99. Heather Russo (she/hers), Chief Clinical Officer at Alsana, joins to discuss the state of eating disorder care and healing

Hi Navigators! Well, it's been quite a journey together. With many emotions, we are signing off, providing insights and thoughts one last time. "Thank you" will never be enough to express the gratitude, love, joy, and embrace felt by those who listened, those who came on and shared their journey, and those we met in various capacities along the way. We will miss this space immensely, and hope it provided just a little bit of relief, education, vulnerability, and connectiveness along the way. Wishing everyone the support and love they deserve, and a meaningful beginning to the fall season. For the last time, be well!

Hi Navigators! Welcome to episode 105 with Dr. Christine Peat, an Associate Professor of Psychiatry in the Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she also serves as its Director. She completed her undergraduate training in Psychology at the University of Arizona and earned her Master’s degree and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of North Dakota. Currently, Dr. Peat works as both a researcher and a clinician who focuses on eating pathology across the spectrum, but with a distinct focus on binge-eating disorder. In addition to her clinical and research responsibilities, Dr. Peat is a clinical supervisor for pre-doctoral psychology interns and psychiatry residents, and she mentors undergraduate students. During our discussion, she discusses what it’s like to wear both a clinician researcher hat, how the research can help guide the clinical work she and other practitioners are doing with patients, and where the research in the eating disorder field is headed. She also discusses her work at NCEED, specifically a screening tool to help with assessment and early intervention. You can find the tool at www.NCEEDus.org. Please enjoy this conversation!CW: eating disorder behaviors, medical weight stigma, medical neglect, body image

Hi Navigators! Victoria Ying, a critically acclaimed author and artist living in Los Angeles, visits the podcast to talk about her new young adult graphic novel, "Hungry Ghost", which features a charactor who has experiencing an eating disorder. Victoria, having her own lived experience, talks about her recovery journey and how it influences the work she does today. From telling her mother about her eating disorder in a public space to learning what it means to have an eating disorder in a white, thin female cishetero space, Victoria shares the ups and downs of her journey. She started her career in the arts by falling in love with comic books, this eventually turned into a career working in animation and graphic novels. Her film credits include Tangled, Wreck it Ralph, Frozen, Paperman, Big Hero 6, and Moana. She is the illustrator on DC’s “Diana Princess of the Amazons” and the author and illustrator of “City of Secrets,” and the sequel “City of Illusion” in stores everywhere! Her upcoming graphic novel projects include the sequel to “Diana Princess of the Amazons” and of course, a YA debut, “Hungry Ghost.” She loves Japanese Curry, putting things in her shopping cart online and taking them out again and hanging out with her husband and furry friends. CW: eating disorders, eating disorder behaviors, brief mention of a plane crash, fatphobia and weight stigma

Hi Navigators! Welcome to episode 103, where we talk about shame, trauma, and healing with Ronni Robinson. Ronni joins the podcast with over 14 years of recovery from her eating disorder, and is an author, recovery coach, writer, empty nester, and a menopausal spin instructor. We discuss shame, trauma, and how community is a grounding force as one begins healing. It is her journey through healing that has ignited her passion for helping others find help and hope who are struggling with eating disorders. She recently completed her memoir, “Out of the Pantry”, to share her story and create more space for others to share theirs, and to continue to build communities for people to connect and feel heard. We thank Ronni for welcoming us into her world and are grateful for her time and energy. We hope you find a piece which resonates with you, and enjoy the listen! CW: eating disorders (binge eating, restriction), weight, emotional and physical abuse, trauma

Welcome Navigators! Catherine and Francis are thrilled to welcome Lindsey Wawrzyniak to the Navigating Recovery Podcast. Lindsey, a former pre-professional dancer and model, brings her story of perfectionism, body image struggles, anorexia nervosa, and full recovery to the platform, creating a space to talk about the hard stuff and be vulnerable. Lindsey is passionate about sharing this story with others, and helping people with their own struggles. She's currently working on opening a dancer mindset coaching business, and speaks at schools as a mental health advoate. Lindsey is currently studying psychology at Arizona State University, and tune into the end of the conversation for ways to connect with her. We're thankful for Lindsey's willingness to share, and we hope listeners resonate with her story. Enjoy the listen!

