2016 NEDA Conference

Share. Learn. Belong.

September 29 - October 1, 2016 | Chicago, IL

Speakers

Keynote Speaker

Nancy Zucker, PhD
Dr. Zucker is the Founder and Director of the Duke Center for Eating Disorders (DCED), an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the Duke University School of Medicine, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University. Dr. Zucker’s attempts to understand how individuals learn to decode the signals from their body (e.g., like hunger pains or gut butterflies) and how they come to use (or not use) those body signals to help them make effective decisions (e.g., like eating when hungry) and learn to trust themselves. She studies these neurobiological and learning processes and then uses these findings to design innovative treatments. She believes that helping individuals to live effectively She believes that helping individuals to live effectively in their bodies is one of the cornerstones of eating disorder treatments.

2016 NEDA Conference Speakers

Erin M. Akers
After struggling for years herself, Erin founded Diabulimia Helpline, a non-profit organization dedicated to support, education and advocacy for those struggling with the co-morbidity of diabetes and eating disorders. Through her personal experience and her work with Diabulimia Helpline, Erin has extensive knowledge about treating eating disorders and the challenges to get that treatment. She can be found in numerous publications, on Huffington Post Live and the Discovery Health Channel. She has presented at multiple diabetes and eating disorder conferences, as well as conducted education lunches and clinical training through the DBH Healthcare Professionals Education series. Erin is a member of Diabetes Advocates, the American Association of Diabetes Educators and the National Eating Disorder Association Partner for diabulima. Most importantly, Erin works on a daily basis with clients, treatment centers and healthcare professionals to ensure that everyone who wants help can get help.

Chelsea Albus, MSW, LMSW
Ms. Albus earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from Boston College Graduate School of Social Work and completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Communications at Wake Forest University. Most recently she worked as a therapist in the Women’s Partial Hospitalization Program and the General Adult Partial Hospitalization Program at Arbour HRI Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts providing therapy services to individuals struggling with mental illness and substance abuse disorders. During her graduate studies Ms. Albus completed yearlong clinical practicums at the Women’s Partial Hospitalization Program at Arbour HRI and at a Boston public high school. Chelsea's background at Castlewood Treatment Center includes two internships in 2012 and 2010 and she currently holds the position of primary therapist at Castlewood I. Ms. Albus has completed specialized training in EMDR levels one and two and she is currently in the process of obtaining IAEDP certification to become a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist.

Keesha Amezcua, LMFT, CEDS
Keesha Amezcua is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Eating Disorder specialist. She has been with Monte Nido & Affiliates for ten year and is currently the VP of Clinical Programming. She also sees clients in private practice. After recovering from anorexia and exercise addiction, Keesha earned her Master's in Clinical Psychology (with Honors) from Pepperdine University. Keesha has presented or co-presented at several national, regional and local eating disorder conferences and has authored or co-authored publications in the eating disorder field. She is a member of IAEDP, serves as a SIG Co-chair for AED and is trained in EMDR.

Kim Anderson, Ph.D
Kim Anderson, Ph.D. is the Director of Psychology at the Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt Health System (Baltimore, MD). She is a licensed clinical psychologist who has developed and directs the Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Program at the Center for Eating Disorders which has been adapted to inpatient, partial hospital, and outpatient settings. Dr. Anderson serves as clinical supervisor for staff at all levels. She provides individual, family, and group psychotherapy and supervises clinical research.  She has been with the Center since 1989.

S. Bryn Austin. ScD
Dr. Austin is an award-winning researcher, teacher, and mentor. She is a Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and in the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital. She directs the Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders: A Public Health Incubator (www.hsph.harvard.edu/striped). She is a social epidemiologist and behavioral scientist with a research focus on environmental influences on eating disorders risk and public health approaches to eating disorders prevention.

David Bachman
David Bachman is based in Saint Louis. He is a board member of the Missouri Eating Disorders Association and speaks at parent groups, schools, radio and television raising awareness of eating disorders. As a parent of an adolescent son with anorexia nervosa, he and his wife are committed in assisting other parents navigate the complex world of eating disorders. Next to publishing the story of his family’s journey with anorexia nervosa, one of his greatest accomplishments so far is his son’s continued quest for recovery.

