When I started working with Focus Integrative Centers last year, I knew very little about eating disorders. I already had mental health experience under my belt as well as sales and marketing, so this new position that would require local outreach within the mental health field seemed like a fitting opportunity – but marketing for an eating disorder treatment program?
“I had no idea she was struggling with her body image and weight as much as she was…”
“He told me he wanted to start getting fit for the new sport season, so I just thought he was eating healthier….”
“She had never really been a picky eater and really enjoyed food until 8th grade and then something changed. It was like she was becoming a different kid when it came to food…”
These are all comments that I often hear from parents when their child comes in for their first eating disorder nutrition assessment.
Missy Cohen, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker here at Focus Integrative Centers, brings a unique set of skills to our multi-disciplinary team. She has an impressive professional career that has allowed her to grow and expand her practice into something that both reflects what she is passionate about, as well as serve her clientele in special ways that other professionals in the same field may not always use.
Self-care. It’s quite the buzzword these days. I hear it a lot in the health world and I even find myself using it a lot. I firmly believe in the importance of self-care and believe it should be a part of everyone’s healthy lifestyle, but I think the point of it has gotten a little twisted in our culture. And by a little, I mean a lot.
With the advent of April comes the beauty of spring, a symbol of life, hope, and growth blooming anew. In this time where the world reclaims its vibrancy and vitality, we at Focus want to recognize survivors of sexual assault, and provide resources and support for survivors and loved ones to help reclaim their beauty, too.
March was a very special opportunity to celebrate the women and men in the field of social work as it is National Social Work Month. There are an estimated 642,000 social workers in the United States, and the field spans a wide range of social responsibilities, from clinical diagnosis and treatment to case management, community advocacy, school resourcing, and more.
This week is nationally recognized as eating disorder awareness week (February 25th– March 3rd, 2019). Eating disorders are biologically based mental illnesses that affect an estimated 30 million Americans of all ages, genders, socio-economic status, and ethnicities. Eating disorders are serious and life-threatening, and of all mental health illnesses, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate.
Types of eating disorders include clinical diagnosis: binge eating disorder, bulimia, anorexia, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, as well as sub-clinical diagnosis: diabulimia, orthorexia, body dysmorphia, exercise addiction, and/or other related issues that impact normative food intake, exercise habits, and regulated body image.
