Eating disorders affect individuals from all racial and ethnic backgrounds, yet there is a persistent myth that they primarily impact white, wealthy populations. This talk will explore the reality of eating disorders in underrepresented groups, including existing data on prevalence rates. It will also discuss how systemic barriers, such as stigma, cultural misconceptions, and inequities in healthcare and research impact care culturally responsive treatment. Finally, this talk will outline practical steps FEAST can take to advocate for greater health equity, such as promoting education for both providers and families in need and fostering inclusive practices within the eating disorder community. This conversation will empower families to be agents of change in creating a more equitable system for all.
Amy Egbert, PhD., is an Assistant Professor of Psychological Sciences at the University of Connecticut. A pediatric psychologist by training, Dr. Egbert’s work focuses on identifying and treating eating disorders in youth from underrepresented racial and ethnic minority backgrounds. Dr. Egbert has published more than 35 peer-reviewed articles on eating disorders and mental health in youth, and she has treated numerous adolescents and families struggling with eating disorders.
Parenting is hard work under the best of circumstances, and caretaking a child with complications of a mental health diagnosis significantly increases stress on those who love them. Additionally, eating disorders present unique medical, financial, and emotional demands on caregivers, which can lead to significant and potentially unmanageable burdens. This presentation will link common sources of caregiver stress with concrete skills practice designed for both in the moment crisis survival as well as big picture improvement and maintenance of self-care.
Amy Kalasunas (she/her), LPCC-S, CCMHC, is the Chief Operating Officer and Director of DBT Services at the Center for Evidence Based Treatment in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Amy is a behaviorist with over 20 years of experience working within evidence-based treatment models. She has extensive training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and its sub-specialty area of DBT for Eating Disorders, as well as DBT- Prolonged Exposure, and supervision and consultation team adherence practices.
Kalasunas is a DBT-Linehan Board of Certification Certified Clinician, functions as co-chair of the DBT LBC Publications Committee and serves on the DBT-LBC Communications Committee. A sought-after presenter, she consistently achieves the highest evaluation scores when presenting workshops on the topics of Dialectical Behavior Therapy, DBT and Complex Eating Disorders, and DBT-Prolonged Exposure and Eating Disorders. Amy has also developed, piloted, and professionally presented interventions for parents of multi-diagnostic adult children using an adaptation of the SPACE protocol (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) and DBT.
In this talk, titled “Using a Dialectical Stance to Help Loved Ones Cope with Negative Body Image/Dysmorphia,” we will explore how caregivers can apply the core principles of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and dialectical philosophy to support loved ones struggling with body image disturbance or dysmorphia. Grounded in dialectical philosophy, DBT emphasizes balancing opposing truths—such as accepting a loved one’s current struggles while also encouraging change. This approach promotes flexibility, nuanced thinking, and the ability to hold multiple perspectives simultaneously. Caregivers will learn strategies to validate their loved ones’ experiences, reduce black-and-white thinking, and foster a collaborative environment where progress can coexist with setbacks. The talk will provide practical tools to navigate the inherent tensions in caregiving, helping loved ones move toward a healthier and more integrated sense of self.
Anita Federici is a Clinical Psychologist and the Owner of The Centre for Psychology and Emotion Regulation. She serves an Adjunct Faculty position at York University and is a distinguished Fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED). She has provided more than 400 lectures, workshops, and invited talks on eating disorders, MED-DBT, and DBT. She works extensively on an international level with hospitals and community organizations offering team training, implementation support, and program development with a special focus on creating differential care pathways for clients who do not respond to traditional treatment approaches. Her work has been presented at international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals and invited book chapters. Her co-authored book on MED-DBT will be available through Guilford Publishers in 2025.
Understanding eating disorders is challenging. The development of these illnesses is multifocal with biologic, genetic, social, and psychological influences. Moreover, the malnutrition often experienced as a consequence of eating disorders can lead to changes in the brain, increasing symptom severity and complicating treatment. This presentation will discuss the role of the brain in the development and maintenance of eating disorders. Discussion will provide caregivers with insight into how changes in their loved one’s brain may be driving their eating disorder symptoms as well as how understanding the neurobiology of eating disorders can help families and caregivers support their loved one as they work toward recovery.
