Judith Matz, LCSW, ACSW, is co-author of The Making Peace with Food Card Deck, The Body Positivity Card Deck, and two books on the topics of eating and weight struggles. Beyond a Shadow of a Diet: The Comprehensive Guide to Treating Binge Eating Disorder, Compulsive Eating, and Emotional Overeating, has been called "the new bible" on this topic for professionals. The Diet Survivor's Handbook: 60 Lessons in Eating, Acceptance and Self-Care was a #1 bestseller on Amazon and a favorite resource for therapists to use with clients. She is also the author of Amanda's Big Dream, a children's book that helps kids to pursue their dreams — at any size! Judith has a private practice in Skokie, IL where she focuses her work with clients who want to get off the diet/binge rollercoaster and learn to feel at home in their bodies. Through her individual counselling, groups, workshops, presentations, and books, Judith has helped thousands of people to develop self-care skills that increase physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being without a focus on the pursuit of weight loss. Through educational programs, she is dedicated to helping people end the preoccupation with food and weight. Judith received her MSW at the University of Michigan and earned her post-graduate certificate at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago, where she trained in the treatment of eating disorders. Judith is a frequent contributor to the Psychotherapy Networker magazine and a popular speaker at national conferences. Descriptions of her work have appeared in the media including the New York Times, LA Times, Allure, Fitness, Self, Shape, Today's Dietitian, Diabetes Self-Management, NBC News Chicago, Huffington Post Live, and she appears in the documentary America The Beautiful 2.
Diana Hill, PhD, is a highly regarded clinical psychologist and co-author of ACT Daily Journal: Get Unstuck and Live Fully with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and upcoming Self-Compassion Daily Journal. She provides therapy, supervision, corporate coaching, and online trainings in ACT, an approach she has been practising for over a decade. Dr. Hill is the founder of the popular Your Life in Process podcast and has interviewed over a hundred experts in evidence-based and integrative approaches to living well. She has a knack for unpacking complex, science-based concepts and making them applicable to clinical practice and daily life. Dr. Hill completed her undergraduate work at UC Santa Barbara, majoring in biopsychology, followed by a PhD in clinical psychology at CU Boulder where she collaborated with Stanford University to research mindfulness and acceptance-based approaches for eating disorders. Dr. Hill completed her pre-doctoral internship in the eating disorder of La Luna Center, where she helped develop an ACT-based group program. Dr. Hill's work with eating and body image concerns integrates values clarification, acceptance, and committed action toward meaningful goals. Through all her teachings, she encourages clients to build psychological flexibility so that they can live more fulfilling lives. Dr. Hill practices what she preaches as a mom of two, bee guardian, and yoga teacher.
Ann Saffi Biasetti, PhD, LCSWR, CEDS, CIAYT, has been a practising Psychotherapist for over 30 years. She specializes in somatic psychotherapy and is an eating disorder specialist. She has a PhD in transpersonal psychology and is licensed as a clinical social worker. She is a certified mindfulness teacher, Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) Teacher, and Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT). She is an author, speaker, and teacher of self-compassion and somatic interventions in eating disorder recovery, embodiment, women's empowerment, and body image. She teaches in the Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy (SCIP) program, where she shares her expertise in somatic self-compassionate interventions for ED recovery. She is the originator of the Befriending Your Body 8-Week Somatic Self-Compassion program of recovery. She has led well received retreats at Kripalu, Shambhala Mountain Center, and has led training workshops for professionals through PESI and through her Befriending Your Body (BFYB) certification program for eating disorder recovery. Her first book, Befriending Your Body: A Self-Compassionate Approach to Freeing Yourself from Disordered Eating, was released through Shambhala publications in August 2018 and her most recent publication, The Awakening Self-Compassion Card Deck: 52 Practices for Self-Care, Healing and Growth, released through Shambhala Publications in December 2021.
