We are thrilled to share that the preliminary findings from our qualitative research study, Key Components of Effective Nutrition Counseling in Eating Disorder Treatment, were presented by Dr. Jodi Galin at the Eating Disorders Research Society (EDRS) meeting in Vienna, Austria, October 22–23!
This presentation marks an exciting milestone in a research journey that began several years ago with a question close to our hearts: What makes nutrition counseling truly effective in supporting eating disorder recovery?
Through in-depth interviews with 21 individuals in recovery, we have had the privilege of listening to their experiences and learning what mattered most in their relationships with their dietitians. Our preliminary findings highlight the importance of therapeutic alliance, preserving agency and autonomy, and integrating the nutritional, biological, and emotional dimensions of care.
Nutrition counseling is about so much more than a meal plan. And we are excited to begin contributing research that helps us better understand why and how these relationships facilitate healing.
Research is challenging under the best of circumstances, but conducting it within the realities of outpatient clinical practice requires an extra measure of persistence, creativity, collaboration, and support. This milestone belongs to a much larger community than our research team alone.
We are especially grateful to MEDA for helping us connect with participants, to the many clinicians who generously supported recruitment through their practices and professional networks, and to IFEDD for the Seeds of Change Award that helped launch this project.
Please click here to view the PDF with the research information.
Most of all, to our research participants: thank you for trusting us with your experiences. Your voices are at the heart of this work and what we hope it will contribute to our field.
And this is just the beginning! We are preparing the first of several papers to emerge from this research and look forward to sharing more of what we are learning with the eating disorder treatment community.
With excitement and heartfelt appreciation,
Meg Salvia, Jodi Galin, Jaimie Winkler, and Lisa Pearl