Body Wisdom with Elisa Mott Jones, Ed.S, NCC, LMHC

 
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Episode 47 - Body Wisdom with Elisa Mott Jones, Ed.S, NCC, LMHC

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

IN THIS EPISODE:

This week we welcome Elisa Mott Jones, Ed.S, NCC, LMHC, Health At Every Size (HAES) Advocate, published author and national speaker on yoga, eating disorders, and body image. Elisa has worked at the nation's top eating disorder facilities across the country where she has designed mindful movement groups for children, adolescents, and adults. Her pieces express who she is as a woman, partner, daughter, yogi, and dancer, and reflect her own journey to healing. Elisa currently has a virtual private practice based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, and now teaches a virtual yoga class for participants across the country seeking freedom from anxiety, trauma, disordered eating, and body image concerns. 

SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • How those with eating disorders can be both hypersensitive and detached from their body.

  • The role of music, especially with adolescents, to create a window to someone's emotional state when they do not have the words to articulate.

  • The ways in which grounding exercises can bring the body back into the therapy room.

  • How yoga can offer a feeling of control after traumatic experiences.

  • Yoga is not about “working out,” but rather “working in.”

  • How connection and support from others can provide a connection with self.

ABOUT ELISA MOTT JONES:

Elisa Mott Jones received her Masters of Education and Education Specialist degrees in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Florida in 2010. While in graduate school, she completed the University of Florida's Arts in Medicine, Elisa obtained a Certificate in Spirituality and Health and Arts in Medicine. She also holds the title of National Certified Counselor from the National Board of Certified Counselors and is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of Florida.  

After being introduced to yoga in 2000, and after 5 years of practice, Elisa decided to become a yoga instructor. She graduated from Discovery Yoga’s 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Program in St. Augustine, Florida in 2005. In 2015, she completed my 500-hour yoga teacher training at Downtown Yoga in Pleasanton, CA, and is a 500-level, Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT 500) with the Yoga Alliance. Elisa has additional certifications in Restorative Yoga, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga, YogaDance, Colorgized Yoga, KarmaKids Yoga, and Pilates. In 2015, she became a Reiki Master and integrate the transformative healing of Reiki into her individualized sessions.

Beyond counseling and teaching, Elisa also writes about body image, eating disorders, and yoga. She co-authored “The Use of Holistic Methods to Integrate the Shattered Self,” a book chapter in the textbook Treatment of Eating Disorders: Bridging the research-practice gap, ( check it out) edited by Margo Maine, Beth Hartman McGilley, and Doug Bunnell. Elisa also authored “Client Perspectives on Strong, Restorative and Partner Yoga Classes”, a chapter in Carolyn Costin and Joe Kelly’s book Yoga and Eating Disorders. (check it out). 

Additionally, Elisa presents nationally on the use of yoga in the treatment of eating disorders and body image issues and utilizes yoga and movement in counseling centers and hospitals with adults, adolescents, and children. At Kaiser Permanente’s eating disorder intensive outpatient unit in Walnut Creek, CA, as well as Center for Discovery's eating disorder and mood disorder intensive outpatient and partial hospitalizations programs in North Palm Beach, FL,  Elisa led expressive movement and therapeutic yoga groups for adults and adolescents. 

Elisa is currently offering Accepting Your Body’s Wisdom: Nutrition, Yoga and Body Image, a transformational workshop designed for women who want to make peace with their bodies and their relationship with food.

Additionally, Elisa choreographs and performs YogaDance and Acro-Yoga across the country and at national eating disorder conferences. Her pieces express who she is as a woman, partner, daughter, yogi, and dancer, and reflect her own journey to healing. 

Elisa lives in Jupiter, Florida with her husband, Lewis Jones Psy.D and their two daughters. She offers workshops, groups, and individualized sessions for those seeking freedom from anxiety, trauma, disordered eating, and body image concerns. 

CONNECT WITH ELISA MOTT JONES:

ABOUT KARIN LEWIS:

Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS has been recovered from Anorexia Nervosa for over 20 years and has been specializing in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders since 2005. Karin is the founder of the Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center located in Boston, MA. You can visit Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center online to learn more about Karin and her center’s services. You can also connect with Karin on social media by following her on Facebook and Instagram.

 

The Inside Scoop On Eating Disorder Recovery with Jennifer Rollin, MSW, LCSW-C

 
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Episode 45-

The Inside Scoop on Eating Disorder Recovery with Jennifer Rollin, MSW, LCSW-C

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

IN THIS EPISODE:

This week, I am joined by Jennifer Rollin, MSW, LCSW-C, therapist and founder of The Eating Disorder Center in Rockville, Maryland. Jennifer specializes in working with adolescents and adults with eating disorders including, anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder, body image issues, anxiety, and depression. With a passion for helping individuals to recover from eating disorders and body image issues, to discover self-compassion, food freedom, and body appreciation, Jennifer also does this work because she has been there. Recovered from her own eating disorder, she believes that everyone’s struggle is unique and uses her lived experience to relate and help others find the same freedom that she did. Jennifer is the co-author of the upcoming book 'The Inside Scoop to Eating Disorder Recovery: Advice from two therapists who have been there,' which will be published March of 2021. She is also a revered and prominent figure on Instagram and TikTok.


SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • If you think you have an eating disorder, there isn’t a line at which you are “sick enough.”

  • Finding purpose outside of self through connection and relationships.

  • Motivation to recover can wax and wane and that’s normal.

  • Embracing your imperfections and reminding oneself that you’re a “work in progress.”

  • The freedom found when you shift the energy put into an eating disorder to something self-fulfilling.

  • How the isolation and uncertainty of the pandemic foster further disordered thinking and behaviors.

  • Orthorexia and the ways in which it can morph into other eating disorders.

  • The idea that an eating disorder can contribute to someone’s “uniqueness” when, in actuality, it does just the opposite.


ABOUT JENNIFER ROLLIN:

Jennifer Rollin, MSW, LCSW-C is a therapist and founder of The Eating Disorder Center in Rockville, Maryland, who specializes in working with adolescents and adults with eating disorders including, anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder, body image issues, anxiety, and depression.

Jennifer has experience working in a variety of settings including, an outpatient mental health clinic, residential programs for adolescents, and a sexual assault crisis hotline. She serves as the chairwoman of Project Heal's national network of eating disorder treatment providers. Jennifer has been named as one of the top eating disorder experts in the world by Balance Eating Disorder Treatment Center.

Jennifer has a certificate in Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders. She also has a certificate in Dialectical Behavior Therapy. She is a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. She was on The Junior Board of Directors for The National Eating Disorders Association. She was invited to serve on the conference committee for The National Eating Disorders Association's 2018 Conference.

Jennifer is the co-author of the upcoming book 'The Inside Scoop to Eating Disorder Recovery: Advice from two therapists who have been there,' which will be published in March of 2021 with Routledge. She is an expert writer on The Huffington Post and Psychology Today. Her professional blog was named one of the top eating disorder blogs in the world. Jennifer’s articles have reached thousands of people through websites, magazines, and books, including, Eating Disorders in America: A Reference Handbook, How To Thrive: Expert Tips For Coping With Depression & An Eating Disorder, EatingDisorderHope.com, Anxiety.org, NationalEatingDisorders.org, and Social Work Today Magazine.

Jennifer has been interviewed speaking about eating disorders on television including on Fox, ABC, PBS, and NBC. She gives talks about eating disorders at national eating disorder conferences, therapy centers, and colleges. Jennifer is an expert writer for The Huffington Post and Psychology Today.


CONNECT WITH JENNIFER ROLLIN:

ABOUT KARIN LEWIS:

Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS has been recovered from Anorexia Nervosa for over 20 years and has been specializing in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders since 2005. Karin is the founder of the Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center located in Boston, MA. You can visit Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center online to learn more about Karin and her center’s services. You can also connect with Karin on social media by following her on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Grow Through What You Go Through with Monika Ostroff, LICSW, CEDS-S

 
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Episode 39 - Grow Through What You Go Through with Monika Ostroff, LICSW, CEDS-S

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

IN THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, I am joined by Monika Ostroff, LICSW, CEDS-S, and Executive Director of Multi-Service Eating Disorders Association Inc (MEDA). Nationally recognized for her 25+ years of experience and contributions to the field of eating disorders, Monika has directed several successful residential, partial hospital, and intensive outpatient eating disorder programs in addition to having owned a thriving private practice. Monika’s passion for treating eating disorders and mentoring other professionals was borne out of her own struggle and full recovery from what today is known as Severe and Enduring Anorexia Nervosa.


SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • How the recovery journey looks different for everyone.

  • Recovering when professionals label you as “chronic.”

  • How compassion, respect, and empowerment can elicit change.

  • Connecting back to one’s innate, inner wisdom.

  • The need for inclusivity, access, and equality within healthcare.

  • Being seen as a human, not a diagnosis.

  • Finding your voice is your key to recovery.

  • How eating disorders can serve as a “resource” when no other “resources” aren’t available.

ABOUT MONIKA OSTROFF:

Monika Ostroff, MSW, LICSW, CEDS-S is the Executive Director of MEDA, a leading national nonprofit organization dedicated to healing, educating, and empowering the community in the fight against eating disorders.

Monika is a therapist, author, and consultant specializing in the fields of eating disorders and substance use disorders. She is nationally recognized for her contributions to the field of eating disorders and their treatment. With expertise in individual, group, and family therapy in both outpatient and hospital settings, Monika has 25 years of experience in the field of eating disorders. Her passion for treating eating disorders and mentoring other professionals was borne out of her own struggle and full recovery from what today is known as Severe and Enduring Anorexia Nervosa.

Prior to joining MEDA, Monika was the Manager of Outpatient Behavioral Health Services at HCA’s Parkland Medical Center where she provided leadership for Reflections Eating Disorders Treatment Center at Parkland Medical Center in Salem, NH; Parkland’s Center for Emotional Wellness Adult Partial Hospital Program and the Behavioral Health Unit’s inpatient Social Work Department. She also assisted in launching the Cambridge Eating Disorder Center of New Hampshire, where she served as their Director. She served as the Clinical Director for R.O.A.D. To A Better Life's nine addiction treatment centers in the state of New Hampshire as well as the Program Director for Hampstead Hospital's Eating Disorder Treatment Center. Additionally, she owned a thriving private practice specializing in eating disorders for many years.

