Improve Your Relationship to Improve Your Health with Dr. Mikhila Wildey, PhD

The Innovative Therapist

Episode 88. When you think of your health and your health-related goals, what are the main areas you evaluate? Your eating habits Exercise routine Health data like weight, cholesterol levels, etc. What often is not considered as the first thought are things like sleep, stress and social relationships. And one of the (many) ways that diet culture and over focus on weight loss can be harmful, is when it distracts us from the work that would truly be beneficial to our health long-term. Today, we dive into one of those most important topics, your relationships. Mostly today we will focus on your romantic relationships, in my discussion with my good friend Dr. Mikhila Wildey, a true relationship expert. What to Expect in this Interview In this interview, we cover: How your relationships (particularly your romantic relationship) affect your health The ways in which over-focus on body and weight can distract us from more deeper truths that would lead to true healing What does it mean to be "co-dependent", how common is it, and when should we be concerned about it? How to respond if your partner is making unhelpful comments about your eating or your body What to do if you fear (or have been told) that your partner is no longer attracted to you due to body changes And much more! Ready to Break the Emotional Eating Cycle for Good? Ready to stop avoiding and break the binge eating cycle for good? The first step is to tune in to your body with curiosity and awareness. Grab the free step-by-step guide today! Grab my free guide to disrupt the cycle of emotional eating today! Who is Dr. Mikhila Wildey, PhD? Dr. Wildey is a psychology professor at Grand Valley State University and clinical psychologist who has a private practice specializing in couples therapy. She received her PhD in clinical psychology at Michigan State University, and then worked in outpatient therapy with both individual adults and couples for two years prior to starting at Grand Valley State University in 2015. Since beginning her work at Grand Valley, she has maintained a limited private practice where she works exclusively with couples. In her role at the university, Dr. Wildey teaches courses in Psychopathology, Behavior Modification, and the department's practicum (or internship) course. She also conducts research on couple dynamics, mentors students, and currently serves as Assistant Chair of Advising, Enrollment, and Curriculum Development within the department. She is passionate about teaching and helping students find their own path in life. In her clinical work, she primarily uses an Emotionally-Focused therapeutic approach to help couples build stronger and more connected relationships. Dr. Wildey spends her free time with her husband and two children, and she loves to travel and explore new places both locally and abroad. You can read about her private practice here and visit her faculty webpage here. "When you have that relationship where you can lean on your partner and you can talk to them to things that are the scariest deepest darkest secrets that you can it can feel so empowering, it can feel like all of the other burdens and weights have been lifted in some way because you have this stable base that you can go back to and fall back on even when the external stress gets really rough."- Mikhila Wildey, PhD Support Local Bookstores Near You! Did you know that that if nothing slows their momentum, Amazon will have almost 80% of the book market by the end of 2025? Look, I love the convenience of Amazon, but I’ve got a super cool way that you can support local bookstores and my blog and podcast simply by buying books like you already do! You can choose any bookstore on the list in the US (they plan to expand to other counties in the future) OR you can just let the donation get split between all stores. They have raised over 15 million dollars for local bookstores.