Bringing Men to the Table: Research, Practice, and Real-World Experience on Treating Eating Disorders in Males

This webinar covers the lived experience of a male with an eating disorder (ED) for participants to gain insight into typical ED triggers in males, barriers to care, and interventions that work, including identity development, gender and masculinity work, and conceptualization of being a male with a diagnosis mostly associated with females.

The webinar will also include a review of the nuances of the male experience, how males tend to present differently than females, and the role of muscle dysmorphia from the male eating disorder lens. In addition, the latest research on diversity and treatment will be covered along with the work to be done on prevention and awareness.

Learning Objectives:

Following this presentation, participants will be able to:

1. Identify appropriate screening tools and approaches for males with eating disorders
2. Develop specific research and/or clinical practice goals to enhance prevention or treatment approaches with males
3. Enhance empathy for the male eating disorder client who has often been left out of the conversation of treatment and prevention by research and practice.

Andrew Walen Bio:

Andrew Walen, LCSW (VA), LCSW-C (MD), LICSW (DC), CEDS-S is the founder of DUDE Mental Health, a psychotherapist, and a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and Supervisor with a specific focus on males with eating disorders. He was the founder of The Body Image Therapy Center and Vice President of Eating Disorders Treatment for Refresh Mental Health.

Andrew is the immediate past-President of the National Association for Males with Eating Disorders (NAMED), which merged with the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) in November 2019. He currently serves as NEDA’s Senior Advisor on Males with Eating Disorders. He currently serves as the Certification Chair for the Baltimore chapter of the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (iaedp). He is also a past founding board member of the Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA). He has appeared on The Today Show, was featured in The New York Times, USA Today, Men’s Health, and many other national and local media outlets as an expert in the field of eating disorders and body image. In addition, he has authored numerous articles and presented workshops at national and international eating disorder conferences. His book Man Up to Eating Disorders, which is a memoir and self-help book directed at males with eating disorders, was published in May 2014.

Andrew is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Social Work in Nashville. He also graduated from the Berklee College of Music and is a published singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist who continues to write, record, and perform in the metro Baltimore and DC areas.