Ovidio Bermudez, MD, FAAP, FSAHM, FAED, f.IAEDP, CEDS
Ovidio Bermudez, MD is the Medical Director of Child and Adolescent Services and Chief Clinical Officer at Eating Recovery Center in Denver, Colorado and affiliates. He holds academic appointments as Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He is Board certified in Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. Dr. Bermudez is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, the Academy for Eating Disorders, and the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals.  He is Past Chairman and Senior Advisor on Media to the Board of Directors of the National Eating Disorders Association.

Michael Berrett, PhD
Michael Berrett, is a Psychologist and CEO and Co-founder of Center for Change, a hospital and comprehensive specialty eating disorder program. Co-author of the APA book Spiritual Approaches in the Treatment of Women with Eating Disorders, he is a well-known clinical trainer and presenter. He has 35 years of experience working with Individuals, couples, and families specializing in eating disorders, substance abuse, adolescent development, resolution of trauma, and spirituality in psychotherapy.

Don Blackwell, JD
Author of “Dear Ashley . . .” - A Father’s Reflections and Letters to His Daughter on Life, Love and Hope, and a member of NEDA’s PFN Steering Committee, Don Blackwell’s presentations include “The Dad Initiative – Inviting, Educating & Empowering Dads To Become Active Participants In Eating Disorder Treatment & Recovery” and “Daddy’s Little Girl – Daughters, Dads and Disorders.” He has written many related articles and blogs (Sharing Your Loved One’s Journey) on www.eatingdisordersblogs.com

Douglas W. Bunnell, PhD, FAED, CEDS
Douglas W. Bunnell, PhD, FAED, CEDS is a graduate of Yale University and received his doctoral degree from Northwestern University. He is a clinical psychologist and the Chief Clinical Officer for Monte Nido & Affiliates. Dr. Bunnell is a co-editor of The Treatment of Eating Disorders: Bridging the Research Practice Gap and currently serves on the editorial board of Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment and Prevention. A Fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders, he is a former board president of the National Eating Disorders Association, a member of NEDA’s Founders Council, and is the clinical advisor for the NEDA Navigator program.  He has written and lectured, nationally and internationally, on eating disorders treatment, research, professional training, eating disorders in men, and the challenges of integrating science and practice. In 2010, Dr. Bunnell received the Don and Melissa Nielsen Lifetime Achievement Award from NEDA.

Samantha Calcaterra, RDN, LDN
Sam Calcaterra is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, certified by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Sam is a member of the nutrition team at ASCEND Consultation in Healthcare in Chicago. She completed her education in dietetics at Indiana University-Bloomington and her Dietetic internship at Ingalls Memorial Hospital. Her professional experience includes working with clients in a variety of behavioral health care settings including residential treatment, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient and outpatient treatment.

Christin Conkle, LMFT
Christin Conkle, LMFT, is a Senior therapist at UCSD Eating Disorder Day Treatment Program. She currently directs and programs UCSD's multi-family groups and meals. Christin practices Family Based Treatment for anorexia nervosa and has worked to implement clinical interventions to increase parental self-efficacy at mealtime as well as cohesion amongst the family. Christin uses her extensive family therapy background to inform her work clinically in adolescent eating disorders.

Carmen Cool, MA, LCP
Carmen Cool, MA, LPC is a psychotherapist in Boulder, CO, specializing in binge eating disorder. Having worked for over 15 years in the field of eating disorders/disordered eating, both in private practice and in treatment centers, she has been moving more into advocacy work. She has run youth programs since 2004, championing them to raise their voice and create new cultural norms around body image, and is a frequent presenter, locally and nationally on Health At Every Size®.   She was named "Most Inspiring Individual" in Boulder County, was the recipient of the Excellence in Eating Disorder Advocacy Award in Washington, DC, and is the Board President for the Association for Size Diversity and Health.

Jamie Dannenberg
Jamie Dannenberg (CJ) is the primary supporter of her wife, also named Jamie but referred to as OJ, who has struggled with an eating disorder since the age of 15. As the wife of someone with an eating disorder and a registered dietitian, CJ has had to learn to navigate various roles in their relationship. With this, she is able to offer a highly valuable and unique insight into what it is like to support someone with an eating disorder and co-occurring mental illnesses. With OJ, Jamie has become involved in global advocacy work and they share their experience as a queer couple in recovery on their blog thirdwheelED.

