| This web site is created to have you find a support group program or a workshop for people with eating disorders, their family and friends.
THE MISSION
The mission of the groups and workshops is to empower people with eating disorders to live a life they love.
THE PURPOSE
The purpose is to have the participants create what is possible without an eating disorder and to empower actions in line with their newly discovered commitments.
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The Transformation Group Program
About The Transformation Group Program
The Group is designed for people committed to transforming their lives by defeating eating disorders (ED). During the course of the meetings, attention will be given to the constant disempowering conversations in our heads which result in a life we do not enjoy. These old conversations will be replaced with new, empowering conversations resulting in actions and ways of being that will have the participants create a life they love.
The Promise
The promise of the Group is to give the participants the experience of being in charge of what is happening to them, empowering them to make a different choice at any moment in order to live the life they envision. A life where you get to say how it will look like.
What Does The Group Provide?
Tools that will empower the participants to make fulfilling choices.
A supportive environment to practice empowering conversations.
A team that supports the participants to take actions.
Coaching to identify solutions that are hidden from the participant's view.
What Does The Group Include?
Meetings: Weekly meeting with all participants, the group leader and group coaches.
Buddy Conversations: A weekly 'buddy conversation' with a different buddy (group participant ) each week.
Coaching Calls: 30 minutes coaching conversations with the coaches are available as per your request.
EMail Support: EMail support by group participants and group coaches throughout the week.
What is Coaching?
As additional service coaching is available for people who participate in the group. Coaching is not giving advice nor is it therapy. Coaching focuses on the present and the future. A coach is trained in listening and in assisting you to uncover solutions that work for you but are hidden from your view. The coach will ask questions, will distinguish views you have and will distinguish the impact of these views on the quality of your life. A coach will invite you to look for other possible views e.g. views that empower you to take actions that are consistent with your commitments.
A coach is supporting you in getting what you say you are committed to have.
What is Requested of You to Participate in the Group?
Make youself available to attend all group meetings.
Have a weekly buddy conversation over the phone
Be open to share and to support group participants via email.
The Transformation Group meets weekly. Suggested contribution twenty dollars per meeting payable at the first meeting in full for all four sessions. Starting date see sidebar. To register please send email to transform_ group@yahoo.com.
The Advanced Transformation Group Program
About The Advanced Transformation Group Program
The program is designed to have the particpants practice - in a more intentional way - to create a life that they are passionate about.
The Promise
The promise of the Advanced Group is to give the participants the experience of creating a life revolving around their passions and real commitments and not around their ED.
What Does The Group Provide?
Tools that will empower the participants to keep their goals/passions alive and exciting, to create their environment, to create freedom from stress and overwhelm, to produce the results desired because you get to say .
A supportive environment to practice empowering conversations.
A team that supports the participants to take actions.
Coaching to identify solutions that are hidden from the participant's view.
What Does The Group Include?
Meetings: Bi-monthly meetings with all participants, the group leader & coaches.
Buddy Conversations: At least one 3-way buddy conversation between meetings.
Coaching Calls: Access to three group coaching conversations between meetings.
EMail Support: EMail support by group participants and group coaches throughout the week.
What is Requested of You to Participate in the Group?
Make youself available to attend all group meetings.
Declare a measurable goal that you are passionate about and that you would like to accomplish as a result of your participation in the group.
Have a 3-way phone buddy conversation.
Participate in at least one group coaching call.
Be open to share and to support group participants via email.
The Advanced Transformation Group meets bi-monthly. Please send an email to transform_ group@yahoo.com if you are interested to join.
Transformation for graduates
About Transformation for graduates
Transformation for graduates connects all participants who ever completed a Transformation Group. The bi-monthly conference serves as a structure for support empowering you to continue your own transformation. Exchange ideas and views, possible ways of taking actions and ways of being. Ask for coaching. Create yourself an abundance of support.
Transformation for graduates via conference bi-monthly. You may join the conference call whenever you choose to. Please send an email to transform_ group@yahoo.com to inquire about the password. Suggested contribution ten dollars
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Friends and Family
About the Friends and Family Group Program
As a friend or family member of a person who suffers from an eating disorder you are invited to participate in a friends and family support group program or a friends and family workshop (see workshops).
The Friends and Family Group Program is designed to empower participants to recreate the relationship with the person who suffers from ED and to regain a sense of freedom and power over it. The group assists the participants to distinguish their way of being in the relationship, what works and what does not work and offers tools to redesign the relationship as well as to take actions that are in line with the participant's goal.
