Alison Pelz, RD,LD, LCSW

Alison Pelz, RD,LD, LCSW Alison Pelz is a psychotherapist and registered dietitian who specializes in the treatment of eating disorders.

Specializing in the treatment of eating disorders and related disorders including emotional eating, chronic dieting & poor body image.

Curious how validation can change your relationship with your teen?Sign up for our email list and we’ll send you a free ...
04/15/2026

Curious how validation can change your relationship with your teen?

Sign up for our email list and we’ll send you a free copy of our workbook “What to Say (And Not to Say) to Your Teen With an Eating Disorder: A Caregiver's Workbook”. You can use the workbook as a caregiver or as a clinician to give out to your clients!

This free caregiver workbook includes:
* An overview of what validation is (and crucially, what it isn’t)
* Space for caregivers to reflect and explore their feelings about their child’s eating disorder
* Phrases to use and not to use when validating
* Space so caregivers can practice validating responses to their child to support their child in recovery

Get your copy here: https://www.pelzinstitute.com/offer-parents-teens-eatingdisorders

Here are some ways to practice validation in everyday conversations:• Listen Without Interrupting: Show you’re fully pre...
04/13/2026

Here are some ways to practice validation in everyday conversations:

• Listen Without Interrupting: Show you’re fully present by maintaining eye contact, nodding, and responding with short affirmations like “I’m listening” or “Tell me more.”

• Reflect Their Emotions: Paraphrase what they’ve shared to make sure you understand what they are saying. For example, “It sounds like you’re feeling really anxious about eating today, am I understanding that correctly?”

• Normalize Their Feelings: Help them see their emotions as a natural response. For instance, “I can understand why you’d feel overwhelmed; this is a big change for you.”

• Acknowledge Their Struggle: Recognize the difficulty of their experience. For example, “I can see how hard this is for you, and I’m here to support you.”

Learn more about validating your child or teen here: https://www.alisonpelz.com/2025/03/05/the-power-of-validation-supporting-your-child-through-eating-disorder-recovery/

Validation is a skill that can be developed with practice. Here are some tips:• Pause Before Responding: Take a deep bre...
04/10/2026

Validation is a skill that can be developed with practice. Here are some tips:

• Pause Before Responding: Take a deep breath to ground yourself if you’re feeling reactive. This both gives you a moment to decide how to respond, and helps to regulate your emotions so you are more able to respond intentionally.

• Practice Empathy: Try to see the situation from your child’s perspective. Ask yourself, “How might this feel for them?” If you don’t know how they are feeling, ask.

• Use “I” Statements: For example, “I’m here for you” or “I want to understand how you’re feeling” or “I can see why this feels overwhelming” rather than focusing on what they “should” do can help show your teen that you want to be an active support for them, and don’t want to blame them for what they are struggling with.

• Role-Play Scenarios: If you’re working with a therapist or support group, practice validating responses to common situations.

Learn more here: https://www.alisonpelz.com/2025/03/05/the-power-of-validation-supporting-your-child-through-eating-disorder-recovery/

It’s important to remember that validating your child’s feelings is not the same as endorsing their actions. For example...
04/08/2026

It’s important to remember that validating your child’s feelings is not the same as endorsing their actions. For example, “I can imagine that it is very hard for you to complete your meal right now because it makes you anxious” is letting them know that you understand what they are struggling against, without encouraging them to restrict themselves.

Validation doesn’t mean you have to compromise your boundaries or expectations. In other words, because you understand how hard it is for them to eat, that doesn’t mean you let them go unnourished.

Validation focuses on emotions, not necessarily agreeing with the thoughts driving them. For example, saying, “It makes sense that you feel overwhelmed right now” doesn’t mean you agree with their belief that they “must” restrict food to feel in control.

Learn more here: https://www.alisonpelz.com/2025/03/05/the-power-of-validation-supporting-your-child-through-eating-disorder-recovery/

Caregivers often worry that their validation will give their child permission to restrict food or purge–but that’s not t...
04/06/2026

Caregivers often worry that their validation will give their child permission to restrict food or purge–but that’s not the effect that validation has.

