Coach Lara's Story

I became a member of the Eating Disorder Community over 20 years ago. I didn’t wake up one day and decide to join. It just came on gradually, until it had it’s hooks in me. Unfortunately, this Eating Disorder destroyed many of my dreams for my future, lost me friends, saddened my family, and almost cost me my life. Fortunately, at this low point, I sought professional help and treatment. I completed treatment and counseling and became a speaker for ANAD and for South Coast Medical Hospital in Laguna Beach, CA. Later, I became a private chef for a transitional eating disorder home.
My major life goal was to increase awareness of the issues of eating disorders and hope for recovery. But the journey to recovery was not smooth or straight, and I fell into a lengthy relapse but this time it wasn’t just the Eating Disorder that had it’s hooks in me. I had crossed the invisible line from having drinks with friends to using alcohol to cope with the pain from the Eating Disorder.
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My dark years:

I can recall the exhaustion, disconnect from everything, and overall fear of my eating disorder and drinking like yesterday. I remember feeling like joy had been missing from my life. I would try to stop the behaviors that were keeping me sick, but the best of all, my efforts led me to another painful relapse.

 

 I felt trapped with fear of letting go of the eating disorder on one side and overwhelming hopelessness on the other. In the final years, drinking became the solution to stopping the Eating Disorder thoughts. After too many years wasting away in the vicious cycle of it all, I surrendered and accepted help. However, with much support and treatment, tentative willingness and faltering courage, and many ups, downs, and plateaus, I slowly started making small but lasting changes that gradually turned into an evolving recovery journey and finally, a lasting,

recovered life. This time I began to work on a recovery program really and sincerely. I sought help from other women who really knew and recognized the problems and issues of having an Eating Disorder and alcoholism. They understood the concurring issues of addiction and depression. Rebecca Cooper, founder of Rebecca’s House and author of Diets Don’t Work, my mentor.

Lara Reaves Mofidi

Lara Reaves Mofidi

 

 

The Other Side:

When I arrived at a place of meaningful recovery, my first career as a hairstylist made me acknowledge how much I enjoyed listening to others, but I still had this urge to want to help people like me. My mentor Rebecca Copper asked me one day what I wanted to do deep down inside in my gut. I blurted out, “I want to others with Eating Disorders!” I started training with Rebeca shortly after that. Working side by side with Rebecca was and is a dream come true. Her clinical expertise and decades of recovery have given me an education I would have never experienced during a psychology master’s program. I got to watch the master at work and assist her with building a virtual Disorder Eating program, seminars on Eating Disorder Treatment, workshops, and writing projects. The experience was inspiring, and watching people make peace with food and their bodies after everything felt like witnessing miracles after some time. I realized that the Recovery coaching aspect of the work was what I loved the most and felt the most passionate about pursuing. I received my certification as an Eating Disorder Recovery Coach from The Rebecca’s Foundation Institute. There I was supervised and trained directly under Rebecca Cooper, world-renowned eating disorder therapist, author, and founder of Rebecca’s House residential treatment center. I also volunteered as a Recovery Mentor. This experience helped plant the seed for wanting to become a recovery coach. I found it deeply rewarding to be a part of someone else’s transformative journey towards a deeper, more peaceful relationship with food, addiction, and themselves. Through looking at the causes, effects, and social pressures, I grew my awareness of how much needed to be done to help people with Eating Disorders and mental health. As a recovered anorexic, bulimic, and alcoholic, I realized my new mission was increasing awareness of multiple aspects of the problem, guiding people in steps on the journey to recovery, and educating the public about the seriousness of eating disorders.

Since recovery, I have worked in a residential clinical setting, adolescent mental health facilities and am well-versed in communicating with a treatment team. I believe in a 12 Step approach but do not use the 12 Steps within the coaching services. Each client that is interested in the 12 Steps will be asked to consider getting a sponsor. I am the Chief Operations Officer of The Rebecca’s Eating Disorder Foundation, where we fund men and women who want to get treatment.

 

Today:

My home is in beautiful Southern California, where I live with my beloved husband Amir and our two dogs Ariel and Ernest. In my free time now, at last, I enjoy doing what I genuinely love. Lately, this has been a lot of writing, playing with my dogs, service work (collecting and donating food and clothes for charities), gardening, and watching I Love Lucy. I also continue to value and love doing the things that helped me recover by continuing to deepen my sense of spirituality and connection with the world – 12 step support groups, prayer and meditation, journaling, walking in nature, and reading a mix of spiritual and self-help books. 

My Certifications & Trainings:

Certified Eating Disorder Recovery Coach from The Rebecca’s Foundation Institute

Chief Operations Officer and Coach for Rebecca’s Eating Disorder Foundation

Body Image Training for Clinicians: The Missing Piece of Whole-Body Healing with Marci Evans, CEDRD-S & Fiona Sutherland

Certified Holistic Nutrition Practitioner from Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, Tempe AZ.

 
 

WHY RECOVERY COACHING & HOLISTIC NUTRITION:

Working as a recovery coach feels like such a gift after years of struggling myself. Becoming really and honestly free from the grips of an Eating Disorder and addiction lifestyle was a wise educator and is an accomplishment that gives me pride. I am a survivor and a miracle. That is why I want to share my recovery. When I share my story and the tools that guided me to freedom, I do the work the universe has always intended me to do. I am remaining honest to my True Healthy Self. I feel incredibly grateful to be able to do this work today.

I value the holistic approach by looking into each client’s story and using healing methods that enhance the mind and body, and soul. Everything we need to heal is within every one of us. By learning natural tools to tap into our innermost self, the relationship to trust and love ourselves and our bodies become the bridge to freedom and, finally, a lasting, recovered life.

My Philosophy for Coaching & Recovery:

As a coach, my most honorable role is to help you access and strengthen your True Healthy Self. The True Self has always been inside, waiting to be nurtured and heard. The more in-depth part of you that never truly disappears. While working together, I will guide you gently back to honoring your True Self so that ultimately it is you that soothes yourself when you feel uncomfortable (not anyone else or any other behavior.) You will learn to trust your mind, body, and soul. 

  • The question throughout recovery changes from “What am I recovering from?” to “What am I recovering to?”
  • Recovery means having to let go of behaviors that feel safe. We want to honor that process and give you a safe space to grieve and detach with compassion.
  • Recovery is an Adventure. Just like an adventure, there will be ups and downs, lows and highs, and my favorite fun laughs and getting back the joys of life. 
  • The recovery adventure is unique for everyone and takes many different paths, and evolves over time.  
  • The recovery adventure may turn out to be a marvelous instructor and source of growth. 
  • During the recovery adventure, I am merely a guide, while you are the connoisseur of you. My job is to shine a light on the path towards your hopes and your dreams. 
  •   As your guide, sometimes, I will gently nudge you forwards, and sometimes, I will rest with you and hold you in a safe space. I will present different directions with patience and confidence that I know from my training and experience will help your recovery. However, it is your path and pace to choose.
  • My goal is to help you get more deeply in touch with your inner compass and True Self. 

 

Initial Consultation:

I offer a free 20-minute discovery call, so that we can determine if working together would be
a good fit!

Connect with me to schedule this. I would love to hear from you.

Schedule Coaching Session with Lara