The Other Side Of The Plate

018 - Voices of Hope: A Professional Boxer's Hidden Fight (with Danny O'Connor)

Episode 018 Title: Voices of Hope: A Professional Boxer's Hidden Fight (with Danny O'Connor) In this episode, Jenni Gaines and Laura Cohen sit down with Danny O'Connor, a former elite professional boxer, Olympic team member, and author of Weight Class, to hear his firsthand account of battling an eating disorder across more than two decades of competition. Danny traces the origin of his disordered behaviors from his wrestling days in high school — where no one taught him healthy weight management — through his professional boxing career, where he spent years cutting weight in secret while hiding a binge eating disorder from coaches, nutritionists, and nearly everyone around him. He talks candidly about the difference between weight cutting and an eating disorder, what it felt like to lose control of the one thing he'd always been able to discipline, and the role his wife Diane played in keeping him afloat. Listeners will come away with a deeper understanding of how eating disorders hide in plain sight in weight class sports, why men are particularly isolated in this experience, and what caregivers can do — and be — when someone they love is struggling. 00:00 Introduction and Disclaimer 01:02 Guest Introduction: Danny O'Connor 03:18 Childhood: Family, Food, and a Sandlot Life 06:02 Wrestling, Weight Cutting, and No One Telling Him Anything 13:33 Downward Spiral: Academics, Arrests, and Losing Wrestling 18:10 Finding Boxing: How a PAL Gym Changed Everything 20:57 How Weight Classes Work in Amateur and Professional Boxing 26:53 From Weight Cutting to Eating Disorder: When Control Vanished 31:08 Binge Eating and the Behavior He Couldn't Stop 36:25 Hidden in Plain Sight: 15 Nutritionists and Still Silent 41:58 Isolation, His Wife Diane, and Finding the Right Supports 49:00 Recovery Isn't Linear: Treating the Eating Disorder Like an Opponent 01:01:12 What Danny Wants Caregivers to Know SUPPORT & RESOURCES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FEAST website: https://feast-ed.org/ [https://feast-ed.org/] FEAST programs and services: https://feast-ed.org/programs-and-services/ [https://feast-ed.org/programs-and-services/] Danny O'Connor's book, Weight Class: https://www.amazon.com/Weight-Class-Fighters-Life-Death/dp/B0GMY44348 [https://www.amazon.com/Weight-Class-Fighters-Life-Death/dp/B0GMY44348] Guest Bio: Danny O'Connor is a former elite professional boxer who grew up outside of Boston and was a member of the 2008 United States Olympic Boxing Team. As an accomplished amateur, he captured multiple national titles, including the US National Championships and the National Golden Gloves, establishing himself as one of the top fighters of his generation. O'Connor turned professional in 2008 and competed at the highest levels of the sport for more than a decade, compiling a professional record of 31 wins and holding the WBC International Silver Super Lightweight Championship. Following his professional career, O'Connor became a vocal advocate for greater awareness around weight class sports and eating disorders in men. Through his book Weight Class, he gives a voice to the many men who suffer in silence, drawing directly from his career in boxing and his firsthand experience battling an eating disorder in and out of the ring.

017 - Voices of Hope: The Power of Parents in Recovery (with Kinsey Dalbec)

Episode 017 Voices of Hope: The Power of Parents in Recovery (with Kinsey Dalbec) In this episode, Jenni Gaines and Laura Cohen sit down with Kinsey Dalbec, an eating disorder therapist at Equip who is also 13 years into her own recovery from anorexia nervosa. Kinsey shares the story of developing anorexia at 17, the crystal-ball moment in an adult treatment program that changed everything, and why her parents' refusal to back down was the single most important factor in her recovery. She and the hosts explore what leverage really means for parents of young adults, why the "once they turn 18, it's over" belief sells parents short, and how to set firm boundaries without damaging the relationship. Kinsey also describes what protecting recovery looks like more than a decade later and offers direct, practical encouragement to any caregiver feeling powerless. 00:00 Introduction and Disclaimer 01:03 Guest Introduction: Kinsey Dalbec 02:53 Kinsey's Story: From "Healthy Eating" to Anorexia 08:20 The Turning Point: A Crystal Ball in the Adult Program 10:48 What Helped Most: Parents Who Wouldn't Back Down 13:17 When Help Doesn't Feel Like Help 15:24 How Recovery Led to a Career in Eating Disorder Treatment 20:28 The Therapist She Needed but Never Had 22:46 The 18 Myth: Why Parents Still Matter for Young Adults 27:15 Redefining Leverage as an Act of Love 31:15 Empowering Parents to Trust Their Instincts 35:51 Unconditional Love Means Getting in the Trenches 39:09 Setting Boundaries Without Losing the Relationship 43:51 Protecting Recovery: The McDonald's Test 46:39 Spotting Sneaky Eating Disorder Behaviors 49:34 Final Words: Don't Sell Yourself Short SUPPORT & RESOURCES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FEAST website: https://feast-ed.org/ [https://feast-ed.org/] FEAST programs and services: https://feast-ed.org/programs-and-services/ [https://feast-ed.org/programs-and-services/] FEAST blog post: https://feast-ed.org/dear-mom-and-dad-thank-you-for-saving-my-life/ [https://feast-ed.org/dear-mom-and-dad-thank-you-for-saving-my-life/] FEAST Family Guide: https://feast-ed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/FamilyGuide_UsingLeverage_2025_v2.2.pdf [https://feast-ed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/FamilyGuide_UsingLeverage_2025_v2.2.pdf] Guest Bio: Kinsey Dalbec is an eating disorder therapist currently working at Equip who has also been in her own recovery from anorexia nervosa for 13 years. After developing anorexia at 17 years old, she received Family Based Treatment, which eventually led her to full recovery. She is now a married mother of two young children and uses her life experience and clinical expertise to help patients and families navigate their own treatment and recoveries.

