The Other Side Of The Plate

Episode 013
Title: Voices of Hope: A Mother and Daughter Reflect on Their Eating Disorder Journey (with Alexa Cohen)
This episode is part of our Voices of Hope series. In these conversations, you’ll hear from individuals who have walked through an eating disorder and come out on the other side. Our intention is to highlight that recovery is possible, relationships can survive, and even during the most challenging moments, hope is real.
In this episode, Laura Cohen sits down with her daughter, Alexa Cohen, to talk openly about Alexa's eating disorder diagnosis at 16, the hard road through family-based treatment and higher levels of care, and what their relationship looks like on the other side. Alexa, now 22 and working in inpatient eating disorder care, shares her perspective from both sides of recovery.
00:00 Introduction and Disclaimer
01:02 Guest Introduction: Alexa Cohen
04:06 Life Before the Diagnosis: Ages 13–16
06:49 The Role of Lockdown, Social Media, and the ED Voice
10:02 How Laura First Learned Something Was Wrong
11:44 Starting FBT: Refeeding at Home During COVID
16:17 What FBT Felt Like from Alexa's Perspective
19:11 Why Giving In Was Never an Option
20:44 Finding the Right Treatment Team (and How Long It Took)
25:26 Deciding to Pursue a Higher Level of Care
32:00 College, Contracts, and Choosing Recovery
37:18 Alexa's Work in Eating Disorder Care Today
40:12 Advice for Caregivers Whose Kids Are in Treatment
45:49 What Alexa Would Tell Her 13-Year-Old Self
47:26 Advice to Caregivers: It Won't Ruin the Relationship

SUPPORT & RESOURCES
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FEAST website:
https://feast-ed.org/

FEAST flyer:
https://feast-ed.org/programs-and-services/

In this episode, Jenni Gaines and Laura Cohen sit down with Nathalia Trees, a certified eating disorder Registered Dietitian, to unpack ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), a diagnosis that often gets mistaken for simple picky eating. Nathalia breaks down the three presentations of ARFID, explains why a malnourished brain makes food trials nearly impossible without nutritional rehabilitation first, and offers a realistic picture of what success actually looks like in treatment. Listeners will come away with a clearer understanding of when to raise a red flag with their pediatrician, who should be on their child's treatment team, and how to manage the anxiety and fatigue that come with supporting a loved one through recovery.
00:00 Introduction and Disclaimer
01:11 Guest Introduction: Nathalia Trees
03:20 What Is ARFID? The Three Presentations
05:20 How ARFID Differs from Anorexia, Bulimia, and Anxiety Disorders
07:30 Motivation vs. Anxiety in ARFID Treatment
09:10 Picky Eating vs. ARFID: Where's the Line?
11:20 First Steps for Caregivers: Advocating with Your Pediatrician
15:06 What Does ARFID Treatment Look Like?
16:20 Why Nutrition Rehabilitation Comes Before Food Trials
18:15 Weight Gain Goals and Growth Curve Realities
19:55 The Malnourished Brain: Why Food Trials Can't Come First
23:26 What Does Success Actually Look Like?
25:45 Tracking Progress and Celebrating Small Wins
26:00 Common Setbacks: Travel, Illness, and Food Fatigue
29:40 Building Your Treatment Team: Who Does What
33:15 Caregiver Anxiety and Distress Tolerance at the Table
36:01 Is There a Timeline for ARFID Recovery?
38:08 When to Consider a Higher Level of Care
SUPPORT & RESOURCES
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FEAST website:
https://feast-ed.org/
FEAST flyer:
https://feast-ed.org/programs-and-services/
FEAST Webinar - Feeding Without Fear: Navigating Nutrition in ARFID
Feeding Without Fear: Navigating Nutrition in ARFID - YouTube

FEAST Family Guide - Beyond Picky Eating: Strategies for Navigating ARFID and Supporting Your Loved One (with Nathalia Trees)
https://feast-ed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/FamilyGuide_BeyondPickyEating_2026_v1.2.pdf

Guest Bio:
Nathalia Trees is a certified eating disorder Registered Dietitian and consultant specializing in the treatment of adults and adolescents with eating disorders. She was granted a Bachelor of Science from the University of Colorado and a Master of Science in clinical nutrition from Tufts University. She completed her dietetics internship at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, MA.
Nathalia’s experience spans over 13 years in medical nutrition therapy, nutrition education, public speaking, and eating disorder related research. Her passion is advocacy, training, and education for current and future dietitians and helping individuals rebuild their relationship with food. Nathalia’s approach focuses on non-diet centered, weight inclusive, and compassionate care. Nathalia’s leadership style focuses on community, connection, and striving for clinical excellence in the field of eating disorders.

