What if healing your relationship with food and your body has less to do with knowing what to do—and more to do with feeling safe enough to do it?
Today’s episode was a surprisingly emotional one for me. I spoke with Shannon Kopp, founder of SoulPaws Recovery Project, to explore how the human-animal connection can support recovery from eating disorders, substance use, trauma, and mental health challenges.
I’ve thought a lot about the magic of my dogs before. How they move through the world without the objectification we experience as humans; how they eat and rest and play without shame; how they see us in ways the world doesn’t. But I’d never considered just how powerful our connection could be in the context of healing.
In our conversation, Shannon shares her personal story of living with bulimia, depression, and profound loss—and the unexpected role shelter dogs played in helping her find her way back to herself.
“I had a wonderful therapist… but I never told her the truth [about my eating disorder]. I carried so much shame about what I was doing with food and my body that I didn’t feel safe opening up to anyone.”
— Shannon Kopp
We get into nervous system regulation, why knowing what to do isn’t enough to create change in recovery, and how animals can help us access something many of us have been missing: safety, presence, and connection.
This episode is equal parts science, story, and soul—and a reminder that healing can happen in unexpected ways, with unexpected friends.
You’ll hear about:
Shannon’s recovery from bulimia and depression—and how animals became a turning point
Why shame keeps people stuck (even when they’re in therapy)
The frustrating gap between knowing what to do and being able to do it
How animals help regulate the nervous system and create a sense of safety
Why healing requires connection—not just behavior change or control
Powerful moments with Buster and Bella, and what they reveal about healing
How animals interrupt panic, dissociation, and harmful coping patterns
The science behind calm → connect → heal and why it matters
What SoulPaws Healing Circles are and how they support recovery
How the human-animal bond can build trust, connection, and access to healing
Simple ways to incorporate your own animal into grounding and recovery
Moments that I think will stay with you (they will stay with me!):
“I don’t want to die. I want this eating disorder to die.”
The story of Buster—and a moment of connection that shifted everything
Showering with Bella (yes, really)—and how it transformed panic into safety
“You have been the treat of my life.”
The idea that animals don’t see us the way the world has taught us to see ourselves
Try this (from the episode):
A simple grounding practice with your animal, that looks like this…