016 - Treating to the Traits: An Introduction to Temperament-Based Treatment with Supports (TBT-S) (with Dr. Stephanie Knatz Peck)

Episode 016 Title: Treating to the Traits: An Introduction to Temperament- Based Treatment with Supports (TBT-S) (with Dr. Stephanie Knatz Peck) In this episode, Jenni Gaines and Laura Cohen sit down with Dr. Stephanie Knatz Peck, clinical psychologist and co-developer of Temperament Based Treatment with Supports (TBT-S), to explore a model of eating disorder care built on neuroscience and personality research. Dr. Knatz Peck explains what TBT-S is, how specific temperament traits—like anxiety, perfectionism, and harm avoidance—are overrepresented in eating disorders, and why treating to the trait rather than against it changes everything. The conversation covers how parents can access TBT-S, what the five-day intensive format looks like, and why understanding the biology behind their child's behavior helps caregivers show up more effectively. 00:00 Introduction and Disclaimer 01:16 Guest Introduction: Dr. Stephanie Knatz Peck 01:36 What Is TBT-S and Why It Was Developed 06:00 The "S" in TBT-S: Why Words and Supports Matter 08:22 What Temperament Actually Means 11:23 Temperament Traits Across Eating Disorder Subtypes 17:27 Traits as Gifts: Treat to the Trait 25:04 Honoring Traits Without Colluding with the Eating Disorder 30:06 How Environment Interacts with Traits 32:17 Why Parents Are the Primary Agent of Change 36:14 Neurobiological Empathy: What Parents Gain from TBT-S 38:33 How Families Access TBT-S: Intensives and Provider Training 43:58 Case Study: Finding Engagement After Years of Being Stuck 49:23 Three Practical Tips for Supports SUPPORT & RESOURCES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FEAST website: https://feast-ed.org/ [https://feast-ed.org/] FEAST programs and services: https://feast-ed.org/programs-and-services/ [https://feast-ed.org/programs-and-services/] FEAST Blog Post-Laura Hill PhD: https://feast-ed.org/how-temperament-influences-support-given-to-loved-ones-with-eating-disorders/ [https://feast-ed.org/how-temperament-influences-support-given-to-loved-ones-with-eating-disorders/] Bright Mind Therapy (Dr. Knatz Peck's clinic): https://www.brightmindtherapy.com/ [https://www.brightmindtherapy.com/] TBTS Institute: https://tbtstraining.com [https://tbtstraining.com] Guest Bio: Dr. Stephanie Knatz Peck is a clinical psychologist and the founder and clinical director of BrightMind Therapy. She is a practitioner-scientist trained in the UCSD Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry in child and adolescent mental health and evidence-based treatments for parents and youth. In addition to her role at BrightMind Therapy, Dr. Peck is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), where she directs an Intensive Family Treatment (IFT) program for adolescents and young adults with eating disorders and their families. Dr. Peck is involved in clinical research underway at UCSD evaluating novel psychiatric treatments including psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and family-focused eating disorders treatment. She provides regular workshops and trainings around the world focused on parent training, family-based treatment, and eating disorders. Dr. Peck is passionate about high-impact treatments and working with youth, with a particular focus on adolescents. She is dedicated to ensuring that youth feel connected and safe while receiving high quality treatments that are rooted in science, adapted for age, family-involved, and last but not least, creative and fun! Outside of her professional life, she enjoys being in nature, surfing, yoga, hiking, writing, and spending time with her young daughter and husband. Born and raised throughout Central and South America to American parents, Dr. Peck identifies as “third-culture” which she credits for the value she places on openness, flexibility, and appreciation for diversity of opinion.

