This webinar was presented on Thursday, April 28, 2022, from 2-3 p.m. ET. 

Individuals struggling with eating disorders and disordered eating are more likely to have a history of trauma. Trauma is experienced in the body and nervous system causing dysregulation, distrust, and the inability to feel and interpret sensations, and be attuned to one’s needs. Traditional treatment models focused on the patient's behavior without considering how the individual could be attempting to self-regulate.

Dietitians are often concerned that trauma is not within their scope of practice. However, RDs may encounter trauma when working with clients with eating disorders, 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 bringing the body to the forefront of treatment.

Join Amy Helms, LISW-CP, MS, CEDS-S, RD, LD, CCTPII, P-SEP, for a webinar that will teach dietitians approaches that integrate mindfulness, body awareness, and somatic therapies when treating patients with eating disorders who have also experienced trauma. Amy will address her own experiences to help demonstrate the use of a trauma-informed approach and she will detail ways RDs can identify possible trauma by using a trauma-informed assessment and other interventions that help reduce symptoms.