Among her credits, Monika is the co-author of Anorexia Nervosa: A Guide to Recovery, 1999; and a contributing author to both Self-Harm Behavior and Eating Disorders., 2004 and The Thinking Mom's Revolution: Autism Beyond the Spectrum, 2012. She has also authored several well-received essays on the topics of anorexia, bulimia, trauma, and healing. Monika has appeared on several radio and television broadcasts including NPR’s Public Affair and Boston’s WGBH Arts and Ideas. Monika has extensive experience speaking publicly and presenting workshops on eating disorders. She continues to lecture and present at conferences and universities across the country.

Monika strongly believes in providing compassionate care that combines alternative healing with evidence-based modalities. In addition to using meditation, yoga, and essential oils, she is certified in several alternative modalities and has recently teamed up with Dr. Patrick Porter to create an eating disorders recovery support series for the revolutionary BrainTap.

Monika received her BA from Wellesley College and her MSW from Boston College Graduate School of Social Work.


CONNECT WITH MONIKA OSTROFF:

  • Learn more about MEDA’s eating disorder support and recovery services

  • Donate directly and view other ways to support MEDA

  • Follow MEDA on Facebook and Instagram

  • Sign-up for MEDA’s weekly support group and view other events here

  • Tune into MEDA’s IGTV channel on Instagram to view their weekly support series and live recovery chats/interviews.

ABOUT KARIN LEWIS:

Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS has been recovered from Anorexia Nervosa for over 20 years and has been specializing in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders since 2005. Karin is the founder of the Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center located in Boston, MA. You can visit Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center online to learn more about Karin and her center’s services. You can also connect with Karin on social media by following her on Facebook and Instagram.

 

House on Fire with Caryn Raba

 
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Episode 37 - House on Fire with Caryn Raba

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

IN THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, I am joined by Caryn Raba, a recovered eating disorder recovery coach, and substance abuse counselor. Working in the eating disorder field independently for over 3 years, Caryn's work as an eating disorder recovery coach has taken her all over the world both physically and through fostering virtual connections.


SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • Working in the “here and now” by openly addressing eating disorder behaviors and how they affect individuals.

  • The bravery and courage needed to allow a recovery coach into your home.

  • How restriction can often be the driving force and/or precursor for bingeing and purging.

  • Evaluating the intentions behind movement and exercise.

  • How the eating disorder manipulates honest people to dishonest acts, such as stealing food.

  • The importance of reaching out to someone who can hold and validate one’s struggle.

  • Facing challenges and struggles with coping skills.

  • How the eating disorder and recovery process teaches and allows one to be in the world.

ABOUT CARYN RABA:

Caryn Raba has been an athlete since the age of four. She worked as a counselor and mentor in Substance abuse treatment for 10 years before coming into eating disorder recovery Coaching. Caryn is a Certified Eating Disorder Coach with the Carolyn Costin Institute and works independently and with Recovered Living as one of their eating disorder recovery coaches.

Caryn knows the importance of meeting a client where they are at, yet encouraging them to challenge themselves, as that is what was so important in her own recovery. She believes that strong, supportive relationships are key to getting better and the only people who don’t recover, are the ones who stop trying.

Caryn currently lives in Lives in Los Angeles, California USA, and is available for virtual sessions or 24/7 live in's both domestically and internationally.


CONNECT WITH CARYN RABA:

ABOUT KARIN LEWIS:

Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS has been recovered from Anorexia Nervosa for over 20 years and has been specializing in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders since 2005. Karin is the founder of the Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center located in Boston, MA. You can visit Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center online to learn more about Karin and her center’s services. You can also connect with Karin on social media by following her on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Out of the Pantry with Ronni Robinson

 
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Episode 36 - Out of the Pantry with Ronni Robinson

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

IN THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, I am joined by Ronni Robinson, a recovered author with a passion for helping others who are struggling with an eating disorder. Ronni’s first book, Out of the Pantry: A Disordered Eating Journey, offers a brutally honest glimpse into the trials, pervasive thoughts, and heartbreak of a compulsive overeater, and the courage and strength Ronni gained to live a life of food freedom. Ronni is also an active public speaker on the topics of eating disorders and emotionally abusive relationships.


SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • No matter how long one has struggled with an eating disorder, it is never too late to recover.

  • Turning to food as a coping mechanism in the absence of unconditional love.

  • Healing your “inner child” as a step towards healing.

  • Self-preservation at any age.

  • Missing opportunities for connection when one’s mind is consumed with food.

  • The freedom gained from listening to your body.

  • The ways in which a parent with an eating disorder can speak to their children.

  • Taking “what works” from different belief systems to create your own.

  • The process of writing Out of the Pantry: A Disordered Eating Journey.

ABOUT RONNI ROBINSON:

Ronni Robinson is a writer and indoor cycling instructor in the suburbs of Eastern Pennsylvania, where she lives with her husband in their newly minted empty nest, as both kids are off to college.

