Eating Disorders

Eating Disorder Assessment, Consultation, and Psychotherapy

If you think you may be suffering from an eating disorder or are on your way towards one, I can help you understand what may be going on and give you ideas for what you might want to do about it. We can talk about options for getting help, what treatment can look like, and what to expect.

If you decide at any point to pursue therapy, you have the option to work with me as your therapist. Based in Lafayette, California, I work with a team of specialists, including medical practitioners & dietitians, any of whom we could involve with your treatment as is helpful to you.

If someone you know has an eating disorder, I can help you understand the illness, help you speak to your loved one in ways they’ll be most likely to hear, and make recommendations for possible treatment. I often meet with parents or other relatives worried about their teen or adult child/relative, or spouses concerned about their partners. These kinds of meetings can be useful, whether or not the sufferer is able or willing to join us.

Educating & Training Clinicians

I consult on a short-term or ongoing basis for clinicians who want to learn more about eating disorders or working with people who suffer from these illnesses. My background includes consulting with and training therapists, nutritionists, medical practitioners, psychiatrists, exercise physiologists, athletic trainers, coaches, and dance teachers and coaches. I enjoy working with both individual practitioners and groups, such as clinics, hospitals, group medical or therapy practices, athletic organizations, and colleges and universities.

The scope and type of consultation and training I provide depends on what kind of clinician I’m working with and to what degree they want to pursue their education into eating disorders. I train therapists in basic and advanced understanding of all types of eating disorders; assessment and diagnosis; how to set up treatment teams and communicate with other clinicians involved; and basic and advanced treatment strategies.

For doctors, dietitians, athletic trainers, and coaches, I solidify knowledge of basic nutritional and physiological aspects of eating disorders but do not address advanced medical or nutritional issues. The major focus is on helping with communication and language strategies to effectively converse with sufferers; understanding the sufferer’s thought processes, belief systems, and perceptions; learning why the behaviors make sense to the sufferer and why they become so attached to those behaviors; comprehending what the process of treatment and recovery entails and what can be expected; and establishing what the roles of each clinician on a treatment team are and how the team can communicate effectively with one another.

For Athletic Coaches and Dance Teachers

I focus on managing issues that arise within a team when a player or dancer has an eating disorder. These include how team members can support the sufferer while staying healthy themselves; helping team members develop good boundaries with regard to the illness so they don’t become overly involved or feel they must “fix” the eating disorder; how to minimize other players or dancers emulating the disordered eating behaviors; and when and how to make decisions about benching a player or dancer and restricting them from workouts and/or class.

Speaking Engagements

Along with teaching at the college level and writing, I speak about eating disorders through classes, workshops, seminars, interviews, and presentations at conferences. I have presented or taught in high schools and colleges, hospitals, clinics, eating disorder conferences and seminars, and on television, radio, Facebook, and the web. While I’m happy to talk about any topic related to eating disorders, there are specific areas I have a particular passion for speaking about.

Main Topics:

Long-Term Eating Disorders
Eating Disorders in Midlife/Adult Women
Differences Between Treating Short-Term Eating Disorders and Long-Term Illnesses
Treating Eating Disorders in Athletes and Dancers
Dissociation in Eating Disorders
Developing and Preserving Treatment Teams

Preventing Burnout in Clinicians
The Art of Pacing Treatment and Preserving Perspective and Hope for Both Client and Clinician Through the Process of Recovery
Recognizing and Assessing Progress in Treatment and Recovery
Complexities of Treating Eating Disorders with Co-Occurring Illnesses
Treating Eating Disorders and Trauma