb.

You know you have to make changes with your food, BUT there seems to be a piece to this that you are afraid of...weight gain.

It's scary, I get it... BUT there has to be a moment of realization where you are making peace with the idea that the outcome of this journey could lead to weight gain. There has to be that moment of realization and acceptance that there is a possibility that you were genetically predisposed for a larger body, and in order to heal, you MUST make peace with...

If I had a dollar for every time a patient asked me to "fix them," I'd be a wealthy woman...or I'd at least have my student loans paid off. But really, jokes aside, this is a common misconception.

To be quite frank, the reason therapy can not "fix" you, is because real change is a mindset that YOU have to have. I can guide you there, but you have to first take accountability for your role in your life, and second you have to truly want to change.

When you place the power on someone or something outside of yourself, you will never transform on the inside. Sure, you may temporarily improve external or superficial things for a moment in time, but no real and lasting improvements will take place until you take responsibility. 

I know firsthand how difficult it is to not harbor resentment, anger, or painful emotions toward others who have impacted your life. I'm not telling you to abandon these emotions. It's important to feel these feelings. In fact, without allowing yourself...

Supermom Series Guest Posts

By Melodye Phillips

Being a mother is one of the greatest joys of my life. Motherhood is amazing. But motherhood is hard. All of it is hard, but in our culture one of the most difficult areas of motherhood is centered around feeding our children.

It starts from day one.

Breast feed or formula?

Purees or baby led weaning?

Homemade baby food or store bought?

Organic or non-organic?

Processed or whole?

The decisions go on and on and on (and that doesn’t even include the stress around legitimate food allergies.) So you step into an area of motherhood (like many others) that is fraught with judgment, shame, insecurity, anxiety, fear, arrogance, pride. 

If we allow ourselves to step out of the frenzy of our thoughts, emotions and expectations around feeding our little ones, we give ourselves permission to become curious instead of judgmental and shameful and fearful. And then we can begin to explore the core of this chaos around food. In this...

The number one question I am asked by both patients, as well as trainees and students, is: "do you accept insurance?" The simple answer is: No. But it lends itself to further explanation, as I fully acknowledge the limitations that this places on my practice (though shockingly not as much as you may think, as most of my patients are still reimbursed by their insurance companies).

"Know that just because I do not accept insurance upfront does not mean that you yourself will not receive money from your insurance company."

Before I give you my reasons for not accepting insurance in my psychiatric practice, I want to reframe the question to: what is mental wellness really worth to you?

You've likely spent the same amount of money (if not more) on any one of the following:

• Professional photography
• Binge spending spree at Target (just me?)
• Brazilian Blow Out
• Holiday groceries bill
• Amazon Kindle reader
• iPhone X (definitely more than my standard fee)
• Inventory for your MLM business
• ...

In this month's segment for The New-Fashioned Mom, where real moms share the unfiltered truths on life, I presented on the theme of Beauty.  I answered the questions:

• What is your definition of beauty?
• What do you wish you knew about beauty growing up?
• What do you hope to pass on to your children about beauty?
• As an influencer, what message do you want to spread?

For my full Facebook live addressing this topic, click here. I highly recommend the video. :-) 

Below is an abridged transcript for the video. 

Hello and welcome to Day 3 of the brand new monthly segment called, The New-Fashioned Mom, where real moms share the unfiltered truths on life.  I’m grateful for the opportunity to present this month on the theme of Beauty.  In this video, I’m going to share with you:

• My definition of beauty
• What I wish I knew about beauty growing up
• What I hope to pass on to my children about beauty
• What message I want to spread as an influencer

Before I...

Anxiety has become a catchy buzz word these days. Everyone seems to "have anxiety." What does that even mean? Anxiety is the most common mental illness worldwide and most common in women as well.  It affects more than 4 million Americans each year and often is a lifelong struggle for individuals. Given the right tools, it's also one of the easiest mental illnesses to treat... even without medication. But let's get on the same page about WHAT exactly is anxiety. 

As a doctor who was trained in medical school, I think of diseases by the biopsychosocial model meaning that for any given disease, including mental illness, you look at the biological factors, the psychological factors, and the social factors.

Biological Factors

Biologically speaking, anxiety is, first and foremost, a physical feeling within your body. According to the research of Antonio Damasio, famous neuroscientist and creator of the somatic marker hypothesis, he proved that every...