Eating Disorder Support Groups
Eating Recovery Center offers free, trained facilitator-led, support groups for those struggling with eating disorders (including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder and other disordered eating issues). ERC also offers some support groups for families and community members. These support groups provide support, resources and education on eating disorder treatment and recovery.
Virtual Eating Disorder Support Groups
Why Join a Support Group
While each recovery journey is unique, finding a network of supportive individuals who can relate to your story can provide valuable information, perspective, and peer guidance, reminding you throughout that you are not alone.
How it Works / How to Join
Eating Recovery Center’s free eating disorder support groups offer peer support facilitated by trained clinicians.
Browse our comprehensive list of weekly support group offerings as well as our time limited support series to find a group that best meets your unique needs. Once you have found the group that best suits you, simply click ‘register’ and follow the registration prompts. You will receive a confirmation with the support group zoom link to the email provided during registration (Pro Tip: this link will remain the same from week to week, so no need to register again!)
Build Your Community
Please note, the size of our group may fluctuate from week to week. Any group that consistently has 20 or more attendees is evaluated by our team to ensure all participants are able to have a positive experience. To reduce overflow of our weekly support groups, we ask that you limit registration to one group at a time (Pro Tip: If you are feeling like you need a little extra support, we suggest looking into our support group series which can offer additional opportunities to connect.)
Support Group Guidelines
To best ensure a safe space for all group members along their mental health journey, our facilitators ask that each attendee abide by the following guidelines.
Confidentiality
- For the privacy of our attendees, we do not allow for observers
- No cell phones or electronic devices in group
- You must be alone and in a private room
- No recording of support group
- Confidentiality - what is said in group stays in group
- Be mindful of what is in your camera view
- Camera must be on during group
Content of Discussion
- Use “I” statements to speak in the first person
- Refrain from discussing specific numbers: weight, clothing size, calories, duration of exercise, etc. or making “good or bad” judgements about foods
Parameters of Care
- Support groups are an adjunct to outpatient care, and do not replace treatment needs
- Support groups are not therapy
- Support groups are peer-led groups
- A trained facilitator for each group
- Groups are for individuals 18+
Support Group Series Information
We are eager to respond as we listen to our community’s needs in eating recovery by providing support group series to address targeted topics to deliver information and provide community. Support group series topics range from body grief to LGBTQ+ in Recovery and can be attended in conjunction with weekly support group offerings.
Upcoming Offerings
Navigating the Holidays with Resilience & Community: Running from November 28 – January 2. The holiday season can be a challenging time for individuals who are struggling with their mental health, including eating disorders, mood disorders, anxiety, and family dynamics. To provide a supportive and understanding space, we have partnered with Nōn Wels, a Say It Brave Member and founder of The Feely Human Collective, to host this virtual support series. This series aims to offer a sense of community, validation, and strategies for individuals navigating the unique stressors of the holiday season.
“That’s Not Normal” Weight Stigma Unlearning Series: Running from January 23 – February 27, That’s Not Normal is a 6-week education and support series that dissects our cultural learning of weight stigma and anti-fat bias. By identifying WHERE and HOW weight stigma and anti-fat bias is learned and reinforced, we can begin to do the work of unlearning concepts that perpetuate harmful narratives that harm the fat community and stigmatize us all. Each session will feature an educational segment from Meredith Nisbet, MS, LMFT, CEDS-S, National Clinical Response Manager and Hannah Sharkey, RDN, LDN, CEDS, Clinical Dietitian Training Specialist as well as personal stories of lived experience from our Say It Brave Collective and Community Partners.
Previous Series Offerings
Parenting in the Here & Now: Beginning May 1st, Series for parents, guardians, and other important individuals in a child’s life provides insight and education on important topics surrounding building a connected parent-child relationship, mental health, and positive body image development.
Body Grief Series: Starting September 19th, this group will give words and validation to feelings we have in times of chronic illness, eating disorders, infertility, menopause, and so much more, as it delivers education about body grief by Jayne Mattingly, and provides community of lived experiences during the supportive breakout sessions each week.
Men’s Support Series: The Men's Monday Eating Recovery Support Group Series was an opportunity for alumni and community members to receive support in a virtual group setting that was open to anyone seeking eating disorder recovery support who also identifies as male.
Support Groups For Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge Eating and OSFED
Weekly on Wednesday
Family & Caregiver Support Group: Child & Adolescent Patients
Virtual
Weekly on Wednesday
Family & Caregiver Support Group: Child & Adolescent Patients
Virtual
We're Listening
Do you have an idea for a support group series? Let us know!
Support Group Suggestion
Support Group Facilitators
Support groups are led by trained facilitators, including members of our Community Outreach Liaisons team.
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Cara Spagnola LinkCara Spagnola
Community Outreach Liaison | Midwest RegionCara has over 10 years of experience working with children and families in a variety of settings. She learned along the way that ...READ MORE -
Katie Bendel Link
Katie Bendel
Community Outreach Liaison | South RegionKatie believes that recovery and mental wellness are created with and supported by community with others, and connection to our ...READ MORE -
Emma Boillotat Link
Emma Boillotat
Alumni & Family Liaison | Mountain RegionEmma believes in the power of community above all else. She believes that healing and recovery can occur and flourish with the ...READ MORE -
Eric Dorsa Link
Eric Dorsa
Eric Dorsa is an LGBTQ advocate, actor, comedian, and drag queen currently living in Chicago, Illinois. As an advocate for the ...READ MORE -
Tatum Carter Link
Tatum Carter
Community Outreach Liaison | West RegionTatum earned her Master’s of Marriage of Family Therapy degree from Northcentral University and believes that it takes a ...READ MORE -
Devon Stephenson Link
Devon Stephenson
Devon is a licensed independent social worker in central Ohio and has been licensed since 2019. He has worked with populations ...READ MORE -
Benjamin Shepherd Link
Benjamin Shepherd
Benjamin F. Shepherd is a PhD student in Clinical Psychology at Nova Southeastern University. As a psychotherapist, he provides ...READ MORE
Award Winning Support
Awarded Healthline's "Best of Online Eating Disorder Support Gropus" for "Best Variety of Groups" in 2021 & 2022.
Sustaining Progress & Recovery Nationwide
All Eating Recovery Center, LLC sponsored educational activities are presented in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you are in need of accommodations please contact [email protected].
Stay Connected with Your Recovery Community
Are you or a loved one on the path to recovery? Our new opt-in form enables you to stay connected with our team and continue to receive support after discharge and throughout your or a loved one's recovery journey. By signing up, you'll receive the latest free resources, including access to support groups, upcoming events, educational materials, and more.
Community & Support In Recovery
We offer many support groups specifically for the alumni of our treatment programs to help provide support and sustained recovery. This allows you to connect with others who have had similar experiences to yours, in a safe, supportive and secure environment. All our support groups are facilitated by our Alumni and Family Liaison team, and trained facilitators and clinicians.
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