021 - Project EMPOWER-ED: Helping Caregivers Navigate Tough Situations with Confidence

Episode 021

Project EMPOWER-ED: Helping Caregivers Navigate Tough Situations with Confidence

In this episode, Jenni Gaines sits down with four members of the team behind Project EMPOWER-ED — Dr. Ari Kaiser, pediatric psychologist at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago; Dr. Jocelyn Lebow, child and adolescent psychologist at Mayo Clinic; Arielle Smith, clinical psychology PhD student at Northwestern University; and FEAST Executive Director Judy Krasna — to introduce a free online program designed to help caregivers navigate the hard moments of eating disorder recovery with more confidence and skill. Built on a single-session intervention model originally developed for caregivers of children with anxiety disorders, Project EMPOWER-ED addresses one of the most common and painful dynamics in eating disorder recovery: accommodation — the instinct to reduce a child's distress in ways that, despite coming from love, actually feed the illness. In about 20 to 30 minutes, caregivers walk through recognizing their child's avoidance patterns, understanding why even loving accommodation can hold recovery back, and learning concrete language and skills they can reach for right away, with a personalized action plan delivered immediately after. Representing a rare collaboration between researchers, clinicians, and families, Project EMPOWER-ED is available for free on the FEAST website and is now being expanded to serve caregivers at every stage of the eating disorder recovery journey.

00:00 Introduction and Disclaimer

01:00 Guest Introductions: Dr. Ari Kaiser, Dr. Jocelyn Lebow, Arielle Smith, and Judy Krasna

03:30 Where Parents Get Lost: The Disempowerment of Eating Disorders

06:00 The Gap Between Hospital and Home

08:30 Why FEAST Said Yes: What Drew Judy to Project EMPOWER-ED

12:00 What Is a Single-Session Intervention?

19:30 What Accommodation Actually Looks Like Day-to-Day

23:00 Why Accommodation Happens — and Why It Has to Stop

26:30 Project EMPOWER-ED in Action: A Real Mealtime Example

31:00 What Changes When Parents Stop Accommodating

35:00 Who Is Project EMPOWER-ED For?

39:00 What This Program Could Have Changed: Judy's Reflection

44:00 Research Goals and What's Next

SUPPORT & RESOURCES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

FEAST website:

https://feast-ed.org/

FEAST programs and services:

https://feast-ed.org/programs-and-services/

Project EMPOWER-ED:

https://feast-ed.org/project-empower-ed/

Guest Bios:

Dr. Ari Kaiser is a pediatric psychologist on the Inpatient Eating Disorders Service at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and an Assistant Professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Her research and clinical work focus on supporting youth with eating disorders and implementing family-based treatment-informed approaches during hospitalization. Inspired by these experiences, she led the development of Project EMPOWER-ED. She is grateful for the many caregivers, collaborators, and community partners whose expertise, feedback, and shared commitment made Project EMPOWER-ED possible.

Dr. Jocelyn Lebow is a child and adolescent psychologist at the Mayo Clinic. Her clinical practice includes working with young patients with eating disorders and their families in the primary care setting, and her research focuses on adapting evidence-based treatments to be more accessible to a wider range of people. She is a proud member of the FEAST Advisory Board.

Arielle Smith is a clinical psychology PhD student at Northwestern University in the Lab for Scalable Mental Health. Her research focuses on developing and implementing single-session interventions for eating disorders. Her work on Project EMPOWER-ED is influenced by a family member's lived experience with an eating disorder.

Judy Krasna has been involved in the eating disorders space as a parent advocate and an expert by experience for over 15 years. She was an active volunteer in the Academy for Eating Disorders and is a staunch advocate for incorporating lived experience into research and treatment. After serving on the FEAST Board of Directors and taking on multiple volunteer roles within the organization, Judy stepped into the position of FEAST Executive Director in early 2021. Judy is passionate about helping families of people with eating disorders, especially after her daughter Gavriella took her own life after a fierce and prolonged battle with anorexia.