Advice for Parents by Doris Smeltzer

How could you ... why did you ...

I received an email last weekend via the IAEDP listserve.  It was from a psychologist I did not know. Her very brief message included a link to an article written by Geneen Roth. I must admit that I ignored it at first glance. Although in the past I'd always been impressed with Ms. Roth's writing this positive impression was replaced with disillusionment ...

Listening harder, again

I’ve been frantically working on creating an 8-week “Family & Friends” Support Group series/curriculum for those impacted by eating disorders. This series will be utilized in a peer led format in areas where support is sparse or nil. The beauty of this tool is that it pulls clips from the many experts I interviewed on my VoiceAmerica radio show, “Savor Yourself…beyond skin deep.” In this way, the DVDs contain voices other than my own and families are given access to information from some of the most well respected professionals in the eating disorder field. Ophelia’s Place (OP) in New York has kindly agreed to pilot the sessions for me. 

Basic needs and deprivation

During National Eating Disorders Awareness week I had the privilege of making presentations for various audiences in New York.  We had over 250 listeners at our evening presentation for SUNY Cortland and many students, health professionals and educators attending our other workshops.  In each of these talks we presented on the relationship of ‘basic need’ deprivation to the consequence of binging.