Steffanie Grossman Ph.D., CEDS

I have worked on multiple eating disorder treatment teams, as well as collaboratively developed a team at the university I previously worked at, coordinated a doctoral training experience with an emphasis on eating disorders, and run multiple therapy and support groups for individuals identifying as women, men, and all genders who are experiencing eating disorder symptoms. I currently coordinate the Fort Worth National Eating Disorders Association Walk and provide related trainings.

I appreciate collaborating with MDs providing HRT and gender-affirming surgeries to best support my individual therapy clients. Additionally, my experience in working with the non-binary and gender expansive community includes delivering related trainings to a university as well as organizations in the DFW area, participating as a therapist on a Queers and Allies consultation and outreach team, and collaborating with a university LGBT Resource Center to develop outreach programs.

I believe that, frequently, negative beliefs about ourselves form from past experiences such as traumas, being ignored, being pressured to be a particular way, or societal messages. These beliefs impact how we act toward others, which can in turn negatively influence relationships and make us continue to have negative beliefs. It can be empowering to figure how to change our relationships and interactions with others, challenging negative thinking, and learning new assertive ways of coping.

I also believe that learning to treat yourself like a friend is important. Do you find that you are very hard on yourself, almost to the extent of berating yourself, when you make a mistake? Although that can feel like it keeps you motivated, it also can keep you disliking yourself and pushing yourself down. But, if you learn how to “give yourself a hand” and pull yourself up through self-compassion, you can live a life in which you learn from your experiences and use them to empower yourself.

As a human, you'll experience a wide range of emotions. Although it's not possible for us to figure out ways to never feel sad, angry, or hurt, we CAN figure out ways to ride the waves of those emotions to get through them. By knowing your values (the wide range of them), we can more easily make decisions that allow you to live the life you're wanting, and to move through the discomfort of those emotions and connect to the things that matter.

Individuals of the LGBTQ+ community have frequently faced oppression that causes pain, internalized homophobia, transphobia, biphobia, & isolation. It can be terrifying to enter into a space hoping to obtain support, but not knowing if you will experience further oppression and rejection. As marginalized sexual identities and gender identities can be hidden identities, that you choose to allow someone to know, it is an honor to be let into your authentic world and help you heal and explore.