Posts Tagged “Ohio”

Tell us about yourself!

Hello! I am Karli Alger and I work as the PHP program dietitian at the Columbus site. I have been working as an eating disorder dietitian for almost five years and have been with The Emily Program for the past year. 

Describe the educational and career path that led you to The Emily Program.

I graduated with my BS from Ohio State University in 2013 and received my RD, LD shortly after. I worked in outpatient settings for my first three years with a focus on general health and nutrition. The more I counseled clients though, I started to see that there was a deeper emotional and psychological component to people’s food choices. I wanted to help, but I needed guidance and training under the supervision of eating disorder clinicians. That led me to apply for a position as a dietitian at the Center for Balanced Living in Columbus, Ohio, where I began my first eating disorder work.

The floors have been filled. A new transformer is on site. Rooms are taking shape, and walls are getting paint.

Renovation is well underway at The Emily Program – Columbus, the location of a new residential program for adolescents opening next year. Currently an outpatient and day treatment site, the Ravines Edge building will soon house adolescent residential programs as well, bringing together a full continuum of care in one convenient spot. In addition to supporting continuity of care for clients transitioning between treatment levels, the location will expand treatment access for the estimated 1,029,001 Ohioans struggling with these illnesses.

This expansion project comes as we continue to witness the deep impact of the pandemic on people with eating disorders. Triggers exacerbated by social isolation, disrupted routines, and intensified stressors and anxiety have contributed to an ever-growing demand for eating disorder services—a need we’re committed to addressing in our local communities.

Tell us about yourself!

Hello! I’m Annie Root, the Site Director at The Emily Program’s Cleveland outpatient location. I started with TEP in 2018 as a program coordinator for the adult DBT program. Additionally, I’ve worked as an outpatient DBT therapist, intake clinician, and clinical manager before becoming the site director in April 2021.

Describe the path that led you to The Emily Program.

In 2013, I graduated with an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from John Carroll University. Following graduation, I spent the summer at Penn State as an academic advisor, and then as an individual and family therapist at a teen crisis shelter for a few years. Seeking a new challenge, I came to work for The Emily Program in the adult DBT program in 2018!

Tell us about yourself!

Hello! My name is Caitlyn Starcher, but everyone calls me Cait. I have been at The Emily Program’s Columbus location for almost three years and have been involved in pretty much every one of our programs at one point. My current position is half outpatient therapist and half intake clinician. Since our location is growing, my position will be changing soon and I will become half outpatient therapist and half outpatient FBT (family-based treatment) therapist. I received my Master of Social Work from The Ohio State University.

We are thrilled to announce that The Emily Program will open a new residential program for adolescents in Columbus, Ohio in early 2022. With this expansion, we will address the lack of residential treatment available to adolescents in the state.

**Content warning: This is one person’s story; everyone will have unique experiences in recovery and beyond. Some stories may mention eating disorder thoughts, behaviors, and symptoms. Please use your discretion when reading and speak with your support system as needed.

By Cathrine Pace-Davis 

I became willing to take a look at my life seriously in 2013 when I found the PHP program at The Center for Balanced Living (now The Emily Program – Columbus). Prior to this, as is the case for many of us, I had already been in and out of the eating disorder recovery realm for many years. I would begin treatment with a zest for life and a willingness to get up every day and actively participate; however, at some point I would start ruminating over my physical body and begin negatively appraising myself. My zeal would fizzle out. Waking up in the morning became grueling, and I would find myself looking for ways to be alone so that I could sneakily go back to engaging in behaviors. And just like that, I’d be sitting in treatment, longing for the day when I could freely engage in behaviors once more. I began to lose heart as the obsession of the mind grew more rampant the more I gave in to it, all the while I sat in group taking notes, participating in activities, and learning how to live life one day without my eating disorder. My time at CBL was not for nothing, though; I had an arsenal of skills and tools at my disposal just waiting to be used.