Compassionate Healing Institute

01/20/2026

Orthorexia is an eating disorder marked by an obsessive focus on “healthy” or “clean” eating, and it often mimics OCD in ways many people don’t realize.

Rigid food rules, fear of contamination, moralizing food as “good” or “bad,” and intense anxiety when routines are disrupted can look like classic OCD patterns. But unlike OCD alone, orthorexia can quietly lead to nutritional deficiencies, including inadequate fats, carbohydrates, iron, calcium, and B vitamins, all of which impact brain function, mood, and anxiety levels.

When the body is undernourished, obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors can intensify, creating a feedback loop that feels impossible to break. This is not about a lack of willpower. It’s about how nutrition and mental health are deeply connected.

If “healthy eating” no longer feels healthy, you’re not failing, your body may be asking for support. Recovery is possible, and flexibility with food is a sign of healing, not harm. 💛

01/20/2026

Orthorexia is an eating disorder marked by an obsessive focus on “healthy” or “clean” eating, and it often mimics OCD in ways many people don’t realize.

Rigid food rules, fear of contamination, moralizing food as “good” or “bad,” and intense anxiety when routines are disrupted can look like classic OCD patterns. But unlike OCD alone, orthorexia can quietly lead to nutritional deficiencies, including inadequate fats, carbohydrates, iron, calcium, and B vitamins, all of which impact brain function, mood, and anxiety levels.
When the body is undernourished, obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors can intensify, creating a feedback loop that feels impossible to break. This is not about a lack of willpower, it’s about how nutrition and mental health are deeply connected.

If “healthy eating” no longer feels healthy, you’re not failing — your body may be asking for support. Recovery is possible, and flexibility with food is a sign of healing, not harm. 💛

01/09/2026

The new food pyramid is being presented as a solution to public health. But for many, especially those in eating disorder recovery, it can feel confusing, triggering, or discouraging.

Health is not built by fear, restriction, or rigid food rules. And it’s certainly not created by one graphic or set of guidelines. Real, sustainable wellbeing comes from nourishment, flexibility, access, mental health support, and learning to trust your body again.

If you’re in recovery, you are not doing it “wrong” by questioning diet culture, even when it shows up disguised as health advice. Stay grounded. Stay curious. Stay compassionate with yourself. Your recovery matters more than any food pyramid. 💛

RecoveryIsPossible MentalHealthMatters DisorderedEatingAwareness NutritionWithoutFear BodyRespect HealingJourney

01/08/2026

🙌Instead of reassuring, validate, support & encourage!

Help kids build confidence to deal with challenges. A simple shift aids progress, combats eating disorders, OCD, and anxiety.

✨SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) is a parent-based treatment that helps reduce child anxiety by changing how parents respond—not by changing the child. It is an evidence-based approach that empowers parents to support anxious children with support, validation, confidence, and reducing accommodation.

✨SPACE teaches parents that validating emotions is more powerful than reassuring anxious thoughts. Reassurance reduces anxiety short-term but keeps fear in control long-term.

🌟 Supportive statements help children learn: This is hard, and I can still do it.

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01/03/2026

Struggling with food fears? OCD and eating disorders can both affect how we relate to food, but in different ways. OCD fears are about anxiety and intrusive thoughts, while eating disorder fears are tied to weight, shape, and restriction. Recognizing the difference is the first step toward compassionate support.

The core difference? Eating disorders are body-focused—fear of weight gain drives rules. Food obsessions link to safety, ethics, contamination. It’s about OCD themes, not body image.

12/31/2025

As we look back on 2025 at Compassionate Healing Institute, we’re feeling deeply grateful 🤍
This was a year of meaningful growth, new beginnings, and becoming even more connected as a team.

We were so excited to welcome Dr. Cati Anidjar to our team as our postdoctoral fellow, and Paije Nobles as our dietitian. Each of you brought care, thoughtfulness, and heart into the work in ways that truly shaped this year for us.

We also had the honor of sharing our work beyond our walls—presenting at IOCDF and other conferences, and partnering with EDRDPro to provide trainings alongside clinicians who care deeply about this field. Those moments reminded us why collaboration and learning matter so much.

More than anything, this year brought us closer. We supported one another, celebrated wins (big and small), and continued building something rooted in trust, compassion, and shared purpose.

We’re ending the year feeling inspired, grounded, and excited to keep growing—strengthening our vision as a clinic and as a treatment team, and continuing to show up for the people we serve.

Thank you for being part of our journey. We can’t wait for what’s ahead ✨

12/18/2025

🎄⛳️ Holiday party, but make it Topgolf!

The CHI team wrapped up the season with an unforgettable holiday celebration at Topgolf, full of laughs, great swings, amazing food, festive drinks, and even better company. When this team gets together, the energy is unmatched and the fun is always guaranteed.

