Eating Disorder Education

DBT Plus: A Training for Eating Disorder Dietitians

20 CE Credits approved by CDR for dietitians

Learn more about Dialectical Behavior Therapy tailored for eating disorder treatment. This course comprehensively covers key DBT Skills that can be implemented in the nutrition counseling setting along with 6 new modules on individualizing DBT for clients to reduce harm.

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Welcome to our DBT Plus course, designed to empower dietitians with specialized skills in applying DBT through a social justice lens.

Navigate through self-paced, comprehensive modules on Teachable, enriched with optional live study groups.

This course is accessible through October 2026.

Are your clients grappling with eating disorders, and you wish to enhance your therapeutic techniques?

Seeing your clients struggle with eating disorders can be tough. You want to help, to connect, to make a real difference. That’s where our DBT Plus course comes in.

It’s tailored just for you—the caring professional who strives to enhance their therapeutic skills. This course equips you with powerful, effective strategies that not only support your clients’ recovery but also empower them on their journey towards healing.

Join us, and let’s make a lasting impact together.

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DBT COURSE

Here’s what to expect:

Connection: Explore the profound impact of DBT on eating disorder therapy.

This course arms you with deep insights and techniques to effectively navigate and intervene in the complexities of eating disorders, enhancing both your practice and client outcomes.

Evidence-Based Learning: Immerse yourself in a curriculum that integrates DBT with cutting-edge research and clinical wisdom.

Learn from seasoned experts who bring a wealth of experience, ensuring you remain at the leading edge of therapeutic practices.

DBT COURSE

Course highlights

  • Complete this course fully online when it’s convenient for you!
  • 20 CE credits for dietitians
  • Engage in case studies and real-world applications with some of the field’s leading experts

What You’ll Gain From this Course

Advanced Emotion Regulation Techniques

Master advanced strategies in emotion regulation that DBT offers, tailored to assist clients in managing intense emotions associated with eating disorders.

Enhanced Therapeutic Communication Skills

Develop your communication skills to better engage clients, building a therapeutic relationship based on trust and effectiveness.

Strategic Problem-Solving Methods

Learn to implement strategic problem-solving methods that DBT advocates to help clients tackle challenges during their recovery process.

What you will learn

When you complete this program this is what you can expect to achieve

Introduction to DBT and its relevance to eating disorders

Gain foundational knowledge of DBT and its critical application in eating disorder treatment.

Skills Training and Practical Application

Learn the core DBT skills and how to implement them effectively with clients.

Integrating Social Justice in Therapy

Understand how to apply a social justice framework within your therapeutic practice to address diverse client needs.

Strategies for Complex Cases

Develop strategies for handling complex and challenging cases in eating disorder treatment.

Enhancing Client Engagement and Recovery

Learn techniques to improve client engagement and support long-term recovery.

Professional Development and Ethical Considerations

Explore the ethical considerations in applying DBT and continuing professional development.

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Transform your therapeutic approach with our comprehensive DBT Plus course.

Whether you’re a seasoned dietitian or new to the field, this course offers deep insights into integrating DBT with a focus on equitable care practices.

Meet the Course Speakers

Stefanie Boone, MS, RD, CEDRD-S (she/her)

Stefanie Boone, MS, RD, CEDRD-S (she/her)

Stefanie Boone, MS, RD, CEDRD-S (she/her) is a nutrition therapist for adults and adolescents of all genders. She has worked with clients in her Private Practice in Santa Monica individually and in groups for the past 20 years, using a combination of philosophies centering around Intuitive Eating, HAES, DBT, and RO-DBT to help clients heal their relationship with food, exercise, and body image.

Stefanie also has an added specialization in treating eating disorders in those with co-occurring mood disorders and addictions. She has held positions as Lead Dietitian at several treatment centers for Eating Disorders, Dual Diagnosis, and Addictions.

Stefanie received her undergraduate education in dietetics and Masters of Science Degree in Nutrition from California State University, Northridge. She has spoken at numerous professional events, conferences, and panels on nutrition therapy for eating disorders in past years. Stefanie is one of the contributing authors of Real World Recovery: Intuitive Food Program Curriculum for the Treatment of Eating Disorders, and she has written articles for Today’s Dietitian, The Behavioral Nutrition newsletter, and the Huffington Post. She lives in Santa Monica, CA, with her husband and 16-year-old son, and has a cat named Bagel.

Dr. Nicole Riddle, Psy.D (she/her)

Dr. Nicole Riddle, Psy.D (she/her)

Dr. Nicole Riddle received her Psy.D. in clinical psychology from PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium in Palo Alto, California. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship in Behavioral Medicine at Harbor UCLA Medical Center.

During her fellowship, she provided individual therapy, inpatient and outpatient medical consultation, brief neuropsychological assessment in the inpatient medical setting, supervised doctoral candidate students, and co-facilitated a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) course for the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health clinicians.

She trained in evidence-based therapies, including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), CBT, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), as applied to working with patients diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, post-partum depression, chronic pelvic pain, and eating disorders in both outpatient and inpatient medical settings.