Dr. O’Melia is a board certified pediatrician and a child and adolescent psychiatrist. She has more than 30 years of experience serving children and adults with mental health problems, especially those with comorbid exacerbating medical conditions. As Chief Clinical and Quality Officer at ERC Pathlight, Dr. O’Melia is responsible for the oversight of clinical excellence delivered by ERC Pathlight’s therapists, dietitians and nurses nationwide.
Dr. O’Melia has co-authored multiple articles and book chapters on eating disorders and served as a co-investigator for various clinical trials related to psychopharmacology in the treatment of eating disorders and mood disorders.
This peer-led session will offer a comfortable space for siblings (13+) of people with eating disorders where they can connect with one another, share experiences, gain insight, and find support. The session will be led by two of our sibling peer support group leaders who meet participants where they are and facilitate conversation within the group. It’s designed to give siblings a space of their own to share their experiences and their feelings with one another in a way that is validating and supportive.
About Georgie Gaines:
I am the oldest of three siblings from Lubbock, Texas. Currently, I work at the Texas Tech University Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, managing photograph collections. After supporting my younger sister through anorexia treatment and recovery, I joined FEAST and ANAD as a sibling support group leader. Through two years of leading groups —and seeing siblings empower one another with empathy and vulnerability — I have become passionate about making space for sibling voices in the conversation about eating disorders.
About Jake Arcement:
I am a 21-year-old Junior in college majoring in Neuroscience, with aspirations of pursuing a career in medicine. I became a sibling support group leader about a year ago, and it has allowed me to share my experience as a sibling and be the best support I can be for my sister, who was diagnosed with anorexia when I was 14. My role as an older brother has greatly influenced my future goals, and it has cultivated a passion for promoting mental health. Born and raised in the city of New Orleans, my two favorite things are food and music, though my dog Buddy gives both a run for their money!
As parents, we learn to set boundaries around schoolwork, bedtime, and household rules – but then an eating disorder comes and throws everything out the window. In this presentation we will discuss how to (and how not to) shift your boundaries for recovery – and the coping skills that are needed to make those boundaries stick.
Dr. Erin Parks is a clinical psychologist, researcher, and co-founder of Equip, a virtual eating disorder program that delivers evidence-based treatment for lasting recovery. She has over 15 years of experience with adolescents and adults in inpatient, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient settings, where she has seen firsthand the disparity in who gets diagnosed and who has access to quality treatment. Erin is passionate about quality mental health treatment and helping families differentiate between treatment that feels good and treatment that works.
Family Based Treatment aims to achieve recovery through weight restoration and normalization of eating, but many common eating disorder behaviors occur outside of mealtimes. This talk will focus on managing eating disorder behaviors (i.e., binge-eating, purging, body checking, and compulsive exercise) that can be difficult to identify and address but serve as powerful maintaining factors of the illness. Parent strategies for intervening on these behaviors and providing their child with nonjudgmental support will be discussed.
Terra Towne, Ph.D. is a California-based clinical psychologist and owner of Terra Towne Psychotherapy and Consultation, a group outpatient practice which she founded in 2021. Terra is passionate about evidence-based care for eating disorders. She is a certified Family-Based Treatment (FBT) provider and has extensive experience treating eating disorders at all levels of care. Terra earned a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of North Dakota and completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at the UCSD Eating Disorders Center. She previously worked as a staff psychologist and program manager of the Intensive Family Treatment programs at the UCSD Eating Disorders Center and is currently a voluntary assistant clinical professor in the UCSD Department of Psychiatry.
In this talk, Emily combines research and lived experience to discuss how we might define and move toward full, resilient, individualized recovery. Eating disorders are complex bio-psycho-social illnesses. Although physical stability is essential, recovery means more than simply resolution of symptoms. It involves healing at the levels of body, mind, and inner self. Emily shares how she’s learned to the integrate insights from many disciplines on her journey toward recovery from anorexia. Topics include the science of target weights and metabolic “tipping points”; the use of DBT, psychoanalytic theory, and other therapeutic modalities; and the importance of learning to honor and care for the inner self. Although the path to recovery is different for every person, Emily’s talk provides a blueprint for how individuals, caregivers, and clinicians can gather and draw on a diverse set of tools to define and sustain recovery.
