008: Fear, Longing and Fathers—Maura Preszler

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Are you a woman who has been emotionally or physically battered by the important man or men in your life? Are you, perhaps, a father who knows that he is overly critical of his daughter, but just can’t help himself? Our guest in this episode offers direction and encouragement for women who have been mistreated by men and inspiration for fathers who need to do a better job at telling their daughters that they are lovable, just as they are.

When the important men in a girl or woman’s life are emotionally abusive, the net result can be an eating disorder. Maura Preszler, our guest, knows all about eating disorders, having experienced one herself. Maura is a graduate of Seton Hall University where she was a Division II runner and soccer player and is the founder of Made in His Image, a ministry for women recovering from eating disorders and abuse. In this episode, Maura tells about how she was diagnosed with Depression, PTSD and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and was, then advised by professionals to leave her family home in order to get the distance needed to heal through psychotherapy and Catholic spiritual practices. In addition to sharing her story of healing, in this episode Maura addresses:

What does the Made in His Image ministry do on social media?
How does the expectation of how a woman should look compare between New Jersey and California?
How pressures are put on women who do cross country running, gymnastics or ballet that can contribute to developing an eating disorder
How she struggled with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and what the symptoms were
What are the main features of BPD?
How God intervened in her life and her trust in Him comforted her in fearful moments
What Catholic spiritual habits helped her recover from BPD
How she went to India with Varsity Catholic, a FOCUS Ministry, and worked with Mother Theresa and the Missionaries of Charity and the impact this had on the development of her spiritual habits
What the most effective part of the treatment that she received for BPD was
How having a male therapist who can be a father figure can be an essential factor in the successful treatment of BPD and eating disorders like anorexia and binge eating in females
How we need others in order to heal
How God created little girls to need their father’s affection and love
How an abused girl or woman can have a distorted view of God the Father
What is the A.C.T.S. prayer structure?
How talking to God like He is a friend can help one to develop a better relationship with God the Father
How can a girl find a Made in His Image support group near her?
How can a woman start her own Made in His Image support group?