We were lucky to catch up with Libby Supan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Libby, appreciate you joining us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

I’m Libby. I’m a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified intuitive eating counselor helping people recover from eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image issues. I am extremely passionate about what I do and here’s why:

As I was sitting in my new, clean, and paid for pharmaceutical company car outside a medical office in the parking lot, I was frozen. I couldn’t move. I sat in my car and stared out the window for about 35 minutes. I couldn’t do it anymore. I could no longer try to sell physicians something I really didn’t care about. I didn’t care if doctors prescribed the medications I was selling. Guess what? I wasn’t good at selling either.

I made a promise to myself that if I actually recover from this eating disorder I had for 20 years, then I must help others recover. It was a knowing but I also didn’t know if recovery was possible for me. As I sat frozen in my car, I decided to call a good friend who I knew from college and was also a therapist. I explained my situation and dilemma. She told me to leave the office park and immediately go home to apply for graduate school. “But, I’m not fully recovered!” was all I could think about. I was scared. How could I possibly help anyone when I was still struggling?

I had been to treatment for the eating disorder, I had been in a 12-step program for 15 years for the eating disorder (which only made me sicker), I had read all the books, articles, met with over 30 therapists trying to recover. I knew I was on my way but I was scared.

This was my single moment that I”ll never forget. This was the moment my life changed and I was on my way to a completely new, better, and rich life. I did go home and apply to graduate school. To my surprise, I was accepted and I started school that year. I was still scared but I did it anyways.

What I now know from having this experience is to do it anyways. Do it even if you don’t feel ready. Do it feeling scared. Just do it.

Libby, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified intuitive eating counselor. I help adolescents and adults recover from eating disorders, disordered eating, body image issues, and anything food/body related. The person I work with the most is struggling with the binge/restrict cycle. (This is when you go on a restrictive diet or restrict your calories in some way, and then end up binging because you can’t stick to the diet.) It’s a vicious and extremely dangerous cycle to be in.

I myself recovered from an eating disorder, disordered eating, and negative body image for 20 years. I promised myself I’d help others if I actually got better. I didn’t think it was possible, but it was!

I have a therapy practice and licensed in California. I also have a coaching practice. I work with adolescents and adults who struggle with food and/or their body. I work with my clients individually and in group settings. As a therapist I’m able to work with anyone who resides in the state of California and as a coach, I’m able to work with anyone located anywhere.

What sets me apart from other clinicians or providers who specialize in food and body issues, is that I know what it’s like to go through this. I personally understand how very impossible recovery seems. I get it, I really do.

• I am an ally with the following:
  intuitive eating
  HAES (health at every size)
  body neutrality
  All Foods Fit
  anti-diet culture
  food freedom
  LBGTQ

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Unlearning everything about diet culture was hard. REALLY HARD. It seemed impossible to think in a different way about food, eating, and body “stuff.” Diet culture, and fatphobia were engrained in my brain to the point that I couldn’t even imagine not being on some type of diet, counting calories, always trying to restrict food, and definitely always needing a new fitness routine to obsess about. I was 100% obsessed and I was sick. When I think back to how I used to live, it’s nuts! I did the weirdest things with food and it was all to ‘get skinny.’ It was a sad and shallow existence.

I finally saw the ‘light’ when I was in the “Intuitive Eating Group” at the treatment center I attended for my eating disorder. It was like the clouds parted ways and the message was bright and clear. What I learned was that everything I had been doing, everything I was thinking, everything I believed in was false, AND keeping me sick with the eating disorder.

It was the restriction and obsession with fatness that kept me stuck. I was completely terrified of gaining any more weight. I didn’t think it would stop. I thought my body would pop or explode if I truly allowed myself to eat in a way that sounded pleasant. I remember the day I walked home from treatment (I had to take a medical leave from my job, sell my car, get a roommate, and be extremely careful with money when I went into treatment.) sobbing because I finally realized that I have to let go of the idea of being ‘skinny.’ I had to stop trying to control my weight. This was the one thing that was keeping me stuck. I didn’t know what this meant. I had never done this before. I had never had enough faith to fully let go of the eating disorder demands. But, I did and here we are, thankfully!

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

I believe as a therapist and coach, it’s crucial to be a person with your clients. Being a therapist/coach takes equal parts knowledge and creativity. We must have the information, research, skills, theories, and interventions in order to be a therapist/coach, but being a person may be more important.

I’ve learned that it’s more important for my clients to feel seen, heard, validated, and cared for, than the skills, interventions, exercises, and ‘homework’ aspect of working together. People want to feel understood, and heard. I believe self-disclosure is also important, but there’s a fine line and I always try to share personal experiences if I think it will help my client. Clients want to know that you’re a “normal” person.

I make it a point to let my clients know I care about them. As a licensed therapist, we’re not supposed to say this but I truly love and adore all my clients. I will care about them and love them until they can care and love themselves. I think that is more important than trying to remain professional at all times.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://libbysupan.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodfreedomwithlibby/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FoodFreedomwithLibby
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/libbysupan/
• Other: TIK TOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@foodfreedoomwithlibby