Bringing the Eating Disorder Into the Room with Joe Sciarretta, LCSW

 
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Episode 21 - Bringing the Eating Disorder Into the Room with Joe Sciarretta, LCSW

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

IN THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, I am joined by Joe Sciarretta, licensed clinical social worker and owner of Earnest Therapy, LLC, a private practice specializing in helping people find hope during the chaos of eating disorders, anxiety, depression, OCD, trauma, and PTSD. Since 2010 Joe has worked within intensive eating disorder treatment and has served individuals suffering from a wide variety of symptoms. Joe is passionate about helping those suffering from mental health problems and sees recovery is attainable for anyone. When asked how he got into this particular line of work, Joe’s response is that he “found my passion for helping people with eating disorders by accident, but stayed with them on purpose”.

SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • Understanding (and honoring) ambivalence.

  • The difference between “fixing” and “healing.”

  • Looking through the lens of someone who hasn't experienced an eating disorder.

  • Why does getting better feel so bad?

  • Bringing the eating disorder into the room...even if you don’t want to.

  • The importance of education and insight when doing family work. "There's a lot of heat; but until there is education, there is not a lot of insight".

  • Eating disorders and suicide.

ABOUT JOE SCIARRETTA:

Joseph (Joe) Sciarretta, LCSW is a licensed therapist who focuses his career on the treatment of people with eating disorders, anxiety, depression, OCD, and trauma.

Joe received his BA in Psychology from The College of New Jersey in 2011 and his MSW from Rutgers University in 2014. Since completing his graduate education, Joe has held a variety of positions in the world of eating disorder treatment including Admissions Coordinator, Recovery Coach, Primary Therapist, and finally Lead Therapist. Joe is a fully credentialed Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of New Jersey. Joe is also a member of the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (IAEDP) and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Joe also offers training workshops on eating disorders to other healthcare professionals.

Joe got his start working in the eating disorder field sort of "by accident". After looking through a binder of internships held by previous students in his undergraduate psychology department, he had his interest piqued by the idea of learning in the most professional setting he could find, and so applied to intern at a hospital-based eating disorder program. Although he knew very little about eating disorders then, he was given a chance to learn and became the first male intern the program took on. During this experience, Joe had the privilege to help people as they started their journey in a state of illness and then gradually moved through their healing process. After witnessing many people go through meaningful transformations, Joe was so inspired that he decided to dedicate his professional career to the care of people with eating disorders.

Since that internship in 2010, Joe has been working with people who have eating disorders at a number of reputable treatment centers in the New Jersey-New York area. He has made it a point to serve people with eating disorders at all levels of care: from outpatient office visits, day treatment programs, residential centers, and inpatient hospitals. Having been a long-time staff member of Monte Nido's residential treatment center in Irvington, NY, Joe emphasizes the Monte Nido therapeutic approach outlined in the "8 Keys To Recovery From An Eating Disorder" book. He also heavily incorporates effective evidence-based principles from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Family Therapy.

At present, Joe owns and operates Earnest Therapy, LLC - a private practice dubbed for his tendency to eagerly support and encourage his client's true selves. At Earnest Therapy, he continues his tradition of directly serving people suffering from eating disorders, anxiety, depression, OCD, and trauma.

CONNECT WITH JOE SCIARRETTA:

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.