Navigating Through Postpartum with Jaren Soloff, RD, IBCLC

Episode 49- Navigating Through Postpartum with Jaren Soloff, RD, IBCLC

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

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IN THIS EPISODE:

This week I welcome Jaren Soloff, RD, IBCLC, who serves as an expert in women’s health. While continuing to practice in the field of eating disorder treatment, Jaren gained additional experience as an IBCLC to fuse her love of nutrition and women’s health. Now working solely in private practice at FULL CRCL, Jaren combines her expertise as a skilled nutrition therapist and lactation consultant to support mothers in nourishing themselves and their babies with confidence. Informed by her own journey and the hundreds of women she has counseled, Jaren’s experience comes full circle to support women in navigating pregnancy, birth and postpartum from a simple and intuitive framework.

SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• The idea that everyone has been an intuitive eater at some point in their life.

• The beauty and connection of the mother-baby feeding relationship.

• How a parents’ relationship with food and body impacts how they feed their child.

• The effects of weight stigma and diet culture for women in postpartum.

• Navigating through the “triggers” during pregnancy and postpartum.

• The impact of engaging in behaviors during pregnancy.

• The ways in which social media can negatively impact someone during postpartum.

• Jaren’s book, “The Postnatal Cookbook”
  

ABOUT JAREN SOLOFF:

Jaren Soloff is a Registered Dietitian and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) who has always felt a connection to supporting women in some way professionally. For the longest time, she was stumped on how to find a profession that would allow her to integrate her interest in feminism, social justice, health, law and community. Finding the profession of lactation consulting after Jaren had her daughter was a gift that provided her the opportunity to integrate both her lived experience as a mother and as a recovered professional.

Jaren spent the early portion of her career working as a Registered Dietitian counseling individuals who struggled with eating disorders, disordered eating and chronic dieting. In her counseling, she taught about how as babies we are all born knowing how to eat intuitively. Jaren thought ‘if I could help support mothers in preserving their infants ability to eat intuitively from the beginning when breast or chestfeeding that I could ultimately have a larger impact on how our children navigate their own relationships with food and bodies.’

After having her first daughter, Jaren’s desire to become a lactation consultant hit her with full force after having her own breastfeeding challenges. Now, Jaren’s personal and professional experience have come full circle (the inspiration for the name of her practice!) in helping to support other mothers in her community. FULL CRCL provides nutrition counseling and lactation consultations to help both mom and baby thrive in motherhood. Informed by her own journey and the hundreds of women she has counseled, Jaren’s experience comes full circle to support women in navigating pregnancy, birth and postpartum from a simple and intuitive framework.

Jaren prides herself on blending her experiences as both a nutrition therapist and lactation consultant to provide mothers with expert feeding support and a dose of compassion, listening and empowerment. Most recently, Jaren released “The Postnatal Cookbook: Simple and Nutritious Recipes to Nourish Your Body and Spirit During the Fourth Trimester,” for new moms.

CONNECT WITH JAREN SOLOFF:

• Visit FULL CRCL to learn more about Jaren and her practice

• Check out FULL CRCL’s nutrition counseling and virtual lactation consulting services

• Book an appointment with Jaren or email her directly

• Follow FULL CRCL on Facebook and Instagram

• Subscribe to FULL CRCL’s blog

• Read Jaren’s article “What I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Eye Loss” written for The Mighty

• Purchase a copy of The Postnatal Cookbook on IndieBound, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Powell City of Books, and Bam Books-a-Million

• Get a free chapter + 5 free lactation boosting recipes from The Postnatal Cookbook

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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.

Progress Not Perfection with Lara Reaves

Episode 48 - Progress Not Perfection with Lara Reaves

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

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IN THIS EPISODE:

This week I welcome Lara Reaves to the show. Lara is a certified Holistic Nutrition Practitioner, specializing in eating disorders, and recovered from her own battle with an eating disorder that nearly destroyed many of her dreams for her future. Since recovery, Lara has worked in residential clinical settings, adolescent mental health facilities, and is well-versed in communicating with a treatment team. She is the Chief Operations Officer and Coach for Rebecca's Eating Disorder Foundation, and a Recovery Coach for the Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center. Her mission became to increase awareness and educate the public about eating disorders and the journey of recovery.

SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• The ways in which the journey to recovery can be one of the greatest teachers and source of growth.

• Using behaviors in an effort to soothe the pain form the voices in your head.

• How eating disorder behaviors (falsely) “protect” loved ones from the severity of one’s pain.

