Zebra Talks with Libby Hinsley: Eating Disorders and Hypermobility: An Embodied Recovery Approach with Heidi Andersen
Eating Disorders and Hypermobility: An Embodied Recovery Approach
I had the pleasure of talking with the delightful and brilliant Libby Hinsley, PT on her podcast Zebra Talks 🦓 for a rich and nuanced conversation on the intersection of eating disorders and hypermobility—an area that doesn’t get nearly enough attention and holds so much depth to explore. I have had so many clients with hypermobility as an underlying factor for their challenges with nourishing themselves. If this topic resonates with you, I hope you’ll take a listen and share your reflections. Libby also wrote an excellent blog post on this topic HERE.
Host Dr. Libby Hinsley welcomes Heidi Andersen, a licensed clinical mental health counselor supervisor and founder of Reclaiming Beauty, to discuss eating disorders and their overlap with hypermobility syndromes. Heidi describes shifting from traditional CBT/DBT-focused treatment toward Embodied Recovery for Eating Disorders, reframing disordered eating and chronic tension as adaptive responses shaped by nervous system regulation, sensory processing, trauma, attachment history, and underlying health issues, including hypermobility syndromes and related comorbidities.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
00:00 Welcome to Zebra Talks
00:41 Meet Heidi Andersen
02:45 From Burnout to Embodied Recovery
06:58 Hypermobility and Nourishment Clues
08:08 Why This Overlap Is Trending
11:07 Eating Disorder Definitions
15:41 Age of Onset and Diagnostic Confusion
18:16 Research on Anorexia and Hypermobility
21:23 Containment Safety and Proprioception
23:09 Strength Training Grounding
24:25 Developmental Movement Push
27:15 Reframing Restriction Wisdom
28:06 Autism Sensory Overlap
31:21 Treatment Window Tolerance
33:43 Medical Motility Referrals
34:55 Vagus Nerve Compression
38:07 Somatic Tools Boundaries
39:00 Directories Closing Resources
EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES:
Follow Heidi Andersen at Reclaiming Beauty on Instagram @reclaimingbeauty
LINKS AND RESOURCES:
Follow Libby Hinsley on Instagram @libbyhinsleypt
Follow Libby Hinsley on Facebook
Learn more about Libby Hinsley, How to Work with Her, or Join her Email List
