Meetings/Events
Eating Recovery Center Offers Guidance to Help Individuals Avoid Eating Disorders Relapse During National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2013
International treatment center encourages four strategies for living a life of recovery
Tens of millions of Americans struggle with eating disorders, including a growing population of baby boomers, adolescents and children. For individuals in recovery from these complex illnesses, a frightening reality is the possibility of eating disorders relapse. In fact, a 2005 study in the European Eating Disorders Review found that more than one-third of individuals who have struggled with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa will experience an eating disorders relapse in the first two and a half years after leaving a treatment center.
With National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2013 taking place next week, February 24-March 2, Eating Recovery Center, an international center providing comprehensive treatment for eating disorders, seeks to highlight the skills and support structures that help men, women and children live a life of recovery. Recognizing that the hardest work of recovery often begins upon returning to “real life” following intensive eating disorders treatment, Eating Recovery Center offers these four strategies to help individuals protect their health and avoid eating disorders relapse.
- Remain actively engaged with the aftercare plan. Discharge planning and the development of a recovery-focused post-treatment strategy are critical in creating sustainable recoveries and preventing relapse. These individualized aftercare plans are created by licensed therapists who work closely with a patient’s treatment team to identify emotional, behavioral and situational discharge challenges, and outline personal and recovery-focused goals.
- Develop a strong supportive network. Friends, family and colleagues who have been educated about eating disorders and understand how to support a loved one in his or her recovery can be very helpful in sustaining recovery. Many individuals find a strong recovery-focused community through the alumni programming offered by many treatment centers. These programs generally provide ongoing education, events and a sense of community to support a life of eating disorders recovery.
- Identify values and pursue valued life directions. Values not only serve as a compass for people’s lives, but also help individuals with eating disorders understand why change is necessary and pursue that change, even when it feels overwhelmingly difficult. Not surprisingly, identifying values and valued life directions are key components of the eating disorders recovery process. Taking time to be in touch with values and align thoughts and actions with valued life directions can help sustain recovery, even in times of stress or challenges.
- Seek help. Sustainable recoveries do not just happen. Individuals and families in recovery from eating disorders must work diligently to protect and maintain a healthy weight and body image. The need for additional support – through support groups, outpatient therapy or an intensive treatment program – does not indicate failure, but rather underscores an ongoing commitment to doing whatever it takes to sustain eating disorders recovery.
“By nature, individuals with eating disorders tend to be perfectionistic and high achieving—they like to do things right, and they like to be the best at their endeavors,” explains Julie Holland, MHS, CEDS, chief marketing officer at Eating Recovery Center. “Their approach to recovery is generally no different, and patients often struggle to understand that life without an eating disorder looks different for every individual and there is no ‘right’ or ‘perfect’ way to live a life of recovery. In addition to developing recovery skills and implementing effective support systems, patients must also accept that challenges are likely to arise and understand that they have not failed even if recovery lapses occur.”
For more information about National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2013, visit www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/nedawareness-week.
Join Eating Recovery Center and its partner programs, The Moore Center and Summit Eating Disorders and Outreach Program, at the following events during National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2013:
- National Eating Disorders Association Walk, hosted by The Eating Disorder Network of Central Florida; Sunday, February 24, Orlando, Fla. (Eating Recovery Center sponsoring)
- Mind and Body Fair, hosted by the University of Northern Colorado’s Women’s Resource Center; Monday, February 25, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Greeley, Colo. (Eating Recovery Center exhibiting)
- Eating Recovery Center Patient Artwork Exhibit; February 25-March 1, Eating Recovery Center lobby, 1830 Franklin Street, Denver, Colo.
- Eating Recovery Center Patient Artwork Exhibition Reception; Thursday, February 28, 5:30-7:00 p.m., Eating Recovery Center lobby, 1830 Franklin Street, Denver, Colo.
- Amber Sokoll, MA, NCC, RYT, speaking at Beyond the Mirror’s professional networking event; Tuesday, February 26, Fort Collins, Colo.
