Our Story
Welcome to EDCI. We welcome all races/ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, ages, body sizes, income levels, abilities, religions/spiritualities and are committed to the inclusion and well-being of all Iowans. EDCI recognizes that there are multiple treatment theories and approaches to recovery from an eating disorder and that different modalities can be utilized to meet individual needs. EDCI is committed to ongoing learning, education, and advocacy. We are glad that you are here and welcome you to the EDCI community. Please contact edci@edciowa.org with any questions or concerns.
Vision, Mission and Values
The vision of EDCI is an Iowa with increased access to weight inclusive education and care for the prevention and treatment of eating disorders.
The mission of the Eating Disorder Coalition of Iowa (EDCI) is to provide inclusive education about disordered eating and to change cultural narratives regarding food, bodies, exercise, weight, and health. We serve Iowa providers by facilitating training opportunities to elevate the proficiency of disordered eating care. We seek to be a catalyst of hope, acceptance, understanding, and healing to the larger Iowa community.
We care about PEOPLE:
We welcome all races/ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, ages, body sizes, income levels, abilities, religions/spiritualities and are committed to the inclusion and well-being of all Iowans
We are committed to ongoing learning, education, and advocacy to continuously supporting all voices ​​
We care about WEIGHT ACCEPTANCE and ELIMINATING FAT BIAS:Â
We believe in a weight inclusive approach, such as the Health at Every Size® model.
We believe all bodies are worthy. Period.
We believe in not prescribing weight loss as a treatment option, as we know the harm this causes.
We believe in a cultural mindset shift away from the thin ideal.
We reject the use of BMI as a health marker as it is inherently flawed and has racist roots.
We believe in supporting folks as they move from body hatred to body neutrality or body tolerance. ​
We care about NUTRITIONAL PEACE and WELLBEING:
We believe that all foods fit, and reject all moralizing language regarding food and bodies. (good/bad, healthy/unhealthy, etc.)
We believe that getting enough food is often the first step to recovery and long-term wellbeing.
We reject diet culture, diets and restrictive practices.
We acknowledge how food insecurity is a significant concern for Iowans.
We believe wellbeing looks different for everyone, and involves infinitely more than food and movement.
We believe in caring for ourselves wholly (as much as is realistic and within each person’s individual capacity) – mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually.
We believe health is a privilege, not a moral obligation.
We believe movement should be joyful rather than punitive/compensatory.
We believe in prioritizing rest.
We believe in access to care for all Iowans.
The EDCI Board
Suzanne Hull
Executive Director
EDCI leadership is pleased to welcome Suzanne Hull to our team as Executive Director. Suzanne brings with her ten years of experience managing a variety of boutique membership associations. She enjoys reading, cycling and traveling and lives with her husband in Pleasant Hill, IA.
Gabriella Sloan, MA, QMHP, NCC
President
Gabbie is a survivor of anorexia living with her husband and dog in Illinois. She finds joy in compassionate work and loving others, which led her to apply to become a member of the EDCI.
Gabbie has a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She works as a therapist at a private practice where she specializes in providing care for individuals with eating disorders, anxiety and obsessive disorders, phobias, infertility, and autism spectrum disorder. She loves including expressive art therapy in her work and is currently studying Internal Family Systems and Compassion Focused Therapy for Eating Disorders. She has an undergraduate degree in Modern Language that lends to her love of reading and writing.
Stephanie Proud, RDN, LD, CNSC
President Elect
Stephanie is a Registered Dietitian and the owner of Proud Peaceful Nutrition, an outpatient nutrition therapy practice serving clients in Iowa and Illinois. Her passion and specialty lies in supporting teens and adults with eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image concerns, with a heart for dancers and student athletes. She is currently serving as President Elect for the Eating Disorder Coalition of Iowa and played an active role in bringing their new textED resource to life. Stephanie is actively completing her Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS) requirements. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, watching her kids dance and play ball, cheering on the Hawkeyes, and walking her dog Margo.
