What if recovery isn’t a clean line from sick to healed—but a lifelong dance in the middle?

In this honest and beautifully layered episode of Write Your Own Story, Betsy sits down with author, professor, and mom Mallary Tenore Tarpley, whose debut book Slip sheds light on the overlooked space between full recovery and active struggle with an eating disorder.

Mallary shares her deeply personal story—losing her mother at age 11, developing an eating disorder as a way to stay “small and safe,” and spending years stuck in a shame-filled cycle of relapse and perfectionism. But this conversation isn’t just about struggle—it’s about resilience, self-compassion, and redefining what progress looks like.

They talk about:
– The "messy middle" of recovery and what it really feels like
– How grief, trauma, and control intertwine with disordered eating
– Why body neutrality (not body positivity) might be the key to healing
– How to support your child if you notice disordered patterns
– The power of storytelling, self-reflection, and rewriting the narrative
– And why perfection is not the goal—presence is

This episode is a gentle yet powerful reminder that healing isn’t binary—and you don’t have to wait until you’re “all better” to live a full, meaningful life.

CONNECT WITH MALLARY AND PRE-ORDER HER BOOK:
Pre-order: https://www.amazon.com/Slip-Middle-Eating-Disorder-Recovery/dp/1668035014/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2UCHT6P1W9XED&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.nRhn0CUYUiyfnkVFhvf0JA.3NXKK1Q3CjK1D3y3NjF9F7CWRb2GaFR8rEcwCXRYFoo&dib_tag=se&keywords=slip+mallary&qid=1752851594&sprefix=slip+mallary%2Caps%2C141&sr=8-1
Personal website: https://www.mallarytenoretarpley.com/
Book Tour Info: https://mallary.substack.com/p/announcing-the-slip-book-tour
Weekly newsletter: https://mallary.substack.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mallarytenoretarpley/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallary-tenore-tarpley-6719484/

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