Lisa Diers, RDN, LD, E-RYT
Lisa Diers, Director of Nutrition and Yoga at The Emily Program, has over 10 years of eating disorder yoga teaching and clinical and program development experience. Lisa draws from her deep knowledge base of yoga, body image and treatment to meet clients’ physical and emotional needs. Alongside conducting eating disorder sensitive yoga trainings, she has authored numerous articles and chapters and conducts research to better understand the science and role of yoga and nutrition in eating disorder recovery. 

Mindy Dillard, MFA
Mindy Dillard is an award-winning singer-songwriter and body image activist. She created How to Survive a Poison Apple, a revisionist fairytale folk rock opera which chronicles her eating disorder recovery. She's shared her music at Seattle and Portland NEDA walks as well as a keynote speaker at the 2015 IAEDP symposium in Phoenix, AZ. In June 2015 she won the Susanne Millsaps songwriter showcase in Salt Lake City, Utah. She now tours the national folk music circuit. www.mindydillard.com.

Jaden Fields
Jaden is a transgender activist and poet. He studied at USC, focusing on PTSD in survivors of sexual trauma. He got involved with T-FFED because of the focus on providing support to trans* folx struggling with disordered eating and helping ED professionals have a more intersectional approach to treatment, so that their services are more accessible.

Ilene V. Fishman, ACSW, LCSW
Ilene V. Fishman, LCSW, ACSW, has been specializing in the treatment of eating disorders for over 30 years. After graduating from the NYU School of Social Work, Ilene trained and was on staff at the Center for the Study of Anorexia and Bulimia (CSAB) and then served as supervisor. While serving on the national board of the American Anorexia Bulimia Association (AABA), Ilene helped found the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) where she currently serves on the Board of Directors and is a Clinical Advisor on the NEDA Navigator program, Loss Support Network and the National Eating Disorders Helpline. Ilene taught the first Masters level eating disorder elective class in New York City at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University where she is an Adjunct Professor. Ilene is in private practice in New York City and also shares her expertise by speaking widely on the subject of eating disorders.

Amy Hammett, MA, LMHC
Amy J. Hammett, MA, LMHC is currently a therapist at The Emily Program for Eating Disorders in Seattle, WA. She has worked at two other eating disorder facilities and in private practice. Amy specializes in teaching Dialectical Behavior Therapy and in 2013, Amy presented on this evidence-based treatment at the NEDA conference. Amy, herself, is recovered and derives passion for her patients and the field of ED treatment from her attempt to live out Gandhi’s wisdom: “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

Laura Hill, PhD
Dr. Laura Hill is the President and CEO of The Center for Balanced Living, a not-for-profit organization specializing in eating disorder treatment, education & research. Dr. Hill received NEDA’s 2011 Lori Irving Award for Excellence in Eating Disorders Prevention & Awareness and is a TEDx speaker. She is a founder of the Academy for Eating Disorders and was Director of what is now known as The National Eating Disorder Association from 1990 to 1994. She speaks internationally.

Diane Hilleary, LCSW
Diane Hilleary, LCSW, CEDS has been treating eating disorders for over 10 years and is a NEDA Professional Champion. Diane is the Clinical Director of Brookhaven Psychotherapy Associates in Atlanta and provides individual and family therapy as well as DBT groups there. Diane is the President-Elect of the Atlanta chapter of IAEDP.

Kristine Ives, MA, LPC, LMFT
Kristine Ives is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the Program Director for La Ventana Treatment Centers, Santa Monica. She is passionate about authentic living and helping people deeply connect to self and others. Through honest exploration Kristine realized openness and connection are the gateways to healing and spends her time illuminating that path for others. In her free time, Kristine enjoys going for walks, playing kickball, writing, and time with family and friends.

Craig Johnson, PhD, FAED, CEDS
Dr. Craig Johnson has been a leader in the field of Eating Disorders for more than 35 years. He is the Chief Science Officer and Director of the Family Institute for Eating Recovery Center in Denver, Colorado. He is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Oklahoma Medical School and has formerly held faculty appointments at Yale University Medical School, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and Northwestern University Feinberg Medical School.

Lisa S. Kantor, Esq.
Lisa Kantor, a Los Angeles lawyer and partner in Kantor & Kantor LLP, represents people denied health benefits for treatment of both physical and mental illnesses. Most recently, Ms. Kantor has focused her efforts litigating insurance company denials of coverage for residential treatment of eating disorders. Kantor & Kantor is one of the few law firms in the country with a distinct eating disorder practice staffed with lawyers and other professionals experienced in the specific needs of people who have been denied benefits for eating disorder treatment.

