Welcome Out of the Cave!
You might be here because:
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You use food/eating to cope with your emotions and/or manage your stress (and you know there’s a better way… even if you’re not exactly sure how to get there)
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You feel like listening to your body (eating when you're hungry and stopping when you're full) feels elusive, maybe even impossible or scary
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You want to “just eat like a normal person” and not think about food 95% of the day
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You know dieting is not the (long-term) solution to your struggle and that what's going on in your relationship with food is much deeper than just what you're eating
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You’re wondering WHAT the deeper, root causes of your “disordered” eating (over-eating, under-eating, emotional eating, stress eating, mindless eating, etc.) habits are
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You’re interested in exploring HOW you can regulate your mind-body system for healthy and sustainable change without giving your power away and waging war against yourself
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You’re fed up with all the plans, programs, and protocols and are ready to finally start reconnecting with your authentic truth, listening to yourself, and identifying your unique needs
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You want to replace shame, fear, and self-loathing in your relationship with yourself with self-compassion, love, and grace
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You desire a safe community of like-minded people healing themselves through their relationship with food, eating, and body image
“With OOTC, my eating has now stabilized for the first time in a decade. I'm no longer binging and no longer feel the need to binge… I'm at peace with where I'm at. It makes sense to me now how I can embody a life of healthy eating that is actually sustainable.”
- Sophia
The Curriculum
The Out of the Cave Group Program is a transformational 14-week coaching experience that empowers you with the skills, tools, education, and support you need to use your struggle with food & body as a path to mind-body-soul alignment so you can embody a life of freedom. Designed for anyone struggling with “disordered” eating habits (over-eating, under-eating, mindless eating, stress eating, emotional eating, yoyo-dieting, compulsive dieting, etc.), this holistic, trauma-informed curriculum is designed to support participants in understanding:
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How you got “here” (where/how exactly the mind-body system became disconnected in the first place and why “intuitive eating” has become so elusive) – (Modules 1-4)
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How to get “out” (reconnect with yourself, embody authenticity, and feel safe honoring your needs – mentally, emotionally, physically, socially, spiritually, and physiologically) – (Modules 5-8)
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How to maintain it (design a lifestyle supportive of a regulated nervous system, emotional eating “recovery,” and sustainable mind-body-soul alignment moving forward) – (Modules 9-12)
This strengths-based program is rooted in the belief that using food to cope is a normal, human, and valid method of managing stress, coping with emotion, and regulating energy AND that it is possible to heal from the inside out.
Module 1 | Orientation: Mind-Body-Soul System
Before we can get into a discussion about food and eating, we have to first raise the consciousness and shift the paradigm of how you're thinking about what it means to even be a human. You are a spiritual being having a physical experience with an animal brain in a social context relying on food to survive. There's a lot to understand about the mind-body-soul system before we dive into healing emotional eating. If we're still thinking of ourselves as bodies that only exist in the physical dimension, there's a lot that we're missing and that's the reason other approaches don't work long term. What happened throughout our lives that created a chasm between our mind, body, and soul to begin with? How and why did we arrive at a place where fueling ourselves became so dysregulating? To bring more stability to the relationship we have with ourselves, our bodies, and food moving forward, we have to understand the many factors at play.
Module 2 | How You Got Here: “Macro”
As a Social Worker, I am trained to understand individuals through a “person-in-environment” lens and consider the complex biopsychosocial factors that contribute to presenting problems to address them at the root. I always think of the “macro” as the backdrop to our human experience; this includes the social, cultural, economic, and political influences that directly affect our individual lives. To understand why we think what we think and why we want what we want, we're going to explore social identities, cultural relativism, the process of socialization, privilege and oppression in a fatphobic, patriarchal, and diet culture, and self-care in a time of capitalism and consumerism. By setting the intention to release outdated belief systems and identify internalized thought patterns that no longer serve our well-being, we incorporate Dr. Gabor Mate’s work to support us in deciphering the “true self” from the “false self” and begin traveling the path back to embodied authenticity.
