EDRDpro is pleased to introduce you to Linda Tucker!
Although our continuing education and professional support is primarily geared toward registered dietitians, as a group we welcome all types of providers to join and learn from our expert speakers. Linda is a health coach and intuitive eating counselor who brings a great deal of value to our group!
Website: www.LindaTuckerCoaching.com
Where can we find you on social media?
Facebook: Linda Tucker Coaching
Instagram: @LindaTuckerCoaching
Where do you work?
I work for myself, from my home, mostly via phone and email (a few clients prefer Skype or are overseas so I use Skype because it’s free). Working via phone has been such an unexpected blessing. I started my business virtually because we were moving around so much at the time, and it stuck. I find people are very open and forthcoming and it makes scheduling a breeze. I am also able to keep the cost very low which affords care to those who might not be able to afford it otherwise. I just got my first two clients in Portland since we moved here last July and I am thrilled to have that “in-person energy” in my life again.
The populations in which I work are mostly those struggling to leave diet culture behind. They are aware it is no longer serving them, they either don’t want to, or are physically unable to continue, and they are seeking help. Most are fairly new to Intuitive Eating and Health at Every Size (™). They are usually interested in body image work as well as basic ‘holistic health’ type changes. I would say half of my clients have some sort of diagnosed eating disorder behavior in their past OR a mental health/substance abuse history. I do not work with anyone in active ED behavior or recovery.
What do you enjoy most about what you do?
I love seeing how the world of my client gets so much bigger after each call. Everything is being opened UP. They can eat more, they have more time, more freedom, they say yes more, they say no more, they are seeing things in a way they never did before. They are reading more books, or trying out new things like podcasts or therapy or journaling. It’s really fun watching this take place and hearing their excitement for life seep back in.
Why eating disorders treatment? What drives you?
I saw how my obsession with food and body stole so much of my energy and time. It was so insidious and sneaky. I could only see it in my rear-view mirror and that is what scares me the most. How blind I was and yet how educated I was around the topic. I want to help others either reverse, or avoid, the dangers I struggled with. Also, I want to fight back against the people who profit off of the victims of diet culture.
Who are your favorite social media influencers in the non-diet, recovery, body liberation space?
My mentor and friend Isabel Foxen Duke sends out the best emails, but rarely posts on social media! Not sure if that counts… She is a timeless podcast guest, and always brings her A-game. I really enjoy podcasts. They are such an easy, FREE way for people to learn and absorb the latest news and nuanced information. My favorite IE personalities are Christy Harrison, who does the Food Psych podcast, and Paige Smathers, who does the Nutrition Matters podcast. For body image is has to be Hilary and Dana over at Be Nourished, and the sisters Lexie and Lindsay of Beauty Redefined.
What is/are your favorite book/s or resource that have made a difference in the way you work?
Hands down the work of Brene Brown. It has become the backbone of all of my Intuitive Eating, HAES(™), and coaching training. Understanding how our need for acceptance, love, and belonging ties into every choice we make, totally changed the game for me. Realizing that we are hard-wired to avoid shame, whatever the cost may be, helped connect the dots of WHY people do the things we do. It was the perfect companion to the biology and science.
What is one non-diet, Intuitive Eating, or Health at Every Size® pearl of wisdom you’d like to share?
I was a hairstylist for 12 years before becoming a coach.. and I actually snuck in some culinary training/jobs as well. So here are of my favorite tips from each of my previous careers
~ Always use a bigger bowl than you think you need.
~ A falling knife has no handle, throw your hands up and jump back.
~ Wash your hair half as much as you think you should; invest in a shower cap.
~ When looking for a new stylist just go in for a blow dry, if they can style it how you like it, they can probably cut it how you like it!