• Recovery requires learning how to not negotiate one’s values.

• The idea that one can make space for courage through disallowing fear from paralyzing the process.

• How the courage and self-esteem gained from moving through fear outlive and outlast fear itself.

• Recovery allows one to be “a part” of life as opposed to being “apart” from it.
  

ABOUT LARA REAVES:

When Lara Reaves arrived at a place of meaningful recovery with an urge to help people like herself. When asked by mentor Rebecca Cooper “what do you want to do deep down inside in your gut,” Lara knew the answer was to help others with eating disorders and Lara’s training began her training shortly thereafter. The clinical expertise and decades of recovery from her mentor offered Lara a unique education that “I would have never experienced during a psychology master's program.” During this time, Lara assisted in building a virtual Disorder Eating program, seminars on Eating Disorder Treatment, workshops, and writing projects. The experience was inspiring, and watching people make peace with food and their bodies felt like witnessing miracles. Lara realized that the Recovery coaching aspect of the work was what she loved and felt the most passionate about, leading to Lara receiving her certification as an Eating Disorder Recovery Coach from The Rebecca's Foundation Institute.

Lara was supervised and trained directly under Rebecca Cooper, world-renowned eating disorder therapist, author, and founder of Rebecca's House residential treatment center. Lara also volunteered as a Recovery Mentor, an experience that planted the seed to pursuing work as a recovery coach. She found it deeply rewarding to be a part of someone else's transformative journey towards a deeper, more peaceful relationship with food, addiction, and themselves. Through looking at the causes, effects, and social pressures, she grew her awareness of how much needed to be done to help people with Eating Disorders and mental health. As a recovered anorexic, bulimic, and alcoholic, Lara realized her new mission was increasing awareness of multiple aspects of the problem, guiding people in steps on the journey to recovery, and educating the public about the seriousness of eating disorders.

Since recovery, Lara has worked in residential clinical settings, adolescent mental health facilities, and is well-versed in communicating with a treatment team. She is the Chief Operations Officer of The Rebecca's Eating Disorder Foundation, where they fund men and women who want to get treatment. Lara is a Certified Eating Disorder Recovery Coach from The Rebecca’s Foundation Institute, Chief Operations Officer and Coach for Rebecca’s Eating Disorder Foundation, Body Image Training for Clinicians: The Missing Piece of Whole-Body Healing with Marci Evans, CEDRD-S & Fiona Sutherland, and Certified Holistic Nutrition Practitioner from Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, Tempe AZ.

Lara continues to value and love doing the things that helped her to reach full recovery by continuing to deepen her sense of spirituality and connection with the world including attending 12 step support groups, prayer and meditation, journaling, walking in nature, and reading a mix of spiritual and self-help books. Lara resides in Southern California, where she lives with her beloved husband Amir and their two dogs Ariel and Ernest. In her free time, Lara enjoys doing what she genuinely loves. Lately, this has been a lot of writing, playing with her dogs, service work (collecting and donating food and clothes for charities), gardening, and watching “I Love Lucy.”

CONNECT WITH LARA REAVES:

• Visit Lara online to learn more about her services and story

• Learn about Lara’s Coaching and Recovery Philosophies

• Contact Lara to see if working together would be a good fit

• Subscribe to Lara’s personal blog and her blog written for Rebecca’s Eating Disorder Foundation

• Follow Lara on Facebook and Instagram

• Read more about Lara's journey from recovering to recovered

• Listen to “Lara Reaves for Eating Disorder Awareness Week” on the Oversharing podcast

• You can also find Lara on Rebecca’s Eating Disorder Foundation and at Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center

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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.

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

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

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

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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:

• Visit Elisa online to learn more about her Mindful, Integrative, and Somatic Modalities

• Contact Elisa directly to inquire about her anxiety/stress management, disordered eating/body image, and mindfulness/yoga services

• Follow Elisa on Facebook and Instagram

• Find out more about Elisa’s online yoga classes

• Enroll in Elisa’s e-course BodyWisdom: A Guide for Eating & Living Intuitively

• Subscribe to Elisa’s blog

• Read Elisa’s chapter "The Use of Holistic Methods to Integrate the Shattered Self," in the textbook "Treatment of Eating Disorders: Bridging the research-practice gap"

• Read “Client Perspectives on Strong, Restorative and Partner Yoga Classes” Elisa’s chapter in Carolyn Costin and Joe Kelly’s book "Yoga and Eating Disorders"

• Watch Elisa in "'I MISS ME' - yoga dance by Elisa Mott" featured on Jenni Schaefer’s YouTube Channel
  

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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.

