Archive for the 'Treatment Providers' Category

Support for Parents & Families: Navigating the World of Eating Disorder Treatment & Recovery

Join us on Thursday February 24th, 2011  to hear from a panel of parents who’ve been through the treatment process in various forms with their own children.  Listen to their stories and join the conversation during a special Q/A with the panel members and several treatment specialists from CED. You can read more about the event and meet our panel members below, then download the Event Flyer or visit our website to register for this free event.

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For someone with an eating disorder, the positive role of the family in the recovery process cannot be underestimated.  Parents, spouses, siblings and close support people can make a world of difference for someone who is struggling with an eating disorder, especially as they work towards recovery.  But its not easy.  It takes a lot of patience and presents many challenges for parents and support people who have never before been forced to learn about the complexities of an eating disorder or navigate the world of treatment. Just as the individual with the disorder experiences intense fears, personal hardships, and emotional angst throughout the illness and recovery, so too do those who support them.  It can be torturous to have an eating disorder but in many ways, it can be just as difficult to care deeply for someone who does.

Parents in particular, despite the age of their son or daughter with an eating disorder, can be met with incredible fear, stress and frustration as they try to weed through a completely new landscape of physical and mental health complications, what to say and what not to say to someone in treatment, and how to respond to irritability, refusal to get treatment, or general isolation from the rest of the family.  And while each family has their own unique experience, two things are very common when approaching the recovery process with a loved one:  1) you will have a lot of questions, and 2) you may feel very alone.  That being said, it can be very beneficial to talk with other families who understand what you’re going through and can offer knowledgeable, experienced support.

This year, in honor of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt will be hosting a Panel Presentation and Q/A event featuring parents who’ve experienced the difficult job of supporting a loved one with an eating disorder.  This free event is designed to create a safe place for families and support people to gather, ask questions and seek feedback from those who’ve been in the trenches themselves.  The panel will also include specialists from the Center for Eating Disorders who will answer questions about the treatment process, types of therapy, health and medical concerns,  nutrition issues, and all things affecting recovery.

All of the parent panel members come to the table with different experiences, different strengths and different outcomes but they all have an important story to tell and a hopeful message to share.   If you have questions about supporting a loved one, or you would just like to listen and know that you are not alone, please join us for this special event in Baltimore on Thursday February 24th at 7:00 pm.

~  MEET The PANEL ~

PARENT & FAMILY Panel Members:

Jane Cawley – Jane and her family helped her daughter, then age fourteen, recover from anorexia nervosa with family-based treatment in 2004. Ever since, she’s worked tirelessly as an advocate for eating disorders, actively helping parents find and better understand information on eating disorders and the treatments available.  She co-chairs Maudsley Parents and serves on the steering committee of NEDA’s Parent, Family, and Friends Network.  She was also recently interviewed for a PsychCentral blog entitled, What Parents Need to Know About Eating Disorders: Q&A with Jane Cawley

Katherine Bloom – Katherine is the loving mother of Kira Bloom, who lost her struggle with bulimia nervosa on May 21, 2009 at age twenty-five.  Katherine now speaks out to honor her daughter’s memory, the importance of treatment and to share what she has learned in hopes of sparing another family a similar tragedy.

Jean R. – Jean and her family learned to navigate the world of eating disorders when their daughter was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa in 2000.  Through their daughter’s journey they became acquainted with an ANAD support group, and in the spring of 2007, she volunteered to be on the Eating Disorder Network of Maryland board.  Jean has also been involved with Supporting Each Other, a support group for family members and friends of those who have loved ones struggling with disordered eating.  As an educator, Jean sees the importance of education to spread awareness and understanding about this dangerous disease.

TREATMENT SPECIALIST Panel Members:

Steven Crawford, MD – Dr. Steven Crawford is a board certified psychiatrist and Associate Director of The Center for Eating Disorders.  Dr. Crawford has spent over 20 years devoted to the treatment of individuals and families impacted by eating disorders.  He remains committed to providing the best possible treatment for every patient at CED, ensuring a comprehensive continuum of care, state-of-the-art programs and a staff of highly qualified, specialty trained practitioners.  Dr. Crawford also serves on the faculty at the University of Maryland where he trains medical students on prevention, identification, early intervention and evidence-based treatment for eating disorders.

Dina Wientge, LCSW-C – Dina Wientge has been a part of the CED staff for more than 14 years. She received her Masters in social work from the University of Maryland and trained at Johns Hopkins University .  Dina provides family therapy for patients in CED’s inpatient program and oversees all aspects of the Center’s family therapy programming.   She is one of a select group of clinicians from across the country who have been specially trained and certified to provide Family Based Treatment (FBT) for eating disorders.