Andrea Kass, PhD
Andrea is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Chicago. Her research interests include the prevention and treatment of eating disorders and obesity, with an emphasis on evaluating the implementation of population-based models for screening and intervention and the use of technologies for care delivery. Andrea is also interested in assessing the cost-effectiveness of evidence-based behavioral interventions, with the aim of informing health care delivery and increasing access to care.

Ann Kearney-Cooke, PhD
Ann Kearney-Cooke, Ph.D., is a New York Times Bestselling author, psychologist and researcher who specializes in issues related to women's health and wellness. She was named a Distinguished Scholar at the Partnership for Gender Specific Medicine at Columbia University for the development of the Helping Girls Become Strong Women project. She was the recipient of the National Eating Disorders Association 2012 Craig Johnson Award for Clinical Practice and Training. She has lectured at over 300 conferences and has been an expert on national television shows including the Oprah Winfrey Show, the Today Show, Good Morning America, and CNN.

Merle A. Keitel, PhD
Merle A. Keitel is Training Director of the Counseling Psychology doctoral program at Fordham University in NYC.  She is co-editor of the Handbook of Counseling Women (Sage, in press). She has written extensively on women’s issues and health psychology. In recent years her focus has been family adjustment to eating disorders. Dr. Keitel presents regularly at national conferences. She received the James C. Hansen Humanitarian award from the University of Buffalo and the Scanlon Award for “extraordinary contribution to Fordham University and to the field of Psychology.

Norman Kim, PhD
Norman completed his B.A. at Yale and his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at UCLA.  He is the National Director for Program Development for Reasons Eating Disorder Center and Center for Change, and is on the Board of Directors for the Eating Disorders Coalition. Norman has developed an expertise in treating and teaching about psychiatrically complex populations, multi-modal treatment, and diagnostic assessment with a particular focus on Eating Disorders, Trauma, and Bipolar Disorder.  He is a regular national speaker, educator, and passionate advocate for eating disorder awareness.

Dawn Lee-Akers
Dawn Lee-Akers is the Family and Friends Liaison and Insurance Specialist for Diabulimia Helpline, a non-profit organization dedicated to support, education and advocacy for people struggling with diabetes and eating disorders. In her position there she assists clients and their loved ones in obtaining the insurance coverage so desperately needed. She works closely with many treatment center business offices, and has worked with Kantor and Kantor law firm, renowned for their advocacy helping those with eating disorders battle insurance companies. Through this work, she has been able to develop resource materials to help clients maximize the benefits they can receive under their respective and varied insurance policies. She has also developed strategies for working with Medicaid and uninsured clients.

Michael P. Levine, PhD, FAED
Michael P. Levine, Ph.D., is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Kenyon College in Ohio. A Fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders, he has authored or co-edited six books, three curriculum guides, and over 100 articles and book chapters on prevention and other topics within the field. Most recently, he and his long-time collaborator, Dr. Linda Smolak, co-edited the two-volume Wiley Handbook of Eating Disorders. He is a member of NEDA’s Founder’s Council and Prevention Advisory Committee.

Ethan Lopez
Ethan is a femme queer trans activist from Southern California. He is currently attending Riverside Community College and is the President of the GSA. His academic interests include sex education and Queer Studies. He is an artist, selfie-enthusiast, and lover of all things nautical. Ethan is on the board for the Transgender Alliance of Greater Riverside and runs the tumblr for T-FFED. In his spare time, Ethan writes for the website Sex, Etc. and volunteers with Planned Parenthood.

Margo Maine, PhD, FAED, CEDS
A Founder and Adviser of the National Eating Disorders Association and Founding Fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders, Maine is author of: Pursuing Perfection; Treatment of Eating Disorders: Bridging the Research- Practice Gap; Effective Clinical Practice in the Treatment of Eating Disorders; The Body Myth; Father Hunger; and Body Wars; and senior editor of Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment and Prevention. Recipient of the 2015 NEDA Lifetime Achievement Award, she practices in CT.

