Change Your Mindset, Change Your Life with Tabitha Farrar

I am so excited to welcome Tabitha Farrar to the show for “Change Your Mindset, Change Your Life,” our newest episode of Recovery Bites. Join us as we discuss addressing the recovery obstacle of processing through the “scary stuff,” underestimating eating disorders and the people who have them, finding hope for someone else’s recovery, residential treatment as a starting point and necessary part of the recovery process, the small steps one needs to take to make bigger strides, common eating disorder misconceptions, and much more!

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Midlife Journey with Heidi J. Dalzell, PsyD

I am thrilled to welcome Heidi J. Dalzell, PsyD to the show for our newest episode of Recovery Bites, “Midlife Journey.” Join us as we discuss eating disorders in midlife, shame around “not fitting-in” for having a perceived “young girl’s disorder,” the societal standards that impact those in midlife, the inauthenticity of social media, gender identity and the body image continuum in recovery, body acceptance as a state of neutrality, non-judgment, and body ownership, and much more.

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The Body Is Not an Apology with Sonya Renee Taylor

In all of my years of being recovered, no one had ever uttered the words that I truly felt in my eating disorder until, Sonya Renee Taylor. Upon reading the title of her book, “The Body Is Not an Apology” my experience of suffering had become encapsulated in a way I didn’t think existed. Recording this episode with Sonya was (and is) one of the greatest gifts I’ve received as being a recovered person, and I am so proud to share her voice and wisdom, and so grateful that I no longer have to apologize for being me.

In celebration of our fiftieth episode of Recovery Bites, I am absolutely honored to welcome author, poet, and teacher, Sonya Renee Taylor, to the show for “The Body is Not an Apology”. Join us as we discuss the unique paths to liberation, our innate relationship with our body (and the bodies of others), living/existing/surviving/thriving in a society that profits from body-mind disconnect, internalizing radical self-love, dismantling the systems within ourselves, oppressive messages of “better” bodies, the Body-Shame Profit Complex, advocating and rebalancing oppressive systems through community building, and much more!

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Navigating Through Postpartum with Jaren Soloff, RD, IBCLC

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

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

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:

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 Language of Recovery with Carmen Cool, MA, LPC

 
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Episode 46 -
The Language of Recovery with Carmen Cool, MA, LPC

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

IN THIS EPISODE:

This week, I am joined by Carmen Cool, MA, LPC, a politicized therapist, educator, speaker, and activist helping people heal their relationships with food and their bodies. For the past 20 years, Carmen has been working to dismantle diet culture, support the next generation of body liberation leaders, and shift the psychotherapy profession toward justice. She has also started and run a nonprofit, created youth programs, and speaks internationally on Health At Every Size ®, feminism and eating disorders, and weight stigma.


SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • Owning and respecting oneself despite what other people think.

  • Recovering from an eating disorder vs recovering from weight stigma.

  • How personal views can change over time.

  • Doing “whatever it takes” to heal from an eating disorder.

  • Who decides what “recovered” looks like?

  • There is no “one-size-fits-all” eating disorder or recovery and the paths are unique to the individual.

  • Challenging and embracing anger

  • How meeting societal expectations/misconceptions can be an achievement when one is in their eating disorder.

  • The diagnostic criteria used by insurance companies as a contributing factor to weight stigma.

  • Believing in the healing and preventative strength of activism.

  • Looking at how outside influences affect one’s relationship to their body.


ABOUT CARMEN COOL:

Carmen Cool, MA, LPC is a politicized therapist, educator, speaker, & activist helping people heal their relationships with food and their bodies. For the past 20 years, Carmen has been working to dismantle diet culture, support the next generation of body liberation leaders, and shift the psychotherapy profession toward justice. She has also started and run a nonprofit, created youth programs, and speaks internationally on Health At Every Size ®, feminism and eating disorders, and weight stigma. Carmen served as the Board President of the Association for Size Diversity and Health, was named “Most Inspiring Individual” in Boulder, Colorado, and was the recipient of the Excellence in Eating Disorder Advocacy Award in Washington, DC.


CONNECT WITH CARMEN COOL:

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.

 

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.

 

One Size Does Not Fit All with Roberto Olivardia, Ph.D.

 
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Episode 41 - One Size Does Not Fit All with Roberto Olivardia, Ph.D.

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

IN THIS EPISODE:

Roberto Olivardia, Ph.D., is a Clinical Psychologist, Clinical Associate at McLean Hospital, and Lecturer at Harvard Medical School. His research and clinical focus on eating disorders and body image in males spans over 25 years. He co-authored The Adonis Complex, the first book of its kind detailing various manifestations of body image problems in males. Roberto also specializes in the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). He has spoken on numerous podcasts and webinars and presents at many talks and conferences around the country.


SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • What behaviors and high-risk medical complications look like in males with eating disorders.

  • How the shame attached to the stigma of males with eating disorders often acts as a barrier to receiving support.

  • The difference in timeline and prognosis for males with eating disorders compared to those of females.

  • The drastic, different, and mixed messages males receive from society and the media.

