Board Certified Psychiatrist and Eating Disorders Specialist Brad Zehring

Brad Zehring, D.O.

Board Certified Psychiatrist and Eating Disorders Specialist

Founder of Zehring Clinic

www.zehringclinic.com

What is your current position?

I have a couple positions right now. I only see patients with eating disorders and I see them in the outpatient setting through my private practice and I see them in residential (RTC) , partial hospitalization (PHP), and intensive outpatient (IOP) at Alsana: An Eating Recovery Community. My private practice has patients from a mixture of states. I am currently licensed in 20 different states and work closely with therapist, dietitians, and primary care physicians of the patients we share. I provide expert psychiatric care for patients with eating disorders and I value working as a team in the outpatient arena. At Alsana, I see patients in Santa Barbara, California at the RTC/PHP/IOP levels of care and see people nationally through our virtual IOP/PHP programs. Additionally, I am the National Director of Psychiatry for Alsana where I am responsible for shaping the psychiatric culture within Alsana across all sites.

How did you get started in your career?

I always knew I wanted to be a physician, but I didn’t ever think I would be a psychiatrist. I just didn’t know enough about it. Through some personal experiences Psychiatry, and of course eating disorders, was where my passion was from the start. Through psychiatry residency I began to learn everything I could about eating disorders. I was fortunate to link up with some very experienced and knowledgeable people in the field who have been very gracious to mentor me and root me on.

What advice would you give to someone new to the field?

In my opinion, there is not any patient population more rewarding than taking care of patients with eating disorders. They are intelligent, driven, funny, quick witted, goal oriented, resilient, courageous. They are also hurting, confused, lost to their purpose or identity at times, and looking for support, understanding, and looking for those that will walk the journey with them. My advice is to be humble. These patients will teach you so much if you listen to them – if you are willing to admit you don’t have it all figured out. Along those same lines, ask questions and seek out seasoned clinicians in the field. Our learning should never be done. There is so much more to learn about eating disorders and the best treatment for them. We owe it to the field of eating disorders, and the patients, to knock down every door until we can provide optimal, effective treatment for every person.

Private Practice RD Jean Sullivan

What is your current position?

Owner of Vitalfood Therapy LLC, Nutrition Therapy Eating disorder treatment specializing in functional nutrition & experiential and somatic sessions for full recovery

How did you get started in your career?

Graduate of Baylor University, Waco TX followed by Dietetic internship Cook County Hospital Chicago with graduate studies at Univ of Illinois Chicago. My career began 29 years ago in hospital clinical nutrition. I worked in the specialties of cardiac ICU, Neonatal and Pediatric ICU, oncology, transplant and general medical. Promotion to clinical & food service management positions kept me busy and grew to love the business aspects of RD life! My own hospitalization & recovery from anorexia at a young age was something people didn’t talk about in the mid 1980’s and 90’s, so I kept my head down and worked in general clinical nutrition & management, but I knew I had a calling to support others struggling with disordered eating. I didn’t know how that would happen until one day a woman turned to me abruptly in the hospital elevator at work and said, ” I think you are supposed to help people with eating disorders!” And so the sacred journey began, working & training in several treatment centers in the DFW area and then establishing my private practice in 2003. It’s been quite a ride and grateful for every second of it!!

What advice would you give to someone new to the field?

Stay open to each clinical experience as a teaching moment to learn more about yourself and others. As a young RD, I often found the daily staff hospital routine so mundane and I couldn’t wait to “clock out” and stop going through the motions of bedside assessments and writing orders that were often ignored. But now I cherish every memory of encouraging patients in their suffering and how much I learned about the human body, Spirit, and medical conditions at the acute level. This builds a foundation of clinical confidence in outpatient care that no certification or class can provide. In private practice and business, the sky is the limit, if you see a need then there is a good chance the universe has picked you to fill it!! Connect with mentors in the field, attend all the CE events you can, get certification in the areas of your passion, and network, get rooted &build bridges with other providers.

 

Jean Sullivan RDN, LD

https://www.vitalfoodtherapy.com/

Eating disorder specialist

Member iaedp.com/dfw-chapter

Certified holistic cannabis practitioner

Equine and nature led meal support in recovery

Psychologist and Licensed Dietitian Claire El-Jor

What is your current position?

