omen today can become anything they choose at any age. Yet the pressure we feel to live up to social expectations is enormous. This leaves women (and men) vulnerable to stress and low self-esteem--especially since we often care for others more than we care for ourselves. Sadly, many women focus on appearance to measure success or self-worth. In addition, many women misuse food--along with work, isolation, overspending, drinking or drugs, and other potentially unhealthy choices--to cope with increasingly pressured lives and a sense of inner emptiness. Rebecca Radcliffe's talks described below help uplift and inspire women of all ages. These talks are perfect for programs hosted by colleges, universities, community health care organizations, and women's programs for Eating Disorder Awareness Week/Month, Women's History Month, Cancer Awarenss, Breast Health, Red Dress Events, Wellness Centers,or National Nutrition Month as well as women's professional or community events and retreats.

Rebecca's honest discussions uplift audiences and help women create healthier, more meaningful lives; overcome intolerant and superficial attitudes that lead to low self-esteem; and find personal and professional balance by exploring creativity, spirituality, simplicity, and wellness. In a future that promises to offer each of us a longer life than anyone ever expected, the ability to dream and create lives of purpose will be key to remaining vital and vibrant. For more information, see topics below and call Rebecca at 800-470-4769 or email her at rebecca@rebeccaradcliffe.com. Enjoy!

Comments

• "...exactly what I needed..."
• "Everything you said hit home, point after point"
• "You tell a truth that we all recognize but few dare talk about."
• "This reinforced the changes I am making in my life."
• "Very empowering!"
• "You have a remarkable ability to engage an audience."
• "Your compassion and sensitivity really shows."
• "You speak to us on our level--and talk about things we really feel."

Enlightened Eating: Understanding and Changing Emotional Eating

Rebecca examines what makes women eat, overeat, starve, and then judge their bodies so harshly. This destructive personal cycle drains women of their self-esteem and confidence. Often body issues are passed from mother to daughter and accelerated by periods of stress or unkind comments from relatives and others. They are complicated by chemistry, social attitudes toward beauty and size, and changing roles and opportunities for females. This is a deeply touching look at an issue which sadly eats away at countless women of all ages.

Finding Body Peace: A Journey of Self-Acceptance

Rebecca inspires women and those who care about females of all ages to consider a path of tolerance and self-appreciation toward the wonderful bodies that carry us through our lives. In a gentle combination of affirmation, alternate images of beauty, and warm-hearted ritual, Rebecca helps us to find a spirit of self acceptance and appreciation for our bodies.

Body Wisdom: Loving & Supporting Our Bodies

Body wisdom is a wonderful, holistic look at ways to love and support our bodies. By choosing to positively handle stress, eat nutritiously, keep moving, love what we do, actively learn, make choices for wellness, and stay spiritually centered, and question definitions of beauty, we become wise, peaceful, and optimistic women.

Skinny Dreams: How Stress, Eating, & Body Hatred Impact Women's Success

In this insightful program, Rebecca examines how extreme standards of thinness erode self-esteem and undermine women's success. She advocates that size tolerance must become as much a part of our national discussion as other issues of discrimination. Accepting size diversity helps women of all ages become free to discover their real talents and pursue their inner dreams instead of remaining slaves to a scale. Using an powerful set of slide images and commentary, Rebecca leads audiences to question the culture's standard of thinness, beauty, and power and consider a more diverse and accepting world.

Learning To Live In Our Bodies: Untangling Emotions, Food, and Body-Hatred

Rebecca asserts that we do not have to be thin and perfectly fit to be vibrant, happy, and fulfilled. She explores why so many girls and women have learned to hate their bodies and spend endless time, energy, and money trying to control weight--instead of using their talents to enrich personal lives and make a contribution to the world. In addition, she sheds light on our use of food and dieting to cope with emotional stress. This is a powerful antidote to the body shame and depression that affects so many.

The Silent Scream: The Inner Violence of Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are very painful responses to stress and other destructive factors in a person's life. This talk looks at the rise in disordered eating as an expression of the increasing stress and violence in young people's lives--including intolerant, non-diverse media body images. As stress, rage, and violence in society increases, so does the incidence of self-destructive eating disorders. While young boys might often outwardly express stress and even violence as in recent school shootings according to socialization research, many females contain their stress and then find themselves depressed, with low self-esteem, poor body image, a silenced personality, and disordered eating. Neither extreme is healthy. We must help create change by encouraging healthy cultural and personal change.