- Jennifer Lombardi, MFT, speaking at the Celebrate Your Body Week event, hosted by the University of California Davis; Wednesday, February 27, Davis, Calif. (Summit speaking, exhibiting)
- Jennifer Lombardi, MFT, speaking at the Love Your Body event, hosted by California State University Sacramento; Thursday, February 28, Sacramento, Calif. (Summit speaking, exhibiting)
- Celebrity Dance Challenge, hosted by the Eating Disorders Information Network; Thursday, February 28, Atlanta, Ga. (Eating Recovery Center sponsoring, attending)
- Jen Sommer, RD, speaking at Eating Disorders Coalition of Iowa event; Saturday, March 2, Des Moines, Iowa. (Eating Recovery Center speaking, exhibiting)
- National Eating Disorders Association Walk, hosted by the University of Nevada Reno; Saturday, March 2, Reno, Nev. (Summit sponsoring, exhibiting)
- Binge Eating Disorder Workshop, hosted by The Moore Center; Saturday, March 2, Bellevue, Wash.
Editor: Nationally recognized eating disorders experts, including Julie Holland and Drs. Kenneth L. Weiner, Emmett R. Bishop, Ovidio Bermudez and Craig Johnson, along with patients in recovery, are available for interviews to supplement your National Eating Disorders Awareness Week stories. Contact Molly Koch at (303) 433-7020 or mkoch@csg-pr.com to arrange an interview.
Posted in In the News, Meetings/Events, Press Releases •
September 6th Community Education Series: Helping your Kids Deal Effectively with Back to School Stressors
Helping your Kids Deal Effectively with Back to School Stressors: Opportunities for Parents
When: Thursday, September 6th, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Where: Eating Recovery Center Partial Hospitalization Program for Children and Adolescents – 100 Spruce St, Suite 200 Denver, CO 80230
Light snacks and beverages will be served.
As our school-age children return to the classroom, students may experience a variety of stressors including negative body image, competitiveness with peers, and academic issues. These stressors can lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms including eating disorders.
Although we can’t predict if our child will develop an eating disorder, parents can increase their child’s odds of making healthier choices. Join us for Eating Recovery Center’s Community Education Series’ first seminar to learn more about being a healthy role model, communicating effectively, and identifying steps to intervene when you are concerned about your child’s eating behavior.
To RSVP for the event, contact Emili Coringrato by Tuesday, September 4th, at ecoringrato@eatingrecoverycenter.com or 720-258-4014.
Posted in In the News, Meetings/Events •
Prestigious Eating Disorders Treatment Award Named in Honor of Eating Recovery Center’s Dr. Craig Johnson
Center’s Chief Clinical Officer Honored by National Eating Disorders Association for Outstanding Contributions to the Eating Disorders Field
Nationally recognized eating disorders expert, Craig Johnson, PhD, FAED, CEDS, has been honored by the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), with the creation of a prestigious professional award in his name. The “Craig Johnson Award for Excellence in Clinical Practice and Training,” which was awarded for the first time at NEDA’s annual conference in October, recognizes top eating disorders professionals who have distinguished themselves with their contributions to eating disorders knowledge, training and treatment.
Dr. Johnson is chief clinical officer of Eating Recovery Center (www.EatingRecoveryCenter.com), an international center for eating disorders recovery, providing comprehensive treatment for anorexia, bulimia, EDNOS and binge eating disorder.
“Craig Johnson is one of the most passionate, dedicated and talented clinicians treating eating disorders,” said Lynn Grefe, president and chief executive officer of NEDA. “As a pioneer in the field, he has shared his knowledge generously with all who enter this field, and has been a torch of inspiration for others in the search for more effective treatments.”
Dr. Johnson has been a leader in the eating disorders field for more than 30 years. He is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Oklahoma Medical School and has formerly held faculty appointments at Yale, University of Chicago and Northwestern University Medical Schools.
