Leading with Care: Effective Strategies for Running Groups for Clients with Eating Disorders

Learning Objectives:

Following this presentation, participants will be able to:

1. Acquire the tools and knowledge to set up and run a group, from the initial planning stages to a second offering (if applicable).
2. Develop clear group guidelines, rules, and safety protocols to create a structured, inclusive, and brave space for a diverse group of participants.
3. Learn effective techniques for managing physical space, time, and boundaries during group sessions, ensuring equitable participation and engagement.

Maggie Mills (she/her) Bio:

Maggie Mills, MS, CN (she/her) is a cis, white, queer, fat, neurodiverse Certified Nutritionist in Tacoma, WA. In 2015, Maggie graduated with an MS in Nutrition from the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, OR, and entered the world of non-profit medical education. While in that role, Maggie created curriculum and educational assets for Functional Nutrition providers. As part of her professional development, Maggie joined the first cohort of The Center for Body Trust’s provider training program, becoming a Certified Body Trust® Provider in 2017.

During that life-changing experience, she realized how critical it was for fat people like her to see themselves reflected in their providers. She also felt a pull to work directly with clients who were navigating disordered eating and complex medical diagnoses. In 2017, she began working at Center for Discovery, where she gained invaluable experience working with folks in active stages of healing from various eating disorders. In 2018, she co-founded Liberating Jasper, a group mental health and nutrition counseling practice focused on outpatient eating disorder care, body liberation, and community healing.

Today, Maggie enjoys working with individuals whose disordered eating patterns overlap with neurodiversity, queerness, gender identity, digestive health, autoimmune conditions, and life after intentional weight loss surgery. As a provider, her approach is informed by a trauma-informed, harm-reductive, Health at Every Size® (HAES) framework that centers on personalized and attuned nutrition interventions. She also enjoys running Liberating Jasper’s weekend retreats, support groups, professional consult groups, and community events. Outside her work at Liberating Jasper, Maggie enjoys kayaking, traveling, gardening, cooking, making pottery, and pro wrestling (yes, seriously!). She lives in a tiny house outside Tacoma, WA with her elderly dog Charlie.

Connect with Maggie on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok!