Calendar

Nov
4
Thu
Hard Conversations: The Impact of Systemic Racism on Eating Disorders in BIPOC Communities
Nov 4 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

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

Nov
16
Tue
Happier Holidays: Navigating Eating Disorder Recovery Through the Holiday Season
Nov 16 @ 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm

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

Nov
18
Thu
Binge Eating Disorder Workshop: HAES for the Holidays
Nov 18 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

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

Nov
25
Thu
Staff Out of Office in Observance of Thanksgiving
Nov 25 all-day

EDF’s office will be closed in observance of Thanksgiving. Drop-in hours will be cancelled, and staff may not be available by phone or e-mail. Please join us for virtual support groups! View our calendar to see our modified support group schedule.

Dec
8
Wed
Mental Health and Parenthood
Dec 8 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
 
How to support yourself while supporting your loved one in recovery.

It’s commonly said that to be able to care for others, you must first take care of yourself. At Equip, we recognize caring for a loved one through eating disorder recovery is hard, important work — that’s why it’s essential for caregivers to prioritize their own mental health too. Join Equip’s Director of Therapy Dr. Tana Luo and Senior Family Mentor Kevin Dunn to learn practical and effective strategies for supporting yourself while also supporting your loved one through recovery.

Speakers:

Tana Luo, PhD, Director of Therapy

Dr. Tana Luo is the Director of Therapy at Equip and a clinical psychologist with a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California. She completed her predoctoral and postdoctoral training at the UC San Diego Eating Disorders Center and has experience working with children, adolescents, and adults across different levels of care. During her fellowship, she received specialized training in treating pediatric eating disorders.

Kevin Dunn, Senior Family Mentor

Kevin, a dad in the Family Mentor role at Equip, knows eating disorders, though unwelcome, present opportunities for positive change. He leads the Equip Men’s Group and supports all parents on their path.

Brought to you in collaboration with Equip

Dec
12
Sun
Focusing Workshop
Dec 12 @ 9:00 am – 10:30 am
 
In this workshop, we address the first 3 steps of the Focusing Process Model, and practice how to safely access our feelings and needs.

Join us for a workshop about the connection between what we feel inside (any kind of bodily sensation, emotion, and even absence of them!) and what we usually think and believe with our habitual mind. It is a way to discover how the body and mind are working together and what gives meaning to our life. It helps us to sense and safely explore where there are incongruities, often felt as a diffuse discomfort in the body. We can then discover new options and find a fresh way of experiencing life, act, and interact with ourselves and others.

In this introductory workshop, we will practice how to safely access our feelings and needs and we will focus particularly on the 3 first Steps of the Focusing Process Model.

We will learn and create the conditions necessary to foster a sense of self-control and self-regulation through guided Focusing practice.

We will explore more particularly the “Clearing a Space” Focusing Step, a visualization technique helping to create a safe and secure environment within us.

As an option at the end of the session, we will have a short expressive arts practice in order to enhance the effect of the session.

Facilitator: Agnes Windram, MA Psychology & Counseling, Expressive Art & Movement Therapist (FOT & FOAT), Traumatologist, & Mindfulness Facilitator (MBSR)

Agnes is a bi-lingual, Spanish-English speaking Psychologist, Counselor and Educator. She is specialized in body-mind psychotherapy, trauma recovery, self-image, and self-worth. She has had the opportunity to facilitate the path toward resiliency of individuals with eating disorders, low self-esteem, and self-harming behavior for more than two decades. She worked in Colorado and California as a counselor at the Denver Advocacy Children Center, Florence Crittenton Services, and the COVIA-Well Connected Organization, is a lecturer in Body-Mind Psychotherapy, Trauma & Recovery Counseling at Naropa University, and is a member of the Virginia Satir and the International Focusing Institutes.

 
Dec
24
Fri
Staff Out of Office in Observance of the Holidays
Dec 24 – Dec 25 all-day

EDF’s office will be closed on Friday, December 24th and Saturday, December 25th in observance of the holidays. Drop-in hours will be cancelled, and staff may not be available by phone or e-mail. Please join us for virtual support groups! View our calendar to see our modified support group schedule.

Dec
28
Tue
Canceled – Men’s Group
Dec 28 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Men’s group generally meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month from 6-7 PM Mountain Time

Tonight’s Men’s Group has been rescheduled to the previous week, December 21st.

The original schedule will resume in January 2022. Please email info@eatingdisorderfoundation.org with questions.

Jan
1
Sat
Staff Out of Office in Observance of the New Year
Jan 1 all-day

EDF’s office will be closed on Friday, December 31st and Saturday, January 1st in observance of the new year. Drop-in hours will be cancelled, and staff may not be available by phone or e-mail. Please join us for virtual support groups! View our calendar to see our modified support group schedule.

New Year Meditation
Jan 1 @ 9:00 am – 10:00 am
Let’s start the New Year off in connection with ourselves and one another.

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

Agnes Windram, MA Psychology & Counseling, Expressive Art & Movement Therapist (FOT & FOAT), Traumatologist, & Mindfulness Facilitator (MBSR).

Agnes is a bi-lingual, Spanish-English speaking Psychologist, Counselor and Educator. She is specialized in body-mind psychotherapy, trauma recovery, self-image, and self-worth. She has had the opportunity to facilitate the path toward resiliency of individuals with eating disorders, low self-esteem, and self-harming behavior for more than two decades. She worked in Colorado and California as a counselor at the Denver Advocacy Children Center, Florence Crittenton Services, and the COVIA-Well Connected Organization, is a lecturer in Body-Mind Psychotherapy, Trauma & Recovery Counseling at Naropa University, and is a member of the Virginia Satir and the International Focusing Institutes.

Agnes particularly likes to work with groups as she believes that peer and group support are one of the pillars of the process of change and resiliency. Regardless of how much or little we are socially engaged we all live in interaction, and clear communication is at the core of one’s experience of life, self-esteem, and self-growth. Group supports are a great opportunity to safely share and experience what our struggles, needs, and feelings are.

She is the founder and director of the institutes Creating Connections (English) and Creando Conexiones (Spanish) which provide different coaching & mentoring programs for recovery, self-growth, and congruent communication.