With a passion for helping others who are struggling with eating disorders, Ronni’s first book, Out of the Pantry: A Disordered Eating Journey, offers a brutally honest glimpse into the trials, pervasive thoughts, and heartbreak of a compulsive overeater, and the courage and strength Ronni gained to live a life of food freedom.

You can find Ronni on the Facebook page “Overcoming Food Nonsense,” where she serves as an administrator. She also does public speaking about eating disorders and emotionally abusive relationships.

Ronni has been freelance writing since freshman year in college (a long time ago) and has appeared in aSweatLife, Ravishly, The Temper, 50 Shades of Aging, Healthy Women, The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Courier-Post, The New Brunswick Home News, and Parents Express magazine. Ronni’s first book, Out of the Pantry: A Disordered Eating Journey, can be found on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.


CONNECT WITH RONNI ROBINSON:

ABOUT KARIN LEWIS:

Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS has been recovered from Anorexia Nervosa for over 20 years and has been specializing in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders since 2005. Karin is the founder of the Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center located in Boston, MA. You can visit Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center online to learn more about Karin and her center’s services. You can also connect with Karin on social media by following @karinlewisedc on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Happiness is an Inside Job with Hope Hayes, MEd, RDN, LD

 
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Episode 34 - Happiness is an Inside Job with Hope Hayes, MED, RDN, LD

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

IN THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, I am joined by Hope Hayes, MEd, RDN, LD, a proud non-diet dietitian and believer in the Health at Every Size philosophy and founder of Nourishing NH, LLC. Hope believes that lived experience is incredibly valuable in this process and that each of us are our own experts about our bodies. As a nutrition therapist, Hope helps clients fight against diet culture and heal from dieting, disordered eating, and finding peace within their bodies. Hope maintains the idea that health is defined differently to each person and the work that she does with her clients respects that diversity.


SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • The body/brain disconnect that happens when someone is struggling with an eating disorder.

  • The humanness of the recovery journey.

  • Ways in which hunger shows up in the body.

  • Finding flexibility and compassion for self throughout the recovery process.

  • The use of eating disorder behaviors as a means of communication.

  • How one’s inner critic uses comparison negatively.

  • How social media can make someone “feel” a range of emotions.

  • The idea that intuitive eating is innate and exists within all of us.

ABOUT HOPE HAYES:

Hope Hayes, MEd, RDN, LD, is a proud non-diet dietitian and believer in the Health at Every Size philosophy and founder of Nourishing NH, LLC. She is dedicated to guiding her clients to understanding the truths of diet culture and helping them reconnect their body and mind.

While using a non-diet and Health at Every Size approach, Hope battles to end weight stigma, educate about disordered eating, and help people end their weight obsession. She is currently training in trauma-informed care to continue supporting clients who struggle with trauma and eating disorders.

Hope completed her Master’s degree in Health Education and Promotion at Plymouth State University, where she focused her studies in the field of eating disorders by attending the Eating Disorder Institute. Her dietetic coursework and dietetic internship were completed at Simmons College, in Boston, MA.

Nourishing NH is a private practice located in New Hampshire run by two nutrition therapists fighting against diet culture and helping people to heal from dieting, disordered eating, and finding peace within their bodies in a weight inclusive, gender-affirming space. The team at Nourishing NH believes that Health at Every Size and Intuitive Eating are fundamental to healing and creating an authentic relationship with the body. “We hold space for clients as they explore their relationship with food and body image. We believe our work with our clients is therapeutic, supportive, and full of compassion.”

CONNECT WITH HOPE HAYES:

  • Visit Nourishing NH online to learn more about their services offered

  • Information about the lens of “Health At Every Size” can be found here

  • Information regarding how Intuitive Eating is used in therapy sessions and more about IE can be found here

  • Contact Hope regarding eating disorder and nutrition services

  • Book Hope for your next speaking engagement

  • Follow Hope on Facebook and Instagram

ABOUT KARIN LEWIS:

Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS has been recovered from Anorexia Nervosa for over 20 years and has been specializing in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders since 2005. Karin is the founder of the Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center located in Boston, MA. You can visit Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center online to learn more about Karin and her center’s services. You can also connect with Karin on social media by following @karinlewisedc on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Dismantling Fatphobia with Ragen Chastain

 
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Episode 33 - DISMANTLING FATPHOBIA WITH Ragen Chastain

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

IN THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, I am joined by Ragen Chastain. Ragen is a speaker, writer, and thought leader in the fields of Body Image, Health at Every Size, Weight Stigma, and Corporate Wellness. Ragen's depth and breadth of knowledge come from a combination of her personal story of overcoming an eating disorder, her experience as a national dance champion and marathoner, and her training as an ACE Certified Health Coach, Functional Training Specialist, and researcher. Author of the blog danceswithfat.org, the book Fat: The Owner's Manual, and editor of the anthology The Politics of Size, Ragen is frequently featured as an expert in print, radio, television, and documentary film. Her ability to combine humor with hard facts in ways that educate, motivate, and entertain have makes her a sought-after speaker on the collegiate, conference, and corporate circuits.

SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • Ragen’s background including some of the weight stigma she has experienced in her life.

  • Navigating in a society designed to exclude, shame, and oppress people on the basis of shared characteristics or identities.

  • Medical weight stigma in regards to diagnosis, care, and treatment options.

  • Nurturing the parts of self that question authority and challenge the narrative.

  • The ways in which diet culture, dieting, and fatphobia perpetuate eating disorders and can make full recovery feel impossible.

  • The value and need for trust between client and provider.

  • How Ragen’s activism aims to dismantle diet culture and fatphobia in the community so that people of every size have equal opportunity to fully recover.

  • Strategies one can use to stand up for themself and advocate for equal healthcare and how Ragen has educated health practitioners.

  • The dangers of weight-loss interventions and weight loss surgery.

  • Challenging the beliefs that add to the oppression of fat people and moving into thoughts and actions that support body liberation for those of all sizes.

ABOUT RAGEN CHASTAIN:

Ragen Chastain is a Certified Health Coach, trained researcher, three-time National Champion dancer, and two-time marathoner who holds the Guinness World Record for Heaviest Woman to Complete a Marathon. She writes and speaks full-time about Body Image, Health at Every Size, Fitness, Corporate Wellness, and Weight Stigma - including with healthcare and eating disorders community. Ragen is the author of the blogs danceswithfat.org and IronFat, and the book Fat: The Owner's Manual. She has been featured as an expert in media including the Associated Press, the New York Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, FITNESS, Women's Running, and the Chicago Tribune. She is the editor of the two-volume anthology The Politics of Size - Perspectives from the Fat Acceptance Movement, and a former Editorial Board Member of the Fat Studies Journal.

A leading activist and thought leader in the Health at Every Size and Size Acceptance movements, Ragen is an internationally sought after speaker, having brought her captivating combination of humor and hard facts to stages including CalTech, Dartmouth, Amherst, Google Headquarters, the Multi-Service Eating Disorders (MEDA) National Conference, and a European Speaking Tour. She co-founded (with fellow activist Jeanette DePatie) the Fat Activism Conference, and the Fit Fatties Forum - an online community for people of all sizes who want to discuss fitness from a weight-neutral perspective, that currently has over 4,500 members. She led the campaign that raised over $20,000 in 8 days and put up 6 billboards and 10 bus shelter ads in Atlanta to counter a billboard campaign that fat-shamed children, and the Skinny Minnie petition which garnered over 140,000 signatures and resulted in substantial changes to a promotion by Barney's and Disney.

Ragen currently lives in Los Angeles with her partner and their two adorable dogs and is training for her first (and only!) Iron-distance triathlon.


CONNECT WITH RAGEN CHASTAIN:

ABOUT KARIN LEWIS:

Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS has been recovered from Anorexia Nervosa for over 20 years and has been specializing in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders since 2005. Karin is the founder of the Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center located in Boston, MA. You can visit Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center online to learn more about Karin and her center’s services. You can also connect with Karin on social media by following @karinlewisedc on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Courage Over Comfort with Jacque Mular, MS, RDN, LMFT

 
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Episode 32 - Courage Over Comfort with Jacque Mular, MS, RDN, LMFT

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

IN THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, I am joined by Jacque Mular, MS, RDN, LMFT. Jacque has devoted her life’s work to helping others heal their relationships with food, exercise, and body image. Prior to moving into her role as Clinical Director of the Eating Disorder Center of Portland, Jacque’s own experience with disordered eating, exercise, and recovery were what drove her into the eating disorder field, but her passion and desire for growth are what sustains her.

“My body has gotten me through a lot and just like Yoda, it has aged a bit. I am so grateful for my years on this planet, and I certainly don’t expect my body to look the same ⎼ my soul certainly doesn’t.”
— Jacque Mular, MS, RDN, LMFT

SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • The soul-to-soul connection that happens in recovery.

  • Undoing the harm and unwinding scare tactics as a result of prescribed healthcare.

  • Embracing the Intuitive Eating model when treating eating disorders.

  • The importance of celebrating all (even small) steps in recovery.

  • Finding wellness without obsession.

  • Learning how to embrace change in all its forms.

  • Moving through and growing from uncomfortable, necessary feelings.

  • Shifting from external to internal healing includes moving away from rigidity and towards flexibility.

  • Finding self-confidence in living up to ideals, values, and potential.

  • Discovering your voice through grief and loss.

  • The beauty of the aging process.

  • Learning to see people soul-to-soul, human-to-human.

  • Balancing social justice reform beliefs.

  • Reconnecting, accepting, and respecting your body — flaws and all.

ABOUT JACQUE MULAR:

Jacque Mular, MS, RDN, LMFT has devoted her life’s work to helping others heal their relationships with food, exercise, and body image. Additionally, Jacque is Level One trained in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. Prior to moving into her role as Clinical Director of the Eating Disorder Center of Portland (EDCP), Jacque served as a Registered Dietitian at the Eating Disorder Center of California and Primary Therapist at Monte Nido Vista. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Idaho and went on to earn two graduate degrees— her Masters in nutrition from California State University at Northridge and her Masters in psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles.

