Eating Disorders: Beyond the Unknown – Episode 2 – Understanding Anorexia

Dr. Beth Shelton is National Director of the National Eating Disorder Collaboration (NEDC), leading a team which works collaboratively with the eating disorder sector to build a safe, consistent and accessible system of care for people experiencing eating disorders and their families/supports. The NEDC synthesizes research evidence, clinical expertise and lived experience in national standards and workforce initiatives to support nationally consistent approaches to prevention, early intervention and treatment. Current priorities are partnering with ANZAED in the development of a credentialing system for eating disorder professionals, and supporting early intervention in primary care. Dr. Shelton is immediate past president of the Australia and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders.

Dr. Shelton is also a clinician – a psychologist with a private practice in Melbourne – working with individuals experiencing eating disorders and their families/supports. For more than a decade she provided complex case consultation, training and service development in Victorian mental health services at the Victorian Centre of Excellence in Eating Disorders. Dr. Shelton developed and led an innovative community early intervention program at Monash Link Community Health Service and was clinical lead of the adult outpatient team of Monash Health’s eating disorder treatment service. Recent projects include leading the implementation of Multi-Family Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa in Victoria, and early intervention projects at the Australian Ballet and the Victorian College of the Arts, UniMelb.

Dr.Shelton has regularly presented papers, plenary presentations and workshops. Body Image treatment is an ongoing focus for this work, as is service development, particularly early intervention initiatives. She has a distinguished professional history in contemporary dance and is interested in the role of movement and embodied experience in evidence-based interventions for disordered eating and body image problems.

Belinda’s professional experience can be best summed up by a passionate commitment to improving health outcomes, either through prevention programs or primary care, and more recently eating disorders treatment. Belinda’s role as CEO of Australian Practice Nurses Association was driven by the goal of improving health outcomes for primary care consumers through access to a better care from a highly qualified nurse in general practice medical centres.

Belinda’s daughter developed Anorexia Nervosa in 2011 and she started to combine her professional expertise with a new found passion for making a difference in eating disorders. Prior to joining EDV, Belinda was working at the Victorian Centre of Excellence in Eating Disorders as a Carer Consultant and Project Manager, developing new strategies and resources for effecting greater and more effective carer inclusion in ED treatment models.

Belinda was a founding board member and Vice-Chair of Eating Disorders Families Australia. Belinda was also Vice-Chair of the global not for profit Families Empowered and Supporting Treatment of Eating Disorders (FEAST).

Belinda’s goals for the future are to continue to be a voice of advocacy and instrument of change in the eating disorders sector in Australia.

Jess was diagnosed with Atypical Anorexia in 2016, at the age of 16.  She underwent intensive treatment with a combination of a three month day program, family supported refeeding and psychological treatment.  She is now 21 years old and in strong recovery, in the final year of completing her BSc majoring in Genomics and Human Biology.  In the future she hopes to work as a genetic counsellor.

Julia was the primary carer for her daughter during her illness and recovery.  She has continued to work in the area of eating disorder peer support and is passionate about the value of the lived-experience voice.  She has recently begun working in a new pilot Carer Coaching Program with Eating Disorders Victoria, assisting carers of newly-diagnosed adolescents in how to get started on the road to recovery.