Module 3 | How You Got Here: “Micro”
Having examined the “macro” considerations influencing our perception of ourselves and our bodies, we now must understand how these external factors directly impact our lived experience and the “micro”-level activity going on internally. What happens in our brains when we eat? Why do we feel the way that we feel when we eat certain things, chemically and emotionally? How exactly do food and eating function to manage stress and regulate emotion? This module covers the brain science and neurobiology of emotional eating (and extreme dieting) and explains the overlap between our compulsive relationship with food and other addictive tendencies. You’ll understand from a scientific perspective why emotional eating is a valid attempt to self-soothe rather than a personal shortcoming, and that it’s safe to release any shame you may still be carrying around it.
Module 4 | “Addiction” → Recovery & Chronic Conditions
Through deepening the understanding of our addictive tendencies around food (overeating, under-eating, emotional eating, stress eating, etc.) with the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE Study) and science of mind-body medicine, now we begin to define “recovery” and what “abstinence” entails for emotional eaters. Inspired by the work of Nicole Sachs, LCSW, we'll also talk about chronic conditions and chronic pain from a mind-body approach to healing the root issues within your energetic system. This module includes fundamental concepts about how to begin feeling feelings, practicing radical acceptance, and incorporating the “inner child” for deeper integration of the material.
Module 5 | Nutrition
Now that it’s clear what belief systems, thought patterns, behaviors, habits, and practices aren’t working for us, we’ve cleared the space to focus on those that will. Inspired by my time working with a specialist in childhood obesity at a pediatric practice, this module discusses the difference between weight and health and unpacks the outdated and often ineffective medical model. We redefine “healthy” through a holistic lens and what “reparenting” yourself around food looks like moving forward. This module covers foundational nutrition education, “how to eat” for health, and a fresh mindset about nourishing your body from the inside out. It introduces the concept of bio-individuality and includes tips for grocery shopping as well as meal planning. While our primary focus in this program is the deeper emotional work, you also need to be supported with “how to” feed yourself in the physical dimension for lifelong health and healing. I couldn't put this entire program together without honoring the fact that food is part of it, right?
Module 6 | Weight vs. Health
Now we're diving deep into the distinction between weight versus health (because the outdated cultural narrative that they are the same has been proven false). It becomes clear how you’ve likely sacrificed your health for your weight in the past, and how you can begin to establish more stability and harmony in your mind-body system especially as it relates to food and the lifelong responsibility of feeding yourself. This is about balancing our valid preoccupation with physical health with everything going on internally: mentally, emotionally, spiritually, socially, environmentally, and physiologically. From this place, you can reconnect with all parts of yourself, heal the fragmentation between mind and body, and practice remaining in one piece as you progress with a safe and sustainable approach to eating.
Module 7 | Psychology of Feeding
Given my life’s purpose to contribute to a new generation of children who don’t struggle with food the way I did as a kid, this one is my personal favorite. Because we’ve now covered nutrition and food (in the physical dimension), we get into the depth of our trauma-informed approach to stabilizing our relationship with food and eating by incorporating the psychology of feeding and the concept of the “higher self.” This module includes a profound education about how to feed and raise a healthy family, building on Ellyn Satter’s “Division of Responsibility” for preventing and treating disordered eating in children. We discuss the process of integrating mind and body (“reparenting” around food and feelings) by providing more structure around “how to eat” for stability and safety to nourish both the internal and external family systems from the inside out moving forward.
Module 8 | Love vs. Fear
This is a juicy one. As a spiritual being having a physical experience, it’s important that we now explore the energetics of our relationship with food and how it affects your nervous system regulation (or lack thereof) on a deeper level. You will learn about why it’s not what you’re doing (or eating) that needs “fixing,” but the energy with which you’re doing it. For example, you can eat a salad from a place of love (with the intention to nourish yourself and support your body with micronutrients) or from a place of fear (because you “need to,” “should,” or are driven by a sense of judgment, shame, criticism, or insecurity). The bowl of vegetables is the same either way and nothing has changed in the physical dimension, but, because you are an energetic and intuitive being by nature, your experience is completely different based on what’s going on mentally, emotionally, energetically, and physiologically. This module will support you in shifting out of a relationship with food (and lifestyle) of fear, scarcity, lack, and inadequacy into more embodied practices of self-love, compassion, and safety.
