BeyondWell KC

12/03/2025

We asked our therapists to share some of their favorite therapeutic modalities and skills they like to teach clients. One was integration, so we thought we'd provide a little lesson in values work.

Research has shown that use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ( ) and integrating values into eating disorder recovery has wide-reaching benefits in unlocking motivation and the treatment process. Values integration is the process of identifying your core values and using them as a guide for committed action. It's simple. . . in theory. 🤣

It's amazing how once you identify one of your values and evaluate the degree to which you are living it out, the path to change and living more in line with this value emerges. Of course, taking the steps down that path are the challenging part!

Here's an example of this powerful exercise in action in eating disorder recovery:

If someone identifies one of their core values is balance, the next step is to consider how they are or are not living a balanced life. They might ask themselves, "Am I getting enough sleep?" "Am I getting enough connection?" "Am I feeding my body appropriately and with balance in mind?" "Am I taking time to move my body in ways that feel good rather than being driven by a desire to change my body?" The answers to each of these questions point to what change needs to happen for this person to be more aligned with their value for balance in their everyday life. If this someone, for example, is restricting or avoiding carbohydrates, these might stand out as ways they're not feeding their body in a balanced way and areas to address. Then THIS is where the work really begins! Step 4, really. . . The hard part.

Doing this every now and again is a great idea, like a check-in to ensure you're living in line with what's most important to you. Give it a try!

Here's that example list of values: https://brenebrown.com/resources/dare-to-lead-list-of-values

10/23/2025

is upon us! So too is the all-too-predictable fear mongering surrounding & . If you really want your child to develop a healthy relationship with food and their bodies, it's important to examine not only what you're communicating directly to your children but also what they're hearing you say and seeing you do when it comes to your own relationship with food and your body. Here are some common phrases we hear this time of year, why they are so very harmful, and what to say and do instead.

Listen, itself is hard. Parenting when it comes to our children's relationships with food and their bodies in the world of dieting and widespread fear about food and fatness is even HARDER. It's challenging and nuanced and such a minefield.

Save this post for later when you are scrambling for a script in a tough moment, follow us for more -diet content, and reach out to us if you are a parent who wants help sorting through facts vs. fiction or help working on your OWN relationship with food and your body. We can help!

10/15/2025

Come on. Could it be possible that dairy isn't actually to blame for all of your problems?

The world we live in and the discourse around food and health demonizes MANY foods (especially dairy). While we're not funneling all of our savings into the National Dairy Council's pockets, we're also not picketing in the streets to cancel dairy. The reality is that health is extremely complicated, highly individual, and goes well beyond nutrition alone.

If you're feeling lost, confused, and looking for support in taking steps to improve your health, click out of Google, put your critical thinking cap on, and reach out to us to connect with one of our dietitians.

Our website 🔗 is in our bio!

07/07/2025

What does it mean to be "recovered?" That's a tough question to answer! One of BeyondWell KC's owners weighs in with what the research says (and doesn't tell us), what one authority on the matter says, and with her own explanation as someone in recovery from an eating disorder.

Click to read more!

This question comes up from time to time throughout the course of many individuals' treatment. It's a question that does not have a firm answer and that you'd likely get 100 different answers to if you polled a mix of 100 clinicians treating the illness and people who have experienced an eating diso...

06/03/2025

Meet Heather Burton!

She's one of our therapists here at BeyondWell KC and as expert as they come in treating eating disorders & complicated co-occurring mental health conditions. She's passionate, direct but gentle, and skilled in developing trusting relationships with her clients. She enjoys working with athletes, young adults, and women in their perinatal years. A Missouri native, she lived in for many, meany years and now lives just outside Orlando, Florida with her husband and 2 German Shepherds.

If you or someone you know is searching for a skilled therapist, look no further! Learn more about her by navigating to her About page on our website (via that little 🔗 in our bio) and contact us to get connected with her.

05/19/2025

As summer approaches, despite the societal (and internalized) pressure, show up just as you are. No apologies.

👙 Wear the swimsuit. Ditch the cover-up and the self-deprecating commentary.

🍔 Eat the cheeseburger. Have the flippin' bun without commenting on or justifying the choice and without the guilt.

📸 Be in the pictures. Stand in front and position yourself however feels natural without adjusting to capture a flattering angle or requesting a re-do.

Consider the time lost, the bandwidth wasted, and what you're missing out on when you're apologizing, hiding, echoing the tune of your inner critic, drowning in shame, and worrying about carefully constructing the image you feel pressured to present to the world.

Be YOU. You are amazing -- the authentic, unfiltered, no-apologies version of you.

05/06/2025

At BeyondWell KC we have providers offering in-person as well as virtual care through easy-to-use HIPAA compliant platforms so we can meet our clients, literally and figuratively, where they are. Although some are still hesitant and it’s certainly not for everyone or appropriate in every case, virtual treatment has been a game-changer for many clinicians and individuals struggling with eating disorders.