An innovator in eating disorders treatment, Dr. Johnson has built eating disorders programs at the University of Chicago, Northwestern University Medical School, Laureate Psychiatric Clinic and Hospital, and has contributed significant clinical expertise to the development of Eating Recovery Center’s programs.
Dr. Johnson has been actively involved in treatment research. As a principal investigator on two National Institute of Mental Health funded collaborative studies, he has made significant contributions to the field’s understanding of the role of genetics in eating disorders and the effectiveness of Family Based Therapy in the treatment of anorexia nervosa. He has authored three books and more than 80 scientific articles.
In his commitment to advancing eating disorders understanding and treatment implications, he has served as founding editor of the International Journal of Eating Disorders, co-founder of the International Conference on Eating Disorders, founder of the Academy for Eating Disorders and co-founder of the Eating Disorders Research Society. He is also a founding member and past president of NEDA.
“It is not hyperbole to say that Craig is our field’s pre-eminent visionary, for it was his prescience and vigor that led to the creation of the Academy for Eating Disorders, now home to research scholars and practitioners alike,” said Michael Strober, PhD, Franklin Mint chair in eating disorders, professor of psychiatry and director of the Eating Disorders Program at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine. “There is no doubt that Craig’s legacy will be timeless.”
The 2011 Craig Johnson Award for Excellence in Clinical Practice & Training was awarded to Kelly Vitousek, PhD, associate professor of psychology at the University of Hawaii; co-director of the Center for Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Honolulu and director of its eating disorders program. She also serves on the editorial board of The International Journal of Eating Disorders.
Posted in About Us, General, In the News, Meetings/Events, Press Releases •
Eating Recovery Center Wants You to Silence “Fat Talk” During Fat Talk Free Week
Eating disorders experts offer insight to increase awareness of the effect individuals’ words and behaviors have on child and teen body image
Eating disorders are on the rise in children and one in 60 teens qualifies for an eating disorder diagnosis. During Fat Talk Free Week (October 16-22, 2011), Eating Recovery Center (www.EatingRecoveryCenter.com), an international center for eating disorders recovery, urges individuals to increase awareness of the body-conscious comments they make in front of others, especially children and teens. “Fat talk,” whether directed at oneself or others, can damage children’s body image, and in serious cases, may trigger disordered eating behaviors.
“When we engage in ‘fat talk’ and critique our own bodies or the bodies of others, we teach children to value thinness above all else,” explains Ovidio Bermudez, MD, FAAP, FSAHM, FAED, CEDS, medical director of child and adolescent services at Eating Recovery Center. “This excessive focus on body shape and size creates an unrealistic ideal in the minds of children upon which body image issues and eating disorders can develop.”
Eating Recovery Center offers these four recommendations to help adults banish detrimental “fat talk,” model healthy behaviors and promote positive body image in children and teens.
1. Be aware of comments you make about your own body. Children and teenagers are far more astute than adults may give them credit for and they will often mirror observed behaviors. Offhand comments about having a “fat day” or feeling too snug in an old pair of jeans can have a bigger effect on a developing child or teen body image than many may think.
2. If you are a parent, talk to your children about images in the media. Children and teenagers are bombarded on a daily basis with celebrity gossip, weight loss advertisements and airbrushed photography. Discuss with your children how these images make them feel and explain why they are often unrealistic. Opening the lines of communication about body image can help children develop stronger self-esteem and healthier attitudes about their own bodies.
3. Encourage non-biased conversations about food and exercise. For many, “fat talk” can run rampant related to food and exercise. This negative self-talk can be as simple as expressing shame over eating a brownie or emphasizing the need to go to the gym to work off excess weight. To help children develop healthy attitudes toward food and exercise, focus on modeling behaviors that are “fat talk” free. Do not label foods as “good” or “bad;” instead, promote moderation and balance. Elevate exercise as a fun activity that gives you energy and makes you feel good.
4. Focus on who people are, not what they look like. Rather than focusing on body shape and size, compliment people for personality traits and focus on good deeds they have done. Teach children to do the same.