I currently work as a licensed dietitian and eating disorder recovery coach in my private practice. I also am a part-time lecturer of Nutrition at the Lebanese American University

How did you get started in your career?

I originally started out learning about eating disorders during my university years where I was studying for a BS in Nutrition and Dietetics with a minor in Psychology. What seemed like overnight, I decided to switch my minor to a second major and ended up continuing my graduate studies in Eating Disorders and Clinical Nutrition at UCL in London. I feel like my whole college experience was the beginning of my career in the field. However, when I returned to Lebanon to start my private practice, I was really thrown in the deep end since the demand there for healthcare professionals versed in ED was and still is very high!

What advice would you give to someone new to the field?

Imposter Syndrome is very real. It is always good to balance that out with reminding yourself what you know and what you don’t while making sure to stick within your scope of practice. One of the things that has helped me the most is attending webinars, reading books, and just getting my hands on any ED-related material I can. This field is challenging and yet so rewarding. Always keep in mind the nature of eating disorders … progress in recovery usually has nothing to do with you as a clinician. Sometimes it’s good to remind yourself of that!

Learn more about Claire

Website: www.claire-eljor.com

Research Profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Claire_El-Jor

IG @claireeljordietitian

Workshops: Yearly lecture and workshop given to interns and dietetic students at the Lebanese American University on the role of the dietitian in the treatment of eating disorders.

Outreach Specialist, Center for Change Eating Disorder Programs Krista Lample

What is your current Position?

I am an Outreach Specialist at Center for Change Eating Disorder Programs. We are a full service treatment center providing evidence-based treatment for individuals seeking recovery from an eating disorder.

How did you get started in your career?

I didn’t even know this was a career path 21 years ago when I was job hunting. I was a middle/high school teacher who had moved to Arizona and was naively looking for a teaching position in late August (when school had already started). I wasn’t yet AZ state licensed but was licensed in another state. I found a job posting for a teacher at a treatment center and applied. I had no idea it was an eating disorder program. I was hired and entered through a door that changed my life. I worked for 7 years in an inpatient setting, met my husband and best friends, and then gradually was asked to speak in settings with educators and attend some education conferences. Eventually I moved into a marketing/outreach role and began exhibiting at conferences, traveling around the country meeting eating disorder professionals and acting as a liaison when their clients were in treatment. Being of service in the eating disorder world is an honor and a true calling for me. As someone who has recovered from an eating disorder, I consider it a privilege to do this work.

What advice would you give someone new to the field?

Be a student. Learn as much as you can. No one expects you to be an expert especially when you’re starting out. Look at your role as relationship building. No one in this field appreciates a sales pitch or aggressive tactics. Also, be respectful of other programs and reps. Understand that people get help in a lot of different ways and in different settings, and work to establish relationships with others who do your same job. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to treatment and sometimes the best referral is to a program other than the one you represent. People will trust and respect you if you make appropriate and well thought out referrals.

 

Clinical Psychologist Haica Rosenfeld

Haica Rosenfeld, PsyD, CEDS-S, is a bilingual Licensed Clinical Psychologist in Vermont, Florida, and Venezuela, a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist and Approved Supervisor by IAEDP. She has been working since 2008 in the field of eating disorders and is dedicated to helping clients heal their relationship with food, exercise, and their bodies.

What is your current position? 

I am a Clinical Psychologist and work for myself in private practice. I specialize in helping people struggling with an eating disorders, disordered eating, chronic dieting and body shame, and my work is informed by Health At Every Size® and Intuitive Eating principles. I am passionate about advocating for compassionate and weight-inclusive efforts toward improving health care access and reducing weight stigma. I offer individual and group therapy, educational workshops, as well as supervision and consultation for helping professionals in both English and Spanish. I am also the founder of @somohaes and @saludsintallas, both Spanish speaking Instagram accounts that are free of any diet or weight loss messages, combat fat-phobia and weight stigma, and dismantle diet culture’s messages, while offering community and support.

How did you get started in your career? 

