Yes, Joanna Poppink offers personal and private video consultations conducted through Skype.

These are informational and relate to eating disorder recovery and personal development exercises on this site and in her book, Healing Your Hungry Heart.

During your consultation you can ask questions, tell your story and sort out with Joanna what kinds of activities might be helpful to you. Skype consultations are more like workshops or seminars than psychotherapy and must be understood as such.

Skype consultations are not psychotherapy

On Skype Joanna cannot be the kind of healing presence she can offer clients she sees face to face in her office.  Nor can she offer emergency services or respond to critical emotional events that may arise in a Skype client's life as she can in her private practice.

Scheduling a Skype appointment

If you would like a Skype consultation with Joanna, please e-mail her at joanna@poppink.com.  She will send you, via e-mail attachment, forms to fill out before a session can take place. 

The four forms include: terms of service including payment schedule agreement, privacy information, privacy agreement and client information documents.

When she receives the signed forms from you and payment is received via paypal your appointment can be scheduled. With mutual cooperation time differences can be accommodated.

To arrange a consultation, please e-mail joanna@poppink.com or call (310) 474-4165.

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Joanna Poppink believes that effective eating disorder recovery work involves a real relationship with another person with both people in the same room at the same time.

Eating disorders manifest psychological, emotional and spiritual stress through the body.  For therapy to have meaning and impact both therapist and client need to be physically in the same room with one another. Facial expressions, body language, sense of rising or falling energy, change in coloration, a wordless sense of one another all are part of human communication. All are necessary in the exchanges between client and therapist.

That said, Joanna will have a telephone therapy session with a client once she is established in her practice.  A client may be ill or out of town or caught in a scheduling snafu.  At such times the client can keep her appointment on the phone. Such telephone appointments are exceptional and can only be valid and helpful if the client has the majority of her experience with Joanna in person.

Joanna answers questions and writes articles through the internet, but does not do therapy in cyberspace.

Joanna does provide video consultations via Skype. These are informational meetings that can be helpful and supportive, but are not psychotherapy. More information on Skype consultations with Joanna.

Joanna Poppink's main practice is with women, most of whom have or have ever had an eating disorder.

However, families with one or more members with an eating disorder, can come in for short term work to get a sense of how they can pull together to create a more healing environment for everyone. Usually such meetings are once a week for a month or two. Families then have the option of making appointments as needed when conditions change, and they need more information, support or guidance.

If any individual or anyone in the family has or had a diagnosed or undiagnosed eating disorder, Joanna will see in her practice any individual or group from within that family.

Joanna Poppink also sees couples to help resolve communication issues. She helps couples discern what their relationship needs from each person to create a more loving, serene and cooperative atmosphere.

Eating disorders affect not only the individual with an eating disorder but all the people who have a relationship with that individual.  Understanding this and learning to care well for yourself while honoring and respecting another's recovery path can ease stress for everyone involved.

A first telephone consultation is free. Scheduled appointments are face to face in Joanna's office.  Consultations can be scheduled for face to face appointments or via video Skype.

If you want to make an appointment with me you can e-mail me at Joanna@poppink.com or call at (310) 474-4165 to arrange for a telephone consultation.  I will give you an initial telephone consultation at no charge.

During that conversation you and I will determine if an in-person appointment seems like the best next step for you. If it is not, then Joanna will do her best to refer you to the kind of treatment you both decide is in your best interest.

If you do meet with me for a face to face appointment you will fill out required legal forms such as HIPPA, informed consent, basic client information, etc. which takes about five to eight minutes. Then you and I will talk.

Often many powerful feelings come up quickly in that first meeting. I will give you emotional room to feel what you feel and time to share whatever you are willing to talke about.

You will feel what it's like to be in a room with me.  You will know if I seem to understand your situation and can be with you as you feel what you feel.  You will know if I seem to know something and might be able to accompany you and support you on your recovery journey.

You may feel rigid. You may feel sad or angry. You may feel relief and hope.  You may feel all these things. If you do, and you're willing and I believe that I may be able to help you and work with you, then you will make another appointment.

At that point we are building a relationship and a healing bond that supports your steps toward a more free life.

Eating disorders are serious illnesses that affect the mind, body and spirit.  They degrade life and can be lethal. At the most minimal they impede a person's quality of life across all dimension.  Without specifically addressing the developmental and healing issues involved eating disorders get worse over time. They do not go away on their own.  People do not outgrow them.  Recovery requires healing and development.

On this site you can find definitions of eating disorders as given by the American Psychological Association and the National Institute of Mental Health.