Sara Schwatken, Ph.D., CEDS
Treasurer
Sara is a licensed psychologist practicing in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Sara is pleased to have completed her board certification as a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS) with the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (IAEDP), specializing in binge eating disorder and atypical anorexia. Sara has served on the board of the Eating Disorder Coalition of Iowa since 2020 and is proud to have spearheaded the Healthcare Training Initiative to reduce weight stigma and encourage a weight-neutral approach to healthcare for physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals. In her free time, Dr. Schwatken enjoys experimenting with new recipes and experiencing the rollercoaster of emotions in being an Iowa State athletics fan.
Julia Freeman, MS, BS, RBT
Member at Large
A behavioral therapist, Julia holds a vast knowledge and experience of health education from many angles. She enjoys working alongside people as they search for a healthier relationship with themselves and others. The multifaceted nature of prevention, treatment, and recovery of disordered eating and eating disorders is truly remarkable! She is especially devoted to bridging gaps between marginalized populations and eating disorder awareness. When not volunteering, traveling, or watching sports, Julia is a lifelong learner. She resides in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Kathleen O'Connor, LCPC, LMHC, CEDS-S
Secretary
Kathleen is a licensed mental health counselor based in Chicago, Illinois. She has extensive training in the field of eating disorders and is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and Supervisor. Prior to starting her own practice, Ailm Therapy, she oversaw eating disorder programming and treatment at the residential level of care, where it became clear that those from Iowa needed more providers with the skills to manage eating disorders and the co-occurring complexities that come with them.
When she's not treating those who struggle with eating disorders and disordered eating, Kathleen enjoys traveling, reading, reality TV, and spending time with her husband & dog, Finn!
Abbie Scott RD, LD
Professional Member Chair
Abbie (she/her/hers) is an anti-diet Registered Dietitian with a decade of experience in the nutrition field. Born and raised in Iowa, she has spent the last 6 years of her career in the state of Minnesota - working at an eating disorder treatment facility, and more recently providing nutrition counseling in the private practice setting. Abbie is extremely excited to return to her home state, with plans to help advocate for ED awareness, prevention, and improved treatment accessibility and overall support for Iowans.
In her free time, Abbie loves spending time with friends and family, deepening her yoga/meditation practice, and exploring new creative outlets. You can always count on her to have a new book, TV show, movie or podcast recommendation for you!
Eva Schoen, Ph.D.
​CE Chair
Eva is a licensed psychologist with expertise in the treatment of eating disorders, complex trauma, and post-traumatic stress disorder. She sees patients in individual and group therapy for these concerns and is the director of an inpatient and partial eating disorder program where she work as part of a multidisciplinary treatment team. As part of her job, she also teaches and supervises future mental health professionals. I have specialized training in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR). She has a particular interest in the intersection between physical and psychological health. In her free time, Eva enjoys many outdoor activities, attending her children’s various events, reading, and traveling.
April Block-Lafferty, LISW
Board Member
April Block-Lafferty, LISW has been a master licensed social worker since 2005 and a licensed independent social worker in the state of Iowa since 2018. April was born and raised in Iowa but a piece of her heart is on the New Mexico State University campus in Las Cruces, NM where she earned her MSW and with the Lakota Sioux children and families of South Dakota where she worked right after graduate school. April has worked as a licensed social worker and paralegal in various capacities but has a love of working with correctional health care, crisis intervention services and providing trauma informed care.
After learning about the principles of Intuitive Eating in her personal life, and realizing there were not enough providers with an anti-diet, HAES mindset she became a certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. She is passionate about ending weight stigma.
Outside of work, April loves to spend time with her family, and volunteering at the local animal shelter. Her future dream is to travel across the country in a RV. She is excited and honored to serve on the EDCI Board!
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Brandi Stalzer, LIMHP, LPCC, LMHC, BC-TMH
Marketing Chair
Brandi Stalzer is a Board Certified Telemental Health professional and a licensed therapist who specializes in the treatment of binge eating symptoms and similar conditions. Most recently, she served as the Clinical Director for the largest virtual eating disorder program in the country, and has led many other eating disorder programs across the country. She has specialized training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders (CBT-E), Family Based Therapy for Adolescent Eating Disorders, Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Binge Eating. She is an advocate in the field for weight-neutral care, eating disorders, and reducing system issues related to weight bias, and has spoken for many organizations including the International Association for Eating Disorder Professionals (IAEDP).