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In Person
The Victory Program Conference: Beyond the Game: Understanding Eating Disorders in Athletes

From Division 1 Athletes to Clinicians: Integrating Lived Experience and Clinical Expertise in Treating Eating Disorders in Sport

Savannah Landis
Maria Ortiz
Lizzie Briasco
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Pricing

Information

Date & Time

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

  • Differentiate sport-specific performance demands from early eating disorder pathology in athletes, including how to identify warning signs and implement timely, multidisciplinary intervention across care teams.

  • Challenge common assumptions about eating disorders in sport by recognizing diverse symptom presentations beyond restriction and applying individualized, athlete-centered approaches to assessment and recovery.

  • Examine how team culture, coaching dynamics, and competitive environments both influence and are influenced by eating pathology, and identify strategies to promote athlete well-being alongside performance.

Educational Goal

The educational goal of this workshop provides insight into how pathology and presentation shift across the lifespan of the eating disorder as a youth and young adult athlete by addressing common misconceptions, assumptions, and overarching gaps in treatment in approaching care that is appropriately tailored specifically to that sport’s unique need.

Description

This presentation brings together three presenters from three different sports, three professional licenses, and shared lived experience with eating disorders as former Division I athletes. This unique combination of lived experience and clinical specialist expertise provides a nuanced perspective on the early identification, intervention, and implementation of appropriate treatment for athletes with eating disorders.

The presentation will examine how eating disorder pathology and presentation can evolve across the lifespan, with particular attention to youth and young adult athletes. Through discussion of common misconceptions, assumptions, and gaps in treatment, participants will explore how care can be appropriately tailored to the unique demands, culture, and needs of individual sports. Emphasizing that treatment for athletes with eating disorders is not a one-size-fits-all approach, the panel will highlight the variability of clinical presentation, treatment experiences, and recovery needs across athletes and sporting environments. Participants will gain practical insight into providing more individualized, sport-informed care while integrating both clinical expertise and an understanding of the lived experience of athletes.

Target Audience

  • Addiction Professional
  • Counselor
  • Dietitian
  • Marriage & Family Therapist
  • Nutritionist
  • Psychologist
  • Social Worker

Presenters

Savannah Landis
Savannah Landis, PsyD is a licensed clinical and sport psychologist. Dr. Landis graduated with her PsyD from Loyola University Maryland in 2021. Dr. Landis completed her pre-doctoral internship at Lehigh University specializing in sports psychology and completed her post-doctoral residency at McCallum Place Eating Disorder Centers specializing in the treatment of athletes with eating disorders. Dr. Landis also has extensive training in psychological assessments including IQ & achievement tests, ADHD/Autism evaluations, and mood/personality assessments. Dr. Landis was also a competitive swimmer for ten years and coached age-group swimming for three years. Dr. Landis continues to have a love for sport and movement as she engages in recreational running, group fitness classes, and family walks outside.
Maria Ortiz
Maria Ortiz, M.S, LMHC, CEDS Maria Ortiz, MS, LMHC, CEDS, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Certified Eating Disorder Specialist, and co-founder of BreakFree Therapy Services, where she leads a multidisciplinary team specializing in the treatment of eating disorders and related mental health concerns. She is a published author, researcher, and national speaker specializing in eating disorders, body image, and athlete mental health. Her therapeutic approach is integrative, evidence-based, and rooted in Health at Every Size principles, emphasizing authenticity and individualized care. Maria is the author of the Finding Freedom book series and has published in the Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy Bulletin. She regularly presents conference lectures, educational trainings, and workshops for clinicians, healthcare professionals, athletic organizations, and community groups across the country. Beyond the therapy room, she has served as a keynote speaker and co-hosts the On the Mic with ED podcast, where she helps translate evidence-based eating disorder care into accessible conversations for professionals, individuals in recovery, and their loved ones.
Lizzie Briasco
Lizzie Briasco, MSc, RD, CSSD, LDN, is a sports and eating disorder dietitian who works with people of all backgrounds to make their relationship with food, movement, and body align with who they want to be and the life they want to live. She completed her dietetic internship through the Emily Program in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2016 and subsequently worked with TEP for about a year before pursuing her Masters in sports & exercise nutrition at Loughborough University in the UK. While she was completing her thesis, she got matched to Purdue University through the Gatorade SNIP program where she functioned as a full-time sports dietitian for football, cross country, and tennis, for a year. After that program ended, she moved to NC where she worked as an IOP/OP eating disorder dietitian for 3 years before opening her own practice, Transition Nutrition.