Spirituality, Food, and Body Acceptance

Rebecca shares a comprehensive and stimulating overview of eating and body issues unlike any other today. She examines at these issues from a multidimensional, sociocultural standpoint involving: changing gender roles, increasing technological change and stress, depleted spiritual inner relationships and resevoirs, emotional challenge, cultural intolerance and discrimination, the ability to dream, and the need for balance, artistic expression, and purpose.

Dance Naked In Your Living Room: Handling Stress & Finding Joy

Rebecca gives a light-hearted, uplifting talk on creatively coping with our stressful world. She encourages us to find positive outlets--other than eating or not eating--or drinking, overworking, shopping, using drugs, having inappropriate sex, getting angry, or becoming depressed and isolated. Rebecca asserts that most of us have never been taught how to handle stress well or how to nurture ourselves. This leaves us open to developing unhealthy coping patterns including emotional eating and eating disorders. When we learn to make healthier choices during stressful times, we finally have a chance to change the pattern. The wonderful surprise with learning better ways to cope is finding more joy. By taking time to unwind, we open to quiet moments of joy that nourish us and help us create lives that fit us and that help us go after our dreams.

Hot Flashes, Chocolate Sauce, & Rippled Thighs: Body Image for Real Women

In this fabulous and fun affirmation of adult women's journeys with their bodies, self-esteem, personal growth, and the unending possibilities of age, Rebecca reminds us that we are vital and beautiful at every age. This lively exploration of body image takes women who are past the "fashion doll" era helps us find peace for the bodies that have carried us through so much. Together, we explore an alternate definition of beauty, need for our culture to change its narrow definitions of body acceptance, the wonderful benefits of positive self-care, and the deep satisfaction that comes with creating an authentic self.

Women's Wellness: A Matter of Balance

Rebecca believes that finding balance in life is at the heart of our wellness. Caretaking others and often not ourselves, women's (and men's) spiritual, creative, emotional, and physical lives need compassionate self-attention. This lovely program for gentle introspection and re-alignment sets a new direction for personal growth.

A Gift To Be Simple: Down-Sizing Life Stress

Rebecca explores the toll our high-paced lifestyles take on health, relationships, finances, and well-being as we pursue the American Dream. Some are declaring "enough" and leaving big homes, demanding jobs, fancy cars, and designer clothes to find peace of mind and heart. Many are stepping outside this box as ex-executive, active family caretakers, artists, and followers of voluntary simplicity. In these new lifestyles, well-being is the measure for decisions. Remarkably rich in countless ways, a lifestyle of greater simplicity helps free up time and energy for what really matters. This revolutionary perspective will help keep us vital as we live longer lives.

Living To Grow: Choosing To Be Conscious, Courageous, and Creative

Rebecca reflects deeply on key issues facing individuals in their search for happiness, authenticity, and personal power. Examining the exponential cultural change of the 20th century--which has deeply affected women's roles and consequently, the roles of men, this presentation inspires us to seek personal growth as a doorway to unfolding life purpose and fulfillment in the 21st century.

New Millenium, New Rules: Work, Wonder, and Wisdom

The new century and millenium are already bringing new rules and expectations for everybody as our communications and technology revolutions continue to explode. Changes accelerate, the world shrinks, stress mounts, and people suffer--unless we learn to make new choices that keep us healthy, open to learning, tolerant, and excited for what is to come. Rebecca explores how the rules for work, productivity, happiness, and health are rapidly changing--and how each person can make choices that help us enjoy being in the flow instead of feeling pounded by change.

Dare To Dream: Creating the Lives We Want

In this encouraging program, Rebecca discusses how women come to recognize that it is time to follow a dream, muster up the courage to go after the dream, and find enough willingness to continue into the unknown. Believing that many women often cherish values that are not rewarded by the working world, Rebecca explores the current phenomena of women finding creative outlet and economic satisfaction by starting their own volunteer, artistic, or corporate ventures. Using her publishing and consulting experience, Rebecca talks about the challenge of undertaking something both terrifying and deeply gratifying, and the personal growth that comes with this leap.

Living With Vitality: Finding Lives of Meaning and Purpose

Rebecca shares an enthusiastic spirit for the future which is likely to bring most of us much longer and healthier lives. Rather than being caught by surprise with empty, depressing, and impoverished lives, Rebecca encourages us to imagine a longer horizon for ourselves, be proactive about our health and vitality, and pursue the dreams we have not had time or courage to explore.

Our Inner Spirit: Nourishing Our Souls

Rebecca examines the gifts of spirit which create small miracles in each and every day. Available to all of us, these magical resources foster hope, wisdom, and knowingness which help us on our personal pathways. By learning to listen to a deep "soul" level inside, we begin to see the purpose of our lives. This helps carry us through difficult times, brings more meaning and wholeness to each day, and aligns us with our deeper purpose for being here on the planet.

Creating Peace: One Person, One Decision, One Moment at a Time

In this simple and inspiring presentation, Rebecca reminds us that our every action has an effect. When each of us realizes the quiet power we have and then seeks to choose peace one moment at a time, we can create a more peaceful world whenever we drive, interact with strangers, deal with challenges in our work and home environments, and make our way through each and every day.

Dreams Grow In Every Heart: A Special Mother/Daughter Event

Rebecca Radcliffe, together with her daughter, gives a light-hearted and uplifting talk to warm the hearts and inspire young girls and the mothers and women who love them! Together, they talk about the wonderful potential girls and women have for making their lives and the world around them better. They encourage women and girls to utilize their creativity and generous hearts to improve the well-being of all people in our complex and challenging world. After taking a lively and honest look at society's insensitive messages regarding appearance and body size, they explore how this deflates self-confidence and self-esteem and adds to the increasing stress of both girls and women. They encourage mothers, daughters, grandmothers, sisters, and aunts to be good to themselves in our busy world, keep learning, dare to dream,make a difference, and stay connected with those they love.

Other Talks by Rebecca Radcliffe…

• Narrow Images: Size Intolerance in the Media
• The Silent Scream: Eating Disorders as a Form of Violence and the Path to Peace
• The Freshman Fifteen: Changing Body Image in a Stressful Time
• Visual Bytes: How the Media's Helps Erode Female Esteem
• Bellies, Boobs, & Buttocks: A Closer Look at Body Hatred
• Stress and Women: Surviving the Superwoman Culture
• The Silent Struggle: The Inner World of Eating Disorders
• Guidelines for Intervention and Assessment of Eating Disorders (In-service)
• How Can I Help?: Understanding & Living with Someone with an Eating Disorder
• Surviving the Holidays: Beyond the Binge
• Emotional Eating: The Misplace Search for Meaning in Food

For : Keynotes, Talks, Panel Discussions, Workshops, Wellness & Women's Events, Commencements, Orientation, Peer Counselor or Residence Assistants Training, Assemblies, Staff Programs, Professional Luncheons or Conferences, and In-services throughout the calendar year or during Eating Disorders, Substance Abuse, Nutrition, Women's Health, or Women's History Weeks/Months.

Learning To Live In Our Bodies: Untangling Emotions, Food, and Body-Hatred

In Rebecca's insightful workshop, she inspires the audience to untangle stress, emotions, and eating patterns to learn new ways of coping with stress and overloaded lives. She explores the destructive influence of media and weight on self-confidence and how this has led to widespread body-hatred, repeated dieting, depression, weight gain, and even eating disorders--and encourages a path of active awareness and alternate images to counteract its powerful grip. She looks at the particular stresses of life as we begin the new millennium and explores the need to find balance, spiritual centeredness, and creative expression.

Making An Impact: Helping Women Come To Healthy Terms With Their Bodies, Eating, and Weight

Many of the women we see in our practices and classes struggle with the cultural dictates that have led to wide-spread dieting, body-hatred, weight gain, eating disorders, compulsive eating, and low self-esteem. They are especially vulnerable to these issues during periods of stress. As professionals, we have the responsibility to help them become free from the demoralizing effects of trying to control their bodies. We must provide them with a new vision--a different way of looking at themselves, their life experiences, and their bodies. And we can have a powerful impact when we teach women healthier ways to nurture themselves.

