HM|HC Talks: Navigating Transitions and Uncertainty: A Conversation about Eating Disorders and Body Image on Campus

Register for this event at www.eventbrite.ca!

While the pandemic shifted the world into a state of transition, it continues to have a unique impact on the lives of university students. This conversation with Jessie's Legacy will delve into experiences of transition, and the variety of experiences that brings up in relation to food, body image, and coping with uncertainty. We aim to give participants a common language around eating disorders and disordered eating, explore the impact of the pandemic on university students with and without eating disorders, and how to build capacity in responding to and supporting students. With an emphasis on dialogue and connection, we will look at answering:

• How did this time impact your own relationship with your body? How do you think it might have been for someone who is first experiencing struggle versus for someone who was already struggling?

• What does it look like when someone is struggling and how do you offer them support?

• What are some of the challenges and barriers experienced on campus?

This talk will provide space for folks of all experience and knowledge levels to engage in conversation around creating awareness, community, and support on campus for students struggling with disordered eating and eating disorders.

Online meeting participants will:

• Learn from fellow attendees on the topic of eating disorders and body image

• Meet like-minded people

• Participate in facilitated conversations

• Build connections to help local effort and broader collaboration

HM|HC Talks are intended to be dialogical in nature. They include a stimulus presentation followed by posing questions and breakout room discussion around those questions.

Please note that this Zoom meeting will be recorded to make it available for those who are unable to attend or wish to hear it again. The breakout sessions within the Talk, however, won't be recorded.

HM|HC Talks are free with registration at www.eventbrite.ca.

Meet The Presenters:

Joanna Zelichowska, MA, RCC

Joanna (she/her) is a registered clinical counsellor and manager of Jessie's Legacy Eating Disorders Prevention and Awareness program where she works to educate youth, adults, educators, and health professionals about eating disorders and disordered eating. Joanna attended the University of British Columbia where she obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and a Master's Degree in Counselling Psychology. She feels passionately about reducing stigma about eating disorders by taking an inclusive approach to prevention and education that encompasses a holistic view of the individual.

Vicky Gerlings, MA Candidate

Vicky (she/they) is a practicum student at Jessies Legacy, completing her Master of Counselling Psychology. Vicky has years of experience working in the non-profit sector and is continuously seeking opportunities to increase the trauma-informed capacity of organizations. Their work experience is a combination of supporting young people experiencing compounded trauma and playing in the woods (which are very much sometimes the same thing). She believes firmly that people are the experts of their own experiences, and having recovered from her own eating disorder, is passionate about supporting young people in trying to make sense of their experiences, their bodies, and their sense of belonging. When not at work or school, you can find Vicky near the water or in the forest, educating family and friends about mental health advocacy, or looking at dog rescue sites.