Appetites and Arousal: Understanding purity culture, (dis)embodiment, eating disorders, and healing

Although purity culture has impacted millions of North Americans since its widespread emergence in the 1990s, the long term effects of these cultural practices is emerging as something worth clinical consideration for a variety of mental health presentations, in particular diagnosis which organize around the body, including eating disorders. Dr. Hillary McBride and Dr. Sandra Noble will be presenting theoretical and research based information on the role of embodiment/disembodiment as mediating links between purity culture and disordered eating (and other mental health presentations), as well as the broader considerations of spiritual trauma. religious abuse, and the institutional and systemic dynamics and experiences which co-exist alongside purity culture. This workshop will include information about purity culture and embodiment, spiritual trauma and religious abuse, and how these relate to eating disorder development and treatment for those who have been a part of purity culture. The workshop will also include strategies and considerations for treatment when working with those who are still within purity culture and its supporting religious context, and those who have left or deidentified from purity culture.  

3 Objectives for our morning include: participants will learn about the history and tenets of purity culture as a social/religious movement, participants will learn about how purity culture impacts/shapes (dis)embodiment and the development of mental health                             challenges/diagnosis including disordered eating, and participants will learn about clinical considerations for working with individual both within and outside of purity culture.

Our afternoon would include more in-depth case examples, clinical recommendations and experiential exercise that clinicians can utilize with client populations who were previously or currently within purity culture. The afternoon would also include information, clinical skills, and experiential exercises related to working with the intersection of spiritual/religious trauma. 

We'll be meeting at the Hilton Asheville Biltmore Park, 43 Town Square Blvd, Asheville, NC 28803. We have a block of rooms at a special rate reserved as well if you're staying overnight. The facilities are accessible and if needed, an accessible hotel room can also be provided.

This event offers 5 CEs from NBCC and the Commission of Dietetic Registration.

CE’s are provided by The International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals, PO Box 1295, Pekin, IL 61555.  sarah@iaedpfoundation.com. The International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 5912.  Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified The International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.

Rooms reserved for our event: Reserved Rooms at Hilton Biltmore Park Asheville

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Eating Recovery Center, Veritas Collaborative, the Renfrew Center, Alsana, Within

Thank you to our Community Sponsors!

Body, Beauty, Bravery Psychotherapy and Supervision,  Abundance Practice Building, Living Balance Asheville, Nutritious Thoughts, Traci Malone Nutrition

Dr. Hillary McBride is a registered psychologist, a researcher, and podcastor, with expertise that includes working with trauma and trauma therapies, embodiment, women's relationship with their bodies across the lifespan, psychadelic psychotherapy, and the intersection spirituality and mental health. She holds a PhD in Counselling Psychology from University of British Columbia. Her first book, Mothers, Daughters, and Body Image: Learning to Love Ourselves as We Are, was published in 2017; she was the senior editor of the textbook Embodiment and Eating Disorders: Theory, Research, Prevention, and Treatment, which was published in 2018. Her bestselling book The Wisdom of Your Body: Finding wholeness, healing and connection through embodied living came out in the fall of 2021, and in January she released Practices for Embodied Living. Her next book Holy Hurt: understanding and healing from spiritual trauma, comes out spring 2025. She has been recognized by the American Psychological Association, and the Canadian Psychological Association for her research and clinical work. In addition to being a teaching faculty at Trinity Western University, she is an ambassador for Sanctuary Mental Health, and the host of CBC's award winning podcast Other People's Problems. Hillary makes her home in the pacific northwest in British Columbia, Canada- she can often be found near the ocean.

Dr. Sandra Noble is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist, and Assistant Professor of Counseling at George Fox University. Her work focuses on developing and implementing treatment, education, and training related to the intersections of trauma, eating disorders, embodiment, and spirituality. She has published and presented nationally in academic, religious, and clinical settings. She is an active member of iaedp, ACA, ASERVIC, ACES, and Chi Sigma Iota. Sandra is a foster parent and appreciates the landscape (and coffee) of her home in Portland, Oregon.