Holding Space for Healing with Jennifer Gaudiani, MD, CEDS-S, FAED

 
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Episode 43 - Holding Space for Healing with Jennifer Gaudiani, MD, CEDS-S, FAED

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

IN THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, we are joined by Jennifer Gaudiani, MD, a nationally recognized internist for her work on the medical complications of eating disorders. Known as “Dr. G” to her patients and their families, Dr. Gaudiani is the founder and Medical Director of the Gaudiani Clinic in Denver, a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS), and Fellow in the Academy for Eating Disorders (FAED). Dr Gaudiani is passionate about the medical care of adolescents and adults who have a complicated relationship with food and their body. Dr. Gaudiani is also the author of Sick Enough: A Guide to the Medical Complications of Eating Disorders.


SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • Caring for the whole person through a collaborative and communicative approach.

  • Recognizing the deep harm endured at the hands of medical professionals.

  • Removing the medical barriers to recovery makes room for more authentic feelings and may not appear as "bubbly.”

  • Speaking in metaphor serves as a “rainbow bridge” of connection.

  • Looking at ourselves as a two-sided coin and allowing the feelings that come with each side.

  • The importance of treatment professionals approaching care without judgment or impositions so that they can truly see their client’s whole self.

  • Honoring the client’s decision-making process while simultaneously holding the dangers of their eating disorder.

  • The steps in one’s healing may be outside the box, but it doesn’t mean recovery is not possible.

  • Following eating disorder “rules” moves one away from what they value most.

ABOUT DR GAUDIANI:

Jennifer L. Gaudiani, MD, CEDS, FAED, is the Founder and Medical Director of the Gaudiani Clinic. Board Certified in Internal Medicine, she completed her undergraduate degree at Harvard, medical school at Boston University School of Medicine, and her internal medicine residency and chief residency at Yale.

From 2008 to 2016, Dr. Gaudiani was one of the leaders of the ACUTE Center for Eating Disorders at Denver Health. She left after serving as its Medical Director and as an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine to found the Gaudiani Clinic, which provides outpatient in-person and telemedicine medical care to patients of all genders with eating disorders and disordered eating and to those in recovery. The Gaudiani Clinic is a HAES®-informed/weight-inclusive provider that cares for people of all shapes and sizes.

Dr. Gaudiani has lectured nationally and internationally, is widely published in the scientific literature as well as on blogs, is a current member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Eating Disorders and the Academy for Eating Disorders Medical Care Standards Committee. Dr. Gaudiani’s book Sick Enough: A Guide to the Medical Complications of Eating Disorders was published in 2018. Sick Enough offers patients, their families, and clinicians a comprehensive, accessible review of the medical issues that arise from eating disorders by bringing relatable case presentations and a scientifically sound, engaging style to the topic.

On a personal note, Dr. Gaudiani is fluent in Spanish and speaks conversational Italian, loves hiking and spending time outdoors, is a voracious reader especially of young adult fantasy fiction, and lives with her wonderful husband and two daughters in Denver.


CONNECT WITH DR GAUDIANI:

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.