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Emily Ciepcielinski, PhD, LPCS, CEDS

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United States
Charlotte, NC
Emily Ciepcielinski, PhD, LPCS, CEDS

Eating Disorders & Anxiety Specialist Providing counseling and counselor supervision services in the Charlotte, NC area.

Areas of clinical specialty include: eating disorders and the full range of disordered eating (e.g., anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, chronic dieting, etc.), body image struggles, self-compassion and self-identity work, anxiety and depressive disorders, and general women’s wellness and stress management issues.

02/19/2026

🧠🧘🏻‍♀️We have to show, not just tell, our nervous system that it can experience safety, calm, connection, and groundedness. We do this through new experiences, new ways of relating, new ways of coping and interfacing with the world…

And this is why effective therapy will integrate the mind AND body into the therapeutic work, as well as emphasize the importance of seeking out/cultivating these new types of lived and felt experiences. 🤍

✨So, if you’re constantly feeling stressed and/or anxious, and it feels like nothing’s working, it could be that things aren’t taking “root” because your nervous system can’t be tricked by quick hacks or temporary bandaids… it’s got to, repeatedly, feel and deeply experience safety. For many of us, this means changing deeply rooted ineffective patterns and habits - so it may take some time, but it’s possible!

02/18/2026

Our kids (and teens) don’t just have “good” or “bad” behavior - think about their behavior from a nervous system perspective. According to polyvagal theory, we’re all constantly moving up and down the ladder and/or trying our best to function well in the state we’re in. 🪜

Polyvagal theory helps us see what state a child is in:
🔵 safe & connected
🟡 fight/flight energy
🔴 shutdown/freeze

Every state has a purpose.

And every state has supports that can help kids move back toward safety and connection.

When we teach kids body-based tools - movement, rhythm, warmth, connection — we’re giving them lifelong regulation skills. 🤍

Save this to come back to when big feelings show up.
And share with a parent, teacher, or therapist who supports kids!

What would you add to this list of skills? #

02/17/2026

➡️When ADHD, sensory processing differences, and eating disorders overlap… eating is no longer just about food.

It becomes:
• executive functioning
• sensory regulation
• nervous system capacity
• shame
• and yes - sometimes ED fear

So when someone “doesn’t follow the meal plan,” it may not be resistance.

It may be:
→ too many steps
→ too many decisions
→ sensory distress
→ time blindness
→ activation paralysis

This intersection is frequently misunderstood in treatment.

We often push:
more flexibility
more exposure
more intuition

…before the brain has enough structure and safety to make eating accessible.

➡️But here’s the therapeutic reframe:

Predictability can be regulation.
Sameness can be access.
External structure can be support.
Sensory safety can be prerequisite - not avoidance.

When we foster increased executive functioning skills and honor sensory needs, eating often becomes possible enough for ED work to actually begin.

🤍Please save for reference and share for awareness!

02/13/2026

Many of us were raised to be “good girls” or “good kids”-responsible, agreeable, self-controlled.
Those traits can look like strengths… and often are.

But when kids learn early that being good means being easy, quiet, or compliant, they may miss out on learning how to listen to their bodies, express needs, or trust themselves.

This is one of the many pathways that can intersect with body image struggles or disordered eating later- not because parents did something wrong, but because our culture overvalues control/success/externalization/accomplishment and under-values embodiment/rest/fun/self-trust.

Awareness gives us options.
And it’s never too early-or too late- to model something different.

What “good kid” messages did you receive growing up?? ⬇️

02/10/2026

🧩These are just some of the parts I’m seeing activated right now - for many folks, myself included.

🤍A gentle reminder: there are no bad parts. The names I use may resonate, or they may not - and that’s okay. One of my favorite parts of this work is when someone comes up with a name that fits perfectly for them (I have some incredibly creative clients!). So feel free to borrow language, shift it, or just make it your own.