Jacque co-authored Real World Recovery and is a contributing author to Monte Nido Founder Carolyn Costin’s new book on multi-disciplinary treatment of eating disorders in special populations.

CONNECT WITH JACQUE MULAR:

ABOUT KARIN LEWIS:

Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS has been recovered from Anorexia Nervosa for over 20 years and has been specializing in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders since 2005. Karin is the founder of the Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center located in Boston, MA. You can visit Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center online to learn more about Karin and her center’s services. You can also connect with Karin on social media by following @karinlewisedc on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Igniting Something Spectacular with Greta Gleissner, LCSW

 
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Episode 25 - iGniting something spectacular with greta gleisSNer, lcsw

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

IN THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, I am joined by Greta Gleissner, LCSW. Greta is a NYC-based psychotherapist specializing in eating disorders. In recovery since 2001, Greta has firsthand knowledge of the challenges individuals face in the eating disorder recovery process, particularly during transitions. Her personal recovery and expertise in the field was the primary impetus for the co-creation of Eating Disorder Recovery Specialists and the Sanctuary Healing trauma intensive outpatient program. Greta is also the author of Something Spectacular: The True Story of a Rockette’s Battle with Bulimia, a raw, personal chronicle of the devastating effects bulimia had on her personal and professional life during her time as a Radio City Rockette.

SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • Fighting against the label of “chronic.”

  • Igniting even the tiniest flames of “hope” and setting fire to recovery.

  • How dance can support recovery.

  • How eating disorders numb out the feelings that accompany abuse and neglect/CPTSD.

  • Healing from an eating disorder in an entrenched family system.

  • The importance of finding and/or creating a sense of community and safety.

  • Managing the limitations of and creating our own “family.”

  • The multidimensional aspect of recovery may require the addition of treatment team members.


ABOUT GRETA GLEISSNER:

Greta Gleissner, LCSW (NY 083574), is a therapist who specializes in eating disorders and trauma, In 2013, Greta founded Eating Disorder Recovery Specialists (EDRS)–pioneering an in-home, on-campus, and virtual post-acute therapeutic care and recovery support model for adolescents and adults with eating disorders. EDRS utilizes over 150 recovery specialists, utilizing in-person and virtual recovery support nationwide.

Greta's most recent and exciting new project is Sanctuary, the first intensive outpatient program (IOP) in NYC that treats PTSD and related disorders, which she co-founded with Dr. Sarah Chipps. Sanctuary has a unique approach, utilizing top-down and bottom-up therapeutic modalities together to soothe the mind, body and nervous system simultaneously and expedite the path to healing.

Greta’s interest in eating disorders and trauma grew out of her recovery from eating disorders and complex PTSD, which provides her with both a personal and professional lens through which to support clients. Having been a professional dancer, she knew from the age of 16 if she could ever heal from her eating disorder it would be her life’s mission to help others. Shortly after graduate school at New York University, Greta published her first book, Something Spectacular: The True Story of a Rockette’s Battle with Bulimia, a raw, personal chronicle of the devastating effects bulimia had on her personal and professional life during her time as a Radio City Rockette.

In addition to founding Eating Disorder Recovery Specialists and Sanctuary trauma intensive outpatient program, Greta maintains a small private practice on the Upper West Side and is trained in EMDR, CBT, DBT, and Motivational Interviewing.

CONNECT WITH GRETA GLEISSNER:

ABOUT KARIN LEWIS:

Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS has been recovered from Anorexia Nervosa for over 20 years and has been specializing in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders since 2005. Karin is the founder of the Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center located in Boston, MA. You can visit Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center online to learn more about Karin and her center’s services. You can also connect with Karin on social media by following her on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Tutu Thin and Dancing Around the Issues with Dawn Smith-Theodore, LMFT

 
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Episode 24 - Tutu Thin AND Dancing Around the Issues with Dawn Smith-Theodore, LMFT

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

IN THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, I am joined by Dawn Smith-Theodore, LMFT a psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of eating disorders and addictions. Dawn has a private practice in Agoura Hills and Westwood, CA, and she was the Director of Day Treatment Services for Monte Nido and Affiliates. She was the owner of “Carousel” a transitional living home for women with eating disorders and chemical dependency, with her colleague, Terry Eagan, MD. Dawn is also a former professional dancer and owned her own dance studio for 25 years. She is the author of the book, Tutu Thin: A Guide to Dancing Without an Eating Disorder. 

SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • The need for perfection, especially with dancers.

  • Choosing life or choosing an eating disorder.

  • Finding a balanced life as a dancer.

  • The importance of education around harmful language that can perpetuate an eating disorder.

  • How the theme of being “enough” is commonplace in the minds of those with an eating disorder and dancers alike.

  • The competitive nature of dancers and those with an eating disorder.

  • How nourishment allows dancers to feel the music and feel their bodies.


ABOUT DAWN SMITH-THEODORE:

Dawn Smith-Theodore, LMFT is a specialist in the treatment of eating disorders. Dawn has a private practice in Agoura Hills and Westwood, CA, and she was the Director of Day Treatment Services for Monte Nido and Affiliates. She was the owner of “Carousel” a transitional living home for women with eating disorders and chemical dependency, with her colleague, Terry Eagan, MD.