Debbi Jacobs, LCSW-C – Debbi Jacobs earned her MSW from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Social Work in 1999.  Prior to joining the team at The Center for Eating Disorders, she provided individual, couples and family therapy at the Jewish Family Services in Baltimore with a particular interest in trauma and loss.  Debbi currently provides individual and family therapy at CED’s outpatient department with a concentration in providing support for families engaged in the Maudsley method of re-feeding.

Samantha Lewandowski, MS, RD, LDN – Samantha Lewandowski received her BS in Nutrition from the University of Delaware and her Masters in Health Promotion Management from The American University.  Samantha, a Registered Dietitian, joined the CED staff in 2006, and her main role is working on nutritional goals with patients and their families in the outpatient setting.  As Nutritional Care Coordinator, she also supervises the outpatient nutrition staff, coordinates nutrition programs and provides community workshops and professional trainings on the prevention and treatment of eating disorders.

All family members, support people and health/mental health professionals are welcome to attend.  Download the Event Flyer or visit our Events Page to pre-register and reserve a seat.

If you have questions about this panel or any of our other NEDAWeek events, please call The Center for Eating Disorders’ Outreach Coordinator at (410) 427-3886.

Published by Kate Clemmer
January 31st, 2011 in CED Events, NEDAWeek, Nutrition, Parenting, Q & A, Recovery, Support, Treatment Providers, family based treatment
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2010: Looking Back on a Year of Eating Disorder Awareness, Outreach & Education

2010 has been one of the busiest community outreach years to date here at The Center for Eating Disorders.  We are very glad to have welcomed many of you to our events for the first time.  In addition to providing requested trainings and workshops in the community CED also hosted five major community events on the Sheppard Pratt campus.  These are just a few of the many highlights from the past year…

In January of 2010 CED kicked-off the year with a day long conference  entitled, Promoting Self-Esteem & Positive Body Image: A Program for the Jewish Community. Despite a lingering snow storm, over 100 community members attended including parents and adolescents, educators and school staff, medical and mental health providers as well as rabbis and Jewish community leaders from Baltimore and surrounding areas.

One month later we celebrated National Eating Disorder Awareness Week with a keynote presentation by author and parenting expert Rosalind Wiseman.  In her talk,  Positive Parenting for a Healthy Self-Image, she spoke candidly about relating to kids and adolescents in ways that build self-esteem and body confidence.  That same week in February, we honored student artists from across the state of Maryland at the annual “Love Your Tree” poster art exhibit and awards ceremony. Bel Air High School Freshman, Kiley Baker was honored as her original artwork was unveiled as the official 2010 Love Your Tree poster. More than 130 art pieces were on display and over $1,200 in scholarships and prizes were awarded to participating students and teachers. (Don’t forget: the deadline for this year’s LYT Poster campaign is Dec. 17th, 2010!!!)

Before NEDAWeek 2010 ended, CED therapist, Craig Boas, LCSW  facilitated a community workshop called Mindfulness 101: An Experiential Exploration of DBT Practices for Eating Disorder Recovery and Everyday Life. In addition to these local events, we also launched a blog series called Nurture:  A mind and body wellness blog for moms and mothers-to-be. The blog entries helped to provide support around issues of fertility & pregnancy, eating disorders, body image, media and motherhood.  

In August of 2010, we were honored to host a community presentation by author and parent, Harriet Brown the very  day after the release of her book, Brave Girl Eating: A Family’s Struggle With Anorexia. Her talk was inspirational for the many parents and professionals in the audience and stimulated much discussion about Family-Based Treatment (FBT).  The Center for Eating Disorders is one of a small number of sites across the country that has clinicians who are specially trained and certified to provide FBT for eating disorders.

We switched gears in September 2010 for a focus on continuing professional education for providers.  Five eating disorder treatment experts from across the country converged in Baltimore to present at CED’s professional symposium, Eating Disorders: State of the Art Treatment.  Almost 200 physicians, nurses, psychologists, social workers, dietitians and other treating professionals attended the day long conference to learn about topics such as Family-Based Treatment for EDs, Psychopharmacology and Cognitive Remediation Therapy.  Several of our expert presenters provided guest blogs for us in advance of the symposium.  You can read them by clicking on the links below:

Several days after the symposium, CED staff members, including CED Associate Director, Dr. Steven Crawford, teamed up with fellow advocates from across the country on Capitol Hill to take part in a Lobby Day organized by The Eating Disorder Coalition (EDC).  We spent time meeting with Maryland representatives in congress and senate, discussing how important it is for them to sign on in support of the FREED Act.  It was an empowering day and CED is looking forward to being a continuing sponsor of the EDC in the new year.