If, after reading this definitions, you have questions about your personal situation or the situation of someone you love, please feel free to write to me or ask your questions on the discussion forum on this site or both.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is published by the American Psychiatric Association, and includes a thorough description of the various eating disorders. This and other pages in this category are reprinted with permission from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision. Copyright © 2000 American Psychiatric Association. Do not copy or print without written permission from APA.

See the categories and descriptions of eating disorders

http://eatingdisorderrecovery.com/index.php/the-dsm-list

http://eatingdisorderrecovery.com/index.php/helping-others/family-and-friends/156-facts-about-eating-disorders-and-the-search-for-solutions

After about eight years in working in the field of eating disorder recovery Joanna had received countless e-mails from people all over the world asking for help in recovering from an eating disorder. She was moved and pained to discover that what she felt was basic knowledge was unknown to many people.

She received one post from a family in the U.S. that had been ostracized from their community because an exorcism had failed to stop their teenage daughter from bingeing and throwing up.

She received another from a woman in Romania who wanted to create a support group for women she knew who wanted to help each other recovery from eating disorders.

She received many posts from women in the United States and other countries who either couldn't afford treatment or who lived in an environment where treatment was not available or even recognized.

Joanna wanted to help these people and that meant going far beyond the reach of her private psychotherapy office.

People were beginning to use the internet as a way to find help when no help seemed to exist. She wrote created a website with what she hoped were helpful articles that would reach the people who were seeking help.  She wrote "Triumphant Journey," in 1991.  It is a workbook based on what she knew then about effective treatment. Self Help and Psychology Magazine published it on their site. The more she wrote, the more questions came in. She still tries to address those questions and help people find their paths to recovery by expanding  the content and resources in her website.

Mothers, husbands, boyfriends, sisters, brothers, fathers call to make appointments for their adult daughters.

These people love a person with an eating disorder.  They may be looking for ways to convince their loved one to go into treatment.  They may be helping that person by doing some scouting to find out what may be available in terms of treatment, and during their research they found Joanna.

Yes, to a degree. 

Fears around food in general and some particular foods, emotional attraction to certain foods, vulnerability to binge foods,  issues regarding "safe" and "unsafe" foods are certainly addressed. 

Basics of nutrition and healthy eating are discussed. 

Joanna supports the process of working with an eating disorder knowledgable nutritionist when the client is ready, willing and able to explore specific food plans and healthful styles of eating.

Too little or too much exercise is addressed and explored in therapy work with Joanna. Finding a healthy balance for emotional and physical needs for exercise is one of the goals of recovery work.

Finding ways to be kind to your body, giving your body what it needs and not making harsh demands of it is an ongoing theme in therapy that eventually can be resolved.

Does insurance cover Joanna's services?

Insurance companies, not Joanna, make coverage decisions.

Joanna is not a member of any HMO program nor is she on any list of preferred providers.  If you have a PPO her fees may be partially reimbursed under the category of "out of network provider."  Her services may be covered by private insurance.

Because policies change, please check with your insurance company to see what mental health services are covered for you.

Most of Joanna's clients pay out of pocket or with minimal insurance reimbursement.

For specific information on insurance coverage for private psychotherapy please click on the link below.

Basics of Insurance Coverage for Private Psychotherapy

Joanna Poppink works in a private practice setting where everything that is said is confidential.  However, Joanna refers her clients to other clinicians, nutritionists and M.D.'s when needed. She will also consult with professionals in various fields that are related to eating disorder research and treatment.

Often a woman with an eating disorder lives a life restricted by routines. Joanna suggests classes, workshops, creativity expansion practices and mindfulness practices that are appropriate for the client's development.

You can reach Joanna in three ways:

joanna@poppink.com

(310) 474-4165

Joanna Poppink, MFT

10573 West Pico Blvd. #20

Los Angeles, CA 90064

U.S.A.

Joanna is a psychotherapist with the M.F.T. license. Her work is focused on the psychological healing and recovery of the individual.  This includes attention to body work such as body awareness, basic nutrition, sleep, spiritual, cognitive and exercise needs.  Joanna is not an M.D. If and when a client needs focused attention on medical issues, Joanna will make appropriate medical referrals.

If clients want to go more deeply into learning and discovering their needs related to nutrition, spirituality, exercise or education Joanna supports them through referrals and by including their efforts into their recovery practices.

Formal Credentials: B.A. from UCLA.  M.A. from Antioch University. MFT license 15563 in California and MFT license in Oregon TO565.

History of Professional Affiliations:

Academy for Eating Disorders (AED)
http://www.acadeatdis.org

American Anorexia and Bulimia Association (AABA)
http://www.aabainc.org.