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

Episode 45-

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

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

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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:

• Learn more about The Eating Disorder Center’s services

• Follow Jennifer on Instagram and TikTok

• Pre-order a copy of "The Inside Scoop to Eating Disorder Recovery: Advice from two therapists who have been there"

• Subscribe to Jennifer’s award-winning blog

• Listen to Jennifer on:

  • "Improving Eating Disorder Recovery” for Fearless Rebelle Radio

  • "Why Nobody Needs Weight Management” for Food Psyche

  • "Coping With Your Emotions and Emotional Eating" for RD Real Talk

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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.

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Growing Pains with Rachel Gerretsen, LMFT, CEDS

EPISODE 42 - Growing Pains with Rachel Gerretsen, LMFT, CEDS

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

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IN THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, I am joined by Rachel Gerretsen, LMFT, CEDS. With a passion for helping people, Rachel has worked in the eating disorder field helping individuals, collaborating with families, and supporting providers in the healing process for over a decade in both private practice and treatment settings. Her goal is to help her clients live a more fulfilling, authentic, and meaningful life by reconnecting them to their most desirable self.

SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• The harm double standards produce in regards to culture’s view of what an “appropriate” appetite looks like across genders.

• Judging someone’s relationship with food based on what is seen and not what is true.

• How age plays a role in children/adolescents’ ability to express internal struggles.

• Working with children/adolescents also means working with their family too.

• The fine line of holding trust and confidentiality with a client while acknowledging that they are a minor.

• What supporting vs punishing looks like for children/adolescents in eating disorder recovery.

• The need for family and caregivers to seek out their own individual therapy and safe space to hold fears and frustrations and to promote healing.

• How the unintentional attempts to protect children/adolescents from the outside world can lead to opposite results.

ABOUT RACHEL GERRETSEN:

Rachel Gerretsen is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Eating Disorder Specialist, and owner of Rachel Gerretsen Therapy. With a passion for helping people, Rachel works with children/adolescents, couples, individuals, and families of all ages using a combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy, family systems, humanistic therapy, positive psychology, and solution-focused therapy.

After obtaining her Bachelors in Psychology from her hometown college, The University of Texas at San Antonio, Rachel Gerretsen began her development as a therapist and completed her Masters in Clinical Psychology, with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy, from Pepperdine University in Malibu.

Rachel has worked as a therapist for 12 years in Southern California in private practice and spend a decade in the treatment facility setting at Monte Nido, one of the leading eating disorder treatment centers in the country. As a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist, Rachel confidently and competently treats Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, and various forms of disordered eating.

Rachel has worked with adolescents and adults with a variety of difficulties and has collaborated with families and supporting providers to help heal each client. Her goal is to help her clients live a more fulfilling, authentic, and meaningful life by reconnecting them to their most desirable self.

CONNECT WITH RACHEL GERRETSEN:

• Visit Rachel’s website or contact her directly to learn more about her therapy services

• Inquire about Rachel’s therapeutic and program development consulting services

• Learn about Rachel’s clinical supervision for intern therapists

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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.

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MeaningFull Life with Alli Spotts-de Lazzer, LMFT, LPCC, CEDS

Episode 40 - MeaningFull Life with Alli Spotts-de Lazzer, LMFT, LPCC, CEDS

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

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IN THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, I am joined by Alli Spotts-De Lazzer, LMFT, LPCC, CEDS, and a person on the other side of her own decades-long struggle with food battles and body dislike. Alli created #ShakeIt for Self-Acceptance! - a series of public events sparking conversations about body, soul, and self-acceptance through fun, inspiration, and flash mob dance. She is also the author of MeaningFULL: 23 Life-Changing Stories of Conquering Dieting, Weight, & Body Image. Throughout the years, Alli has witnessed firsthand that stories of humanness, joy, inspiration, and hope increase people’s receptivity to both considering change and opening up to education. That motivated her to write MeaningFULL.

SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• Going “within” to find the barriers to self-acceptance.

• How self-acceptance can be taught through fun.

• The struggles and triumphs that connect us.

• The difference between “not fitting in” and holding different values.

• Recovery is not linear, can take a long time (or not), and relies on consistency.

• The notion that people crave to be heard, seen, and connected.

• How anger can be a catalyst for healing.

ABOUT ALLI SPOTTS-DE LAZZER:

After having dealt with her own 20+ years of eating and body issues ranging from mild frustrations to serious eating disorders, Alli Spotts-De Lazzer became a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor specializing in eating and body image issues. Eventually, she became a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist—the only nationally recognized designation indicating a specialty in eating disorders.

