Amparo Penny, LCMHC, C-DBT, CCTP

Writing – The Messy Middle

In addition to my therapy practice, I write The Messy Middle—a space where I explore the psychology behind why we get in our own way.

My writing began with the Messy Middle Reality Check series, a collection of articles challenging polarizing messages about food, body image, and health. So much of what I encountered online seemed to suggest that we had to pick a side: either we were “prioritizing our health” or “giving in to diet culture.” It was as if we couldn’t have a health goal and a life at the same time.

As I scrolled through the polarizing scripts and all-or-nothing memes in my feed, they ignited my inner Carrie Bradshaw, and I couldn’t help but wonder:

In a world obsessed with picking camps, is it possible to exist in the middle?

Since then, my writing has expanded beyond food and body image. I also explore fear, shame, self-criticism, emotional regulation, and the familiar patterns we repeat even when we understand that they aren’t working.

I’m interested in what happens beneath those patterns. What might they be helping us avoid, preserve, or protect? What if getting in our own way isn’t the whole story? And what becomes possible when we approach ourselves with curiosity instead of judgment?

The Messy Middle makes room for more than one thing to be true. A behavior can cause real problems and also be trying to protect us. We can want to change and feel afraid to let go of what is familiar. We can accept ourselves as we are and continue working toward something different.

New articles are published regularly on Substack and Medium.

SUBSTACK
MEDIUM
A series challenging the black and white narratives about food health and body image because most of us are living somewhere in the middle
Exploring the Messy Middle of health data Do you want to explore if youre being controlled by the data and focus on building your own blueprint
I had to wonder in our desire to embrace body positivity have we accidentally created a new kind of body policing One where the crabs in the bucket arent just diet culture but also the anti diet groups who claim to be setting us free
Tackling the concept of Ozempic Face used to describe celebrity weight loss
I had to wonder If someones appearance change makes you uncomfortable is it necessary to label the entire process as wrong to dissuade others from trying
I had to wonder Why are we so quick to label the quiet of a stable routine as disordered while we normalize the chaotic mental prison of the Ill start over Monday cycle
Diet culture calls them magic Anti diet culture calls them dangerous Meanwhile real people are uneducated on how these tools actually work I had to wonder What if both camps are so busy being right that they forgot to be helpful
Beneath the ocean water, looking up toward the surface. Soft rays of light filtering down through calm blue-green water, gentle bubbles and particles floating, serene and ethereal underwater atmosphere, photorealistic

Ready to go beneath the surface?

Many people come to therapy feeling stuck in cycles of self-criticism, emotional overwhelm, and food struggles. Together, we’ll focus on what’s underneath and build kinder, more sustainable ways to respond.

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