REGULATING A DYSREGULATED NERVOUS SYSTEM TO POSITIVELY IMPACT DYSFUNCTIONAL EATING PATTERNS
Do you ever feel stuck with your patients who are struggling with disordered eating or eating disorder behaviors? Have you felt as though you have created countless meal plans, lists of meal/snack options, given them your armory of tools to challenge and reframe their thoughts, but the patients still struggle with being able to break away from their dysfunctional eating behaviors?
Studies have shown that individuals who have experienced trauma are more likely to engage in eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and anorexia nervosa. According to studies, approximately 75 percent of women who have enrolled in residential treatments for their eating disorders admit to experiencing some form of trauma. Trauma is experienced in the body and nervous system which causes dysregulation, distrust, and the inability to feel and interpret sensations, and be attuned to one's needs. Traditional treatment models focus on the patient's behavior without exploring how the individual could be using these behaviors to attempt to self-regulate and feel a sense of safety.
Dietitians are often concerned that trauma is not within their scope of practice. However, RDs who are working with patients with eating disorders are very likely to encounter patients with histories of trauma. Therefore treatment should consider the relationship between trauma and eating disorder behaviors. Unless the two are treated simultaneously, the chances of relapse increase significantly. Dietitians can incorporate a trauma-informed approach by understanding the intersection between trauma and eating disorders and provide patients with a unique set of tools that places the body in the forefront so patients can begin to feel more regulated before, during, and after eating.
Join Erin Gonzalez, MS, RDN, CEDS for a webinar that will teach dietitians a bottom up approach that incorporates mindfulness, body awareness, and somatic therapies when treating patients with eating disorders who have also experienced trauma. Erin will incorporate case studies to help demonstrate the use of a trauma-informed approach and will detail ways dietitians can identify possible trauma by using a trauma-informed assessment and other interventions that help reduce symptoms.
Upon successful completion of this one-hour course, the participant should be able to:
- Understand how one’s nervous system can be expressed through eating disorder symptoms.
- Describe the connection between trauma, eating disorders, and bodily sensations.
- Implement somatic interventions that support embodiment for both the dietitian and patient and enhance effectiveness of current treatment interventions.
- Employ knowledge of somatic practices and use specific tools to improve patient readiness to meet nutrition therapy goals.
Live Event Date:
May 11, 2023
Expiration Date:
May 31, 2024
Performance Indicators/Learning Objectives: 8.3.4, 9.1.3, 9.6.2, 9.6.6
Target Audience: RDs, DTRs, Health Professionals
Total Cost:
1 Site Credit
About the Presenter: Erin Gonzalez, MS,RDN, LD, CEDS
Erin Gonzalez, MS, RDN, LD, CEDS is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Licensed by the State of Minnesota, specializing in dysfunctional eating and prevention and treatment of disordered eating and eating disorders. She is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and Intuitive Eating Counselor. She has also been a licensed facilitator for Am I Hungry® Mindful Eating Programs.
Erin has been an outpatient dietitian since 2007 and started a private practice in 2020 where she focuses on Intuitive Eating Coaching, development of educational material, and professional speaking. She has been an adjunct instructor at Minnesota State University, Mankato since 2012 and has also been an adjunct instructor and subject matter expert, developing curriculum for nutrition related courses at Rasmussen University. She is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as well as International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals(IAEDP) and Eating Disorder Registered Dietitians & Professionals(EDRDPRO). Erin has invested majority of her career on trainings in the area of disordered eating and feels privileged to have taken trainings from Jessica Setnick(Eating Disorders Boot Camp), Barbara Birsinger(Behavior Decoding Method), Michelle May and Kari Anderson(Am I Hungry® Mindful Eating for Binge Eating), Tracy Brown(Somatic Nutrition Coaching), plus many more. Erin has provided presentations to professionals as well as to businesses and schools. She is actively sought out in her community for media opportunities and regularly contributes to newspaper, magazine, radio, and TV interviews.
Erin enjoys helping others to relearn how to be the expert of their own bodies again. She believes there is no one best way to help people heal their relationship with food and body which is why she has focused on gaining experience with various approaches and will continue to seek out further advanced training along with ongoing clinical consultation. Erin believes in the importance of coordinated care and works closely with other counselors and professionals to best support each client’s journey towards recovery.