“Many adults may not realize that what they say can have a significant impact on children and teens,” explains Dr. Bermudez. “Fat Talk Free Week is an opportunity to encourage people to be more conscientious of their comments and promote a healthy, positive body image.”
Experts Available: Eating Recovery Center’s team of nationally recognized eating disorders experts are available for interviews to supplement your Fat Talk Free Week stories. Contact Shannon Fern at (303) 433-7020 or sfern@csg-pr.com to arrange an interview.
Posted in In the News, Meetings/Events, Press Releases •
Eating Recovery Center In the News: The Denver Post
Emerging Trends, Sage Best Practices Among Topics Highlighted at Eating Recovery Center’s 3rd Annual Rocky Mountain Eating Disorders Conference
New trends and trusted best practices in eating disorders treatment are among the key topics that will be presented by a lineup of nationally recognized experts at the 3rd Annual Rocky Mountain Eating Disorders Conference, held August 19-20, 2011, in Denver, Colo. Registration is now open for this year’s conference, which is hosted by Eating Recovery Center, a national center for eating disorders recovery providing comprehensive treatment for anorexia and bulimia.
Read more here.
Posted in About Us, General, In the News, Meetings/Events, Rocky Mountain Eating Disorders Conference •
Emerging Trends, Sage Best Practices among Topics Highlighted at Eating Recovery Center’s 3rd Annual Rocky Mountain Eating Disorders Conference
Registration Now Open for Educational Event Showcasing Innovative Eating Disorders Treatment Strategies; Early Registration Rates Expire July 1, 2011
New trends and trusted best practices in eating disorders treatment are among the key topics that will be presented by a lineup of nationally recognized experts at the 3rd Annual Rocky Mountain Eating Disorders Conference, held August 19-20, 2011, in Denver, Colo. Registration is now open for this year’s conference, which is hosted by Eating Recovery Center (EatingRecoveryCenter.com), a national center for eating disorders recovery providing comprehensive treatment for anorexia and bulimia.
“The annual Rocky Mountain Eating Disorders Conference offers our colleagues from across the nation an opportunity to connect with and learn from multidisciplinary experts,” said Kenneth L. Weiner, MD, FAED, CEDS, chief medical officer, chief executive officer and founding partner of Eating Recovery Center. “Taken together, the event’s compelling program, Denver’s temperate August climate and Colorado’s numerous summertime activities represent an ideal fusion of professional development and leisure.”
Limited registration and an interactive educational program featuring plenary speakers, panel discussions and Q&A sessions support connection and collaboration among attending physicians, therapists, nurses, dietitians, advocacy organizations and other members of the eating disorders treatment community. Highlights of the 2011 program include:
• Challenges of Treating Seriously Ill Eating Disordered Patients, Kenneth L. Weiner, MD, FAED, CEDS, and Philip Mehler, MD, FACEP, CEDS
• Panel Discussion: Nutritional Intervention of Eating Disorders Across the Continuum of Care, Ralph Carson, PhD, RD, LD, Sondra Kronberg, MS, RD, CDN, CEDRD, and Ginger Hartman, RD
• New Trends in the Field of Eating Disorders Treatment, Craig Johnson, PhD, FAED, CEDS
• Q&A Session: The Use of Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) in the Treatment of Eating Disorders, Enola Gorham, MSW, LCSW, CEDS, and Q&A with Craig Johnson, PhD, FAED, CEDS
• Q&A Session: Enhanced Family Based Treatment (FBT) in Inpatient Treatment for Children and Adolescents, Elizabeth Davis, PsyD, and Q&A with Ovidio Bermudez, MD, FAAP, FSAHM, FAED, CEDS
• Panel Discussion: Outpatient Treatment Interventions, Jennifer Lombardi, MFT, Susan McClanahan, PhD, Julie O’Toole, MD, MPH, and Kay Watt, LPC
• Tricks of the Trade: Things We’ve Learned Along the Way, Carolyn Costin, MA, Med, MFT, CEDS, and Craig Johnson, PhD, FAED, CEDS
• Trait Management: Tailoring Treatment to Patient Characteristics, Emmet R. Bishop, Jr., MD, FAED, CEDS
• Readiness for Change in the Treatment of Eating Disorders, Ovidio Bermudez, MD, FAAP, FSAHM, FAED, CEDS
The 2011 Rocky Mountain Eating Disorders Conference will be held at the Denver Marriott City Center. Prior to July 1, 2011, registration for professionals is $125 and includes all sessions, 12.5 continuing education credits, brunch and dinner on Friday, breakfast and lunch on Saturday and periodic refreshment breaks. Single-day registration is $75. Student-discounted registration is $100 and $50 for single-day attendance. Space is limited and registration prior to the event is recommended. Register instantly online at EatingRecoveryCenter.com or by mail after completing the registration form.