Amy Pershing, LMSW, ACSW, CCTP-II, is the Founder of Bodywise, the first binge eating disorder (BED)-specific treatment program in the United States, founded in 1995. She is the Director of Pershing Consulting, which offers training to clinicians treating BED around the world. Amy is also the creator of "Hungerwise™," a 9-week program for ending chronic dieting and weight cycling using the Attuned Eating and Movement approach, offered nationally online. Based on over 30 years of clinical experience, Amy has pioneered a treatment approach for BED that is strengths-based, incorporating Internal Family Systems, somatic trauma techniques, Attuned Eating and Movement, and a Health at Every Size® philosophy. Amy lectures internationally and writes extensively on the treatment of BED and her own recovery journey for both professional and lay communities. She has been featured on radio, podcast, and television speaking about BED treatment and recovery, relapse prevention, weight stigma, and attuned eating and movement. She is a founding member and Past Chair of the Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA) and is the winner of BEDA's Pioneer in Clinical Advocacy award. She is the author of the book Binge Eating Disorder: The Journey to Recovery and Beyond as well as many articles and chapters about BED treatment and advocacy.
Lori Kucharski, PhD, LMFT-S, LPC, CEDS-S, is a licensed therapist practising since 2004 in residential treatment facilities, crisis and outpatient mental health, and private practice. She owns and operates a training, consulting, supervision, and clinical practice. She is a Certified EMDR Therapist, Approved Consultant, and Training/Credit Provider, as well as an AAMFT-Approved Supervisor, a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist/Supervisor, and the EMDR regional network coordinator for Colorado Springs, CO. She taught MFT and counselling courses in graduate programs and specializes in complex trauma, attachment, disordered eating, dissociation, and body image with all ages from a systems perspective. She presents locally and nationally on these topics and advocates for ending social and cultural stigma and discrimination around body size, ability, and appearance.
Marcella Raimondo, PhD, MPH, is a passionate and spirited clinical trainer speaking from her heart on social justice and eating disorders since 1995. Dr. Raimondo is a psychologist in Kaiser Permanente's eating disorder clinic in Oakland and runs a private practice. In 1997, Dr. Raimondo worked with About-Face, a nonprofit organization that addresses media impact on body image, serving as the Director of Media Literacy until 2005. Today she is on the About-Face Board of Founders and a consultant. Dr. Raimondo is on the Advisory Board for the Association of Size Health and Diversity (ASDAH), on the Advisory Board of Eating Disorder Recovery Support (ERDS) as Past President, and serves as Co-Chair of the Academy of Eating Disorders Diversity Equity and Inclusion committee. Dr. Raimondo recovered from anorexia nervosa over 20 years ago. Her recovery and her martial arts training inspire her dedication to multicultural body nurturance and community celebration.
Lisa Erlanger, MD, is a board-certified family physician whose practice focuses on primary care of larger-bodied individuals, and medical care of eating disorders and mental health concerns. As a Clinical Professor of Family Medicine, she teaches courses including patient-centered care and communication, and ecology of health and medicine. She speaks nationally about weight stigma, weight-inclusive primary care, and eating disorders. Dr. Erlanger is a Certified Body Trust® Provider through Be Nourished in Portland, OR. She believes all people deserve trauma-informed, gender-affirming, weight-inclusive health care.
Aaron Flores, RDN, is a registered dietitian nutritionist with over 10 years of experience working with eating disorders in a variety of settings. A large part of Aaron's career was spent working at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System where he helped develop and launch one of the first Binge Eating Disorder programs to help Veterans struggling with the disorder. Since leaving the VA, Aaron has continued to work in the eating disorder community helping run groups and providing individual counselling to adolescents and adults. He currently has a private practice in Calabasas, CA. He is a Certified Body Trust® provider, and his main areas of focus are Intuitive Eating and Health at Every Size®. In his work, Aaron helps individuals learn how to make peace with food and develop body-positive behaviors. His work has been featured during Weight Stigma Awareness Week, in blogs for the National Eating Disorder Information Centre and National Eating Disorder Association, and in presentations at the Binge Eating Disorder Awareness Annual Conference, the International Conference on Eating Disorders, and the Association for Size Diversity and Health Conference. Along with his work with eating disorders, he also is a co-host of the podcast, Dietitians Unplugged.