Validating your child’s emotional experience doesn’t mean endorsing or encouraging damaging behaviors. What it does mean is that you are able to acknowledge their emotional reality without judgment.

This practice lets your teen know that you are someone safe to turn to, because you will listen without assigning “right” or “wrong” to what they are feeling, and are instead there to try and understand their experience so you can better support them.

Practicing validation can also be helpful for parents or caregivers in the moment because it often diffuses intense reactions you may be experiencing, and give you a moment to listen rather than react.

Learn more here: https://www.alisonpelz.com/2025/03/05/the-power-of-validation-supporting-your-child-through-eating-disorder-recovery/

Witnessing your child struggling with an eating disorder can feel overwhelming, confusing, and deeply painful. As a pare...
04/03/2026

Witnessing your child struggling with an eating disorder can feel overwhelming, confusing, and deeply painful. As a parent, you naturally want to help, but knowing how to respond in the most effective way is not always intuitive. One key tool you can use to support your child’s recovery is validation–understanding what it is, why it matters, and how to practice it can make a world of difference for both your child and your family.

Learn more about how to validate your child during eating disorder recovery here: https://www.alisonpelz.com/2025/03/05/the-power-of-validation-supporting-your-child-through-eating-disorder-recovery/

Eating disorders are complex, but that doesn’t mean they are unknowable. Education is one of the most powerful tools you...
03/13/2026

Eating disorders are complex, but that doesn’t mean they are unknowable. Education is one of the most powerful tools you have at your disposal, not only to help you find effective methods of support, but also to help expand your understanding of what causes and may impact eating disorders, so you can give informed care to your teen–rather than having to rely on guess work and risk causing harm. Understanding the nature of eating disorders and their impact on both physical and mental health can demystify the illness and empower you to provide informed support to your teen.

These are some highly recommended resources to deepen your knowledge and help you in supporting your child. Get the rest of my tips for supporting your child during eating disorder treatment here: https://www.alisonpelz.com/2025/02/05/supporting-your-child-through-an-eating-disorder-a-guide-for-parents/

Weight bias and stigma are socially acceptable and are reinforced in the media through the negative portrayal of those l...
03/11/2026

Weight bias and stigma are socially acceptable and are reinforced in the media through the negative portrayal of those living in large bodies. They are present in most aspects of life including education, business, and healthcare.

Weight bias and stigma continue to reinforce the idea that large bodies are unhealthy with little to no data to back this up. What we do know for sure is that weight bias and stigma themselves, independent of body size, contribute to poorer health outcomes.

Learn more here: https://www.alisonpelz.com/2020/10/21/weight-bias-and-stigma/

Weight bias and stigma are rarely discussed in traditional medical and mental healthcare settings, further perpetuating ...
03/09/2026

Weight bias and stigma are rarely discussed in traditional medical and mental healthcare settings, further perpetuating them. Weight bias and stigma continue to reinforce the idea that large bodies are unhealthy with little to no data to back this up.

What we do know for sure is that weight bias and stigma themselves, independent of body size, contribute to poorer health outcomes.

Weight-based discrimination is just what it sounds like. It is discriminating against people based on their body size, u...
03/06/2026

Weight-based discrimination is just what it sounds like. It is discriminating against people based on their body size, usually large body size. Other terms used to describe it include fatphobia and sizeism.

It is well documented that rates of weight bias and stigma are on the rise. In fact, weight stigma and bias happen at higher rates than discrimination based on age or gender.

Weight bias and stigma can affect physical and mental health independent of body size in various ways – learn how here: https://www.alisonpelz.com/2020/10/21/weight-bias-and-stigma/

Having the support system in place when seeking treatment for an eating disorder can make all the difference. All too of...
03/02/2026

Having the support system in place when seeking treatment for an eating disorder can make all the difference. All too often I have clients who have been struggling for years with an eating disorder who haven’t ever had a true treatment team in place. Without one, the likelihood of a full recovery is often greatly reduced.

Who should you look toward to build your treatment team? Learn more here: https://www.alisonpelz.com/2018/04/10/building-a-treatment-team-conquer-ed/

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