  • How advertising has shifted to extend its reach and messages to the male population.

  • The complexity of ADHD and eating disorders.

  • The lack of (and need for) research dedicated to males with eating disorders.

ABOUT ROBERTO OLIVARDIA:

Roberto Olivardia, Ph.D., is a Clinical Psychologist, Clinical Associate at McLean Hospital, and Lecturer at Harvard Medical School. He maintains a private psychotherapy practice in Lexington, Massachusetts, where he specializes in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), executive functioning issues, and issues that face students with learning differences. Roberto also specializes in the treatment of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and in the treatment of eating disorders in boys and men.

Roberto is co-author of The Adonis Complex, a book that details the various manifestations of body image problems in men. He has appeared in publications such as Time, GQ, and Rolling Stone, and he has been featured on Good Morning America, CNN, and VH1. He has spoken on numerous radio shows, podcasts, and webinars and presents at many talks and conferences around the country.

Roberto currently sits on the Scientific Advisory Board for ADDitude and serves on the Professional Advisory Boards for CHADD, Attention Deficit Disorder Association and the National Association for Males with Eating Disorders. He is a featured expert on Understood and an active member of Decoding Dyslexia–Massachusetts. He is a member of the International OCD Foundation, International Dyslexia Association, Multi-Service Eating Disorders Association, and the American Association of Suicidology.


CONNECT WITH ROBERTO OLIVARDIA:

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.

 

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

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

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

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:

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.

 

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.

 

A Spoonful of Sugar Makes the Oppression Go Down with Lindo Bacon, PhD

 
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Episode 31 - A Spoonful of Sugar Makes the Oppression Go Down with Lindo Bacon, PhD

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

IN THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Lindo Bacon, a researcher and former professor, having taught courses in social justice, health, weight and nutrition for nearly two decades. Bacon holds a PhD in physiology with a specialty in nutrition, and Masters degrees in psychology and exercise metabolism. Bacon has mined their deep academic proficiency, their clinical expertise, and their personal experience to write two bestselling books, Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight, and the co-authored Body Respect: What Conventional Health Books Get Wrong, Leave Out, or Just Plain Fail to Understand about Weight both of which are credited with transforming the weight discourse and inspiring a hopeful new course for the global body positivity movement. In their forthcoming book, Radical Belonging: How to Survive and Thrive in an Unjust World (While Transforming it for the Better), Bacon takes their inspiring message beyond size, to shaping a culture of empathy, equity and true belonging. A compelling speaker and storyteller, Bacon delivers a unique blend of academic expertise, clinical experience, and social justice advocacy, all couched in a raw honesty and compassion that touch and inspire.

SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • The dangers of government and healthcare professionals using weight stigma for health promotion.

  • Weight stigma is one of many body-based oppressions.

  • The problem is in injustice, not individuals.

  • Alienation from one’s body isn’t a result of personal failing; it’s a result of culture failing people.

  • For marginalized people, a focus on self-love can be a spoonful of sugar that makes the oppression go down.

  • The “school to prison pipeline” theory.

  • Being “othered” and the body shame it spurs is not “just” a feeling.

  • What happens when we try to fit into the expectations that society thrusts on us.

  • The challenges stemming from oppression, moving beyond self-love, and into belonging.

  • The beauty of connection, community, belonging, and truly “seeing” on another allows self-love to carry us to healing.

  • The belief that recovery means accepting humanity and taking care of yourself in it.

  • Lindo’s experience writing Radical Belonging: How to Survive and Thrive in an Unjust World (While Transforming it for the Better).

ABOUT LINDO BACON:

Dr. Lindo Bacon is fostering a global transformation – away from our obsession with body weight and to body respect. Their mission is to provide the critical thought, inspiring vision, and practical strategies needed to empower individuals, organizations, and institutions to respect all bodies and support compassionate self-care.

Bacon holds graduate degrees in physiology, psychology, and exercise metabolism with a specialty in nutrition. A professor and researcher, for almost two decades Bacon has taught courses in social justice, health, weight and nutrition; they have also conducted federally funded studies on health and weight and published in top scientific journals.

Bacon is co-author of the paradigm-shifting Body Respect: What Conventional Health Books Get Wrong, Leave Out, or Just Fail to Understand about Weight. They also wrote the iconic and bestselling Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth about Your Weight. In their forthcoming book, Radical Belonging: How to Survive and Thrive in an Unjust World (While Transforming it for the Better), Bacon takes their inspiring message beyond size, to shaping a culture of empathy, equity and true belonging.

Bacon’s advocacy for body respect has generated a large following on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, health and nutrition listservs and specialty blogs, and the international lecture circuit. Bacon is committed to centralizing the ways in which power, privilege and disadvantage complicate our experience of our bodies. Health professionals – as well as people on their own personal journeys to body appreciation – call Lindo’s work “life-changing” and “transformative,” providing the tools and confidence for personal change and inspiring others. A compelling speaker, writer and storyteller, Bacon delivers a unique blend of academic expertise, clinical experience, and social justice advocacy, all couched in a raw honesty and compassion that touch and inspire.