Module 9 | Feelings, Resistance, & Re-Parenting
Now that we’ve cleared up a lot of the “how to” move forward around food and eating, we dive deeper into the inner emotional work to support you with making changes that can be sustainable. This module covers “parts work,” feeling feelings, dealing with resistance, and integrating the inevitable fear that arises when you move outside your comfort zone. Instead of going back to the old way of eating your feelings (or starving yourself to cope with them), how do you actually feel, express, and integrate them in a way that supports your long-term well-being? How do you address the resistance to doing the work? How do you show up as the parent that you need – not just physically around food, but mentally, emotionally, and somatically as well? Through the lens of conscious reparenting, you will move through a trauma-informed step-by-step guide for setting goals and moving toward them in a way that feels safe and aligned for you and your unique intentions.
Module 10 | Limiting Beliefs
To continue our journey into the depths of your mind-body-soul system, we now explore the deeply-rooted, often dysfunctional, belief systems and “I’ll be happy when” traps that contribute to your dysregulation around food (and in many other areas of life as well). You’ll learn how to take your power back from outdated limiting beliefs and codependent/people-pleasing tendencies to facilitate embodied safety on a deeper level. For you to change your habits and behaviors long-term – and to ensure you don’t get stuck repeating the same cycles that brought you here in the first place in the future – we’ll excavate and update your beliefs about yourself, your body, and your world to support a lifestyle of recovery, empowerment, and freedom beyond just your time in this program.
Module 11 | Exercise & Body Image
Because you will have a body for the rest of your life, exercise, and body image (ongoing, lifelong relationships you will continue to navigate), are both opportunities to practice integrating the knowledge, tools, skills, and tips you’ve learned along the way. You’ll receive a step-by-step guide to managing body image concerns when they inevitably come up as well as a trauma-informed education about how to reclaim a relationship with exercise that supports your holistic health and longevity. We’ll discuss common obstacles and struggles so you feel armed to address these areas moving forward in a way that maintains your internal sense of safety and mind-body-soul alignment.
Module 12 | Self-Compassion, Relapse & Recovery
Inspired by Dr. Kristin Neff's work and research, our final chapter offers a transformative education about balancing tender self-compassion (practicing acceptance for inner healing) and fierce self-compassion (taking action for outer change) for long-term integration and lifelong recovery. Designed to equip you with a guide for how to handle “relapse” and what it means for you to stay committed to yourself, your health, your body, and your well-being when life inevitably gets “lifey,” the last module prepares you to embark on an authentic life Out of the Cave.
“If you’re a doctor, and you see 100 kids that all drink from the same well, and 98 of them develop diarrhea, you can go ahead and write that prescription for dose after dose after dose of antibiotics, or, you can walk over and say, ‘what the hell is in this well?’”
- Dr. Nadine Burke Harris
Hi there! I’m Lisa.
I founded the Out of the Cave Coaching Program for one reason: I was you.
I spent years using food like a drug to cope with trauma, numb my emotions, and manage my stress. After weighing more than 300 pounds at 17 years old, I then swung the pendulum and replaced a lifestyle of dissociative over-eating with new coping mechanisms: under-eating, restriction, and weight loss. After following all my doctor’s orders to successfully lose 150 pounds, I found myself struggling with symptoms of malnourishment, disordered eating, and chronic yoyo-dieting. I was the least healthy and the least happy I’d ever been, my eating habits were completely out of control, and I was so lost and confused because it felt like nobody had answers for me.
I was tired of relying on quick fixes (that never actually worked long-term). I wanted to figure out the root causes of my so-called lifelong “weight issue” and solve the problem with a healthy, holistic, and sustainable approach.
