Season 2, Episode 9: Food, Love and Attachment: The Psychology of How We Eat – Dr Andrea Oskis
This episode contains discussion around grief, loss, relationships, attachment, and food psychology.
Join us for an entertaining and enlightening conversation with academic, cook, Financial Times Book of the Year Author and psychotherapist Dr Andrea Oskis as she shares insights from her new book ‘The Kitchen Shrink: How the food we eat is the key to how we love’, exploring how food stories from therapy reveal the deeper truths about our relationships and psychological wellbeing. This thought-provoking discussion explores how food is fundamental to our emotional lives, profoundly affecting how we deal with life’s big challenges – love, loss, separation and jealousy.
In this compelling episode, Dr Oskis openly shares:
- How food stories told by clients in therapy explain how we form and sustain relationships
- The ‘fried egg theory of grief’ and what it reveals about loss
- The ‘hot sauce paradigm’ and its connection to relationship dynamics
- Combining storytelling, recipes and Attachment Theory in therapeutic practice
- How food affects our psychological wellbeing beyond basic nutrition
- Understanding the emotional connection between what we eat and how we love
- Practical insights for grieving partners and parents of picky eaters
- Why there’s a lot of discussion about eggs in this episode
- How academic research, cooking and psychotherapy intersect
- Recognising food as more than just sustenance in our emotional lives
This essential conversation offers valuable guidance for anyone interested in the psychology of food, attachment patterns in relationships, or understanding how our eating habits reflect our emotional world.
Key Topics Discussed:
- The intersection of food, psychology and relationships
- Attachment Theory and how we form connections with others
- The ‘fried egg theory of grief’ explained
- The ‘hot sauce paradigm’ and relationship dynamics
- How food stories reveal deeper psychological truths
- Using recipes and storytelling in therapeutic practice
- Food as a lens for understanding love, loss and separation
- The emotional significance of what and how we eat
- Consoling grief and supporting parents through food psychology
- Why eggs feature so prominently in food and relationship narratives
Learn more about Dr Andrea Oskis
