I’m so excited to introduce Cait Van Damm to the Full Story! Cait is an occupational therapist specializing in chronic pelvic pain coaching. She writes Adventures in Vaginas (and other parts) here on Substack and is about to launch a therapeutic movement platform called Tidal Work for pelvic health and complex bodies that aims to improve body autonomy. She genuinely loves her work, which includes a lot of movement, and when she’s not working, she loves walking in her neighborhood, fermenting things, and cooking kid food to meet her neurodivergent kiddos’ tastes!
My dad makes this grilled salmon dish that is out of this world. He uses Montreal steak seasoning, his favorite spice blend for about the last 30 years, and it’s nostalgic for me in the best way. When we last visited, he grilled mushrooms, eggplants, and onions (my favorite veggies). And then he made sure we were stocked with dark chocolate for when we chatted into the night. He’s a great dad.
I’ve been in eating disorder recovery for 11 years, and this is the first time I’ve been super public about it! I first experienced an eating disorder when I was twelve. I vacillated between anorexia and binge eating disorder for over a decade. Working on my relationship with food and my body changing -- throughout multiple autoimmune diseases, a difficult and medically complex twin pregnancy (the pregnancy was intentional, but the twins were unexpected!) -- is by far the hardest personal work I have ever done. And of course, I am still doing the work. At this point, I feel deeply grateful that I get to enjoy food without perseverating on it. It is no longer the center of my life (in a good way!).
We just moved to Baltimore, and there is a delightful local company called TomCat that sells a vegan parmesan. I am definitely not vegan, but I LOVE this stuff! It’s basically nutritional yeast with cashews and a ton of spices -- more than I could replicate at home. It’s SO GOOD. I put it on everything -- from pasta to salad to roasted veggies. I cannot get enough.
I think a lot about presence in general. When I was in my teens and twenties and deep in disordered eating, it was impossible for me to be present. Now, I feel like the ability to spend a regular weekday with my six-year-olds as a fully present parent is a killer success. I experience so much joy simply snuggling with them before bed and walking them to school. I am also acutely aware that my relationships are so much deeper now. Presence is a powerful currency!
Lattes are my love language! That’s my favorite little celebratory treat. That, and alone time.
Oh goodness. I was conditioned to diet at a young age, and it left me scared of carbs for so long! I wish that I could tell myself what I tell my children: Bodies are different. Brains are different. Your body is perfect exactly the way it is. That, and that carbs are, in fact, so necessary for both joy and my particular body’s needs! Keep eating mashed potatoes, 12-year-old Cait!
I have this practice that I do with coaching clients where I ask them to tune into the physical, emotional, and energetic sensations in their body -- whatever that means to them. And then the practice is to ask the sensations directly, “What do you need?” I do this for myself regularly, particularly when my body is giving me a hard time. It’s really helpful, and often my body is asking for more rest, more softness, more comfort, and more alone time. What can I say, I’m an introvert!
My house! We bought a classic Baltimore row house in December. It's the first house I've owned, and I love it so much. It has a lot of original features, like a curved wall(!) and a gigantic mirror built into the entryway. We were unsure of where we would land because, up until now, my husband was working on a PhD, so it is really special to put down roots.
A life of joy, community, and care!
Diet culture really affects pelvic health. Sucking in one’s tummy, for example, can have profound effects on the pelvic floor, and constipation can have countless downstream effects on pelvic health outcomes. Breathe, let your belly live, and enjoy your poops!
Thank you so much, Cait. I loved reading through your journey and relationship with food and professional knowledge, and I know that so many people will see themselves in your experiences. Thank you for sharing your story with us; you are doing amazing work! We are so lucky to have clinicians like you in the world!
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