Open help menu
Live Webinar

Rooted in Compassion: Harm Reduction in Action

Claire St. John, MPH, RDN, LDN, CEDS-C
Nichole Rollo, PHD, LMFT, CEDS-C
Lisa Arroyas, RDN, CEDS-C
Anna Governale, LMFT, CEDS
|

Information

Date & Time

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

  • Define harm reduction in eating disorder care—and what it is not

  • Identify harm reduction interventions and apply them with ethical and clinical nuance

  • Describe common clinician reactions to harm reduction and outline strategies for managing internal discomfort while maintaining therapeutic boundaries.

  • List ways harm reduction strategies can reduce power struggles and support patient collaboration in outpatient and virtual care settings

Educational Goal

To expand understanding of harm reduction as a clinically sound and values-driven approach to eating disorder care. We aim to equip providers with practical tools, language, and confidence to apply this model thoughtfully across treatment settings.

Description

In the eating disorder treatment field, conversations about harm reduction are often misunderstood, overlooked, or avoided entirely. However, for many clients—particularly those with complex needs, marginalized identities, or treatment fatigue—a rigid all-or-nothing approach can create more harm than healing. This presentation offers a clinically grounded, values-forward exploration of harm reduction as a compassionate, ethical, and effective tool in eating disorder care. Additionally, this presentation will explore what harm reduction looks like in real-world ED treatment—beyond theory and into practice. We’ll examine the model’s core philosophy, clinical application, and impact across levels of care, including inpatient, residential, outpatient, and virtual. Through case examples, provider reflections, and honest dialogue, we’ll challenge common myths and offer guidance for navigating tough decisions while holding onto hope and dignity. Whether you’re a provider, referral partner, or just curious about this approach, this session will offer insight, support, and renewed perspective.

Target Audience

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

Presenters

Claire St. John, MPH, RDN, LDN, CEDS-C
Claire St John MPH RDN CEDS-C, is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and certified eating disorder specialist and consultant whose career has been dedicated to working with patients and clients with eating disorders at all levels of care. She now serves as Director of Operations for Reasons Eating Disorder Center, overseeing the inpatient, residential, PHP and IOP programs while maintaining a private practice. Claire is passionate about providing eating disorder care for traditionally underserved populations and identifying and addressing socioeconomic and cultural barriers to recovery.
Nichole Rollo, PHD, LMFT, CEDS-C
Nichole (Nikki) Rollo is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in NY and CA and holds a Ph.D. in Depth Psychology, with an emphasis in Psychotherapy from Pacifica Graduate Institute. Dr. Rollo is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist-Consultant and has been working with eating disorders for 20 years. She has over 15 years of progressive leadership experience in eating disorder treatment centers and currently serves as the Executive Director of Reasons Eating Disorder Center, a specialty program of BHC Alhambra Hospital. She also has advanced training in Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD’s) and Spiritually-Informed Psychotherapy (SIP) and integrated Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) into her work. Integral to her clinical philosophy is her personal practice of yoga and meditation including completing a Yoga teacher training with an emphasis on trauma-sensitive mind-body movement. Nikki also maintains a private practice in Brooklyn, NY and virtually, specializing in the intersection of reproductive and perinatal mental health with body image and disordered eating, helping her clients find embodiment and self-compassion during their journeys.
Lisa Arroyas, RDN, CEDS-C
Lisa is a certified eating disorder registered dietitian practicing in many areas of dietetics including eating disorders, chemical dependency, diabetes, and PCOS. She graduated from California State University, Long Beach and has extensive experience working with adolescents and adults of all genders with disordered eating. She also has a background as a personal trainer, which allows her to use an approach that meets the unique needs of individuals struggling with poor body image and disordered eating. Lisa’s focus is on nutrition therapy using a non-diet approach, providing nutrition counseling and exercise education. She specializes in working with Compulsive Exercisers, Binge Eating Disorder, and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). Lisa has been working with adolescents and adults with eating disorders for over 10 years in both inpatient and outpatient settings. She is the co-founder of the Reasons Residential Program and served as the Director of Nutrition for a multi-site substance abuse and dual-diagnosis program. She is extremely passionate and dedicated to helping individuals struggling with food and body issues.
Anna Governale, LMFT, CEDS
Anna Governale, LMFT, completed her undergraduate degrees in psychology and religious studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2002. She subsequently began working in the mental health field as a mental health worker at a residential treatment center for eating disorders, where she worked for 5 years, while acquiring her master’s degree in clinical psychology. Anna completed her Master’s Program at Antioch University, Los Angeles. After graduating, Anna began working at a community services agency, serving underprivileged communities in the inner cities of Los Angeles, providing in home services to children, adolescents and families. After gaining experience working with this diverse population for 3 1/2 years, Ms. Governale realized that working with eating disorders was her true calling and something she was genuinely passionate about. Anna began working for Reasons in May of 2011 as a program therapist, and has also served as interim program manager for the partial and intensive outpatient programs, Program Director for Reasons IP, PHP and IOP Programs. She is currently the Program Manager for Reasons Hancock Park Residential Program, and Director of Training for all of the Reasons EDC programs. She has a small private practice in Pasadena. She is DBT and TRM trained, and pulls from a variety of therapeutic modalities in her work with patients/clients to assist them in their journey to wholeness and healing.

Financially Sponsored By

  • Reasons Eating Disorder Center