Most recently we were incredibly excited to host our fall outreach event,  Intuitive Eating: Making Peace With Food,  featuring Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD, a nationally acclaimed nutrition expert and bestselling author.  There was a tremendous response from the community, and over 200 people from across Maryland and surrounding states converged in Towson on November 21st to hear Ms. Tribole’s engaging presentation.  After the talk, many attendees lined up to speak with her personally about their stories of success with Intuitive Eating.  If you missed the presentation, check out the pre-event Q & A with Evelyn Tribole on our blog.

Many thanks to all who have attended and collaborated around these events.  As we move towards 2011 and a new year we maintain a commitment to providing events and outreach opportunities with the following goals:
  • Increase awareness about the growing prevalence of eating disorders and their consequences
  • Provide opportunities to help individuals, families, schools and organizations prevent eating disorders and promote positive body image
  • Encourage early intervention and improve access to care while decreasing stigma associated with seeking help
  • Support individuals and families throughout the recovery process
  • Enhance professional knowledge and competency through continuing education events for medical and mental health providers

Upcoming community outreach events:

www.EatingDisorder.org

CED on Facebook

CED on Twitter (@CEDSheppPratt)

Published by Kate Clemmer
December 9th, 2010 in Body Image, CED Events, Celebrity Topical News, In the News, NEDAWeek, Nurture. Blog Series, Professional Education, Q & A, Recovery, Treatment Providers, intuitive eating
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In 200 Words or Less…

Recently, someone asked us to summarize The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt in “200 words or less”. Not an easy task but one that ended up producing a concise and helpful, up-to-date summary of the CED program which we thought would be helpful to share on our this blog.

The historic Gatehouse at the entrance to the Sheppard Pratt Campus

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Since 1989, the Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt has been committed to the pursuit of emotional and physical wellness for children, adolescents and adults with eating disorders. Services are provided by an interdisciplinary team of professionals across a full continuum of care which includes a 26-bed Inpatient Program, 12-hour/day Partial Hospital Program, an evening Intensive Outpatient Program, outpatient therapies and support groups.

The Center combines a behavioral program to assist in the management of eating disorder impulses with an evidence-based, multi-modal therapy program. Individual and group therapies include cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectic behavior therapy, interpersonal therapy, body image therapy, art therapy, movement therapy, occupational therapy, and nutritional counseling. Family therapy at The Center is guided by a Family-Based Treatment approach (Maudsley model) and family systems theory.

The Center is located on a beautifully landscaped suburban campus in Baltimore and participates with most insurance plans. Recovery occurs with the achievement of medical, nutritional and psychological stabilization. The Center supports the development of healthy coping mechanisms as a replacement for eating disorder behaviors. Specialized treatment tracks are available for individuals struggling with trauma disorders or substance abuse in addition to their eating disorder.  Prevention, education and outreach services are also available.

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In case you want more than 200 words….you can take a virtual tour of the program and listen to video interviews from our staff here.   Additional information & details about admission are available by calling (410)938-5252, or emailing EatingDisorderInfo@sheppardpratt.org.

You can also visit our website at www.EatingDisorder.org and follow CED on Facebook for program updates and motivational, recovery-focused status updates.

Published by Kate Clemmer
November 12th, 2010 in CED Events, Editor's Picks, Recovery, Therapies, Treatment Providers
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Utilizing Transference & Countertransference to Deepen the Treatment of Eating Disorders, with Kathryn Zerbe, M.D.

Following an incredibly positive response to her April 2009 presentation on integrated treatment for eating disorders, we are thrilled to welcome Kathryn Zerbe, M.D. back to Baltimore for our 2010 annual professional symposium.  Dr. Zerbe will present, along with 5 other distinguished experts, at Eating Disorders: State of the Art Treatment on Saturday September 25th, 2010.  Her much anticipated  presentation will focus on psychodynamic approaches and the use of transference and countertransference to enhance clinical practice in the treatment of individuals with eating disorders.

Kathryn Zerbe, M.D. is a Professor of Psychiatry and Obstetrics & Gynecology at Oregon Health & Science University.  She also serves as the Director of the Oregon Psychoanalytic Institute and has authored over 60 clinical papers and four books including, Integrated Treatment for Eating Disorders: Beyond the Body Betrayed.  Dr. Zerbe is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a Fellow of the Academy of Eating Disorders. She has been repeatedly selected as one of “America’s Top Doctors” and is a highly sought after speaker both in the united states and internationally.

Find out more about Dr. Zerbe’s work and her upcoming presentation in Baltimore by reading her insightful and thought provoking responses to our questions below.  And don’t miss your chance to attend all six expert presentations on September 25th, 2010. (This event has been approved for 7 CME/CEUs). REGISTER soon!  Space is limited. 

Q & A with Kathryn Zerbe, M.D.