The Friends and Family Group meets bi-monthly. Please send an email to transform_ group@yahoo.com to inquire about the next starting date for the next group.
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Workshops/Coaching
Workshops for People Suffering from Anorexia or Bulimia
The workshop is about distinguishing how we empower our ED on a daily basis. We will take a look at how our ED serves us and how everything in our life is structured to make room for it. Our daily practices, our ways of being, our conversations all of it keeps our ED in place. The workshop is designed to uncover what we have in place, how it benefits us and what it costs us. Once we see it we get to say and we will have a choice. During the workshop we get to create actions that are in line with what WE choose.
There is a 20 dollar registration fee. Please send an email to transform_group@yahoo.com to register.
Workshops for Friends and Family
The workshop is about distinguishing our current relationship with the person who suffers from anorexia or bulimia. Distinguishing what relationship we are committed to have and creating actions that will fulfill on that commitment.
There is a 40 dollar registration fee, Student fee $30. Please send an email to transform_group@yahoo.com to register.
Workshops Combined (Participants bring Friends and Family)
Most of the people around us are confused about our ED and somehow helpless not knowing how to deal with people who have ED. Our friends and family might be stressed walking on eggshells never knowing if what they do will support us or make us explode. The workshop is an opportunity to have anybody in our life see how the world occurs to us and to see how the world occurs to them. Your participation will not only transform the relationship with the person you bring but also with other people in your life who do not suffer from ED. We will discuss what an eating disorder means to people who have one and what it means to people who do not have one, the effects of eating disorders on relationships, and we will discuss actions we can take to support each other.
There is a 30 dollar registration fee that covers you and your guest. If you like to bring more than one guest, please let me know. Please send an email to transform_group@yahoo.com to register.
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Coaching Services
What is Coaching?
As additional service coaching is available upon request.
Coaching is not giving advice nor is it therapy. Coaching does not depend on the resolution of the past. Coaching focuses on the present and the future. A coach is trained in listening and in assisting to uncover solutions that work for the person but are hidden from one’s view. The coach will ask questions, will distinguish a person’s view and will distinguish the impact of that view on the quality of life. A coach will invite to look for other possible views, views that are an opening for taking actions consistent with a person’s commitment.
Coaching via Phone
Coaching over the phone can be scheduled according to your needs. It is a great tool if you are not able to participate in a weekly group. Coaching on a regular basis for 30 minutes once or twice a week will give you the best results in getting what you say you like to accomplish. Please send an email to transform_group@yahoo.com to schedule a free introductory conversation.
EMail Coaching
Email coaching is available combined with coaching by phone. Both can be structured according to your needs. It is useful to have a weekly 30 minutes coaching conversation and have one or two email coaching responses based on the actions that you have taken throughout the week.
Please send an email to transform_group@yahoo.com to schedule a free introductory conversation.
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About Us
Andrea Thomas: Group Facilitator and Coach
Andrea has facilitated The Transformation Group Programs for three years. She also facilitates a group for parents / friends and family and offers workshops. She has coached many individuals with and without eating disorder.
The Transformation Group Program is a result of Andrea transforming her life after feeling the full impact of living a life trapped in her views and conversations about herself and others. Recognizing her disempowering conversation and being coachable empowered her to make choices that were given by her commitments and not by her eating disorder.
Andrea re-invented her life. She re-designed her relationships, her career and her purpose in life. She chose to leave investment banking after 15 years and became a labor and delivery nurse. She committed her life to make a difference and to empower people to design a life they love.
Contact Us
transform_group@yahoo.com
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Reviews
Participants from The Transformation Group Programs wrote:
This program is really life-changing and positively affected my life. I learned that I am not alone with my eating disorder and that it's indeed possible to gain control over it instead of it controlling me. The environment was so supportive, non-judgemental, caring and understanding; for the first time in my life, I was able to be honest with myself and others about my struggle. I learned of tools to use to avoid giving in to my eating disorder and began to see light in my life as a result of putting them to use. It's still all a work in progress, but overall, my life is better. I would recommend it to everyone who is struggling and wants effective help ...it's definitely there! -----L. 30 yo
Thank you Andrea!I have been doing some great work this weekend. I am communicating to my finace more and more every day and it has been working. This morning we both had a moment where I had a really good glimpse of the other side. I am sure it will come more and more often as my muscle for shooing my old conversation away is practiced. The idea about not even engaging in food conversation is becoming more and more clear of the fact that I will lose if I choose to have that conversation. I just keep trying to change the subject and to engage in something that lights me up other than food! Thank you again for all these little daily reminders that will guide me to have my life back!!! ---- L. 24 yo
First of all Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! for the group. It has made such a huge impact on my life. The Transformation Group taught me that not only was I able to create the kind of life that I want to lead, but that I had the RIGHT to create it. Andrea and Felix with their unwavering dedication helped me learn how to create an empowering and loving environment for myself. Since joining the group I've been able to communicate more honestly with myself and others, helping me to realize that I am not alone with my ED and giving me the strength to overcome it one day at a time. I can never thank them or the group enough! ----R. (Anorexic/Binge Eating 1 year)
"I am 24 years old and for the first time in 8 years, I can claim I do not really have an eating disorder. Throughout this time I tried several types of treatment, from psychologists to nutritionists and support groups. Though all of these factors contributed something towards my improvement by making me more and more aware of my "issue", none of them actually helped me STOP it. That is the problem with most methods to cure ED - or any disorder for that matter - they simply make you conscious of the problem, but they do not tell you how to get rid of it. The Transformation Group is different. It focuses on ACTIONS, on real practices that you can incorportate, little by little, into your daily life. These actions (attainable goals) are life-transforming. The discussions go beyond what you "feel" and "think". They actually work to improve your life on every level. This has been tremendously helpful: learning how to stop dreaming what you want and actually attaining it. Dreams don't work if they are not taken to practice.
With this method Andrea and Felix have created an intimate, open group where participants are encouraged to construct relationships with the other participants in the team. I cannot stress how valuable this has been because it taught us how to reach out to people on a deeper level. I think a huge part of ED is a fear of people and the world. Through the group I have learnt to share and connect with people. I have learnt that I do not need to fear rejection because people can and have valued me in the deepest sense. I wish that others could experience this. I believe in this group and will continue to participate because it is not only a cure for ED, it is a life philosophy that has made me a fuller person." ----- A.
"Thanks so much for the close guidance. I truly feel that I am being supported. I have completed two days and am going to do a third day because it feels really good even though at some point it is really hard to resist the urge... if I say I am not going to do it I WON't... I think that I am beginning to see that I do have a commitment and that there is a hope and other things out in the world that is not just manipulation of food...." ----- B.
"I just want to let you know how appreciative I am of who you are and what you do. You are like Mother Theresa for heaven sakes!! Out of all the therapy and treatment I have undergone for this rotten disease, your theories and practices have helped the most. I really consider you to be very powerful- and you could empower the whole world if you wanted to!! I gotta thank you for your kindness and presence in our lives when no one else was there for us. You really are doing astounding things for this group and I feel extra special to know someone like you." ----- A.
"Here is what the group has done for me: it has provided an open forum where I feel free and comfortable to share any and everything on my mind. I like that there are no rigid rules i.e. that we ONLY have to talk SPECIFICALLY about eating disorder but I also find it very helpful to have some structure i.e. when Andrea/Felix ask that we all answer a spcific question. I like that we all sit in a circle an that we are in a home. It feels safe and the atmoshphere is calming with the diet soda and water and the candles. Unlike other groups I have been to, neither of you is afraid to share about yourselves or to reach out and physically touch any of us (i.e. hug). Other groups that I have been with have been very cold in that I never know ANYTHING about the person that I am talking to and I don't feel like I could get a hug if I started to cry. At the same time your group is also not OVERLY "touchy-feely" in that there is never any forced "group hug" time.
The structure is very good. Coaching calls add an extra something that most other groups do not answer. I also like that you trust us enough to call each other. We are actually given the power to help one another heal. In other groups, it is NOT encouraged to meet outside of group. It is helpful to have a man and a woman as well. My first and favorite therapist for my ED was a man and I think that it's good expecially for women in the group who might have certain pre-conceived notions about what men think about ED. You both work very hard to break down any sort of barriers or discomfort that we might have. I like that you don't push us to talk or to participate more than we want to but you also don't let us NOT participate. In other groups, if someone didn't talk voluntarily, No ONE would ask them what was wrong. Additionally, I like the theme of having "conversations" with ourselves and changing our whole dialogue. I like that the focus is on changing our perceptions and making us work to think of OTHER ways that we can view a situation. I also like that you treat us like adults. You are not afraid to joke with us or to tell us to participate more. By treating us as if we were stronger, we BECOME STRONGER." ----- K.
