“My worst days in recovery are better then my best days in relapse” -Kate Le Page

“Recovery isn’t linear but it is possible!”

 

Melanie Stephen, MSW

I came to EDIT after a long battle with my eating disorder and a desire to work with others who are struggling with eating disorders. I graduated with my MSW in 2020 and began working as an Inpatient Clinician for adolescents and adults with eating disorders and co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses. As a Certified Eating Disorder Recovery Coach and Certified Eating Disorder Peer Mentor, I come to the field with a strong passion for helping others work on creating a lasting, realistic, and attainable road to recovery.

I have a deep understanding of how challenging recovery can be, having been originally diagnosed with an eating disorder late in my adolescence and not recovery until over two decades later, in my thirties. My lived experience has provided me with the insight of what it’s like to live with an eating disorder, and the need for empathy from supportive family members, friends, and professionals.

Through my professional experiences, I have not only working as an Inpatient Clinician, but I have aided in coordinating support groups for an Intensive Outpatient Program, including Expressive Therapy, DBT, and Relaxation. I have also served as a mentor and support group coordinator on a volunteer basis for those in need of support that have sought professional support but need the additional expertise from someone with lived experience. I am an advocate for the Eating Disorder Coalition because there is a need to change policies affecting those struggling and enhancing available resources and services to provide support for treatment and lasting recovery.

My goal is to help clients work through recovery and to live a life free from eating disorder behaviors, preoccupations with weight, food, and appearance, and embrace their full potential. I believe that eating disorders are multi-faceted and need to be treated with a holistic approach. Self-compassion and intuition are critical to the recovery process, in which individuals learn how to get in touch with their bodies and learn to nourish their mind, body and soul. Over time, individuals fall victim to their “eating disorder voice” and live according to its rules, and through working with me, clients will learn to listen to their “healthy and intuitive voice,” to live an authentic, healthy, and rewarding life.

Simply put, each one of us is already enough, just the way that we are. However, the challenge with eating disorders is that we lose focus on what that means and begin to define ourselves by our disorder. We will work together to reidentify who you are, separate than your eating disorder, and learn how to be comfortable in your own skin.

In working together, we will develop a plan for treatment that is individualized to your needs and works at a pace that is manageable and effective. As we continue to meet, it’s crucial to engage in ongoing communication about what is working and what is not, so as to consistently gear treatment towards what you need for your recovery, based on your individual goals and expectations.


In the words of one of the strongest voices for my own recovery:

“Real hope combined with real action has always pulled me through difficult times. Real hope combined with doing nothing has never pulled me through.”

And..

“Connect with supportive people who empower you. The more you jump into your life, the further away from Ed you can get. Don’t have a backup plan for living. Live today.”

-Jenni Schaefer

I learned that lasting recovery cannot happen without support and the more support that you can provide for yourself, the higher level of success you will have in this journey.


OTHER INFO
  • Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
  • Languages: English
  • Client Ages: 12-60
  • Populations: Adults, Adolescents, Families
  • Session Types: 60 Minute Zoom Meetings
ED & RELATED ISSUES:

Anger, Anxiety, Behavioral Issues, Bipolar Disorder, Coping Skills, Depression, Grief, Expressive Therapy, Family Conflict, OCD, OCPD, Parenting, Relationship Issues, Self-Harm, Stress, Suicidal Ideation, Trauma and PTSD

OTHER ISSUES:

Awesome