National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD)
http://anad.org/

International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (IAEDP)
http://www.iaedp.com/

International Society for the Study of Dissociation
http://www.issd.org

International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies
http://www.istss.org

National Eating Disorders Association
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/

Sidran Foundation
http://www.sidran.org

Ongoing education in credit granting conferences, educational organizations and ongoing seminars in:

Eating disorders

Nutrition

Attachment theory

Neuroscience and affect regulation

Psychoanalysis

Jungian Psychology

Trauma and PTSD

Mindfulness and meditation

Guided imagery and psychodrama

Integration of East and West healing principles

Developmental psychology

Systems theory and unconscious processes in group dynamics including families

Self Psychology (Kohut)

Dissociative Disorders

Supportive learning activities Joanna feels are clinically useful in eating disorder recovery:

Journal keeping

Creative writing

Yoga

Various forms of meditation (not necessarily silent time in lotus position but also walking, dancing, working, gardening, playing meditation)

Study of many religions

Study of myths and legends

Extensive world travel exploring different cultural perspectives

All the arts: reading, writing, painting, sculpting, dancing, singing i.e. all creative forms of expression that allow the authenticity of a person's deep caring to emerge into the world.

Play and Laughter: with children, with dogs and cats, with adults where the source of laughter is found in delightfully surprising places, in water, on land, in private and with others.

Listening

Joanna has been in private practice since 1980.  All her studies are informed and enriched by the personal experiences her clients share with her throughout their recovery work. Their courage, creativity, determination, pain and suffering, joy and developing strength continually teach her the depth and range of the healing experience in eating disorder recovery.

Joanna Poppink is a seasoned mental health clinician, licensed since 1980 in California and recently licensed again in Oregon. Knowing what it's like to have an eating disorder when no one seems to understand including yourself (Joanna suffered from bulimia for many years before it was named or recognized) she has dedicated her life, both personal and professional, to support and encourage genuine healing from eating disorders.

Moreover, as she well knows, ending symptoms is not the entire goal.  The real goal is to be healthy, sturdy, free and capable of honoring and following the dictates of your heartfelt core identity.

Sigmund Freud's theories have been challenged. Some have been discarded and some elaborated over the years.  But one statement of his wisdom Joanna believes still holds true.  Recovery and mental health means that a person can freely and with competence work, love and play. This is the ever present goal Joanna has for herself and for the people she cares for and about in her work and her personal life.

Joanna's private psychotherapy practice is in Los Angeles. She offers Skype video consultations by appointment.

She is the author of Healing Your Hungery Heart, a guide to eating disorder recovery.

Joanna works with adults only. Her practice is made up of women aged 24 and up. Occasionally, with an exceptional and committed to recovery person, she will work with someone between 20 and 24. Occasionally, with an exceptional and committed to recovery person, she will work with a man.

Qualifications to be in Joanna's practice:

1. no drug addiction or active alcoholism
2. no violence in current life
3. not at medical risk. Private practice is not equipped to offer the services of a hospital. A severely underweight person cannot begin her treatment in Joanna's
4. practice. A severely malnourished person needs refeeding before she is capable of experiencing benefits of psychotherapy. Such a person is welcome to comeinto Joanna's practice after she reaches an improved health state including a life sustaining weight.
5. deep desire to be well and willingness to commit to the healing work ahead.
6. agreeable to work within the structure of a private practice.
7. an indefinable sense between Joanna and the person that they make a good match. The client has a sense of hope and of being in the right place at the right .

Here you will find a variety of essays, information alerts, discussion of news items, personal experiences and questions related to eating disorder recovery. Some posts are simple commentaries on current issues related to bulimia, anorexia, compulsive overeating such as binge/purge, restricting, relapse, weight and diet, career and education, relationships.  Some are responses stimulated by questions and stories from people who contact Joanna on or off this site.  Some are guest posts. And some are ideas to be developed into more in depth articles or book passages or both.

Eating disorder recovery work is a specialized aspect of mental health treatment.

Working with adolescents is a specialty unto itself.

Working with young children is yet another specialty.

Joanna prefers to focus on one population, adult women, within her specialty in order to provide the best treatment possible.

There are mental health clinicians who specialize in eating disorder treatment with young children and/or adolescents. Joanna maintains a working relationship with many professional eating disorder organizations, both national and local. Through these relationships she can offer referrals for parents looking for treatment for their children.

The in-patient list is 93 pages long and covers treatment centers throughout the United States, Canada, parts of Europe and South America.

To receive the list, please write to Joanna at joanna@poppink.com.   Please say why you want the list and how you intend to use it.  After you agree to the terms of usage Joanna will  send you the list.

Please remember the list is a 93 page attachment.