Cristina Castagnini, PhD, CEDS

Cristina Castagnini, PhD, CEDS Dr.Castagnini is a licensed psychologist in CA. Specializing in the treatment of eating disorders as well as general mental health issues.

She hosts tge weekly podcast, Behind the Bite, which is part of the The Los Angeles Tribune podcast network. As I licensed psychologist, I specialize in giving you the tools to navigate life's bumpy roads. We all struggle with roadblocks and I'm completely focused on you finding a solution. My style is focused, practical and results-driven. I have particular success with clients struggling with eating disorders and insomnia. If you're ready for help, I'm available. My office is centrally located in San Ramon, Ca.

This week's guest Holly Toscanini is an intuitive living coach and host of the How to Lose the ‘Wait’ podcast. She empow...
01/14/2026

This week's guest Holly Toscanini is an intuitive living coach and host of the How to Lose the ‘Wait’ podcast.

She empowers women to stop waiting to feel ready, worthy, or ‘thin enough’ and start creating the lives they actually want, right now.

Through her signature framework, The Reinvention Code™, she guides women to rebuild self-trust, awaken their intuition, and reclaim confidence from the inside out.

Holly explains how the weight loss industry is designed for recidivism, noting that she often saw the same clients return year after year, paying to be put on restrictive programs that set them up for failure.

KEY TOPICS DISCUSSED:

- Why the diet industry relies on your failure and repeat business to make a profit.

- The three forces keeping women stuck: Perfectionism, People Pleasing, and Patriarchy.

-How to distinguish between the loud, urgent voice of fear and the quiet, steady voice of intuition.

-Why "someday" is a moving target and a socially acceptable form of self-abandonment.

-The reality of Intuitive Eating: Dealing with the fear of weight gain and silencing the internal "food police."

Listen here: https://behindthebitepodcast.com/stop-waiting-to-be-thin-enough-how-diet-culture-puts-your-life-on-hold-and-why-losing-weight-isnt-the-answer-with-holly-toscanini/

NEW PODCAST!⁠ 🎤 ⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠STOP WAITING TO BE “THIN ENOUGH”: HOW DIET CULTURE PUTS YOUR LIFE ON HOLD (AND WHY LOSING WEIGHT I...
01/13/2026

NEW PODCAST!⁠ 🎤 ⁠ ⁠ ⁠

STOP WAITING TO BE “THIN ENOUGH”: HOW DIET CULTURE PUTS YOUR LIFE ON HOLD (AND WHY LOSING WEIGHT ISN’T THE ANSWER) WITH HOLLY TOSCANINI

In this insightful episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Holly Toscanini, a former weight loss expert turned intuitive living coach, to dismantle the "someday" myth.

Holly shares her powerful pivot from running medical weight loss programs to realizing that chasing a number on the scale was actually shrinking her life, not expanding it.

Together, they pull back the curtain on the toxic business model of the diet industry, discuss why waiting to be "thin enough" is actually a form of self-abandonment, and how women can reclaim their confidence through self-trust and intuitive eating, especially while navigating the changes of midlife and menopause.

To listen click: https://behindthebitepodcast.com/stop-waiting-to-be-thin-enough-how-diet-culture-puts-your-life-on-hold-and-why-losing-weight-isnt-the-answer-with-holly-toscanini/

This week's podcast guest Wednesdae Reim Ifrach (they/them) is an art therapist, counselor, and PhD candidate at Saybroo...
01/07/2026

This week's podcast guest Wednesdae Reim Ifrach (they/them) is an art therapist, counselor, and PhD candidate at Saybrook University whose work centers on gender-affirming care, LGBTQ+ issues, trauma, body image, and eating disorders, as well as a person in eating disorder recovery.

They are full-time faculty in the School of Behavioral and Community Health at Moravian University and co-owner of Rainbow Recovery, offering clinical counseling, supervision, and art therapy across Connecticut and Pennsylvania.

KEY TOPICS DISCUSSED:

- How medical advice and pediatric interventions can inadvertently trigger lifelong eating disorders.

- The connection between gender dysphoria and the sensation of being in the "wrong shell."

- Why the "New Year" diet culture blitz is particularly dangerous for those in recovery.

- The critical difference between "health" and arbitrary metrics like BMI or weight.

- How to approach conversations about gender identity with children and loved ones from a place of love.

To listen click here: https://behindthebitepodcast.com/prescribed-to-be-small-gender-bodies-and-the-trauma-behind-health-with-wednesdae-reim-ifrach-ep-267/

NEW PODCAST!⁠ 🎤 ⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠PRESCRIBED TO BE SMALL: GENDER, BODIES, AND THE TRAUMA BEHIND “HEALTH” WITH WEDNESDAE REIM IFRACH ...
01/06/2026

NEW PODCAST!⁠ 🎤 ⁠ ⁠ ⁠

PRESCRIBED TO BE SMALL: GENDER, BODIES, AND THE TRAUMA BEHIND “HEALTH” WITH WEDNESDAE REIM IFRACH .art_therapist

In this powerful episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Wednesdae Reim Ifrach to dismantle the toxic "New Year, New You" narrative and explore the deep intersections between eating disorders, gender identity, and medical trauma.

Wednesdae shares their harrowing story of being "prescribed" an eating disorder by a pediatrician at age 10 and how the pursuit of thinness masked a deeper struggle with gender dysphoria.

Together, they discuss the current landscape of GLP-1 agonists, the dangers of bariatric surgery, and why healing isn't about fixing yourself, it's about finally being allowed to exist as you are.

This conversation is a must-listen for anyone feeling the pressure to shrink themselves to fit into a system that wasn't built for them

To listen click: https://behindthebitepodcast.com/prescribed-to-be-small-gender-bodies-and-the-trauma-behind-health-with-wednesdae-reim-ifrach-ep-267/

Reminder for today and for 2026. 💖
01/04/2026

Reminder for today and for 2026. 💖

Address

2010 Crow Canyon Place, Suite 100
San Ramon, CA
94583

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Cristina Castagnini, PhD, CEDS posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Cristina Castagnini, PhD, CEDS:

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram

Category

Our Story

As I licensed psychologist, I specialize in giving you the tools to navigate life's bumpy roads. We all struggle with roadblocks and I'm completely focused on you finding a solution.

My style is focused, practical and results-driven. I have particular success with clients struggling with eating disorders and insomnia.

If you're ready for help, I'm available. My office is centrally located in San Ramon, Ca. Please visit my website: https://www.freedomtowellness.com