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 twelve 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, LMHC, LCPC
Training Chair
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.
Elizabeth Burkland, RD, LD, CDCES
President-Elect
Liz is a Registered Dietitian who works in an outpatient nutrition therapy setting. She enjoys working with teens and adults with eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image concerns.
Liz is passionate about eating disorder advocacy, improving health care providers' understanding of eating disorder care, and meeting her patients where they are. She enjoys building strong relationships with her patients and their families, holding space for tough days and adding in humor when needed.
Outside of work, Liz would rather be outside than inside, she's usually enjoying a coffee with her husband, chasing after her two boys, reading, or in the garden.
Sara Schwatken, Ph.D., CEDS
Treasurer, Web/Design Chair
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.
Ashley Edge
Content Creation Chair
Hello! My name is Ashley Edge, and I will be graduating this semester from Regent University with a degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Through my own struggles with disordered eating, I was fortunate to have a provider who introduced me to Eating Disorder Center of Iowa. Since then, both in my personal healing journey and through my work as an intern at Health Hope Harmony, I have continued to turn to EDCI for support, resources, and training. I feel deeply called to work in the healing profession, especially with individuals struggling with disordered eating. My hope is to help others build a healthier and more compassionate relationship with their bodies through a HAES-informed approach, while fostering lasting confidence, body appreciation, and healing.
Kathleen O'Connor, LCPC, LMHC, CEDS-S
Secretary, Healthcare Chair
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
President
Abbie (she/her/hers) is an anti-diet Registered Dietitian with over a decade of experience in the nutrition field. She has worked in multiple levels of care at eating disorder treatment centers, and more recently providing outpatient nutrition counseling to her clients. Abbie is passionate about advocacy for ED awareness, prevention, and improved treatment accessibility 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!
Kayleigh Medhurst, CTRS
Volunteer Coordinator
Kayleigh is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist and group fitness instructor. Her personal journey with anorexia nervosa inspired a passion for helping others who are fighting their own battles. Through her work, Kayleigh aims to promote healthy relationships with movement and help people flourish in all aspects of wellness.
In her free time, Kayleigh enjoys being active, reading, baking, and spending time with friends and family.
Stephanie Albers, PhD, LMHC
Advocacy/DEI Chair
Stephanie is a licensed clinical therapist who currently works at Libra Virtual Care as a contractor and is also employed at Project HEAL as the Clinical Assessment Program Manager. Stephanie worked in counseling in higher education for 15 years with a focus on creating access to education for individuals with marginalized identities. Prior to working in higher education, Stephanie worked in community mental health agencies and local eating disorder treatment programs. Stephanie holds a doctoral degree in Developmental Psychology and a master’s degree in Community Mental Health Counseling, both from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She maintains a clinical mental health practitioner license in the states of Nebraska, Iowa, and Idaho. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys spending time with her family and dogs, hiking, and being a pretty average cyclist.
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Sabrina Rogers, LMHC
Board Member, Outreach Coordinator
Sabrina Rogers is a passionate and highly skilled mental health professional with extensive experience in treating eating disorders through a weight neutral and intuitive eating framework. In 2023 Sabrina transitioned from a solo provider to owning a group practice where her deep commitment to client-centered care shifted to teaching and supervising provisionally licensed providers and master’s student interns, fostering their growth in the field. Additionally, Sabrina the author of a 90-day body image journal and the host of a podcast dedicated to mental health and body neutrality. She is awaiting approval of her CEDS (certified eating disorder specialist) through iadep (International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals).
Tori Cherry, LCSW, CEDS-C
Fundraising Chair, Development Commitee Chair
​Tori Cherry is a licensed clinical social worker and Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and Consultant (CEDS-C) based in Chicago, IL. Born and raised in Iowa, Tori brings warmth, curiosity, and a deep belief in the innate human ability to heal with the right conditions and support. She believes that changing relationships with food and one's body requires not only personal insight but also a willingness to examine and challenge the cultural systems of oppression that perpetuate body image distress, disordered eating, and disconnection from one's self.
Tori is Level 1 trained in Internal Family Systems (IFS) through the IFS Institute and a past fellow of the University of Chicago's Contextual Behavior Therapy program, where she trained in DBT and ACT. She has extensive experience treating eating disorders across all levels of care, from hospital settings to private practice. Through her practice, Embodied Counseling, Tori provides therapy for individuals navigating eating disorders, disordered eating, anxiety, trauma, and body image concerns. In addition to individual therapy, Tori offers clinical supervision and consultation to fellow therapists seeking to strengthen their skills and confidence in treating eating disorders and body image issues.
Outside of work, Tori is an avid reader, rock climber, and home cook. She enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and their beloved greyhound, Izzy.
Emily Flanagan, T-LMHC
Board Member, Professional Member Chair
Emily (she/her/hers) resides with her family in Iowa City, Iowa, and loves making music with friends, learning new things, and being outside. She is passionate about supporting individuals in addressing disordered eating and body image concerns. Emily joined EDCI to increase societal awareness of the importance of a weight- and size-neutral approach.
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She earned a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and is a temporarily licensed therapist in Iowa. Emily practices from a Health at Every Size (HAES) approach and is honored to see clients for individual therapy in private practice.