Get To Know Your Co-Hosts
We are so glad you found us! We are working hard to put out into the world conversations we hope will educate, inspire, enlighten and connect our listeners, and we would love to hear more about you via email or social media.
In the meantime, here’s a little information about the two of us. To read the rest of this interview (and find out what we do for self-care and what we would bring on a deserted island), sign up for our newsletter!
How did you two meet? What do you like about working with your co-host?
Catherine: We met serendipitously. I co-edited a collection of stories about eating disorder recovery and wanted to include a male perspective. I googled experts on males with eating disorders and ended up contacting Andrew Walen (whom we interviewed in Episode 7). He asked a couple of his colleagues if they’d like to contribute an essay, and Francis said yes!
As I mentioned in episode 1, I found Francis’ essay to be incredibly moving and impactful. His experience was very different from mine, but I related so much to his story.
I love working with Francis because he is knowledgeable and wise but also down-to-earth. Having deep, honest conversations is one of my favorite things to do, and I appreciate that Francis is always willing to get real. And, he’s well organized and methodical, which balances out my tendency to get carried away by ideas!
Francis: I was introduced to Catherine and her work through Andrew Walen, and with an odd combination of eagerness and reluctance contributed to her book Hope for Recovery: Stories of Healing from Eating Disorders. I’m so glad I did.
Whether she recognizes this or not, Catherine provided the platform from which I could share my story for the first time, both through writing and speaking in public. I’m not in this part of my recovery without her.
Catherine reached out to ask about co-hosting a podcast, and, though I took my usual few days to process, it was a pretty quick ‘yes’. It feels really good that the two of us can create a platform from which someone else may be able to share their story and grow in their recovery.
Why did you want to start this podcast?
Francis: Every time someone adds a voice to the eating disorder recovery community, it creates space for someone else to join. More voices creates less stigma, and less stigma creates more opportunities to heal. I wanted to be a part of that.
Eating disorders and those involved in treating and supporting those struggling often leave so many people out. I’ve seen it in my work. BIPOC, trans and gender diverse, sexuality diverse and others struggling with eating disorders are repressed. I want this platform to be a place to bring to light the social and racial injustices in the eating disorder “world” and a place for all voices to be heard.
Catherine: I wanted to create content I wish I had access to when I was battling an eating disorder. Eating disorders are complex and have wide-ranging impacts. Engaging in conversations with a wide variety of experts and people impacted by eating disorders can provide valuable education for us and our listeners and potentially mitigate some of those impacts.
To read more about what we do when we’re not podcasting and how we manage our own recoveries through self-care, subscribe to our newsletter with the button below!