Upcoming
Information Sessions
Eating Disorders Families Australia’s (EDFA) National EDucation Program is accredited to the National Safety and Quality Digital Mental Health Standards.
Eating Disorders Families Australia delivers twice-monthly Information Sessions for families and carers of individuals with eating disorders.
Watch A FREE Information Session
Watch a FREE Session
Renowned Eating Disorder Therapist, Carolyn Costin, joined EDFA at an Information Session. This session is freely available to Australian carers to learn more about how to strengthen your loved one’s ‘healthy self’.
Become A Member
Members can access our live Information Sessions for free as part of membership (you’ll need to register for each Information Session). EDFA is currently offering FREE membership for carers in SA and QLD.
Watch Past Sessions
EDFA membership also gives you access to recordings of Information Sessions after the event. All sessions are recorded, and can be accessed by members after the event.
Join A Session in Your Language
With credentialed interpreters fluent in over 150 languages, we can now better support carers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Upcoming Information Sessions
As a lived experience organisation, we are proud to share stories of those with their own lived experience, giving strength and hope to families that their loved ones can recover and lead fulfilling lives. Information sessions also feature clinicians focusing on medical and nutritional aspects of dealing with an eating disorder in the family.
As EDFA takes a unbiased approach to treatment, clinicians, and pathways of care, we are proud to share knowledge from speakers on different treatments and approaches.
What to expect
Our Information Sessions take place on the first Thursday and third Monday each month, 8:00-9:15pm AEDT.
- One-hour speaker-led sessions, followed by a 15-minute Q&A
- Hosted by carers with their own lived experience caring for a loved one with an eating disorder
- No expectation to share – feel free to come along and listen
- You can access the slides shared at the beginning of each Information Session here
This webinar will explore body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) -what it is, how it differs from the more common body dissatisfaction and body dysmorphia seen in eating disorders, and why these distinctions matter for support and recovery. We will discuss emerging research on cognitive difficulties in BDD, including how challenges with attention, memory, and social thinking can shape a person’s daily functioning and contribute to distress. The session will also offer practical guidance for carers, outlining ways to recognise BDD-related thinking patterns and behaviours, communicate effectively, and provide compassionate, informed support to individuals experiencing BDD.
Katrina Holmes à Court is a PhD candidate in the Neurocognition Laboratory at Swinburne University of Technology, supervised by Professor Susan Rossell. After careers as a musician and restaurateur, she returned to study after 25 years and now researches cognition in body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Her work builds on involvement in the world-first oxytocin clinical trial for BDD, the National Body Image Survey, and the development of the international BodyThink study. She has published a systematic review of neurocognition in BDD (Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry) and a qualitative study of subjective cognition (BMC Psychiatry), and has presented her research on radio, in The Age, and at major conferences including the International OCD Conference, ANZAED, and BIRD. Katrina is passionate about improving understanding and treatment of BDD, and outside academia enjoys travel, family time, and making music.
This session is only open for EDFA members.
Stories of Hope with Lived Experience Carers
Monday, April 20,
8:00-9:15pm AEST
More details coming soon
More details coming soon.
Professor Pepin is an experienced mental health occupational therapist and a proficient academic. Built on almost 20 years’ work in the area of mental health and eating disorders in Canada and in Australia and including partnerships with national and international leaders in the field, Prof Pepin has established herself as a significant contributor to eating disorders research. Genevieve’s expertise and passion are in research co-produced with carers of people with an eating disorder, understanding the impact of eating disorders on function and the daily activities of those with an eating disorder and their family, and the development of innovative interventions promoting best health outcomes.
Some of her work includes completing the first Australian studies exploring the effectiveness of the Collaborative Care Skill building Workshop (CCSW), an evidence-based intervention for carers of people with an eating disorder developed by Professor Janet Treasure and colleagues in the UK. She also developed a training program to ensure CCSW is delivered effectively across eating disorder services and organisations.
Her research is impactful and translational, leading to changes in practice and services as demonstrated by an invitation to join the Advisory Committee for the Development of the Australian Eating Disorders Research & Translation Strategy 2021-2031. She is a member of the executive group of the Australian Eating Disorder Research and Translation Centre. She is the co-lead of the Lived-Experience and Co-Production stream of the Centre and a member of the National Eating Disorders Research Consortium.
Genevieve is a strong believer in multidisciplinary approaches to understanding eating disorders. She believes in best practice and is curious about emerging knowledge and interventions about eating disorders.
This session is only open for EDFA members.
More details coming soon.
Professor Pepin is an experienced mental health occupational therapist and a proficient academic. Built on almost 20 years’ work in the area of mental health and eating disorders in Canada and in Australia and including partnerships with national and international leaders in the field, Prof Pepin has established herself as a significant contributor to eating disorders research. Genevieve’s expertise and passion are in research co-produced with carers of people with an eating disorder, understanding the impact of eating disorders on function and the daily activities of those with an eating disorder and their family, and the development of innovative interventions promoting best health outcomes.
Some of her work includes completing the first Australian studies exploring the effectiveness of the Collaborative Care Skill building Workshop (CCSW), an evidence-based intervention for carers of people with an eating disorder developed by Professor Janet Treasure and colleagues in the UK. She also developed a training program to ensure CCSW is delivered effectively across eating disorder services and organisations.
Her research is impactful and translational, leading to changes in practice and services as demonstrated by an invitation to join the Advisory Committee for the Development of the Australian Eating Disorders Research & Translation Strategy 2021-2031. She is a member of the executive group of the Australian Eating Disorder Research and Translation Centre. She is the co-lead of the Lived-Experience and Co-Production stream of the Centre and a member of the National Eating Disorders Research Consortium.
Genevieve is a strong believer in multidisciplinary approaches to understanding eating disorders. She believes in best practice and is curious about emerging knowledge and interventions about eating disorders.
This session is only open for EDFA members.
Attendance at our Information sessions should not be used for professional or financial gain. We ask that you do not promote your own services in the chat or Q&A. Thank you for your cooperation.
Thank you to our Information Session presenters who have generously shared their knowledge and time to benefit the EDFA community. You can access the list of past presenters here.
If you are interested in reaching out for further information or to enquire about our Information Sessions, you can contact Coran Johnson, EDucation Coordinator, at coran.johnson@edfa.org.au.