When Eating Disorders Appear in Non-ED Caseloads

Lindsay D’Alleva, LMHC-D, CEDS is a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist and psychotherapist in private practice in Brighton, NY, with specialized training in eating disorders, body image, OCD, and trauma. She brings over a decade of clinical experience across settings including RIT, The Healing Connection, and MEDA, and holds advanced training in Memory Reconsolidation and Coherence Therapy for Complex PTSD. Lindsay also serves on the board of The Emilee Connection, a local eating disorder nonprofit.

Jennifer Haefele, MS, RDN, CDN, CEDS-C is a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist & Consultant and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, and owner of RDN Jen, a Rochester-based nutrition practice focused on healing relationships with food and body. A recognized leader in the dietetic community at the local, state, and national levels, Jen was named Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year by the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in 2021. She is also a regular contributor to the Health in a Handbasket segment on 13WHAM Rochester.

Overview: Eating disorders frequently present in general clinical practice, yet many therapists report feeling under-prepared to confidently identify, assess, and treat them. This presentation is designed for clinicians who do not specialize in eating disorders and aims to demystify diagnosis, referral decisions, and treatment boundaries while reducing fear and avoidance around this population. Using an integrative, relational framework, an eating disorder therapist and eating disorder registered dietitian will collaboratively explore how eating disorders function as adaptive solutions to unmet needs—such as emotional regulation, safety, attachment, identity, or control—rather than simply symptom clusters to eliminate.

Participants will learn how to apply familiar therapeutic frameworks (including ACT, IFS, Schema Therapy, and relational approaches) to eating disorder presentations, helping clinicians leverage skills they already possess to address root functions of disordered eating. The presentation will clarify when outpatient therapy is appropriate, when and how to discuss higher levels of care, and how to collaborate effectively with dietitians using harm-reduction and weight-inclusive principles. Clinicians will leave with increased confidence in identifying eating disorders, initiating appropriate conversations, knowing when to refer out, and supporting clients ethically and effectively within their scope of practice.

By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Identify and differentiate eating disorder presentations (including subclinical (orthorexia) and mixed presentations) and feel more confident in assessment and diagnosis within general practice settings.
• Recognize indicators for referral and higher levels of care and working within a collaborative team, including how to discuss these recommendations with clients in a collaborative, non-shaming, and clinically appropriate manner while building and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams.
• Apply existing therapeutic frameworks (e.g., ACT, IFS, Schema Therapy) to understand the function of eating disorder behaviors and conceptualize them as adaptive coping strategies rather than solely pathology.
• Increase confidence working within scope of practice, reducing avoidance and fear when eating disorders emerge in treatment while maintaining ethical and effective care.

Tree of Hope Counseling, LCSW, PLLC, is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0322.

This course is approved to provide continuing education hours for social workers only.

This course is 4.0 contact hours.

Fee: $150 Special Early Bird price before April 20th! (Use code earlybird); and then price will increase to $200 until May 7th. This course is offered via Zoom or in-person at Tree of Hope Counseling - 2300 East Avenue, Rochester NY 14610.

Registration available until 9:00pm Thursday, 5/7/26.

Refund Policy - partial refund of $180 provided up to 7 days prior to event, no refunds provided within 7 days of event.

For more information about Tree of Hope Counseling go to www.treeofhopecounselingrochester.com

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