Emily Boring writes and works at the intersection of science, medicine, and religion. She earned her Masters of Arts in Religion from Yale Divinity School, her MSc in marine ecology from Oregon State University, and her B.S. in Ecology & Evolution from Yale. Since recovering from anorexia, Emily has shared her lived experience through writing, speaking, and mentoring of adolescents. Her writing about recovery has appeared on the FEAST blog, Recovery Warriors, CNN, and in The Atlantic. Drawing on her experience as a hospital chaplain and an Episcopal priest, Emily has helped develop resources for interreligious spiritual care in the treatment of eating disorders. She currently works as Associate Rector at All Souls Parish in Berkeley, CA. She’s also at work on her first book, Bearing Witness (Simon & Schuster, anticipated fall 2026), a blend of memoir and creative nonfiction about selfhood, recovery, and belonging.
Treatment for eating disorders needs to help people to get out of the eating disorder, but in a way that means that they do not slide back into the trap of their eating-disordered behaviours and attitudes. The first step is clearly to use an effective therapy – get the person all the way out of the eating disorder, rather than making some gains and then simply hoping that progress will be continued. After all, one cannot relapse if one never stopped having the problem. Fast early change is critical here, so that everyone learns that change is possible. It is also important to work with the individual and their family to ensure that changes are complete, rather than partial. The ‘slippery slope’ analogy helps to stress the importance of keeping on working, as stopping part way through usually means sliding back to where one was. Most importantly, there is a strong body of evidence about what the therapy should address if one wishes to reduce the risk of such relapse. The clinician and the person with the eating disorder and their family need to work on four key areas of the eating disorder if they want to cut down on relapses. However, they also need to plan the end of therapy and follow-up so that relapse risk is minimised. These targets and the skills needed to address them will all be addressed in this presentation.
Glenn Waller is Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Sheffield, UK. His clinical and academic specialism is evidence-based CBT for eating disorders, with a particular emphasis on effective treatment in routine clinical settings. He has published over 350 peer-reviewed papers, 20 book chapters and six books in the field, and regularly presents workshops at national and international meetings. He is past president of the Academy for Eating Disorders and of the Eating Disorders Research Society, and is on the editorial boards of a number of journals relating to eating disorders and to CBT. He was a member of the NICE Eating Disorders Guideline Development Group, responsible for the 2017 update.
Leaving the family home and going away to college are often considered rites of passage for 18-year-olds. When your child has an eating disorder, however, the transition to college is more complicated. While recovering patients often look forward to college with excitement, parents may feel terrified and helpless about the impending change and the prospect of having less control over their loved one’s well-being. This presentation will help you, as a caregiver, to assess your loved one’s readiness for independence and develop a vision of the direction in which they are headed.
This presentation will also help you learn how to use leverage, enhance motivation, and promote independence so that your loved one can move forward into stronger recovery as they transition into the next phase of their life.
Dr. Sarah Ravin has been a licensed psychologist for the past 15 years. At her Miami area private practice, she provides assessment and treatment for children, adolescents, and young adults with eating disorders, mood & anxiety disorders, OCD, body dysmorphia, and related issues. A firm believer in true collaboration between parents and treatment providers, Dr. Ravin also provides consultations to parents who are supporting their loved one’s recovery. Dr. Ravin specializes in Family-Based Treatment (FBT) and other family-centered interventions for eating disorders as well as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for eating disorders, body dysmorphia, anxiety, and depression. Channeling her natural energy, passion, dedication, perseverance, and optimism into her work, Dr. Ravin is committed to nurturing close relationships with patients and their families and creating individualized, evidence-based treatment plans to help each patient achieve and maintain full recovery and prevent relapse. A professional advisor for FEAST and an active member of the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED) and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Dr. Ravin also writes a popular blog on eating disorders and other topics in psychology.
F.E.A.S.T. is registered as a nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. Information on this site is meant to support, not replace, professional consultation.
NONPROFIT INFO IRS: 26-4706974