If you’ve ever stared at a plate of food, a mirror, a workout plan, or your own reflection in the Zoom camera and thought, “Am I doing this right? Am I right?”... hi, welcome to doubt.
In our latest episode of If You Have Feelings, host Rae Thomas sits down with therapists and certified intuitive eating counselors Jen Elliott and Priscilla ("Cilla") to talk about feeling doubtful in a world obsessed with “wellness,” thinness, and doing recovery perfectly.
Before We Dive In
If you’ve ever second-guessed a decision after making it, felt suddenly unsure about something that felt totally fine five minutes ago, or asked five different people for their opinion even though you already knew your own, then you’re going to feel deeply seen by this minisode "I'm Feeling: Doubtful."
🎧 Listen to the I’m Feeling: Doubtful minisode on →
Once you’ve felt that little “oh sh*t, this is me” recognition, go listen to the full epsiode with Jen and Cilla.
Why Doubt Hits So Hard in Diet Culture
Doubt isn’t always loud like anger or shame. As Priscilla puts it, it’s often: “Quiet… hiding in plain sight.”
It shows up as:
- Second-guessing every hunger cue
- Wondering if you’re “doing recovery right”
- Feeling like you can’t trust your body or your brain
- Needing someone else (a scale, a plan, a “rule”) to tell you you’re okay
Over time, those doubts stop feeling like questions and start feeling like truth.
This is how diet culture wins and how disordered eating gets reinforced.
When Intuitive Eating Isn’t Simple
This episode is very clear on one thing: intuitive eating is not some magic, aesthetic Pinterest board.
Intuitive eating gets complicated by food insecurity, neurodivergence, and trauma.
Honoring hunger doesn’t always work when grief or meds kill your appetite.
Some folks need structure with flexibility as a bridge between rigid dieting and full intuitive eating.
Jen shares how she often helps clients build a middle ground:
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Keeping some gentle structure (regular meals, reminders to eat)
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While slowly practicing trust, flexibility, and choice
Rae talks about realizing that even after years of being “in recovery,” it took almost another decade to actually eat intuitively, because letting go of control meant living in straight-up doubt for a while.
Turning Doubt Into a Signal, Not a Threat
One of the most powerful parts of this conversation is how Jen and Cilla reframe doubt:
Not as proof you’re failing. But as evidence that you’re doing something new
Cilla reminds us: “It’s not about fixing this feeling, it’s about reclaiming your relationship with the feeling.”
Instead of letting doubt scream, “You’re doing it wrong,” you start to notice it as, “Of course I feel uncertain. I’m doing something I’ve never done before. And I can still choose what’s best for me.”
That’s where self-trust starts to rebuild:
Tiny moments. Tiny choices. Over and over.
About Cilla
Priscilla "Cilla" Moore, LCSW, MSW, Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor (she/her/hers) is a therapist, writer, and believer in the sacredness of the in-between. My work lives where recovery meets real life
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About Jen
Jen Elliott, MSW, LCSW (she/her) is a therapist, social worker, podcast host, and certified intuitive eating counselor. She specializes in working with clients with eating disorders, disordered eating, body image concerns, and those who have been told they are ‘too sensitive’ or ‘too much’. Jen loves helping clients better understand their eating disorders, learn to feel less overwhelmed by big emotions, embrace their neurodiversity, and navigate the challenges that can come with communicating their needs. In her free time, Jen enjoys doing art projects, yoga, and hanging out with her spouse, Kris,, cat, Baby, and Corgi puppy, Potato.
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