015 - Facing the Toughest Moments in Eating Disorder Caregiving (with Dr. Erin Parks)

Episode 015 Title: Facing the Toughest Moments in Eating Disorder Caregiving (with Dr. Erin Parks) In this episode, Jenni Gaines and Laura Cohen sit down with Dr. Erin Parks, clinical psychologist and co-founder of Equip, to tackle the situations caregivers dread most: mealtime meltdowns, a child who seems to have stopped caring about everything, and the terrifying reality of self-harm and suicidality. Dr. Parks explains the neurobiology behind why consequences and rewards work differently in the eating disorder brain, and shares a vivid real-world example of how one family used that understanding to break through a months-long standoff. She also offers direct, compassionate guidance on how to talk openly about self-harm, when to involve emergency services, and how to protect your child while accepting the limits of your own control. Listeners will come away with practical tools for the hardest moments of caregiving and a reminder that imperfect support is still meaningful support. 00:00 Introduction, Disclaimer, and Content Warning 01:02 Guest Introduction: Dr. Erin Parks 04:40 When Meals Go Wrong: What to Do After You Snap 08:40 De-escalating in the Moment 11:35 Repairing After a Blow-Up 14:35 What Distress Tolerance Actually Means 23:48 Neurobiology 101: How the Eating Disorder Brain Processes Consequences and Rewards 30:19 The Shake Story: Finding the Key That Motivates Your Child 34:56 When Your Child Feels Nothing: Depression and Eating Disorders 39:22 Self-Harm and Suicidality: How to Keep the Conversation Open 47:53 Safety Planning and Imminent Risk 52:41 One Practical Tip: Choose One SUPPORT & RESOURCES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FEAST website: https://feast-ed.org/ [https://feast-ed.org/] FEAST programs and services: https://feast-ed.org/programs-and-services/ [https://feast-ed.org/programs-and-services/] FEAST webinar - How to Talk to Your Child When ED Has You Walking on Eggshells: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6ibx-8YhWE [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6ibx-8YhWE] Brainstorms podcast episode: https://brainstormsorg.wordpress.com/2016/10/29/episode-8-eating-disorder-interview-with-dr-erin-parks/ [https://brainstormsorg.wordpress.com/2016/10/29/episode-8-eating-disorder-interview-with-dr-erin-parks/] Guest Bio: Dr. Erin Parks is a clinical psychologist and researcher who co-founded Equip in 2019. Equip is now the largest virtual eating disorder treatment program in the United States. As Chief Clinical Officer, she leads the clinical and research efforts that keep Equip's outcomes best in class. Before Equip, Dr. Parks was on the faculty at UC San Diego, where she treated patients across all levels of care for eating disorders. She earned her PhD from UC San Diego and completed her undergraduate work at Northwestern University.

014 - Voices of Hope: Untangling OCD and Anorexia (with Kyle King)

Episode 014 Title: Voices of Hope: Untangling OCD and Anorexia (with Kyle King) 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, Jenni Gaines and Laura Cohen sit down with Kyle King, a second-year medical student at Yale and mental health advocate with lived experience of both OCD and anorexia nervosa. Kyle shares his journey from an OCD diagnosis at 12 to an eating disorder at 17, the ways anorexia drove him to lie to the people closest to him, what it was like to relapse in college and hide it from his parents, and how family-based treatment ultimately saved his life. He also offers a rare inside look at how OCD and eating disorders interact, why being male shaped his experience, and why he now dedicates his advocacy work to supporting caregivers. 00:00 Introduction and Disclaimer 01:22 Guest Introduction: Kyle King 02:34 Kyle's Lived Experience: From OCD to Anorexia 05:47 When ERP Didn't Work: The Limits of OCD-Only Treatment 07:15 Family-Based Treatment and Starting to Recover 08:06 The Lying Piece: What Parents Need to Know 09:30 Relapse in College: Fabricating Weights and Hiding 13:13 How Being Male Impacted the Eating Disorder Experience 17:09 Lying to Therapists and the Role of Pride 19:31 Why Kyle Fabricated His Weight: It Wasn't for Himself 21:05 How OCD and an Eating Disorder Interact 24:26 Should OCD and Eating Disorders Be Classified Differently? 28:06 Temperament, Brain Circuitry, and Environment 29:15 What Parents Did That Helped Most 32:40 How an Eating Disorder Affects the Whole Family 37:02 OCD Unfiltered: A Program Built for Parents 41:08 Why Kyle Shifted His Focus to Caregivers 44:06 The Power of Parental Vulnerability 46:51 From Lived Experience to Psychiatry 49:41 Hopes for the Future of Eating Disorder Treatment SUPPORT & RESOURCES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FEAST website: https://feast-ed.org/ [https://feast-ed.org/] FEAST flyer: https://feast-ed.org/programs-and-services/ [https://feast-ed.org/programs-and-services/] Guest Bio: Kyle King is a second-year medical student at Yale School of Medicine. More central to his identity, however, Kyle is a mental health advocate with lived experience of OCD and anorexia nervosa. He serves as a National Advocate with the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), is the founder and co-leader of the IOCDF's Young Adult Special Interest Group, and hosts the IOCDF Research Roundtable. In addition, Kyle works as a research assistant in the Yale OCD Clinic and is a frequent speaker at OCD conferences across the country. His primary interests include investigating novel treatments for psychiatric conditions, addressing inequities in access to mental health care, and exploring the complex overlaps between OCD and related conditions such as eating disorders.