Hi Navigators! We’re excited to welcome Courtney Gioia, CEO and founder of Loyobo, to the podcast! Loyobo (meaning Love Your Body), is a virtual wellness community dedicated to helping women ditch diet culture, find joy in movement and to finally figure out how to love their body. Courtney’s own journey with health and struggles around body image and weight loss inspired her to become an ACE Certified Fitness Professional and Mindset Coach. Her mission is to help women use self-love to learn how to trust their bodies and take up space in their lives by living intentionally. This episode explores the complexities of uncomfortable conversations, change, and language, and how boundaries, empathy, and community are ways to promote an inclusive and educational environment for everyone, wherever they may be in their anti-diet culture journey. In the digest, Catherine opens up about what it was like to take the Implicit Association Test (IAT) about weight, and how to address our own biases in conversation with others and ourselves. This was a moving, educational, and valued conversation with Courtney, and we were so glad she joined us! Enjoy! UPDATE: Francis also completed the IAT about weight, which indicated a slight preference for thin bodies, a challenging result for him! CW: eating disorders, body image dissatisfaction, weight loss, dieting, exercise

Hello, Navigators! And welcome to episode 100! Today, we have the privilege of sharing our conversation with Sara Gottfried, a licensed clinical social worker. Currently, Sara works as a school social worker and outpatient therapist, serving individuals in the commonwealth of Massachusetts. She graduated from Bridgewater State University with a BS and went on to complete the Advanced Standing Social Work program at Boston University, obtaining her Master of Social Work. Today, Catherine and Francis interview Sara as she opens up about her own history of an eating disorder, and the journey she took to find healing and recovery, including realizing FBT wasn’t effective for her and that her hospitalization experience led to a unique outcome. Eventually, and proudly, Sara published Full: A Memoir of Overcoming an Eating disorder, a powerful and utterly raw story of her battle with anorexia and learning to share her story. Filled with humor, wisdom, and inspiration, Sara aims to empower readers to overcome their own experiences with disordered eating. We were thrilled she could join the podcast and share her story. CW: Eating disorders, eating disorder behaviors, hospitalization stories, food rituals, exercise rituals, family relationships

Hi Navigators! Catherine and Francis are excited to welcome Heather Russo, LMFT, CEDS-S, Chief Clinical Officer at Alsana, an eating disorder recovery community and treatment proivder with programs in Alabama, California, and Missouri (as well as virtual services nation-wide). Heather is responsible for nurturing the growth and success of Alsana's clinical treatment teams and maintaining the integrity and efficacy of the Adaptive Care Model®’s Therapeutic Dimension. The discussion was very insightful, and covered topics about adaptable and different approaches to nutrition and movement in treatment spaces, with an ultimate mission of being more inclusive. We very much appreciated Heather's perspective and knowledge, and look forward to following all the great work she's doing in the eating disorder care and healing space. Thank you, Heather!CW: eating disorder behaviors, eating disorder treatment spaces, mention of trauma histories, clinical work, family dynamics

Hi Navigators! Catherine and Francis welcome Shira Charpentier and Tasha Golding to the podcast for a meaningful discussion about their lived experience, recovery, treatment, and the different paths that lead us to healing. Shira began her nonprofit, Beyond Rules Recovery, in 2019 as a way to support others who experience eating disorders and are looking for their own healing; and Tasha joined Shira in 2021 after her own recovery. Together they share the same desire to change the outcome of future generations and empower individuals worldwide, and focus on educating individuals about eating disorders and recovery. It was truly a wonderful, insightful conversation, and we hope those who listen are able to connect and take away pieces they can use moving forward in their own experiences. Enjoy!

Hi Navigators! Catherine and Francis are excited to welcome Angelo Thomas to the podcast. Angelo is a filmmaker and mental health advocate, and has directed, produced, and edited two feature films, The Incredible Jake Parker and DeRosa: Life, Love & Art in Transition. Currently, he serves as the Digital & Social Media Director with Mental Health America, where he oversees the organization’s overall voice and messaging across all social media platforms. Previously, Angelo worked with the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) as the Associate Manager of Communications. In this episode, Angelo welcomes listeners into his recovery journey from anorexia nervosa, including how admitting to treatment, developing his ever-evolving story, and writing and film all played significant parts in his healing. Angelo’s passion for mental health advocacy stems from his own lived experience. Since recovering in 2018, he has been proud to give a voice to men, Latin Americans, and LGBTQ+ folks affected by eating disorders and other mental health concerns. We were thrilled to have him and hope you have a chance to check out his work and advocacy. CW: eating disorder behaviors, strained parental relationships, eating disorder treatment, talk of weight