CONNECT WITH LINDO BACON:

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.

 

The Slower You Go, The Faster You Get There with Sarah Chipps, PsyD, CEDS-S

 
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Episode 27 - The Slower You Go, The Faster You Get There with Sarah Chipps, PsyD, CEDS-S

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

IN THIS EPISODE:

In this week’s episode, I am joined by Dr. Sarah Chipps, PsyD, CEDS-S. Sarah is the Chief Clinical Officer of Sanctuary, the Founder and Clinical Director of Well Williamsburg Psychotherapy, and a noted speaker on Intuitive Eating. Specializing in the treatment of eating disorders, substance abuse, and trauma, Sarah is also a regular presenter at conferences on topics such as diversity issues in the treatment of eating disorders, the client/therapist relationship, and the treatment of co-occurring eating disorder and substance abuse diagnoses. Sarah’s personal recovery from an eating disorder and substance dependence give her an inside perspective that helps both support and challenge clients.


SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • The consequences of early childhood trauma and caregiver inattentiveness/absence.

  • How often trauma and eating disorders coexist, which is why dual diagnosis treatment is necessary.

  • The difference between the big “T" and the little “t" in trauma.

  • The effects of feeling “outside of the connection.”

  • How there is no “perfect” way to recover.

  • The intersection of eating disorders and substance abuse.

  • Rejection and relationship fears.

  • The importance of finding a community for multidimensional support.   

  • Recovery is not linear, you will make mistakes, and that’s ok!   

ABOUT SARAH CHIPPS:

Sarah Chipps, PsyD is the Chief Clinical Officer of Sanctuary, the Founder and Clinical Director of Well Williamsburg Psychotherapy. She is a New York State licensed psychologist (license #020206). Sarah specializes in the treatment of eating disorders, substance abuse, and trauma.

Sarah received her master's and doctorate degrees in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology in San Francisco. Since 2008, she has had the privilege to work with people with diverse identities and histories, in a variety of settings. Prior to opening a full-time group practice, she was clinical director at Monte Nido's residential program for women with eating disorders in Irvington, NY.

Sarah is a regular presenter at conferences on topics such as ethnic diversity, the client/therapist relationship, and the treatment of eating disorders, trauma, and substance abuse. Her own recovery from an eating disorder and substance dependence give her an inside perspective that helps her both support and challenge clients.

CONNECT WITH SARAH CHIPPS:

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 Karin on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Smashing the Stigma with Aaron Flores, RDN

 
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Episode 26 - Smashing the Stigma with Aaron Flores, RDN

by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS

IN THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, I am joined by Aaron Flores, a registered dietitian nutritionist based out of Los Angeles, California. Aaron came to this work after seeing the damage done by a focus on weight loss and diet culture. With over 10 years of experience, he has worked with eating disorders in a multitude of settings. Aaron currently works part-time at Center for Discovery and part-time in his private practice in Calabasas, CA. Aaron specializes in Intuitive Eating, Health at Every Size®, and helping clients reclaim Body Trust®. His goal is to help individuals leave behind the world of diets and body shame and instead embrace their relationship with food and their body with curiosity, self-compassion, and empathy. Along with his work with eating disorders, Aaron co-hosts the podcast, Dietitians Unplugged.


SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • How the silence of individuals of all bodies speaks volumes.

  • The harm of not being recognized, due to weight stigma.

  • The debilitating, cyclical effects of dieting.

  • The importance of accessible, weight inclusive care for all bodies, especially in treatment center settings.

  • How a lack of diagnosis and substandard medical care is harming individuals in larger bodies.

  • How transparency and open dialogue is imperative within the eating disorder community and supporting organizations.

  • The reality that individuals in larger bodies are being prescribed that which we are diagnosing in smaller bodies.


ABOUT AARON FLORES:

Aaron Flores is a registered dietitian nutritionist based out of Los Angeles, California. With over 10 years of experience, Aaron has worked with eating disorders in a variety of settings. A large part of his career was spent working at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System where he helped develop and launch one of the first Binge Eating Disorder programs to help Veterans struggling with this disorder. Since leaving the VA, Aaron has continued to work in the eating disorder community helping run groups and providing individual counseling to adolescents and adults. He currently works part-time at Center for Discovery as Senior Coordinator for Weight-Inclusive Care and part-time in his private practice in Calabasas, CA. Aaron is a Certified Body Trust® provider, and his main areas of focus are Intuitive Eating and Health at Every Size®.

In his work, Aaron helps individuals learn how to make peace with food and develop body-positive behaviors. His work has been featured during Weight Stigma Awareness Week, in blogs for the National Eating Disorder Information Centre and National Eating Disorder Association. Aaron is a frequent speaker and has presented at the 2016 and 2017 Binge Eating Disorder Awareness Annual Conference, the 2018 and 2019 International Conference on Eating Disorders, and the 2018 Association for Size Diversity and Health Conference. Along with his work with eating disorders, he also is a co-host of the podcast, Dietitians Unplugged.

CONNECT WITH AARON FLORES:

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.