Dan Maldonado
Dan Maldonado is an organizer and activist who identifies as a queer, genderqueer, disabled, Latin@ femme. They have been actively organizing around LGBTQ and feminist issues such as marriage equality, reproductive justice, and trans rights since 2011. They began their work as an eating disorder and body positivity advocate when they discovered, after an extended period of denial due to a lack of intersectional visibility in the ED world, that they themselves had an ED. Since then they have served as a core collective member and logistics coordinator for T-FFED. They hope that their work will help other complexly identified non-binary people who are living with EDs by providing visibility and starting a dialogue between the ED world and the trans community.

Judith Matz, MSW, LCSW
Judith Matz, LCSW is an expert in eating and weight issues, co-author of The Diet Survivors Handbook (2006) and Beyond a Shadow of a Diet (2nd edition, 2014), and author of the new children's book Amanda's Big Dream (2015). Judith is a popular speaker for organizations and at national conferences, and descriptions of her work have appeared in the media including the LA Times, Fitness, Good Housekeeping, Self, Shape, Today’s Dietitian, Diabetes Self-Management, Psychotherapy Networker, NBC News Chicago with Nesita Kwan, Huffington Post Live, and she appears in the documentary America The Beautiful 2. She has a private practice in Skokie, IL.

Kimberli McCallum, MD, CEDS, FAPA
Kimberli McCallum, MD, CEDS, FAPA is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist, Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Washington University.  Dr. McCallum has co-developed several specialized, interdisciplinary eating disorders treatment units, including inpatient, residential, partial-hospital, and intensive outpatient programs.  Her current programs include McCallum Place St. Louis and Austin and The Victory Program.

Beth Hartman McGilley, Ph.D., FAED, CEDS
Beth Hartman McGilley, Ph.D., FAED, CEDS, is a psychologist specializing in the treatment of eating disorders, athletes, trauma, and grief. She has practiced for over 30 years, writing, lecturing, supervising, directing an inpatient eating disorders program, and providing individual, family and group therapy. She co-edited Treatment of Eating Disorders: Bridging the Research-Practice Gap, is an editor for Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention, and is working on her second book.

Christina Moreno, RDN, LDN
Christina Moreno is a Registered Dietitian at the Champaign-Urbana location of ASCEND Consultation in Healthcare. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition/Dietetics from The University of Texas at Austin where she also completed supervised practice hours through the Coordinated Program in Dietetics. Christina has experience at many levels of care in eating disorders and behavioral health. Currently, Christina provides both group and individual nutrition counseling to adolescents and adults at the IOP and outpatient levels.

Kimberly Neil
Currently a senior at Mount Holyoke College, Kimberly is studying dance and anthropology through a self-designed major. She has written for Teen Vogue, and currently contributes to Proud2Bme.org in association with NEDA. Her other writing endeavors include being part of the staff for a student-run, activist publication on her college campus, Radix (MHRadix.com), and performing slam poetry with Mount Holyoke's Conscious Poets Society. Additionally, she tries to explore her experiences with recovery and advocate for mental health awareness through choreographing and blogging.

JD Ouellette
Just when she thought it was safe to leave the kitchen after feeding her family a home-cooked dinner nightly for 25 years, the youngest of JD Ouellette's 4 children developed anorexia at the age of 17; 4 years later her daughter is in strong recovery a recent college graduate. JD has become a committed advocate for amplifying the voices of those marginalized out of diagnosis and treatment access. JD is a proud founding member of #WeDoAct, or World Eating Disorders Action Day, a movement to provide a dedicated day and global platform to further understanding and treatment of eating disorders.

Melinda Parisi, PhD
Melinda Parisi serves as Program Director for the Center for Eating Disorders Care as well as Administrative Director of Hospital Psychiatry at University Medical Center of Princeton. She has held faculty appointments at Chestnut Hill College, Immaculata University and The College of New Jersey, and has written and presented extensively on assessment and treatment of eating disorders.  More recently, she has focused on the integration of psychiatric and medical treatment across the healthcare continuum. Dr. Parisi earned her Master of Science in Education from the University of Pennsylvania and her doctoral degree from Fordham University.

Erin Parks, PhD
Erin Parks, PhD is a clinical psychologist and the Director of Outreach and Admissions for the UCSD Eating Disorders Center. A graduate of Northwestern University and UCSD, Dr. Parks draws upon her decade of neuroscience research and her clinical experience treating eating disorders as she leads the university’s outreach efforts. Dr. Park’s is passionate about making research more accessible to the public so that they can be informed consumers of evidence-based mental health services.