Episode 011
Title: Stronger Together: How Caregiver Alignment Supports Recovery
In this episode, Jenni Gaines and Laura Cohen dive into the vital but often overlooked topic of caregiver alignment. They discuss how eating disorders can exploit "cracks" in relationships and the profound impact—both positive and negative—that caregiver unity has on a child’s recovery trajectory. Listeners will gain practical tools for managing disagreements, setting non-negotiable boundaries, and balancing the heavy lifting of treatment with the need to protect their own relationships.
00:00 Introduction and Disclaimer
01:02 Defining Caregiver Alignment
03:09 Why Alignment is Critical for Recovery
07:46 The Consequences of Misalignment
09:10 Common Conflict Areas: Meals, Consequences, and Parenting Styles
11:02 Balancing the Workload: Resentment vs. Appreciating Strengths
16:53 External Alignment: Grandparents, Teachers, and Coaches
20:25 Navigating Co-Parenting and Divorce
24:59 Practical Strategies: Education and the Family Recovery Plan
30:34 Managing Disagreements in Front of Your Loved One
40:03 The Power of the 10-Minute Check-In
42:16 Trusting Yourself When Alignment Isn’t Possible

SUPPORT & RESOURCES
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FEAST website:
https://feast-ed.org/
FEAST flyer:
https://feast-ed.org/programs-and-services/
The Other Side of the Plate podcast episode:
The Importance of Male Caregivers in ED Recovery (with Kevin Dunn)
https://player.captivate.fm/episode/19f1d2bb-799e-4111-823d-e0db02f3e6c5
(FEAST Blog Post-Abby Sarrett-Cooper)
Parental Alignment in FBT

(FEAST Blog Post-Judy Krasna)
Parenting and Partnership

(FEAST Blog Post-Sarah)
Not on Board But Weathering the Same Storm

Host Bios
Jenni Gaines and Laura Cohen are caregivers with lived experience who have supported their loved ones through eating disorder treatment. Together, they serve the FEAST community by sharing personal insights and connecting parents with the professional resources necessary to navigate recovery.

Episode 010
A Personal Recovery Journey: Insights for Caregivers (with Hannah Hickinbotham)
In this episode, Jenni speaks with Hannah Hickenbotham, founder of the UK-based "Full of Beans" podcast about eating disorder awareness. Hannah shares her personal journey through atypical anorexia, body dysmorphia, and the late ADHD diagnosis (after 14 years of struggling) that finally unlocked her path to recovery. This conversation offers caregivers rare insight into what recovery looks like from the inside: why resistance happens, what support actually helps, and how to find "glimmers" of hope even in the darkest moments.
00:00 Introduction to the Podcast
06:19 What Caregivers Can Learn from Lived Experience
10:03 Hannah's Journey: Diet Culture and Feeling Different
15:53 Atypical Anorexia: The Pain of "Not Quite There"
17:22 Eating Disorders as Emotional Regulation
26:33 Advice for Parents: What Helped and What Didn't
34:21 Understanding Resistance: "Facing Your Worst Nightmare"
44:46 Thanking and Releasing the Eating Disorder (EMDR)
47:32 Supporters Who Made a Difference
54:41 Finding Daily Glimmers: Advice for Struggling Families
SUPPORT & RESOURCES
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FEAST website:
https://feast-ed.org/
FEAST flyer:
https://feast-ed.org/programs-and-services/
Hannah’s website:
https://www.wearefullofbeans.com/
Listen to Hannah’s podcast on your favorite app: The Full of Beans Podcast
Guest Bio
Hannah Hickinbotham is the founder of Full of Beans, an eating disorder awareness podcast all about reducing stigma and amplifying lived experience. Through inspiring conversations with people with lived experience of an eating disorder, alongside clinicians and researchers, Hannah creates a space where listeners can feel understood, validated, and a little less alone.
Hannah has lived experience of atypical anorexia, body dysmorphia, and ADHD, and found her path to recovery after finally receiving an ADHD diagnosis 14 years later. Passionate about widening the conversation beyond stereotypes, she reminds people that recovery is possible, even when it doesn’t look how you expected.

