Conferences, Consultations and Seminars offered to the Schools

(Click here to read journal articles and Abbie's mailbox)

Abigail is an eating disorder specialist, educator, and consultant for professions.  She provides seminars, tutorials and experiential workshops for teachers, educators, school counselors, athletic coaches, students, and parents. Teachers learn what eating disorders are about, how they affect their students’ capacity to learn, and how to intervene effectively to nip these problems in the bud before they take hold and take lives.  School personnel will also learn how to become student advocates as part of the eating disorder recovery team.

 

FULL DAY TRAINING WORKSHOPS would include:

• A power-point keynote address

• Teaching workshops

• Breakout groups for students and/or parents wanting to share similar personal experiences

• Multi-family group therapy sessions, facilitated by Abigail. Ninety minute multi-family groups would provide self-selected workshop participants the opportunity to experience a more deeply personal sense of community, self-awareness, and positive change. Participants choosing not to become actively involved in the group therapy experience enjoy the option to learn more about themselves, recovery, and the therapy process by observing the therapy group in process through a "fishbowl" format.

• Workshop participants will enjoy the unique opportunity to experience body awareness and body image transformation through an experiential session featuring the Feldenkrais Method. This workshop segment would introduce this potent, a-traditional adjunct treatment technique that has been proven to enhance personal self-awareness, self-perception, and problem-solving in eating disorder recovery. This Awareness through Movement© workshop can be enjoyed by participants while seating or standing at their seats.
  
   

HALF DAY TRAINING WORKSHOPS would include:

• A power-point keynote address

Optional:

• A teaching workshop or

• A multi-family group therapy session, facilitated by Abigail. Ninety minute multi-family groups would provide self-selected workshop participants the opportunity to experience a more deeply personal sense of community, self-awareness, and positive change. Participants choosing not to become actively involved in the group therapy experience enjoy the option to learn more about themselves, recovery, and the therapy process by observing the therapy group in process through a "fishbowl" format.

• Breakout groups for families wanting to share similar personal experiences.

• Workshop participants will enjoy the unique opportunity to experience body awareness and body image transformation through an experiential session featuring the Feldenkrais Method. This workshop segment would introduce this potent, a-traditional adjunct treatment technique that has been proven to enhance personal self-awareness, self-perception, and problem-solving in eating disorder recovery. This Awareness through Movement© workshop can be enjoyed by participants while seating or standing at their seats.
   

Workshops

• Lectures for Educators and Coaches
• Mind/Body Connection
• Lectures for Parents and PTA's
• Workshops with and for Students
• Jewish Institutions

School Journal publications

Our Children, The National PTA Magazine; October 2000; Volume 26 #2 Conquering Eating Disorders at Home and in School: Lessons That Save Lives; a feature article by Abigail H. Natenshon
 
The American School Board Journal; Food Fright; February, 1996
http://www.asbj.com/indexes/subjectindex96.html
 

School Conference Leadership and Lectures

Illinois Association of School Social Workers Conference;
Eating Disorders in the Schools: Teaching Lessons that Save Lives
 

Recent Consultations to Schools

School consultations help teachers and administrators formulate in-school programs for primary and secondary prevention of eating disorders for all age groups, facilitating the creation of teaching tools, resources, programs and support groups for eligible students, consulting with counseling staff about dealing with resistant, acting-out and vulnerable students and their parents.

• New Trier High School; Winnetka, Il

  • On Creating a Body Image Intervention Program for the Student Body; A consultation for teachers, coaches and social service staff

• Roosevelt Middle School; River Forest, Illinois

  • Teacher/Athletic Coach In-service/training about eating disorders in the school

• Highland Park High School, IL

  • Teacher/Athletic Coach In-service/training about eating disorders in the school

• Glenbrook North High School Eating Disorders

  • Speech and Member of Teaching Panel in honor Eating Disorder Awareness Week, 2000

• Glenbrook South High School

  • In-service training for counseling department

• Northwestern University Health Fair

  • Spring, 2003

• Northwestern University Chemical Educators Speaker, 2000

  • A training program for student peer educators who deal with addictions
     

Testimonials from School Professionals

A school social worker and participant in the Illinois Association of School Social Workers Conference, 2000
Most teachers want very much to help out but don't know how to begin. Abbie gives practical suggestions that make the task before us so much more understandable and do-able. I have been hoping for a book like hers for years, as it is a wonderful resource for parents and kids, as well as teachers, coaches and school counselors.”

"I just visited your site for kids. It is so informational and user friendly!"
- J. Mardi
 

Teachers, administrators, coaches, counselors -

Use this book as a resource

• School social workers can direct teachers and parents to it when they require clarification about eating disorders in youngsters.

• Kids eager to have their parents understand what they are going through can direct their parents to it.

• Teachers can use the workbook in health classes to offer students interesting and informative health quizzes to raise their level of self-awareness and insights.

• School personnel can assess their own personal issues with eating and body image concerns to become better prepared to observe and address these problems in their students. Eating disorders and the issues that give rise to them are not just based in childhood. Studies show that 75% of women and 45% of men are unhappy with their physical appearance and wish their bodies were different.

• Eating disorders are the most lethal of all the mental health disorders. By learning to address these issues, you could save lives.

Professional's Guide

Download the complimentary Professional's Guide for school professionals in using When Your Child Has an Eating Disorder: A Step-by-Step Workbook for Parents and Other Caregivers as a resource for students and parents. The workbook will also provide educators the insight and self awareness they require to effectively intervene with students and parents.

FOR KIDS

About the Book  

When Your Child Has an Eating Disorder: A Step-by-Step Workbook for Parents and Other Caregivers is a marvelous resource for you:

• Potent random comments from your students deserve a potent and intentional response. Learn what these are.

• What should you do about the child whom you observe in the cafeteria who is not eating lunch?

• What should you do about the child in the gymnasium who is compulsively over-exercising?

• School nurses, what should you do about the exceedingly thin child who comes to lie down in your office because of head aches and feeling faint or dizzy?

(Click here to read journal articles and Abbie's mailbox)

Psychotherapist Abigail H. Natenshon has specialized in the treatment of eating disorders with individuals, families, and groups for the past 35 years. She is the author of When Your Child Has An Eating Disorder, A Step-by-Step Workbook For Parents And Other Caregivers, and is currently writing Doing What Works: A Professional Guide to the Treatment of Eating Disorders.  Her work can be reviewed further at www.empoweredparents.com, www.empoweredkidZ.com, and www.treatingeatingdisorders.com.