"Thank you for your great presence and for the group. You've helped me perform miracles in my life and I am so grateful! Love, A."
"Thank you! I swear I owe so much (if not all) to you. This is day 6!!!!" ----- M.
"The Transformation Group was extremely helpful to me. I am a 25 year old female who has been suffering from anorexia for seven years. Over the past seven years, I have been in outpatient therapy, groups, and day treatment programs, as well as on medication treatment and in nutritional counseling. I have also been to three in-patient stays (Renfrew, Long Island Jewish, and Cornell Westchester. Out of all the treatment experiences I have had, The Transformation Group provided the most active, realistic, and supportive environment for me to actually take true steps towards change. The group was formed by and eating discorder recoverer, along with another coach who did not have an eating disorder. Together, they offered support and perspectives from someone who has truly "been through it all" (a wonderufl role model!) as well as the perspective of someone without an eating disorder.
The Transformation group used unique approaches that I have not encountered in other groups and therapies. Some of these approaches include choosing values and goals that you are committed to, planning and taking actions that honor these commitments (rather than acting on changing feelings/impulsivity/fears), giving up the stubborn conversations we make up in our heads to empower our eating disorder e.g. "If I eat that food things will be out of control and I will mess up at work today". Through group conversation, structured buddy calls with weekly assigned group members, weekly coaching calls with the two leaders, and group email forums, I have been able to identify my commitments and goals, plan/share/and take actions that are consitent with these commitments, and actually see progress in my thoughts, values, eating, and exercise behaviors. The group has helped me to practice new thoughts and actions that are consistent with my goals and commitments. The opportunity to give and to get feedback from group members and from two incredible coaches has been so empowering and has helped me organize and take real action toward my recovery. I love being part of this "community" spirit and giving/receiving support to/from others as we learn and adopt the principles and approaches of the Transformation Group together." ----- C.
"From the first time I went to a meeting, I felt so welcome and accepted. It's a great feeling to be able to share emotions, actions, and setbacks with others who are struggling with many of the same issues. Andrea and Felix have an incredible amount of patience, warmth, and insight. They have been a great help in getting me to see my potential, not only in battling my eating disorder, but in my personal and professional life as well. This group is great for people of any age who want to face their e.d. My heartfelt thanks to Andrea and Felix!" ----- M.
"Here is what the Transformation Group has meant to me: I have been suffering on and off from bulimia for about ten years. When I moved to New York City and found myself in a relapse of bulimia, I wanted a place to go once or twice a week and talk to other people who had the same habits as I did - and not just talk to a therapist. The Transformation Group has shown me how similar I am to most people on Earth, and how my coping mechanism should not be shamed or shaming - it is just what I do. But it does happen to reduce the quality of my life and in order to have the fulfilled life of my dreams, I choose to take my ED out of my life. I have learned that the voices in my head do not make me who I am, and that every person, black, white, fate, thin, tall, short, beautiful, ugly etc. has a voice in their head.
I finally understand that I can CREATE my own life! I can choose the life I want the most. And that it is okay to be scared. Your little voice will eventually realize that you're not trying to hurt yourself by thinking differently, but rather you are trying to help yourself. I can really see now that there is a possiblity for true intimacy and trust in my life - and that I can create it if I am only brave enough to share of myself. Mostly, I can see the glimmerings of the future and present that I have and want and that all I have to do is to make some commitments to fulfill on those dreams. Mostly, I think I "knew" all of this before the TG, but now I know that I "understand" it and what it means to be and how to accomplish what I want to and why." ----- J.
Participants from the Friends and Family Support Program wrote:
"I want to acknowledge Andrea for running the group and doing it so well. I want to acknowledge your compassion and good sense; your good humor and insight. I thank you more than I can say. You're the top!"
Best, L.
"Last night's meeting was very helpful for me. I'm feeling a renewed sense of hope and energy. In particular, "What would you like to be acknowledged for today?" is a wonderful question that I think really gets to the heart of the matter. Thanks for all you do."
- S.
" ... I've also been seeing so many positive changes from J. lately so I'm feeling particularly receptive to you terrific suggestions! I should also recognize that I have been MUCH calmer with her and much more my real self...Anyway, thanks again for the words of wisdom... see you next week..."
- B.
Privacy
All communications held in strictest confidence.
Contributions
If you like to contribute to expand the programs, please contact us at
transform_group@yahoo.com
Thank you for visiting this website.
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