Check out our latest blog reviewing the benefits of virtual treatment.

Ask us about our in-person and virtual treatment options to see which is the best fit for you!

📞 913.284.0882
📨 hello@beyondwellkc.com

At BeyondWell KC we have providers offering in-person as well as virtual care through easy-to-use HIPAA compliant platforms so we can meet our clients, literally and figuratively, where they are. There were clinicians were treating clients virtually for years before it became a lot more common in th...

05/01/2025

We're excited to announce we've added another dietitian, Sarah Thompson, to our team!

She brings with her a particular passion for supporting clients navigating disordered eating/eating disorders (especially ARFID & binge eating disorder) who also live with chronic illnesses/conditions such as arthritis, PCOS, diabetes, POTS, EDS, Hashimoto's, and other autoimmune and inflammatory disorders.

Read more about her here!

https://www.beyondwellkc.com/about/sarah-thompson

09/17/2024

Are you a person who does everything for others and puts yourself lowest on the totem pole? 🙋‍♀️

So many of us struggle with this, and ESPECIALLY those in helping professions who sometimes have a hard time taking our own advice. Despite knowing how important self-care is, for many of us, our needs always seem to be last in line to be tended to. Sometimes conversations we have with our clients (and ourselves!) center around processing their WORTHINESS of the effort self-care requires, sometimes conversations center around navigating discussions with significant others to help carve out this important time without all Hell breaking loose at home or leading to guilt (this is a BIG one!), and often conversations center around our clients identifying their needs, defining what meeting these needs and what self-care actually looks like for them, and in many cases SIMPLIFYING how they meet their needs and give themselves TLC.

Today, I had a gap between clients and decided to step out of my office and work at a table in our building's beautiful courtyard. For 30 minutes I answered emails while listening to birds chirp, leaves rustle, and cars whiz by and enjoying the breeze and the warmth of the sun. I was still working, but this simple location change felt energizing in a way that I would not have experienced were I still sitting at my desk. I didn't even mean for it to be, but I noticed for me this felt like self-care.

Despite what we know, the word 'self-care' still tends to evoke images of getting a 90-minute massage on the beach at an all-inclusive resort. In reality, self-care doesn't need to be this complicated or elaborate. Self-care can be simple. It can be quick. It can be a moment here and there.

Comment below: What is a form of self-care for you that might not SEEM like self-care?

09/12/2024

News flash! 📰

Just as the temperature drops, the leaves change, and the days get shorter each year, we can expect that our bodies are going to go through seasonal changes and continuous transformation throughout our lifespan. The obsession with keeping our bodies from changing -- from gaining weight to aging -- leads so many down the never-ending rabbit hole of unsustainable diets, online fitness programs that guarantee quick results, unnecessary supplements, and costly anti-aging treatments.

These are not only fruitless pursuits, but also they instill fear in younger generations who see their trusted grown-ups spending their precious time, energy, and hard-earned money on trying to remain exactly the same rather than embracing how our bodies naturally grow and change overtime.

Try something radical. Try embracing rather than fearing your body's beautiful metamorphosis. Try offering your body compassion rather than criticism at any size, any weight, and any age.

If this speaks to you, reach out. Let our specialized clinicians help you navigate all the changes our bodies go through while existing in a culture that propagates and profits from insecurities.

09/04/2024

Asking yourself these questions will help you better navigate and eventually avoid the bingeing trap.

AM I HUNGRY?
Recalibrating our eating patterns (eating more often and ensuring that our eating is balanced and satiating) is usually step #1 to interrupt bingeing because allowing ourselves to become ravenously hungry sets us up to eat quickly and to usually overeat. When combined with unmet emotional needs, this can be a perfect storm that leads to a binge.

HOW AM I FEELING?
Most of us walk around so disconnected that we don't stop to notice what we're feeling. Our bodies communicate with us by sending us signals that are like little clues that point us toward what we need. Being in tune with what we're feeling can help lead us to what we need physically (food, sleep, calm, a trip to the ER, etc.) and emotionally (connection, security, to de-stress, etc.).

WHAT DO I NEED?
When we can pause long enough to tune into and identify our emotional needs, when we know how to meet those emotional needs, and when we're in a position to meet those emotional needs, we can begin to drift away from coping through food behaviors. This takes time and practice!

Remember that you may not know the answers to any of these questions, and you may not have any stinkin' clue what you need. That's okay! In these cases, the most important thing you can do is offer your self lots and LOTS of compassion.

Struggling with emotional eating or bingeing? There's hope! Our BeyondWell KC clinicians have 70+ years of combined experience helping those who struggle with these issues. Reach out to us via our website, phone, or email.