Reaching out to the community…
Can you believe it is already February? The year seems to be flying by, and fast approaching is a very important week. The week of February 22 to February 28 is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/p.asp?WebPage_ID=838 . The largest outreach endeavor in the nation, this week is held annually by the National Eating Disorders Association. The goal is to educate the public about Eating Disorders; to offer those suffering easier access to treatment; and to recognize the pressures and behaviors that lead to unhealthy behaviors. As a board member of the Eating Disorder Network of Central Florida (http://www.edncf.com/), Meghan Moran, R.D, Licensed Dietician, and I are chairing local efforts to further the ideals of NEDA. We have organized a program to bring treatment professionals into local schools and colleges to give free presentations about Eating Disorders. During NEDAW, doctors, therapists and dieticians will be meeting with students, faculty, and parents to help educate and enlighten them on this very important topic. If you have any schools in mind that you think could use such a presentation, please let us know. We have several schools already lined up and have many professionals willing to give their time for this worthy cause.
Meghan and I will also be presenting another workshop as part of our “Nourish Your Soul” series. On February 11th, we will be hosting Gentle Eating, an experiential workshop and asking those dealing with anorexia, restricting and/or bulimia to bring their dinner to White Picket Fence Counseling Center, where we will sit outside on the porch, eat dinner together and discuss the practice. The goal is to process what thoughts and feelings come up as we sit down to a meal, in addition to discussing what a healthy meal looks like. Please call us to register if this is something that may be helpful for you!
Also, our next community workshop is fast approaching…join us on February 17th to discuss Healthy Relationships 101. In this hour-long group gathering, we will talk about how to make relationships better and stronger. Wherever you are in this process, you are welcome to attend.
Liz Strong, MA, NCC
Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern