Intuitive Healing with Anna Sweeney, MS, RD, LDN, CEDRD-S

 
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Episode 30 - Intuitive Healing with Anna Sweeney, MS, RD, LDN, CEDRD-S

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

IN THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, I am joined by Anna Sweeney, MS, RD, LDN, CEDRD-S, a Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian and Supervisor, Certified Intuitive Eating Specialist and owner of Whole Life Nutrition Counseling, a weight inclusive nutrition therapy practice dedicated to the thoughtful treatment of eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image concerns. A nationally respected eating disorder dietitian and serving as an expert in a variety of media forums, Anna is dedicated to empowering her clients to notice and refute the influence of diet culture in their lives. She provides compassionate, no-nonsense support to her clients and followers, and challenges oppressive forces that make being in a body challenging, helping them to understand that interaction with food, body and movement are both unique and personal. Anna is also a full-time disabled person and uses her lived experience to enhance the work she does. You can find Anna at @dietitiananna on Instagram.

SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • The barriers to treatment for humans in marginalized bodies.

  • Racial disparity as a deciding factor when to who gets care.

  • The harm of weight stigma existing within a diagnosis.

  • Challenging the norms of healthcare standards.

  • Relating through and with her clients.

  • Intuitive eating and its role in wellness culture and eating disorder recovery.

  • The pervasive ways in which diet culture infiltrates the media and our lives.

  • Anna’s insight from having a sibling with an eating disorder and how that experience has shifted over time.

  • Anna’s motivation to get into the field of dietetics, specifically eating disorders.

  • The wisdom gained from Anna’s personal experiences as well as her professional work as a dietitian supporting those in recovery from an eating disorder.

  • Using her anti-diet voice as a means to combat and challenge the narrative how we talk about food, our body, and ourselves.

ABOUT ANNA SWEENEY:

Anna Sweeney is a Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian, Certified Intuitive Eating Specialist and owner of Whole Life Nutrition Counseling. She is an expert in the treatment of individuals struggling with eating disorders, disordered eating, and emotional eating. Anna combines her knowledge of the science of nutrition and experience in the treatment of eating disorders with direct, compassionate, and heartfelt care to help her clients realize the pleasures of living a whole life.

Anna received her Bachelors of Science Degree in Food Science and Nutrition and her Masters Degree of Nutrition and Health Promotion from Simmons College, Boston. While earning her Masters' Degree, Anna served as Lead Dietitian of the Partial Hospitalization Program at Walden Behavioral Care, LLC, an eating disorder and psychiatric facility outside of Boston.

After working at all levels of eating disorder care - partial hospitalization, residential, and inpatient - she was promoted to the position of Coordinator of Nutrition Services where she managed the nutrition department, supported nutrition staff, and developed nutrition protocols for the treatment of inpatient adolescent patients.

Anna served as the first dietitian for Monte Nido at Laurel Hill, a residential eating disorder treatment facility in Boston, Massachusetts, and held the title of National Director of Nutrition Services for the organization until 2018.

Anna is member of the Massachusetts Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (MAND), the Massachusetts Dietetic Association (MDA), and is an active member of the Multiservice Eating Disorder Association (MEDA), the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED), the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals Foundation (IAEDP), and the International Federation for Eating Disorder Dietitians (IFEDD).

Anna is certified by the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals as a dietitian with eating disorder expertise and is also an IAEDP approved supervisor. CEDRD status is earned by dietitians who have met rigorous educational and skill requirements, have accumulated a minimum number of hours of qualifying work experience, and have made a commitment to stay abreast of current developments in the field through Continuing Education.

Whole Life Nutrition Counseling in Concord, MA, works exclusively with clients with eating disorders, disordered eating, or an interest in intuitive eating. At Whole Life Nutrition, Anna’s goal is to help her clients to heal their relationships with food and body, trust their own wisdom, appreciate self-care, and to enjoy every bite along the way. Anna’s extensive history working with eating disorder clients on an outpatient basis allows her bring her expertise, experience, and enthusiasm to Whole Life Nutrition Counseling and the MetroWest Community. 

Anna is a recognized public figure on social media, where she does not shy away from talking about chronic illness, wellness culture, and how to navigate these tenuous spaces. Foreseeing that many would not be able to access the support they may need due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Anna created Virtual Connection, a weekly free hour of support for those struggling with eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image concerns.

Anna also proudly identifies herself as a disabled woman. In the context of Anna’s disability and inability to access nature in ways that she once could, Anna created the #inaccessibleviews hashtag where she asks for photos and videos of places, around the world, that a disabled body cannot experience. With over 10K views, #inaccessibleviews powerfully bridges the gap between the able-bodied and disabled worlds.

CONNECT WITH ANNA SWEENEY:

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.