Dawn worked for seven years at Monte Nido Residential Treatment Center in Malibu, CA with women suffering from anorexia, bulimia, and exercise addiction. She has worked as a primary therapist as well as a facilitator of the weekly multi-family group, cognitive-behavioral, dance therapy, and creativity groups. She worked for 6 years as an Eating Disorder Consultant for Visions Adolescent Treatment Center in Malibu, where she worked with adolescents who suffer from drug addiction, alcoholism in addition to having an eating disorder. Dawn was the Clinical Director of the Eating Disorder Center of California in Brentwood (Los Angeles) for 5 years.

Dawn appeared on Health Zone with Amy Hendel and Recovery Talk Network as a therapist with a specialty in the eating disorder field. She has also been a guest teacher at Pepperdine University and California State Dominguez Hills. She spoke on a panel about Women’s Issues in Recovery at the Southern California Recovery Summit. Dawn appeared with Tracey Gold in the Lifetime Television show about the treatment of eating disorders entitled Starving Secrets. Dawn is an international speaker having recently spoken to the dance department at Boston Conservatory, The Joffrey Ballet School, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Steps on Broadway, The Washington Ballet, Kirov Ballet Academy, IADMS in Helsinki and Montreal, and the Frank Sinatra School of Performing Arts in New York City. Dawn is recovered from Anorexia Nervosa herself.

In addition to her work as a therapist, Dawn owned and operated her dance studio, A Step in Time School of Dance in Calabasas, CA for 25 years. During her ownership, Dawn has traveled the globe with her students giving them opportunities to perform at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Cruise Ships, the Sydney 2000 Olympics, and The Radio City Christmas Show at the Nokia Theatre as well as building self-esteem through performance. Dawn continues to teach dance and is currently working with dance conventions and Ballet companies to educate them about eating disorders and positive body images in the dance world. Dawn believes that education and early intervention with dance educators, young dancers, and parents can help decrease the number of dancers who develop an eating disorder. She is the co-owner of Cross Pointe Dance with her long-time friend, Dana Stackpole former American Ballet Theatre and Broadway Star. Cross Pointe Dance is a Master Class Series and Performance opportunity for young dancers, where Dawn has the ability to promote positive body image to young dancers. Dawn is also the author of the book about dancers and eating disorders, Tutu Thin: a Guide to Dancing Without an Eating Disorder.

CONNECT WITH DAWN SMITH-THEODORE:

ABOUT KARIN LEWIS:

Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS has been recovered from Anorexia Nervosa for over 20 years and has been specializing in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders since 2005. Karin is the founder of the Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center located in Boston, MA. You can visit Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center online to learn more about Karin and her center’s services. You can also connect with Karin on social media by following @karinlewisedc on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Mindsight Discovery with Beth Hartman McGilley, Ph.D, FAED, CEDS

 
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Episode 15 - Mindsight Discovery with Beth Hartman McGilley, Ph.D, FAED, CEDS

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

IN THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, I am joined by Beth Hartman McGilley, Ph.D., FAED, CEDS-S recovered psychologist in private practice at Path Clinic, specializing in the treatment of eating disorders, athletes, trauma, and grief. Her practice is informed by feminist, HAES, and social justice perspectives. A Fellow of the AED, and a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist/Supervisor, Beth has practiced psychotherapy for over 35 years, in addition to writing, lecturing, and supervising. She is the co-editor of the book: Treatment of Eating Disorders: Bridging the Research/Practice Gap.

SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • Coping with the “messiness” of recovery.

  • Living in ambiguity.

  • Addressing fear surrounding treatment for athletes with eating disorders.

  • Finding ways to physically move that moves you.

  • The clinical need to “show up” for clients by honoring the uniqueness of each person's recovery.

  • Tolerating competing emotions and feeling states.

  • How recovery offers an entirely different way of relating to tragic events.

  • Mindsight...getting out of the rabbit hole!


ABOUT BETH MCGILLEY:

Beth Hartman McGilley, Ph.D., FAED, Clinical Associate Professor, University of Kansas School of Medicine--Wichita is a psychologist in private practice, specializing in the treatment of eating and related disorders, body image, athletes, trauma, and grief. A Fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED), and a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist, she has practiced for over 30 years, writing, lecturing, supervising, directing an inpatient eating disorders program, and providing individual, family and group therapy.  She has published in academic journals and the popular media, as well as contributing chapters to several books. She is a journal editor for Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention, and co-editor for the book: Treatment of Eating Disorders: Bridging the Research/Practice Gap. She has presented extensively to national and international, lay and professional audiences, as well as appeared on a variety of local and national news and radio outlets.

In addition to her clinical work, Beth has been a chair or member of numerous committees for the AED since its inception. These include Health Club Taskforce (Chair, 2009-2015), Medical Management Taskforce (Member, 2009-present), Public Relations Committee (Chair, Advocacy Subcommittee, 2002-04), Membership Recruitment/Retention Committee (Co-Chair.1999-03), Fundraising Committee (Member, 2001-02), Managed Care Task Force Committee (Member, 1997-01). Beth previously served as the co-founder and Co-Chair of the AED Professionals and Recovery Special Interest Group, and is currently a member of the AED Somatic Therapies SIG.