Hannah Patrick, MFTI
Hannah Patrick, MFTI, is a family therapist at UCSD Eating Disorder Day Treatment program where she is a program therapist for the multi-family groups and meals. She practices Family Based Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa and strives to implement this treatment across various settings. Hannah also programs UCSD's Bulimia Nervosa and Binge-Eating Disorder Track. She has previous experience working with Childhood Obesity.

Marcella Raimondo, PhD, MPH
Marcella Raimondo, PhD, MPH is a passionate and spirited clinical trainer speaking from her heart on multicultural issues in eating disorders since 1995. Marcella received her B.A. from UC Berkeley, and Master’s Degree in Public Health from the University of Michigan. Marcella’s desire to address eating disorders drove her to pursue her doctorate in clinical psychology, receiving her PhD in 2012. Marcella currently serves as a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in Kaiser Permanente’s eating disorder clinic in Oakland and runs clinical trainings that address multicultural issues in eating disorders and body image: www.marcellaedtraining.com/.

Alicia Reif, PsyD, LP
Alicia A. Reif, Psy.D., LP is a psychologist at the College of St. Benedict and St. John's University, two Midwestern, Liberal Arts, Benedictine colleges with a unique partnership. Each campus is single sex with a co-educational mission driven by Benedictine Values. In her work with CAPS as a generalist, Alicia works with the broad range of presenting concerns that characterizes college mental health. Additionally, she focuses on disordered eating/eating disorders/body image on campus. In partnering with many groups on campus, from athletics to peer education groups, she aims to identify, assess, treat, and prevent the progression of Eating Disorders on-campus.

Mae Lynn Reyes-Rodriguez, PhD
Dr. Mae Lynn Reyes-Rodriguez is an Associate Professor in the Psychiatry Department at the Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders, UNC-Chapel Hill. She completed Ph.D. at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus in Academic-Research Psychology and a second specialization in Clinical Psychology. She has been awarded with different research projects from NIMH to culturally adapt treatment for eating disorders in Latinas. Dr. Reyes-Rodríguez has numerous peer reviewed scientific articles and is co-author of various book chapters focusing on eating disorders and comorbid conditions in diverse populations.

Roxanne Rockwell, PhD
Dr. Roxanne Rockwell is Director of the UCSD Adolescent Eating Disorders Service. Her career in the eating disorder and obesity field began in 1999. She was one of the founding members of the UCSD Eating Disorders Program in 2005, and has been integrally involved in its development and expansion. As a certified FBT therapist, Dr. Rockwell played a primary role in devising and building the innovative individual and multi-family Intensive Family Therapy (IFT) program and the adolescent day treatment and intensive outpatient programs at UCSD.

Lisa Sabey
Lisa Sabey is the founder of Parents to Parents, an advocacy group using documentaries to educate the public about evidence-based treatments.

Brianna Sacco, MD
Briana Sacco, MD completed her medical degree at University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas.  She pursued residency training at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Triple Board, a combined training in pediatrics, general adult psychiatry as well as child & adolescent psychiatry.  She joined the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center as Assistant Professor of Psychiatry.  She works with children and teens at hospital levels of care at Children’s Health Center for Pediatric Eating Disorders, where she also serves as Medical Director.

Nicole Siegfried, PhD, CEDS
Dr. Nicole Siegfried is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS), a licensed clinical psychologist, and is the Clinical Director of Castlewood at The Highlands Treatment Center for Eating Disorders. She served as an Associate Professor of Psychology at Samford University and is currently Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychology at University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is an international speaker and has published research, magazine articles, and book chapters in the field of eating disorders and suicide. She is a member of the Academy of Eating Disorders (AED), and Co-Chair of the Eating Disorders and Suicide Prevention AED Special Interest Group. She is the president of the Alabama Regional Iaedp Chapter.

Janelle Smith, MS, RDN
Janelle Smith, MS, RDN, is a registered dietitian nutritionist with expertise in both eating disorders and gastrointestinal disorders. As the dietitian for La Ventana Treatment Centers, Santa Monica, Janelle treats adults and adolescents with a variety of eating disorders and chemical dependencies. Janelle utilizes an “all foods fit” model informed by “Intuitive Eating” for repairing clients’ relationship with food.