Episode 009
Navigating Family Based Treatment (with Dr. Amy Boyers)
In this episode of The Other Side of the Plate, hosts Laura and Jenni welcome Dr. Amy Boyers, co-founder and president of Galen Hope and a clinical psychologist with over two decades of experience treating eating disorders. Laura and Amy's friendship stretches back to childhood in Miami, making for a warm and candid conversation about family-based treatment (FBT). Dr. Boyers traces the evolution of eating disorder treatment from the "parentectomy" era of the eighties and nineties through the emergence of FBT, explaining the three phases of the manualized protocol while advocating for what she calls "FBT with a twist": adding meal support coaches, dietitians, respite from grandparents, and regular therapy sessions for burnt-out caregivers. She addresses common reasons families stall (inconsistent monitoring, "clean eating" that can't achieve caloric density, reluctance to enforce meaningful consequences) and offers a memorable reframe: when one part of a family system changes, the other parts engage in "change back behaviors" to restore the status quo. Dr. Boyers emphasizes that FBT is only the "gold standard" if it works for your family, and encourages parents to develop a Plan B before they need it.
00:00 Introduction to the Podcast
01:03 Meet Dr. Amy Boyers: From Childhood Friends to Eating Disorder Expert
06:42 What Is FBT? From Maudsley to Lock and Le Grange
13:25 When FBT Isn't the Right Fit: Recognizing Family Dynamics
21:52 Common Reasons Families Stall: "Change Back Behaviors"
27:07 Caloric Density and the "Two Entire Birds" Problem
29:25 Consequences That Signal Commitment
37:00 FBT with a Twist: Adding Coaches, Dietitians, and Therapy
45:02 When to Transition Away from FBT
51:35 The Future of FBT and Treatment
53:57 Advice for Families Starting Their FBT Journey
SUPPORT & RESOURCES
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FEAST website:
https://feast-ed.org/

Link from Dr. Amy Boyers:
https://www.galenhope.com/eating-disorders/10-foods-for-anorexia-refeeding/

FEAST flyer:
https://feast-ed.org/programs-and-services/

(FEAST webinar August 2025)
When FBT Alone May Not Be Enough: Adding DBT into Treatment

(FEAST webinar slides August 2025)
When FBT Alone May Not Be Enough: Adding DBT into Treatment

(FEAST Webinar-July 2024)
How We Developed FBT and Why it Works

(FEAST webinar December 2025)
Family Based Treatment for Young Adults: Parents as Partners in Recovery

(FEAST webinar slides December 2025)
Family Based Treatment for Young Adults: Parents as Partners in Recovery

Treating Eating Disorders - F.E.A.S.T.

Anorexia Weight Gain: 13 Foods For Anorexia Refeeding

Guest Bio
Dr. Amy Boyers is the co-founder and president of Galen Hope, which is a physician-led program providing eating disorder and mental health treatment for adolescents and adults across a wide range of diagnoses. Galen Hope emphasizes community integration, family support, and fostering a sense of connection and belonging as essential to healing.
She has been in private practice in Miami since 2001, where she provides therapy to adolescents and adults, with a focus on women’s health, eating disorders, anxiety and mood disorders, and behavioral medicine.
After graduating with honors from the University of Pennsylvania, she was awarded a prestigious U.S. Department of Defense psychological research fellowship at the University of Miami, where she completed her masters and doctoral degrees.
Dr. Boyers is adjunct faculty at the University of Miami Counseling Center and has spoken locally and nationally on the topics of eating disorders, stress, trauma, and adolescent development. She has also co-authored several articles in professional journals. She was the founding president of the Miami Chapter of the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (IAEDP) and served on the national board.