Dr. Barbara Kiersz 2022: Learn to Thrive

DeliveryRank has the pleasure of chatting with Dr. Barbara Kiersz about her work as a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, her background and her goals.

Can you describe to our readers the principle of Osteopathic Medicine and why you chose to pursue this path?

In the US, Osteopathic Medicine is your typical allopathic medicine; medication, prescription etc.. but also has the aspect of treating the patient or person as a whole; body, mind, soul. There are basically four principles to Osteopathic Medicine that can be resumed as: the body is self healing is self regulating and there is a relationship between structure and function.

I am originally from Argentina and, in general, doctors there look at people as a body, mind and soul. If there is a headache, is it simply a headache or could it be tension, something in your gut, could it be that you are stressed? There are different perspectives that are looked at. When I arrived in the States, osteopathic medicine looked at all of these aspects, and while allopathic medicine is now starting to take these into account, at the time it did not. 

What is your definition of ‘thriving’ and would you say only an elite few are able to attain this?

For me personally, thriving means that with your current life circumstances (mental, physical and emotional) you are looking at what you can do best to maximize the happiness, wellness and overall well being in your life. I definitely think anyone can achieve this and thrive in their life. It is a matter of finding the right team to support you, whether this be at home, your friends, health care providers and counselors... 

Does intuitive eating = natural weight loss?

No, although there may be a very small relationship for some people. In general, Intuitive Eating does not focus on body weight at all. In terms of body size or weight it focuses rather on that we all have a body set weight range that usually varies from 10-20 pounds up and down depending on the person. This means that a person will almost always fall back to a specific range of weight. 

With intuitive eating, one may gain weight, stay the same or lose weight. It focuses on following your own hunger and fullness. Your body eventually leads you to this body weight range. It is difficult to say what will happen with intuitive eating and one needs at least six months to a year, and sometimes more, to have a better estimation of your body weight range.

Often people who have come from a chronic dieting background will typically lose weight because dieting, as we all know, ends up in weight gain in the long run. There is no direct link however, and I always say, no expectations. 

Speaking from personal experience, what advice do you have for those who are looking to embark on a journey towards wellness?

Intuitive Eating is trying to maximize your own body’s wellness by following what it needs for nourishment. The first step is shutting down all the voices that we hear in society, including sometimes from a healthcare provider unfortunately. 

I am also an adaptive and inquisitive trainer in terms of physical activity for crossfit. Someone may walk in with a prosthetic arm, another may be in a wheelchair, and another with no physical concerns. I have to work with these three cases in a very different way and adapt what I do to each case. The same applies for wellness. 

Regardless of all the information on the internet that we have at our fingertips on Wellness, it is listening to our body that becomes the key to success. We need to go back to our primal intuition and listen to what our body is saying. This is how you get to your specific wellness and way of thriving. There is a general blueprint and this is when you start listening to your team (healthcare provider, family, friends..). This together with your own intuition in your body is where the journey towards wellness begins.

Is there a specific methodology you apply when working with your clients?

During the first session, we will establish the client’s goals. I look to see where, in the overall journey of intuitive eating, how ready they may be to ditch diets and believe that there is unlimited or unconditional permission to eat. Perhaps they have already done this and want to look in the mirror and have a better image of themselves. 

After we establish our goals, depending on where the client is at, I plan our sessions and homework for each week and use a lot of resources from the Certified Intuitive Eating course. Again, there is a general blueprint but I individualize this as much as I can.

If you would like to find out more about Dr. Barbara Kiersz, visit ​​https://doctorbarbycom.wordpress.com/