Calendar

Eating Disorders can impact persons at any stage of the life cycle, and it is never too late to find recovery, even if you are in midlife and beyond. Please join us for an engaging and inspiring discussion between Bonnie Brennan, LPC, CEDS-S, CAI, and Kelli Evans, a recovery advocate, who in midlife began her own journey towards well being from an eating disorder.

Kelli will speak from her lived experience in recovery, and Bonnie will support the discussion from the perspective of a professional in the field of eating disorders for over 20 years. The speakers will offer hope that recovery truly is possible, with thoughtful discussion on pertinent issues that arise in recovery, especially those issues in mid-life recovery.

Topics will include questions from EDF’s 30+ and 50+ support groups, learning how not to live out of shame and fear, how to thrive with connection, finding and using one’s voice, parenting and caring for others through recovery and realizing the power of choice. We invite you into an evening of recognizing the joy, freedom and peace that can be found living in recovery from an eating disorder.

This event will be recorded.

Light a Candle to Remember, to Honor and to Ignite the Flame of Hope

Please join us to honor the memories of those taken by this devastating illness, the lives of those who continue to struggle, and those who have found their way to recovery.

Thursday, August 12th at 6pm in the EDF Garden

Open House with light refreshments

1901 E. 20th Ave., Denver, CO 80205

Masks will be required.

RSVPs are appreciated, not required – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/13th-annual-candlelight-vigil-registration-162467987123

If you can’t make it, we are happy to light a candle to honor your loved one on your behalf. You can click “register” and write a personal message to be displayed next to a candle at the event.

Questions? Call 303-322-3373

or email cocommunitycollaborative@gmail.com

The mission of The Colorado Community Collaborative is to create opportunities for connection, education, and awareness among communities affected by eating disorders in Colorado and beyond.

Join us as Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Eating Disorders Specialist Meredith Nisbet provides therapeutic context and skills support for people seeking or sustaining recovery from BED. Meredith will also discuss the application of a Health At Every Size (HAES) framework to recovery and identify ways to create a meaningful, flexible recovery environment.

Meredith Nisbet MS, LMFT, CEDS is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist. She is currently the Supervisor of the Clinical Response Team with Eating Recovery Center and Pathlight Mood and Anxiety Center, where she enjoys engaging with patients, families, and providers seeking admission nationwide. In addition to her work for ERC-Pathlight and in her private practice with Three Birds Counseling, Meredith also provides education and training on weight stigma and Health At Every Size-informed care around the country. Meredith earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from East Carolina University. Meredith resides in Raleigh, North Carolina where she spends her free time listening to true crime podcasts, practicing hot yoga, and snuggling with her dog, Mac.

Brought to you in collaboration with The Eating Recovery Center and Pathlight Mood and Behavioral Health Center, and The Eating Disorder Foundation.

For reminders about these events and others, sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of our home page https://www.eatingdisorderfoundation.org/

For questions about this event, contact us at 303-322-3373 or info@eatingdisorderfoundation.org

Are you feeling isolated or alone in your journey?

Join us for our Summer Support Series as we focus on ways to increase social support in your recovery journey, ways families & friends can more effectively support their loved ones who are struggling and how to build a life outside the eating disorder.

Session 3: Scaffolding Support: Building a Life Worth Living

Creating structure to support recovery

Getting to know your needs and how to meet them

Practical tips for aligning values and Identifying the life you love

Brought to you in collaboration with Alsana

For reminders about these events and others, sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of our home page https://www.eatingdisorderfoundation.org/

For questions about this event, contact us at 303-322-3373 or info@eatingdisorderfoundation.org

Join us for a panel discussion about trans+ affirming care.

Licensed professionals M Reim Ifrach and Sand Chang will address what trans+ affirming care is, how to actively practice, current barriers to care, and impacts on long-term recovery.

Who is this event for? All are welcome to register, that means you!

Is there a cost? This event is FREE, we will always leave an opportunity for you to donate to our efforts to be an effective resource in the prevention of eating disorders and accessible care.

Panelists

Sand Chang, PhD

(They/Them/Theirs)

Sand is a Chinese American genderfluid/nonbinary/femme psychologist/trainer in practice for over 15 years. Dr. Chang’s work is focused on intersectional body liberation. Dr. Chang co-authored A Clinician’s Guide to Gender Affirming Care (New Harbinger, 2018) and the APA Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Clients (2015). Sand’s work is focused on gender, sexuality, disordered eating (from an anti-diet and HAES perspective), addictions, trauma/EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and attachment concerns. Sand is a certified Body Trust Provider and have designed online education to help people heal from diet culture.

Panelist

M Reim Ifrach, REAT,

ATR-BC, ATCS, LPC,

NCC, CLAT

(They/Them/Theirs)

M is a trans/non-binary art therapist, fat activist and artist whose work focuses on body justice, intersectional social justice and treatment equity access. They co-own Rainbow Recovery where they support people through the gender affirmation process, complex trauma recovery, eating disorder recovery and body image issues. They do similar work for Walden Behavioral Healthcare where M is focusing on the promotion and creation of LGBTQIA2+ centered care. M serves as part of the board of directors for Project HEAL and is an adjunct professor at Albertus Magnus College where they have taught Multicultural Practices in Art Therapy and Eating Disorder Treatment in Art Therapy.

Moderator

Aims Babich

(They/Them/Theirs)

Aims is the Program Manager at The Eating Disorder Foundation. They facilitate the Trans+ & Nonbinary Support Group and manage the Mentorship Programs as well as volunteers. They received their B.A. in Psychology from the Metropolitan State University of Denver, with a minor in Integrative Healthcare. They have devoted many years of advocacy and outreach to eating disorders and mental health, LGBTQ+ issues, survivors of domestic and sexual violence, and human rights. Aims aligns all of their work with the foundation of social justice, community care, and activism.

For reminders about these events and others, sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of our home page https://www.eatingdisorderfoundation.org/

For questions about this event, contact us at 303-322-3373 or info@eatingdisorderfoundation.org

Learn more about Family-Based Treatment Plus from Co-founder and COO Dr. Erin Parks, of Equip.

Family-Based Treatment (FBT) is the most effective evidence-based treatment for eating disorders for children, adolescents, and young adults. Even though research has shown that traditional FBT works more often than other treatments, at least 30% of people still need additional care to recover — learn how Equip is delivering FBT+ to help patients achieve lasting recovery.

Dr. Erin Parks is the Co-founder, Chief Clinical Officer, and Chief Operating Officer of Equip. She is a clinical psychologist, researcher, and a former director at the leading UC San Diego Eating Disorder Center. Erin has 15+ years’ experience with adolescents and adults in inpatient, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient settings, and opened the first pediatric eating disorder program. She’s led dozens of national and international trainings in evidence-based eating disorder treatment and is passionate about improving access to quality care.

Brought to you in collaboration with The Eating Disorder Foundation and Equip

For reminders about these events and others, sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of our home page https://www.eatingdisorderfoundation.org/

For questions about this event, contact us at 303-322-3373 or info@eatingdisorderfoundation.org

The Intersection of Discrimination and Shame in the Presentation of Eating Disorders in BIPOC Communities

Norman Kim, PhD. Norman is the co-founder and principal of the Institute for Antiracism and Equity, a social justice focused consultancy, and the Deputy Director of Ayana Therapy, an app startup focused on providing culturally intelligent, adapted, and accessible care to marginalized communities. He completed his B.A. at Yale and his Ph.D. in Psychology at UCLA. His research and clinical interests include the social development of people with autism, the developmental course of bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorders. In conjunction Norman has developed an expertise in psychiatrically complex populations, and his primary areas of interest are the application of a transdiagnostic framework for eating disorders, taking an evolutionary approach to shame and anxiety, and minority mental health. He is a regular national and international speaker, educator, and passionate advocate with a particular focus on minority status and barriers to mental health care in marginalized communities. He is the founding co-chair of the BIPOC Committee of IAEDP, on the inaugural Behavioral Health Taskforce for the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, and serves on numerous advisory boards. Norman was the co-founder of Reasons Eating Disorder Center.