Dr. Riddle received additional training in CBT, as well as individual and group DBT therapy, at the Palo Alto Veteran’s Administration. She participated as a clinician on the Marin County Mental Health DBT clinical team, provided DBT-informed treatment as a pre-doctoral intern at Boston Medical Center’s forensic inpatient psychiatric hospital, and participated as a clinician in the DBT for Binge Eating Disorder study at Stanford University Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic.

She is trained as a National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder (NEA-BPD) Family Connections leader.

Dr. Riddle is bilingual in Spanish and English and is a current member of the American Psychological Association.

At Clearview, Dr. Riddle is the clinical director of the Women’s Center. She coordinates care for the program, engages in ongoing training of the clinical team and program aides, facilitates DBT skills groups, and provides individual therapy using DBT. Dr. Riddle also runs an ongoing DBT skills course for families of clients at Clearview Women’s Center.

Tammy Baghdassarian (she/her)

Tammy Baghdassarian (she/her)

Tammy Baghdassarian is the Executive Director and co-founder of Keystone Treatment in Los Angeles. Keystone specializes in treating eating disorders, disordered eating, and mental health utilizing an intuitive eating philosophy and evidence-based approaches, including dialectical behavioral therapy. Keystone is recognized for being a highly individualized program that can work with clients to stop the cycle of going in and out of treatment.

Tammy obtained her degree from Vanguard University. She has been comprehensively trained in DBT by Dr. Charles Swenson and Dr. Alan Fruzetti. Prior to opening Keystone Treatment, Tammy had worked in the eating disorder and mental health field for the last 12 years. She was Operations Director and Special Projects Coordinator at The Bella Vita; developing and licensing residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient programs as well as coordinating website design, content management, and events. After leaving The Bella Vita in 2013, she went on to consult at multiple programs in the area working on program development and licensing. It was during that time she realized that if there was going to be change brought to the eating disorder field, a new approach and program was necessary.

She has also worked at Clearview Treatment where she developed their managed care program and assisted in developing the program and curriculum. Tammy trained clinicians and staff on working with insurance companies, utilization review, and developed protocols for ensuring clients were at the lowest level of care possible. She also led the charge for getting Joint Commission accreditation prior to leaving and beginning Keystone Treatment. Tammy is a board member of IAEDP Los Angeles and is passionate about creating safe spaces for people in all bodies.

Stacie Fanelli, LCSW (she/her)

Stacie Fanelli, LCSW (she/her)

Stacie Fanelli, LCSW is a therapist with Revolutionary Eating Disorder Psychotherapy and Consultation in California. She practices with an anti-oppressive lens and weaves lived experience as an AuDHDer into an interpersonal approach to supporting fellow neurodivergent folks struggling with their relationship with food and body. 

Stacie has experience working at all levels of care and shares her perspectives on the intersection of autism, ADHD, and eating disorders as well as implications for treatment on her Instagram, @edadhd_therapist. She is also part of a group that facilitates Liberation Lunch, a biweekly Instagram Live meal support session open to all, and she leads a free monthly eating disorder peer support group for autistic and ADHD adults.

Jennifer Bieler, LMFT

Jennifer Bieler, LMFT

Jennifer Bieler is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She earned her Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Southern California (USC) and her Bachelor of Science in Psychology with Honors from St. Mary’s College of California.

Jennifer is a proud queer therapist working closely with the LGBTQ+ community and Transgender and Nonbinary folx. In addition, she is a neurodiversity-affirming therapist. Her specialties include but are not limited to: trauma, addictions, relationships, eating disorders and personality disorders. She is trained in a variety of trauma therapies, including Attachment-Focused (AF) EMDR, somatic therapy (Trauma Resilience Model, TRM), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT), and Post-Induction Therapy (PIT), formally trained by the Meadows Treatment Center. Lastly, Jennifer is specifically trained in Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP).

Jennifer worked at the renowned Los Angeles LGBT Center and other treatment centers focused on trauma, drug addiction, eating disorders and love & sex issues. She received specific training in “problematic sexual behaviors” from the Society for the Advancement for Sexual Health (SASH), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Jennifer has extensive experience practicing both adherent DBT as well as DBT-informed individual and skills groups at different treatment centers.

Jennifer is an eclectic psychotherapist, integrating complementary therapies and techniques to offer a highly personalized approach to each client. She works through the lens of attachment theory and mindfulness to help each person attain personal growth they are committed to accomplishing. She fearlessly and passionately supports and empowers her clients to reach their full potential and heal.

Topics covered in this 9-part course

MODULE 1:

Weaving in DBT for Dietitians by Stefanie Boone

Description:

  • The importance of using DBT skills thoughtfully to reduce harm to those with marginalized identities
  • Acknowledge how clinician bias and unexplored privilege can warp DBT delivery and impact the effectiveness of the intervention
  • Acceptance and Change Dialectic through the lens of oppression and intersectionality
  • Issues with Implicit bias in the Dietitian/Nutrition profession

After completing Module 1, attendees will be able to:

  1. Define what affirming care means.
  2. Describe the inherent strengths and weaknesses of DBT in addressing implicit bias.
  3. Name an important type of pervasive invalidation that was not adequately addressed in the biosocial model of emotion dysregulation.