My interest in the treatment of Eating Disorders started as a pre-doctoral intern in college counseling and was followed by a post-doctoral residency as a primary therapists at a Residential Treatment Facility for women struggling with Eating Disorders. I provided individual, family and group therapies; was a member of a multi-disciplinary treatment team; provided supervision to doctoral students; and worked closely with the Utilization Review and Aftercare departments in coordinating level of care changes and overall case management of individual patient care. Working at a residential treatment facility was an amazing and challenging learning experience, but I felt like something was missing. After some years in private practice, being part of the board a local IAEDP chapter, and seeking supervision from other professionals I looked up to, I realized that what I was missing was the Health at Every Size® approach. I went on to work for a retreat center for women and was the primary therapist of a Binge Eating Disorder clinic with a HAES length. About 2 years ago I decided to work for myself again and love it. I have also dedicated part of my work to educating and promoting a HEAS approach in Spanish speaking communities and countries, supporting those who have been harmed by diet culture and educating professionals who want to provide weight- inclusive care to their clients. 

What advice would you give to someone new to the field? 

First, this work can be taxing, especially as we are constantly unpacking and unlearning our own weight stigma. Learning and practicing self-compassion will be crucial if you want to take care of yourself and contribute to this field. Second, build yourself up in community, both personally and professionally. This work can often feel like you are always going against the grain and when you are part of a community of peers that share your values, you realize you don’t have to do this work alone. And third, seek out clinical supervision. Even when it is not required to practice, clinical supervision is an important and necessary way to reflect, unlearn, learn, grow, specialize, and thrive.

If you want to learn more about me and my offerings you can visit my website at www.haicarosenfeld.com, connect with me on social media @drhaicarosenfeld (Instagram & Facebook), and if you speak Spanish visit @saludsintallas on Instagram.

Website: https://www.haicarosenfeld.com/

Instagram: @drhaicarosenfeld / @saludsintallas & @somoshaes in Spanish

Facebook: @drhaicarosenfeld Haica Rosenfeld, Psy.D. LLC

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haica-rosenfeld-psyd-ceds-s/

Virtual Private Practice RD Marie Elena Bitar

Founder & Owner, Beyond Food Rules, LLC

What is your current position?

I am the Founder and Owner of Beyond Food Rules, LLC, a first-gen immigrant, woman-owned virtual private practice focused on helping folks with disordered eating heal their relationship with food and their bodies. I am a non-diet, weight-inclusive RD who practices through principles of Intuitive Eating, Health at Every Size(R), Self-Compassion, Mindfulness, and Motivational Interviewing.

How did you get started in your career?

Growing up in a Lebanese household, food held such a special place in my heart that I decided to major in it. After completing a Bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Sciences, I moved to the US to pursue a master’s degree in Public Health and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. In grad school, I was fortunate enough to take classes purely focused on Eating Disorders and Weight Bias. These courses shaped my career path and the type of practitioner I would become. Post-grad school, I continued to pursue opportunities in the field of eating disorder treatment and disordered eating. Finally, a few years later, I decided to combine my passion for public health and social justice with nutrition and start my own inclusive private practice.

What advice would you give to someone new to the field?

My best advice to someone new in the field is to always be open to listening and learning. No matter how many years of education you’ve accumulated, it’s always important to prioritize your patient’s lived experience over your own textbook knowledge. Build a supportive circle of peers around you who share your same core values and beliefs. This work can be draining and isolating. It’s important to take care of yourself, set boundaries and talk to someone who understands what you’re struggling with when the going gets tough. Remember, you can’t pour from an empty cup. Trust your gut, be your own person, challenge the status quo and go on and change the world. You can do it!

 

Find more about Marie below

Instagram: @beyondfoodrules

Tik tok: @beyondfoodrules

Website: https://www.beyondfoodrules.com

I constantly run free workshops that I market on my instagram and my website includes some free guidebooks as well.

Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOTki4YlvC3_JNppSfvEIng

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondfoodrules/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondfoodrules?_d=d2baj12cjffibl&language=en&sec_uid=MS4wLjABAAAAQ4x3359u5gDKycIION1yMA5rkF03McToDSeNu4TomlR4eaqNfvU0XYenF3ecNqow&share_author_id=6607226037410873350&u_code=d2bag143gckb6l&utm_campaign=client_share&utm_medium=ios&user_id=6607226037410873350&tt_from=copy&utm_source=copy&source=h5_m