Beth also specializes in applications of sports psychology and performance enhancement techniques with athletes at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. She was the sports psychology consultant for the Wichita State University Women’s Basketball team from 2005-2008. She was the co-founder and co-chair of the Association for Applied Sports Psychology (AASP) Eating Disorders Special Interest Group from 2007-2012.

Beth co-founded and for 12 years served as the President of the Healing Path Foundation, a nonprofit foundation dedicated to the prevention and treatment of eating disorders in Kansas. She is a longstanding member of the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (IAEDP), the American Psychological Association (APA), and the Kansas Psychological Association (KPA).  She was a 2008 graduate of the Kansas Health Foundation Leadership Fellows Training program. Her hobbies include competitive cycling, hiking, writing, and time with her therapy dog, Wheeler the Healer.

CONNECT WITH BETH MCGILLEY:

ABOUT KARIN LEWIS:

Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS has been recovered from Anorexia Nervosa for over 20 years and has been specializing in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders since 2005. Karin is the founder of the Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center located in Boston, MA. You can visit Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center online to learn more about Karin and her center’s services. You can also connect with Karin on social media by following her on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Door Knob Moments with Rebecca Bokat, MS, RD, LDN

 
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Episode 13 - Door Knob Moments with Rebecca Bokat, MS, RD, LDN

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

IN THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, I am joined by Rebecca Bokat, MS, RD, LDN of NourishED RD, LLC. Rebecca is a registered dietitian nutritionist who has dedicated her career to helping clients struggling with eating disorders and disordered eating receive the necessary treatment to lead fully recovered, nourished lives.

SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • Reintroducing exercise.

  • Eating disorders and sleep disruption.

  •  Multidisciplinary team work.

  •  As the client, you are part of the team.

  •  Vacationing with an eating disorder

  •  Eating disorder voice versus healthy voice.


ABOUT REBECCA BOKAT:

The seeds of Rebecca’s interest in fitness and nutrition were planted at an early age as she watched Jane Fonda aerobic tapes in the basement of her childhood home outside of Washington, DC. Rebecca often leafed through her mother’s many issues of Eating Well magazine, setting the stage for what would become a lifelong relationship with food. In the years following her childhood, Rebecca’s passion for fitness grew, and she started her career as an AFAA certified personal trainer. The majority of Rebecca’s clients sought her expertise to help them achieve weight loss goals, which served as further inspiration to learn more about the intricate relationship between nutrition, exercise, and body image. In response to culturally embedded messages about dieting and the pursuit of the thin “ideal,” Rebecca sought a deeper understanding of clinical nutrition and turned her attention to graduate school. In 2009, Rebecca earned a Master of Science degree in Nutrition from Boston University and completed her Dietetic Internship at Boston Medical Center. 

Rebecca has extensive experience treating eating disorders throughout all life stages across the continuum of care. As a clinical dietitian for inpatient services at Boston-area Walden Behavioral Care, Rebecca gained the invaluable experience that comes from treating patients at a multilevel eating disorder and psychiatric treatment facility. For the majority of her time at Walden, Rebecca was the adolescent dietitian, providing education to patients and families on the psychological and physiological impacts of eating disorder behaviors, symptom management, and reduction, and meal planning to normalize eating patterns and support medical and behavioral stabilization. Most recently, Rebecca served as the dietitian for both adolescent and adult clients in the Day Treatment Program and Intensive Outpatient Program at The Renfrew Center Boston and at Monte Nido Eating Disorder Center of Boston.

Rebecca is an active member of multiple professional organizations and groups including the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the International Federation of Eating Disorder Dietitians, and Eating Disorder Registered Dietitians & Professionals.  She is devoted to continuing her professional growth and development through participation in the Behavioral Health Nutrition (BHN) and Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition (SCAN) Dietetic Practice Groups. Rebecca also belongs to the Multi-Service Eating Disorders Association (MEDA) Preferred Treatment Provider Network.

Rebecca is currently in private practice at NourishED located in Boston, MA. The combination of her lifelong passion for nutrition, fitness, and wellness is the foundation from which Rebecca supports her clients as they heal their relationship with food, movement, and their bodies. Rebecca leverages her enthusiasm, personal experience, and clinical expertise to offer hope and inspiration to her clients so they may lead fully recovered lives. 

Being recovered and free from the eating disorder allows you to live your life how you choose, not that you have control over life outcomes, but that you have an independent voice in making choices in the micro and macro life decisions that you come across.

- Rebecca Bokat


CONNECT WITH REBECCA BOKAT:

ABOUT KARIN LEWIS:

Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS has been recovered from Anorexia Nervosa for over 20 years and has been specializing in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders since 2005. Karin is the founder of the Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center located in Boston, MA. To learn more about Karin and her center’s services, please visit Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center. You can connect with Karin on social media by following her on Facebook and Instagram.