14. From Patient to Healer: Linda's Story of Recovery and Utilizing Gestalt and IFS in Her Work as a Therapist

Welcome to another episode of the Understanding Disordered Eating Podcast. Today we will be chatting with Linda Watts. Linda is a licensed social worker and a CASAC, which means that she works with substance abuse and alcoholism. She has been practicing for over 25 years where she specializes in eating disorders, addiction, substance abuse, and she also provides individual, couple, and family therapy.    In this episode, we dive right in about her background in Gestalt therapy and Internal Family Systems or IFS, and we also talk about her personal experience and how that has led her to her professional experience and where she is today. So make sure to stay tuned until the end because we will be talking about what true recovery actually looks like and how to get there. [00:01 - 06:03] Opening Segment I introduce our guest for this episode Linda talks about her recovery journey Started with “growth groups”  Learned how to train while in recovery [06:04 - 23:20] Recovering While Helping Other People Recover  Learning that the struggle can help other people  Having humility to admit that she does not know some aspects Importance of self disclosing  The 12-Step Method Experience with Gestalt therapy Holistic and very relaxed About going inside and being present Having chair work  Being self-led and going into the intuitive part Having the decision Connecting with your wisdom  Moving towards lifelong recovery  Healing and going to the root Experienced it through IFS  [23:21 - 28:44] Closing Segment  Replacing exile with joy, courage, connectedness, freedom, peace, and love  Love heals Connect with Linda through the links below Final words   Resources:  Transcending TraumaGestalt and IFS Tweetable Quotes:   “I believe that you can just go so far with therapy, and then everything else is more of a spiritual recovery.” - Linda Watts   “It all is about that when you have no agenda, you're there and you witness, and being self led in the parts, we can work with them.” - Linda Watts Connect with Linda through her website at https://lindatwatts.com/ or send her an email at [email protected]. You can also reach her through her phone number at ​​347-256-6242.    LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone who may need this podcast by sharing this episode.   You can connect with me, Rachelle Heinemann on Instagram, through my website www.rachelleheinemann.com, or email me directly at [email protected].