Body Wisdom: A Journey of Insight & Peace

This delicious and encouraging workshop helps women explore and change their attitudes toward their bodies and eating patterns. With insight and acceptance as the goal, Rebecca uses a variety of approaches to help women release narrow judgements about physical beauty, tune into their bodies' deeper needs, identify dreams that lie dormant, make lifestyle choices that support their journeys, and begin to forge a path of personal change toward wholeness and joy. May be offered in half day, full day, one and one half day, or two day versions.

Seven Paths to Body Peace: Spirituality, Food, and Body Acceptance

Rebecca shares a comprehensive and stimulating overview of eating and body issues unlike any other today. She examines at these issues from a multidimensional, sociocultural standpoint involving: changing gender roles, increasing technological change and stress, depleted spiritual inner relationships and resevoirs, emotional challenge, cultural intolerance and discrimination, the ability to dream, and the need for balance, artistic expression, and purpose. May be offered in workshop or retreat formats for two-hour, half day, full day, or two day versions.

The Silent Scream: The Inner Violence of Eating Disorders

This workshop explores the self-destructive behaviors involved in disordered eating as an expression of the increasing stress and violence in young people's lives--including intolerant, non-diverse media body images. The rise in eating disorders is clearly correlated with the increasing stress level of families and societies along with many other factors. It is no coincidence that as the stress, rage, and violence in society increases, so does the incidence of self-destructive eating disorders. This workshop explores the research on the socialization of young girls and boys and compares the outward expression of stress and violence among males to the inward containment of stress among females which so often results in depression, low self-esteem, poor body image, silenced personality, and disordered eating. The workshop will explore the need for increasing tolerance and diversity regarding size, cluture, gender, sexual ppreference, religion, etc., as part of the solution and treatment of eating disorders. May be offered in a one hour, two hour, half-day, or full-day version.

About to Burst: Stemming Violence in a Stressful World

Young people today have pressured lives with little relief or skill building to cope with stress. We expect them to find their own solutions, so they turn to drinking, drugs, food/body issues, and other unhealthy outlets including aggression and violence. Prevention succeeds when every person learns to cope with growing pressure and can release it before the breaking point. Rebecca explores the research on teen violence, socialization of young girls and young boys, simple ways to cope with stress, and the potential each person can help create peace. May be offered in a one hour, two hour, or half-day version.

Note: These workshops can be offered in evening, half-day, or full-day formats. When requested, Rebecca will provide the sponsor with any necessary outlines and abjectives to obtain CEU's for attendees.

Sites At Which Rebecca Has Spoken (A Partial List)

Colleges & Universities

Health Care Centers

Mayo @ Franciscan Skemp Health Center, LaCrosse, WI
Mayo @ Immanuel St Joseph's Medical Center, Mankato, MN
Monongahala Valley Hospital, Monongahala Valley, PA
Grand View Hospital, Sellarsville, PA
Otsego Memorial Hospital, Gaylord, MI
New Iberia Medical Center, New Iberia, LA
Holzer Medical Center, Gallipolis, OH
New Britain General Hospital, New Britain, CT
Valley Hospital, Palmer, AK
Buena Visat Regional Medical Center, Storm Lake, IA
Dickenson County Health Care Systerm, Iron Mountain, MI
Fletcher Allen Hospital, Burlington, VT
Forest View Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI
Freeport Health Network, Freeport, IL
Georgia Baptist Medical Center
Memorial Medical Center, Ludington, MI
Morton Plant Hospital, Clearwater, FL
Louise A Johnson Community Medical Center for Veterans, Clarksburg, WV
King's Daughter Medical Center, Ashland, KY
Illinois Valley Community Hospital, Peru, IL
Northern Hospital of Surrey County, Mount Airy, NC
Ephraim McDowell Health Care, Danville, KY
Pullman Memorial Hospital, Pullman, WA

Others

Honorarium & equipment

Honorariums vary for a half-day (up to 4 hours), or all-day events (up to 8 hours). All travel expenses such as airfare, airport parking, mileage or, rental car & gas, hotel/guest house, and meals in transit are additional. To discuss designing a program for your organization, call Rebecca Radcliffe at (800) 470-4769 or email her at rebecca@rebeccaradcliffe.com. Host organizations receive a copy of Rebecca's book(s). The equipment needed for each presentation includes: a lapel microphone (or hand-held microphone), slide projector, Power Point projection system (optional), bottled water, and CD player.