The title of your upcoming talk in Baltimore is “Resiliency, Vulnerability and Growth: Utilizing Transference and Countertransference Reactions to deepen the Treatment of Eating Disorders”.  What specific role does vulnerability play in this process?

KZ: Bewilderment, boundaries, and burnout — these are just a few of the concerns that clinicians are liable to struggle with when treating patients with an eating disorder.  Recognizing that in our quest to be helpful to our patients, we also face a potential undertow because the work to preserve life is taxing in the short run and often takes a commitment of time, energy, and sacrifice in the long run.  Clinicians ‘in the trenches’ know these facts, but what do we do to help ourselves to deal with the hurt feelings that arise when tenacious negative transferences arise, or when we are in a seemingly unwinnable battle with 3rd parties, or experience powerlessness when the patient refutes our counsel?  Awareness to these vulnerabilities, and others, are the first line of defense in staying attuned, steadfast, and nimble in robust clinical practice.

What would you say is the biggest barrier clinicians may face in trying to implement improved strategies for utilizing transference and countertransference in the clinical setting?

KZ: “To know thyself’ and “To be true to thyself’ have been laudable goals since the time of Socrates and Shakespeare, respectively, but such ideals are easier to write about in the abstract than to achieve in real time.  With the daily challenge of managing a lively practice and tending to one’s busy personal life, it is easy to put one’s own needs on the back burner.  Taking a small amount of time weekly to think about the impact of clients is enormously helpful.  In this way, one works on the feelings and clinical formulation one has about each specific person in practice but is simultaneously humbled by what each person teaches us by sharing their unique history and viewpoints.

 

What are the potential consequences of ignoring or ineffectively addressing transference and countertransference issues in the therapeutic process?

KZ: Like most clinicians, I feel extraordinarily blessed to be working in this field where one has the opportunity to witness individuals grow and change over time.  However, burnout is a formidable foe to contend with because change is often difficult, slow, and painful for the patient.  Sensitive clinicians pick up on, or in technical parlance, “contain,” these feelings.  To avoid burnout and to keep the work fresh, invigorating, and growth promoting, the therapist  who ‘knows himself or herself’ best is in a better position to assist the patient, and this is a ‘work in progress’  that is never done until one retires from practice altogether.

In your upcoming presentation, you will discuss strategies for managing “cultural countertransference”. Can you briefly define this term in the context of treating individuals with eating disorders?

KZ: Therapists as well as patients are prone to having conscious and unconscious reactions to media stereotypes, idealized body images, and culture norms as a whole.  We clinicians are in a better position to help our patients by becoming more aware of these potential ‘blind spots’ to  the  prevailing cultural  in ourselves and thinking them through.  Recovery can be enhanced by a timely discussion and critique of noxious cultural norms in therapy.  Both patient and clinician can make use of reading, media, movies, self-scrutiny, and ongoing dialogues with peers or consultants to become more cognizant of our largely unconscious idealization and overvaluation of beauty.   However, as Dr. Catherine Steiner Adair of Harvard University pointed out when she defined the term ‘cultural countertransference,’ in the early 1990s, we must also be wary that too much focus on the culture can be a defense to deepening the patient’s treatment.

Overall, what do you hope symposium attendees will take away from your presentation at The Center for Eating Disorders on September 25th?

KZ: If participants emerge from my talk (which will use art history slides to demonstrate concepts and to provide encouragement for each therapist to bring his/her unique creativity and tenacity to the therapy hour) with permission to ‘take care of yourself’ as you take care of the patient, I will be very happy, indeed.  Perhaps there will be an idea or two that will be new to the ear, but more likely the listener will simply take more seriously the need for ‘time outs’ and the pragmatic and psychodynamic reasons that undergird that need and recommendation.  One of my heroines, Eleanor Roosevelt, said “Do something that is scary everyday!”  I keep that saying on my desk as a reminder that our daily work as clinicians presents us with mysteries and a summons for personal growth that we can’t predict when we get to the office in the morning.  The more tools that we have in our therapeutic hip pocket, the better!  So, I’m looking forward to gaining wisdom from the other speakers who come first and hearing the comments and questions from the audience to, very selfishly, enhance my individual practice!

Our enduring thanks to Dr. Zerbe for taking time out of a busy schedule to provide such thorough answers. Be sure to join us on September 25th for what is sure to be an engaging and enlightening presentation.  Download the Eating Disorders: State of the Art Treatment PROGRAM BROCHURE (pdf) for registration details and deadlines.

If you’d like to order or find out more about Dr. Zerbe’s publications, please click on the links below.  These titles will also be available for purchase at the upcoming symposium.

Published by Kate Clemmer
August 20th, 2010 in CED Events, Editor's Picks, Enhancing Clinical Practice, In the News, Professional Education, Q & A, Therapies, Treatment Providers
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