People from ethnic minority groups and those in LGBTQ+ communities suffer from eating disorders at similar or higher rates than in the general population. People from these communities must often also grapple with additional stigma and marginalization, resulting in a multiple dose of shame and reasons for experiencing self-hatred. Among other risk factors, a history of macro- and micro-aggressions, discrimination and marginalization, and the well-documented confluence of stressors associated with minority status puts people from these communities at particularly high risk for the development of disordered eating behaviors and their attendant consequences.

Despite the seriousness and lethal nature of eating disorders for all those affected, there remains a tremendous disparity in mental health services utilization among those from marginalized and minority groups. People from these groups are under-identified by professionals and tend to receive and utilize treatment for eating disorders at significantly lower rates. These disparities reflect a profound need for culturally competent assessment and treatment services for members of marginalized communities who are struggling with eating disorders.

Cultural competency among care providers is crucial in providing effective treatment in both medical and mental health settings, and has particular salience in the context of illnesses as complex and multifaceted as eating disorders. It is essential for therapists, dietitians, physicians, nurses, and other allied professionals to possess cultural knowledge and be able to apply such cultural understanding to assessment and delivery of interventions and therapies as a fundamental aspect of overall clinical competence.

Brought to you in collaboration with The Eating Disorder Foundation and Reasons Eating Disorder Center

For reminders about these events and others, sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of our home page https://www.eatingdisorderfoundation.org/

For questions about this event, contact us at 303-322-3373 or info@eatingdisorderfoundation.org

For many, the holiday season may inspire the joy of quality time with loved ones and gratitude for a new year. But for those navigating eating disorder recovery, difficult emotions may arise. During this one-hour presentation, Equip’s mentorship leaders will provide practical tips and tools for having a happier holiday season by participating in a recovery-supportive way.

JD Ouellette is the Director of Mentorship at Equip. She is an educator turned Family Mentor whose youngest child developed anorexia in 2012; they received cutting edge, evidence-based treatment at UC San Diego, igniting JD’s passion to ensure all families have access to evidence-based care. JD is active in online family support communities, writing, and speaking at conferences. She is also a past board member for FEAST.

Maris Degener is the Peer Mentorship Manager at Equip, where she currently oversees all Peer Mentors. After recovering from anorexia as a teenager, Maris became passionate about harnessing her lived experience to support others suffering from eating disorders. Maris shared her story in the documentary I Am Maris, available on Netflix, to spread the message that full recovery is possible and destigmatize talking openly about mental health challenges. Maris studied psychology at UC Santa Cruz.

Brought to you in collaboration with Equip

For reminders about these events and others, sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of our home page https://www.eatingdisorderfoundation.org/

For questions about this event, contact us at 303-322-3373 or info@eatingdisorderfoundation.org

Join us as Meredith Nisbet LMFT, CEDS shares how we can thrive in recovery during the holiday season from a HAES framework.

Health At Every Size provides an advocacy framework that can allow us to face holiday food and family challenges while staying grounded in our recovery values. Join us as Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Eating Disorders Specialist Meredith Nisbet provides tools for navigating the holiday season while pursuing or maintaining eating disorder recovery.

Meredith Nisbet MS, LMFT, CEDS is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist. She is currently the Supervisor of the Clinical Response Team with Eating Recovery Center and Pathlight Mood and Anxiety Center, where she enjoys engaging with patients, families, and providers seeking admission nationwide. In addition to her work for ERC-Pathlight and in her private practice with Three Birds Counseling, Meredith also provides education and training on weight stigma and Health At Every Size-informed care around the country. Meredith earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from East Carolina University. Meredith resides in Raleigh, North Carolina where she spends her free time listening to true crime podcasts, practicing hot yoga, and snuggling with her dog, Mac.

Brought to you in collaboration with The Eating Recovery Center and Pathlight Mood and Behavioral Health Center, and The Eating Disorder Foundation.

For reminders about these events and others, sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of our home page https://www.eatingdisorderfoundation.org/

For questions about this event, contact us at 303-322-3373 or info@eatingdisorderfoundation.org