Neil Soffer
Neil Soffer was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 1989. The son of two film producers, he discovered his passion for film at a very young age. In 2012 he moved to NC to study filmmaking at the UNC School of The Arts, majoring in Directing and Screenwriting. His short film Frame Drop premiered at the 2015 Munich Student Film Festival. His last short film, Looking Good, follows a young actor who struggles with ED, having thanksgiving dinner with his awkward image-oriented family. In the process of making the film, Neil discovered how prevalent EDs are in modern society and how it has affected his life personally.

Laura Sproch, PhD
Laura Sproch, PhD, is the Research Coordinator at the Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt (Baltimore, MD) where she is currently initiating treatment outcome studies, managing quality improvement projects, and developing novel research in an effort to contribute to the field’s understanding of effective eating disorder treatment methods.  She is a licensed clinical psychologist who also acts as an outpatient individual, family, and group therapist for children and adults struggling with disordered eating symptoms.

John VanHooydonk M.D., M. A., FACOG
John VanHooydonk M.D., M. A., FACOG  is a  board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist physician in Nashville, Tennessee. He is currently Associate Medical Director of KePRO, Tennessee and Co-Leader of the Saint Thomas Health Obstetrical Emergency Simulation Training Program. Dr. VanHooydonk previously held the positions of Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Chief of Obstetrics at the Nashville Metropolitan General Hospital in Nashville, TN. Dr. VanHooydonk has thirty years of experience in caring for pregnant patients with eating disorders.

Andrew Walen, LCSW-C, LICSW
Andrew Walen is the founder and Executive Director of The Body Image Therapy Center in Columbia, Maryland, and Washington, DC (www.thebodyimagecenter.com). He is a psychotherapist, author, speaker, and advocate in the eating disorders field, with particular emphasis on binge eating disorder and males with eating disorders. Mr. Walen currently serves as President of the board of directors for the National Association for Males with Eating Disorders (NAMED), and is a past board member of the Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA).

Kristen Webb, RDN, CSSD, LDN
Kristen Webb is a Registered Dietitian, Nutritionist and Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Director of Nutrition Services at Ascend Consultation in Health Care in Chicago Illinois. Her professional experience includes working extensively as an outpatient dietitian specializing in eating and weight related disorders, providing nutrition counseling for both adults and adolescents. She also works with high school and collegiate athletes. She has received specialized training in intuitive and mindful eating practices.

Jessica L. Whitney, PhD
Jessica L. Whitney is part-time faculty at UNC Wilmington, teaching classes in abnormal psychology and personality.  Her recent dissertation research investigated the psychosocial impact on mothers of caring for a son with anorexia.  Prior to becoming a psychologist, Dr. Whitney worked in the corporate sector, at Ernst & Young LLP and Time Warner (Corporate), as a diversity, gender equity, and inclusiveness consultant.  She earned her M.Ed. and M.A. from Teachers College, Columbia University and her Ph.D. from Fordham University, following undergraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania.

Denise Wilfley, PhD
Denise E. Wilfley, Ph.D., Scott Rudolph University Professor of Psychiatry, Medicine, Pediatrics, and Psychology at Washington University in St. Louis, is an international authority on the prevention and treatment of obesity and eating disorders. Dr. Wilfley’s programmatic line of research examines the causes, prevention, and treatment of obesity and eating disorders, using innovative methods to increase the potency and implementation of evidence-based interventions and evaluating avenues to improve access to care.

Stephen Wonderlich, PhD
Dr. Stephen Wonderlich is the Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor and Associate Chairperson in the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences. He is also Co-Director of the Eating Disorder and Weight Management Center at Sanford Health and Director of Clinical Research for the Neuropsychiatric Research Institute. He currently sits on the Editorial Board for several professional journals, is a Past-President of the Academy for Eating Disorders, and was a member of the Eating Disorder Workgroup for DSM-5.

Joy Zelikovsky,  MA, M Phil Ed, MSEd, LPC
Joy is a professional counselor and fellow at Wesleyan University. Joy has worked in a variety of settings, including, community mental health, private practice, residential treatment centers, school and college counseling. Joy has been working in college counseling for the past five years where she engages in therapy and assessments for ADHD and learning disabilities. While a generalist, she specializes in working with eating disorders, trauma and crisis as well as working with a young adult population. Joy has also had the opportunity to work with student-athletes and coaches at the college level and has designed outreach and workshops specific to that population.