So grateful for this incredible group and the work we do together every day. Here’s to ending the year strong and swinging into the new one! ✨

TherapistLife MentalHealthProfessionals WorkHardPlayHard CommunityCare

12/09/2025

What an unforgettable weekend for all of us at Compassionate Healing Institute — filled with connection, community, learning, celebration, and so many meaningful moments 💙✨

We kicked things off by visiting the NBI Open House, where we had the chance to reconnect with colleagues, meet new professionals in the field, and celebrate all the incredible work NBI is doing. Congratulations to their entire team on such a beautiful event and an exciting next chapter 🎉👏

From there, we made our way to iaedp South Florida’s Winter Gala, which was truly a night to remember — delicious food, warm conversations, and the kind of energy that reminds us why the eating disorder treatment community is so special. We loved being part of such a thoughtful and fun evening 🍽️✨

Next up was the “OCD and…” Weekend, beautifully organized by OCD Central and South Florida — huge shoutout to them for putting together such a meaningful and impactful event! We were honored to participate and to learn from so many incredible speakers, including Dr. Gwylim Roddick, Dr. Melanie Smith, Dr. Patt McGrath, Dr. Katie Merriks, Dr. Kristina Kise, and Dr. Wendy Oliver Pyatt. Dr. Sheffield also joined an important panel discussion exploring the intersection of OCD and Eating Disorders, a topic we’re deeply passionate about.

The learning and connection didn’t stop there — we shared dinner with some truly inspiring clinicians and leaders in the field. It’s always energizing to be surrounded by people who care deeply about advancing mental health care and building a strong, collaborative community 🤝💛

We wrapped up the weekend at the OCD Walk in Vero Beach, joining our community to raise awareness, offer support, and honor the strength and resilience of those impacted by OCD. Events like this remind us how powerful it is when a community comes together 🌊💪🧠

Our hearts are full, and weekends like this remind us why we do the work we do. Here’s to collaboration, connection, and the incredible people who make this community so strong.

11/26/2025

🍁 Our CHI Fall Newsletter is here! 🍁
We’re excited to share what we’ve been up to this season and pass along some helpful tips, updates, and little moments of inspiration from the Compassionate Healing Institute community.

This fall feels like the perfect time to slow down, check in with ourselves, and stay connected—and we hope this newsletter brings a bit of comfort and support your way.

If you’re looking for resources on OCD, eating disorders, or just want to stay in the loop with CHI, we’d love for you to take a look.

🍂 Tap to read—and thanks for being part of our community. 💛



CHI Fall 2025 Newsletter

Quarterly Newsletter

11/23/2025

🌟 Join Us in Supporting the OCD Community! 🌟

The OCD Walk in Vero Beach is right around the corner, and this cause is incredibly close to my heart. At Compassionate Healing Institute, we see every day how life-changing proper understanding, treatment, and support can be for individuals and families affected by OCD.

That’s why our team is proud to walk in support of the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) — an organization that funds research, expands access to evidence-based care, and provides crucial resources for people who often feel alone in their struggles.

💙 We would love your support.
You can join our CHI team at the walk, donate to the IOCDF through our team page, or simply help spread the word. Every contribution — big or small — directly helps individuals get the care, compassion, and evidence-based treatment they deserve.

This mission is deeply important to me, and I’m grateful for any support you can give. Together, we can raise awareness, reduce stigma, and move one step closer to a world where no one has to navigate OCD alone.

👉 Join or donate here: support.iocdf.org/CHIteam

Thank you for standing with us. 💙🌿

Walk with CHI at the Vero Beach OCD Walk! Help us spread hope, break stigma, and stand with those impacted by OCD. We’d love to have you on our team!

11/19/2025

✨ Understanding Tics & CBIT: A Proven, Skills-Based Approach ✨

Tics can feel overwhelming, but they don’t have to run the show. Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT) is an evidence-based treatment that helps children, teens, and adults gain tools to manage tic symptoms and reduce their impact on daily life.

CBIT teaches:
✔️ Awareness of the pre-tic urge
✔️ Competing responses that interrupt the tic loop
✔️ Strategies to reduce triggers and stress
✔️ Confidence and mastery over tic patterns

At the Compassionate Healing Institute, our clinicians offer supportive, individualized CBIT to help clients feel more in control—without shame or pressure.

If you or your child is navigating tics, we’re here to help.

📩 DM us to learn more or schedule a consultation.
💙 Evidence-based care. Real, sustainable skills.

11/08/2025

Our CHI clinicians were truly grateful to attend the FPA Broward Region psychologists’ networking breakfast this morning at First Watch. It was meaningful to reconnect with familiar colleagues and to welcome new connections into our professional circle. Gatherings like this remind us how strong and supportive our local psychology community can be when we come together with shared purpose.

Thank you to FPA Broward Region for fostering community, collaboration, and thoughtful conversation. We value these opportunities to learn from one another and to continue growing as clinicians and as a collective.

Attending on behalf of CHI: Dr. Sheffield and Dr. Anidjar.