Alli has been a featured speaker at public events; presented workshops at national and international conferences, graduate schools, clinical training facilities, and hospitals; published articles in trade magazines, online information hubs, and academic journals; and appeared as an eating disorders expert on local news. She has also co-chaired committees for the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (iaedp™) and the Academy for Eating Disorders. In 2017, she received the iaedp Member of the Year award.

As far as public activism and advocacy, in 2014, Alli created #ShakeIt for Self-Acceptance! - a series of public events sparking conversations about body, soul, and self-acceptance through fun, inspiration, and flash mob dance. This movement has appeared across America. Highlights include appearing on Capitol Hill and at the Los Angeles Staples Center. July 13, 2017 was recognized as “#ShakeIt for Self-Acceptance! Day” in the City of Los Angeles by Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Throughout the years, Alli has witnessed firsthand that stories of humanness, joy, inspiration, and hope increase people’s receptivity to both considering change and opening up to education. That motivated her to create MeaningFULL.

CONNECT WITH ALLI SPOTTS-DE LAZZER:

• Learn more about Alli’s therapy and counseling services by visiting Therapy Helps

• Follow Alli on Facebook and connect with her on LinkedIn

• Check out #ShakeIt for Self-Acceptance!

• View Alli’s interviews and events

• Book Alli for your next speaking engagement

• Visit meaningfullread.com to learn more about MeaningFULL

• Follow MeaningFull on Facebook and Instagram

• Preorder a copy of MeaningFULL through Unsolicited Press, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble

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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.

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

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

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

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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.

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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.

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Do No Harm, Take No Sh*t with Hannah Chase, MS, LPC

Episode 38 - Do No harm, take no sH*t with Hannah Chase, MS, LPC

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

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IN THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, I am joined by Hannah Chase, MS, LPC, and Be Body Positive Licensed Facilitator. Hannah is a clinician with over two decades of personal experience with eating disorders and mental health. Hannah has conquered several obstacles in her life from sexual assault, domestic violence, family loss, to surviving and recovering from an eating disorder. Recently licensed, Hannah works for a PHP/IOP program for eating disorders located in Wisconsin. Her motivation rests on her personal journey, the treatment soul sisters that she has gained, and by continuing to educate and help those suffering in memory of her treatment peers and friends that she has lost to mental health, addiction and suicide.

SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• Genuine connection as a catalyst for authenticity.

• Breaking down the toxic messages received from the medical community, family, and the media.

• The harm of using Body Mass Index (BMI) as a tool for diagnosing eating disorders.

• The importance of being an educated consumer of social media.

• How eating disorders serve as a protective mechanism for underlying trauma.

• The long-term health consequences of an eating disorder, even after recovery.

• The paradigm of health insurance dictating treatment length based on anecdotal, antiquated, and harmful practices.

• Freeing oneself from the confines of comparison, people-pleasing, fears of rejection, and other underlying barriers to authenticity.

ABOUT HANNAH CHASE:

Hannah has been a longtime advocate for eating disorder awareness and has a unique approach blending both a personal experience and professional insight to recovery. She has participated in several eating disorder walks and community outreach/awareness events in the Upper Peninsula.

Hannah earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from The University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona in 2013. Thereafter, Hannah graduated with her Master’s degree in counseling from Grand Canyon University in 2018.

Hannah received her LPC-IT in 2018 through the State of Wisconsin. She is currently working towards earning her certification as an eating disorder specialist. Hannah has a wide variety of experience from working with youth involved in the juvenile justice system, group home populations, long term support children and families, those who struggle with mental health concerns, trauma-informed care, and community outreach.

Hannah is passionate about creating a safe space where therapeutic rapport can be developed. She uses an individualized approach when treating eating disorders and incorporates the unique wants and needs that a client desires into the treatment. Hannah knows that recovery is possible, but acknowledges the strength and determination that it takes to reach this milestone.

Hannah is originally from Marquette, MI, enjoys spending time with her children, cycling, watching live music shows, and swimming in Lake Superior.

CONNECT WITH HANNAH CHASE:

• Learn more about Hannah by visiting here

• Follow Hannah on Instagram

• Read The Grunion’s article highlighting Hannah’s recovery “Long Beach Halfway Home For Eating Disorders Gets Revamped”

• Watch Hannah in ABC’s news segment raising awareness about addiction and eating disorders here.

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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.

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