Meet EDRD Pro Member Jamie “CJ” Dannenberg (she/they)! Jamie’s personal mission is to provide a safer and more inclusive space for people of all sizes, shapes, genders, sexualities, races, religions, abilities, and backgrounds. In particular, Jamie understands the intersection between sexuality, gender identity, gender expression, and eating disorders.

Curious to learn more about Jamie’s work? Connect with her on Facebook at thirdwheelED or Metrowest Nutrition, on Instagram at @thirdwheelED or @mwnutr, and online at www.metrowestnutrition.com/our-team/jamie-dannenberg or www.thirdwheelED.com

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What’s your favorite meal?

Oh! This is such a hard question for me, as I love so many foods and love trying new foods/restaurants. It really depends on my mood, what I have access to, and what I have the energy to cook or not cook! If I could only pick one meal though, it would probably be sushi. Is it my indecisiveness or my intuitiveness? I’ll let you all decide.

What’s saving your life right now?

My cats, sunshine, and starting to see a small glimmer of light at the end of this pandemic tunnel!

Where do you work?

I work at Metrowest Nutrition, a group outpatient private practice outside of the Boston area. Through an anti-oppression lens and by centering lived experience, I support my clients in disengaging from diet culture and lead them into their own innate body wisdom to make food and movement choices that align with their values system, gender, and right to self-determination.

My partner and I co-created thirdwheelED, a social media advocacy platform that strives to increase the visibility of how eating disorders and other mental illnesses disproportionately impact LGBTQIA+ communities as well as raise awareness of nontraditional caregivers who support folks in ED recovery. We offer clinical trainings on how to cultivate affirming eating disorder treatment for LGBTQIA+ communities, and my partner is a copy editor and writer for eating disorder and mental health professionals.

Why eating disorders treatment? What drives you?

I came to eating disorder work by experiencing firsthand the barriers to care, harm, stigma, and impact of eating disorders as I supported and continue to support my partner who is in recovery. It was through entering the mental health system for the first time with my partner that I began this ongoing (un)learning about eating disorders, weight stigma, diet culture, and the systems of oppression that maintain the latter. I am so thankful to be in community with folks who are reimagining the eating disorder field so everyone can truly access equitable and affirming care.

Who are your favorite social media influencers in the non-diet, recovery, body liberation space?

This is a very long list that keeps on growing, but here are a few to get you started:

• @heydrsand
• @resilientfatgoddex
• @allgendernutrition
• @choice.to.recover.mentoring
• @fedupcollective
• @nalgonapositivitypride
• @whitneytrotter.rd
• @encouragingdietitian
• @intersectionalrecovery
• @jessicawilson.msrd
• @chairbreaker
• @yrfatfriend
• @dashaunlh

What books or resources have made a difference in the way you work?

Also a very long list that just keeps on growing 🙂

• The Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor
• Hunger by Roxane Gay
• Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown
• What We Don’t Talk about When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon
• Fearing the Black Body by Dr. Sabrina Strings
• Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

What is one non-diet, Intuitive Eating, and/or Health at Every Size® pearl of wisdom you’d like to share?

We are born fascinated with our bodies and food. We live in a world that is invested in our self-hatred (check out Sonya Renee Taylor’s work for more on the Body-Shame Complex). There is another way of being, and there is a growing community that is ready to support you in finding your way back to being curious without judgment, and perhaps even pleasure around finding a way to be in relationship with food and your body.

What projects, products, or services do you offer that you want to share with our audience?

I offer one-on-one nutrition counseling for folks with eating disorders or disordered eating at Metrowest Nutrition.

Through thirdwheelED, I offer trainings for eating disorder professionals to learn more about creating affirming treatment for LGBTQIA+ communities.

I love collaborating with others who have lived experience and/or professionals to create learning opportunities and eating disorder recovery spaces for and by LGBTQIA+ communities.