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/

FEAST 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/

FEAST Family Guide: 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.

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

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FEAST website:

https://feast-ed.org/

FEAST 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/

Bright Mind Therapy (Dr. Knatz Peck's clinic):

https://www.brightmindtherapy.com/

TBTS Institute:

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.

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/

FEAST 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

Brainstorms podcast episode:

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.