Posted in About Us, General, Meetings/Events, Press Releases, Rocky Mountain Eating Disorders Conference •
Eating Recovery Center Launches Alumni Programming
Eating Recovery Center is pleased to announce the launch of our alumni-focused programming, which will commence with an Alumni Retreat on July 9-10, 2011 in Denver, Colorado.
The Alumni Retreat is an opportunity for alumni to recharge their recovery and reconnect with fellow Eating Recovery Center peers and staff. The interactive program is rooted in mindfulness, acceptance and commitment, creativity and movement. Interactive sessions led by our clinical leadership will be held across two days at the serene Denver Botanic Gardens as well as the boutique Curtis Hotel. Attending alumni will leave the retreat empowered, committed and encouraged, and with a renewed focus on recovery and growth.
Find more information about the upcoming Alumni Retreat, including logistical information, a detailed schedule of activities and information on registration, here.
Posted in About Us, General, Meetings/Events •
Eating Recovery Center In the News: Wellsphere
Eating Recovery Center is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the 3rd annual Rocky Mountain Eating Disorders Conference.
In her Wellsphere blog, Eating Disorder Hope founder Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC, highlighted the upcoming 2011 Rocky Mountain Eating Disorder Conference. Read more about the annual conference, which is hosted in Denver, Colorado by Eating Recovery Center, on Jacequelyn’s blog.
Posted in General, In the News, Meetings/Events, Rocky Mountain Eating Disorders Conference •
Join us for the 2011 Rocky Mountain Eating Disorders Conference: August 19-20 in Denver, CO
Eating Recovery Center is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the 3rd annual Rocky Mountain Eating Disorders Conference.
2011 Rocky Mountain Eating Disorders Conference
August 19th & 20th
Denver Marriott City Center
Denver, Colorado
Hosted by Eating Recovery Center and held in scenic Denver, Colorado, the Rocky Mountain Eating Disorders Conference brings together distinguished experts in the field of eating disorders treatment to discuss the trends, developments and emerging best practices shaping the industry. Limited registration and an interactive educational program supports connection and collaboration among attending members of the eating disorders treatment community, including physicians, therapists, nurses, dietitians and advocacy organizations.
Click here to register for the conference, view the official conference program featuring speakers and topics, book lodging and/or transportation and learn more about summertime attractions in Colordado. Register now, space is limited.
Posted in General, Meetings/Events, Rocky Mountain Eating Disorders Conference •
Eating Recovery Center In the News: PsychCentral.com
Eating Disorders Awareness Week: How Parents Can Help
This past week was National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, an event sponsored by the National Eating Disorders Association that aims to educate people on eating disorders prevention.
In honor of the event, Margarita Tartakovsky discussed the importance of eating disorders awareness in a blog post for PsychCentral.com.
The article includes advice from Drs. Kenneth L. Weiner and Ovidio Bermudez, Ms. Carolyn Jones and Ms. Enola Gorham on how to help prevent a child from developing an eating disorder. Read more here.
Posted in Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, General, In the News, Meetings/Events •