MODULE 2:

Emerging Ideas: Antiracism and Gender Affirming DBT for Eating Disorders by Nicole Riddle and Stefanie Boone

Description: 

  • Biosocial Model and Traumatic Invalidation
  • Antiracist protocols in DBT
  • Current research on LGBTQ-affirming DBT
  • Using these concepts to reduce harm caused by anti-fat bias in eating disorder and DBT treatment

After completing Module 2, attendees will be able to:

  1. List 2 examples of environmental invalidation.
  2. Describe what the Minority Stress Model posits
  3. Name 2 anti-racist adaptations to DBT proposed by Pierson et al.

MODULE 3:

Navigating Implicit Bias by Stefanie Boone and Nicole Riddle

Description:

  • Strengths and Weaknesses of DBT in navigating implicit bias
  • Addressing therapist/RD privilege in session
  • Mindfulness skills clinicians can use in session to recognize countertransference around issues of therapist privilege
  • Effective vs ineffective use of Validation

After completing Module 3, attendees will be able to:

  1. Apply effective validation skills in session in situations where implicit bias is present.
  2. Use mindfulness skills to acknowledge their own implicit bias before and during sessions with clients that have different lived experiences than they do.
  3. Use mindfulness skills to detect when urges to avoid difficult conversations about privilege come up in session with a client.

MODULE 4:

Rethinking DBT Skills Through an Inclusive Lens by Stefanie Boone and Nicole Riddle

Description:

  • Adaptations of Distress Tolerance and Emotion Regulation Skills
  • Potential Pitfalls of Radical Acceptance
  • How Opposite Action and Checking the Facts can miss the mark
  • PLEASE Skill – is healthism and privilege inadvertently baked in?

After completing Module 4, attendees will be able to:

  1. Set realistic expectations for clients when teaching Crisis Survival Skills.
  2. Discern situations where recommending opposite action is not appropriate.
  3. Identify implicit bias in the PLEASE Skills.

MODULE 5:

DBT and Weight Stigma an interview with Tammy Baghdassarian

Description:

Here we will learn directly from Tammy’s experiences as an individual and as a professional integrating DBT into the eating disorder treatment space. We’ll hear about how Tammy went about designing a treatment program with inclusivity as a priority, why and how she thinks DBT is effective when working with eating disorders, how to be dialectical about Intuitive Eating and ED treatment in general, and how she supports her clinicians to see and unlearn anti-fat bias.

After completing Module 5, attendees will be able to:

  1. Refer to the dialectic of acceptance and change in situations in which a client is not able to let go of pursuing weight loss.
  2. Give an example of “not validating the invalid.”
  3. List 3 ways to make an eating disorder treatment program more inclusive.

MODULE 6:

DBT, Eating Disorders, and Neurodiverse-Affirming Care, An Interview with Stacie Fanelli

Description:

In conversation with Stacie, we will discuss multiple ways in which standard ED Treatment and standard DBT skills can be inadvertently invalidating to neurodiverse individuals. Stacie will share effective strategies that clinicians can use to make DBT and ED Treatment more affirming. Other topics that will be covered include the relationship between masking and eating disorders, treating ARFID through an ND-affirming lens, and the importance of asking questions to learn about how our neurodiverse clients experience the world.

After completing Module 6, attendees will be able to:

  1. Explain why asking an autistic client “how are you feeling?” can be a very overwhelming question.
  2. Explain how treating ARFID can inadvertently encourage masking.
  3. List 2 aspects of neurodiversity-affirming care.

MODULE 7:

Inclusive and Affirming Care for LGBTQIA+ Clients, an interview with Jennifer Beiler

Description:

Stefanie and Jen talk about how clinicians can increase their awareness and sensitivity when it comes to providing inclusive care for LGBTQIA+ clients. We will learn about factors to consider with, regard to gender identity and sexual orientation. Eating disorders in the context of sexuality and gender identity for different population groups is also discussed.

After completing Module 7, attendees will be able to:

  1. List 3 stressors more commonly associated with the LGBTQ+, transgender, and nonbinary communities.
  2. Identify possible intersections between a Client’s eating disorder and Gender Dysphoria.
  3. Discern when acceptance strategies are needed in cases where the Eating Disorder is adaptive

Your Investment

Payment Plan: We offer a 3-part payment plan or single payment option.

Full and Partial Scholarships Available. Inquire by email to [email protected].

Group Pricing: Email [email protected] to request info on pricing for groups of 3 or more.

Non-Member Price
$599

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EDRD Pro Member Price

$499
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Frequently Asked Questions

The course opens October 1st, 2023 and will remain available through October 1st, 2026.

Access is available until October 2026.

We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us by email to [email protected] in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.

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