Through more than a decade of trial and error in my own journey, plus a Personal Training Certification, Integrative Nutrition Holistic Health Coaching Certification, Master’s Degree in Social Work, Yoga Instructor Certification, years of learning directly from and teaching with experts in mind-body healing, as well as working with hundreds of clients, I have been able to gain a deep understanding of what causes “disordered eating” so I could guide myself and others to stability, peace, freedom, and power around food for life.
If you’ve been struggling in your relationship with food, eating, weight, and/or body image… THERE IS HOPE.
Through my healing journey and helping hundreds of individuals feel safer in their bodies, I know firsthand that a life of peace, freedom, and power is possible for you, too. It won’t happen overnight and it’s not a quick fix (you’ve probably already found those don’t fully meet the need 😉). This unique trauma-informed, mind-body-soul, holistic approach to health and healing can support you in aligning with yourself mentally, emotionally, spiritually, socially, environmentally, and physically so you can make sustainable changes and embody the life you desire. It’s time for you to come Out of the Cave (of fear, inadequacy, shame, and powerlessness) and Into Your Power (finally take your life back and live in true alignment with yourself).
"Coming out of the cave has been the best thing I have ever done for myself and I encourage all who are struggling around food, their bodies, and connecting their mind and body to sign up ASAP!"
- Maggie
How it Works
The comprehensive curriculum I designed for my signature coaching program delivers 12 modules over 14 weeks. The material is delivered through educational videos, written and video homework assignments, live Q&A calls, and a private forum to connect with other group members. It also includes a full program bibliography as well as a growing meditation library to support group members in expanding both their information and integration of the course material.
If you’ve read through this page and feel like the Out of the Cave Group Coaching Program is calling your name, we'd love to support you in healing your relationship with food and your body.
Here’s how you can secure your spot:
First, fill out an application and book a free discovery call to chat with me to see if we can help you reach your health goals.
At the end of the call, we will offer our recommendations and payment options.
From there, if we decide to work together, we will send over the next steps so you can get started right away.
Here’s what to expect once you enroll:
The Out of the Cave Group Coaching Program is held completely online.
After you sign up, you will receive access to…
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Virtual Workshop Recording: “Emotional Eating 101: How Did You Get Here & How Do You Get Out?”
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Virtual Workshop Recording: “Emotional Eating and Chronic Pain: Understanding the Overlap for Health and Healing”
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Personalized Program Contract
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Official Welcome Packet
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Orientation and Welcome Videos
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Program Syllabus
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Instructions to set up your client portal via my website
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Access to the private group forum
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Eligibility to book private 1-1 coaching sessions with me
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Ongoing E-mail support
** You receive lifetime access to ALL of the course materials including educational videos, module slides, homework assignments, bonus resources, and live Q&A call recordings. Once the program concludes, you will also be eligible to join the Out of the Cave Alumni (“Aftercare”) Community.**
Group Coaching is for you if…
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You are open to learning the science about how your mind-body-soul system operates so you can reclaim the driver’s seat of your health and life moving forward
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You face limiting beliefs, dysfunctional thought patterns, and uncomfortable emotions in your relationship with food, eating, and your body, and want skills and tools for coping with them
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You’ve tried to “fix” your food, eating, and body image issues through dieting, and/or through the anti-diet movement (and feel like you’ve gotten nowhere)
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You’re ready to lay the weapons down against yourself and your body and prioritize the journey toward more internal balance, harmony, peace, and freedom
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You seek the truth and are willing to meet new parts of yourself with empathy, love, and compassion for sustainable growth and healing
Group Coaching is not for you if…
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You are looking for a quick fix or band-aid solution to your struggles with food
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Your only concern is your weight, body size, and/or physical appearance
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You’re in a rush to see results or impatient about trusting the healing process
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You’re not willing to address limiting beliefs and emotional blocks that are preventing you from healing
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You don't have at least 4-5 hours per week to dedicate to bettering your health
FAQs
FAQ: Is this therapy? What is coaching vs. therapy?
FAQ: How is this different than other programs/approaches?
FAQ: Can I be on a diet during the program?
FAQ: Will this program help me lose weight?