Glenn Livingston, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and author of Never Binge Again, a manual for overcoming emotional eating and gaining control over your relationship with food.
My health improved when Glenn coached me on my own food foibles (Clif bars were my nemesis, and I haven't touched a single one in at least five years). And my health coaching improved when I began incorporating the Never Binge Again principles into my work with clients.
Glenn and I meet on Skype roughly every couple of weeks to record some piece of content for his blog and podcast. Over that time, I recently realized, Glenn has altered various aspects of the Never Binge Again system.
Things that he once believed completely are now more nuanced, or conditional.
Some elements have been added; others deemphasized.
Through years of working with thousands of clients, Glenn has refined his methodology, and continues to do so.
We got on the Skype (which crapped out halfway through, when we shifted to the Zoom) to talk about how Never Binge Again has evolved.
Which encompassed both the content, and Glenn's rare willingness (eagerness, even) to learn and grow and adapt to be more effective.
When I think about the "guru" or "health influencer" business, it's really unusual to find someone who, when faced with a client who's not succeeding, looks to improve their system rather than blaming the client for their own failure.
I know I'm always tempted to stick with what I know. And it takes a ton of self-discipline to resist the siren song of confirmation bias.
So Glenn is a great role model for those of us seeking to help others through education and coaching.
We spoke about how Glenn's approach to language has shifted, to bridge the gap for people who aren't yet capable of hearing their "Food Monster" in the moment.
We talked about the "hack" of eating something crunchy with lunch, to address what Glenn suspects might be built up oral aggression. (Again, we're not standing by theories, but observing what actually helps people succeed.)
We spoke about the myth of extreme bioindividuality, how food companies hijack our taste buds by combining chips with slightly different flavor profiles in the same bag, and how Never Binge Again can work with Intuitive and Mindful Eating, rather than contradicting those approaches.
And much more.
Links
NeverBingeAgain.com