Overview
Despite the prevailing myth that eating disorders are prevalent only in affluent, cisgender, heterosexual young girls, they are actually serious but treatable mental illnesses that can affect people of every age, sex, gender, race, ability and socioeconomic group.

Once an eating disorder has taken hold, it can become a self-sustaining process that usually requires professional help to recover and heal. Early detection, initial evaluation, and effective treatment are important steps that can help a client move into recovery more quickly, preventing the disorder from progressing to a more severe or chronic state.

Many clinicians discover, in the process of conducting their work, that their own client exhibits eating disorder behaviors, or in some cases, the client may suddenly disclose they have an eating disorder that’s previously never been discussed. If you haven’t worked directly with eating disorders, addressing and treating them can be anxiety producing. They can also become more complicated if you know an eating disorder is present but your client refuses treatment.

When eating disorders present themselves outside of the prevailing myth, identification and treatment through a social justice lens is critical. In order to address the above and enable you to work more effectively with eating disorders in your own practice, this course will provide you with assessment skills and tools to identify the warning signs of eating disorders, interventions and approaches in addressing eating disorders and offer ethical and legal considerations in treatment including:

• Appropriate documentation,
  
• When to refer to a higher level of care and
  
• Seek consultation
  

This course will draw on clinical treatment in the field of eating disorders emphasizing culturally appropriate approaches. Training is conducted in a safe environment for you to bring your curiosity and experiences for sharing. Ultimately, this course strives for you to feel connected and empowered with access to further consultation, specific treatment ideas and tools to implement immediately in your own practice or clinic. To register, go here.

Target AudienceThis program is open to clinical psychologists, counselors, psychotherapists, case managers, social workers, marriage & family therapists, addiction treatment specialists, and other mental health professionals. It is not appropriate for the general public.

There are no potential conflicts of interest for the instructor in providing this seminar on behalf of Gaylesta.

Continuing Education Information
Gaylesta, Inc. is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.  Gaylesta, Inc. maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

This workshop is sponsored by Gaylesta: The Psychotherapist Association for Gender and Sexual Diversity. These CE units may also be credited to other licensed mental health professionals, such as LCSWs, LPCCs, and LMFTs. CE credit will only be awarded for full attendance. 

Seminar Leader
Marcella Raimondo, PhD, MPH, is a passionate and spirited clinical trainer speaking from her heart on multicultural issues in eating disorders. She has delivered over 100 clinical and community trainings since 1995. She received her B.A. from UC Berkeley, and Master’s Degree in Public Health from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She received my PhD in 2012 from Alliant International University in San Francisco, California.  She currently is a Clinical Psychologist (PSY # 27037) in Kaiser Permanente’s eating disorder clinic in Oakland. She runs her own private practice in Oakland and also serves as adjunct faculty at UC Berkeley Extension Program. She is on the Advisory Board for the Association of Size Health and Diversity (ASDAH), Nalgona Positivity Pride (NPP) and on the conference committee for Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA). She is on the board for Eating Disorders Recovery and Support (EDRS) serving as the president for 2017/2018. Marcella herself recovered from anorexia nervosa over 20 years ago. Her recovery with her martial arts training inspires her dedication to multicultural body nurturance and community celebration.

Course Objectives

1. Identify signs & symptoms of eating disorders.
   
2. Summarize physiological and psychological effects of eating disorders.
   
3. Identify clinical treatment strategies with a focus on culturally appropriate approaches.
   
4. Identify pertinent community resources for diverse populations with eating disorders.
   
5. Address your own anxiety around eating disorders.
   
6. Protect your practice (legally and ethically) – i.e. when to refer to a higher level of care.
   

Course Outline

1. Eating Disorders Overview
   • Types and Prevalence
   • Eating Disorder Stereotypes
   • Contributing Factors to Eating Disorders
   • Environmental stressors
   • Psychological/emotional co- morbidities

2. Eating Disorder Assessment
   • Signs and symptoms
   • Screening tools
   • Assessing severity -- indicators of increased medical and psychological risk
   • Considerations in providing culturally appropriate eating disorders screening

3. Techniques and Interventions to Incorporate in your work with eating disorders
   • Behavior Monitoring
   • Food Exposure
   • Addressing Shame
   • Using Motivational Interviewing

4. Legal and Ethical Considerations
   • Consultation
   • When to consider a higher level of care
   • Documentation

5. Resources
   • Multicultural resources for eating disorders- treatment, activism, etc.