🤍Our protective parts are incredibly skilled at trying to keep us safe. Sometimes they do that beautifully and give us exactly what we need; other times they become polarized, overextended, or just take a toll on our overall system …. For example, avoiding the news might be supportive in one moment- and not in another. The invitation is always to check in with your body and listen. How are your various parts feeling right now?

🤍This list isn’t exhaustive. Another important point- while our exiled parts deserve the utmost care and compassion, they may not always feel safe enough to emerge- honor where you are with that, too.

What parts are showing up for you right now?

02/05/2026

Thursday meme drop 🤗

02/04/2026

In parts work, we’re not trying to get rid of parts, judge them, or shame them into changing. However, we do sometimes help them find “new roles” - or gently modify old ones - when the role they’re playing is harming the overall system or causing pain in the individual’s life.

I really want to stress this:
❤️Whichever part you’re working with- first and foremost, our goal is to listen in, validate it, and show compassion.

Sometimes we’re working with a part that is causing us (or our loved ones) pain or suffering. Again- first we need to listen in and help that part of us feel heard. We need to meet its needs, perhaps for the first time ever, and provide it with space for healing when applicable. Then, and only then, that part may shift its role. Here are a few examples of how some protective parts, in particular, can shift in a more whole, healthy, and integrated system.

• Hyper-Vigilant Guard → Attuned Observer
Still perceptive… but no longer living in constant alarm.

• Rebel → Agency Protector
Protecting autonomy and choice without needing to fight everything.

• Hustler-at-All-Costs → Grounded Achiever / Creator
Pursuing goals/dreams with pacing, presence, and sustainability.

• Self-Sacrificial Caretaker → Care-With-Boundaries Ally
Offering care without abandoning the self.

• Catastrophizer → Risk Assessor
Considering possibilities without spiraling into worst-case futures.

• Hyper-Independent Part → Support Navigator
Knowing when strength means reaching toward others, not away.

Which part of you might be ready for a new job? 💭❤️

01/30/2026

What conversations are you having in your homes? What are you finding helpful? 👇🏼👇🏼Let me know in the comments❤️

01/29/2026

Because we all need some micro-joys and laughter, alongside the heavy stuff this week. ❤️

Send me your faves from this week 👇🏼

01/28/2026

📢These are just some examples of parts that may be present for individuals struggling with binge eating disorder (BED).

Here’s a common BED cycle in IFS (parts-work) terms:
Exile activation → Manager tightens → System overload → A Firefighter part becomes active and this leads to binges → Shame or some other type of exiled part gets activated → Manager steps in → Repeat

or Manager can’t keep emotions suppressed any longer → System overload → A Firefighter part becomes active and this leads to binges → Shame → Manager takes back over → Repeat

Again, this cycle and the specific parts can look different for everyone. But it can be helpful in knowing where all the parts and behaviors fit into the overlying pattern. The goal with parts work- just as a reminder- is to introduce more safety/regulation/healing into the whole system- so that polarized/extreme parts can “relax”, have their needs met and heal, and the whole system can be more Self-led. We’re never trying to get “rid of” parts; we’re just seeking more integration and harmony.

01/27/2026

When you scroll crisis after crisis, your body doesn’t register it as “just information.”

It registers it as:
⚠️ Threat.
⚠️ Danger.
⚠️ Not safe.

Each alarming post activates stress hormones, muscle tension, and hypervigilance.

But for many of us…

There’s no release.
No discharge.
No recovery.
Just more input.

Over time, this leads to anxiety, exhaustion, irritability, numbness, and hopelessness - not because you’re too “sensitive”, but because your nervous system is overwhelmed (and understandably so).

And here’s the tricky part:
When you’re anxious, your brain keeps scrolling to feel “safer.”
It rarely works.
So the loop continues.
This isn’t about “stop caring.”

It’s about creating containers for hard information.
And protecting your nervous system helps you stay compassionate, clear, and engaged long-term!

01/22/2026

Has January felt really long to anyone else??

Just in case you need these little reminders… I know I do! 🤍

Address

6135 Park South Drive Suite 130
Charlotte, NC
28210

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm

Website

http://www.ciepcounseling.com/

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