About Me
Hello, lovely! Let me tell you a bit about myself. I am an award-winning author, keynote speaker, professor, advisor in the research and treatment of anorexia, and the managing director of a medical society.
In 2023, I released Unrestricted: How I Stepped Off the Tightrope, Learned to Say No, and Silenced Anorexia—a deeply personal story of how I stopped disappearing, started listening to my own voice, and claimed my rightful place in the world.
Unrestricted, and the message it shares, has received support from some incredible people, including the former director of the National Institute of Mental Health, the former Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Mental Health, alongside many other distinguished researchers and clinicians.
The relevance and relatability of my message extends well beyond the singularity of anorexia nervosa into the broader topics of mental health and the universally challenging experience of learning how to create self-directed space, especially as a woman. I love sharing my experience and insights and have been privileged to present to large health systems, research organizations, universities—including Harvard and Howard (what an honor!)—community-based entities and media outlets. As a writer and lover of literature, it is also a special treat to guest teach at writing workshops and retreats.
The work that is most meaningful to me is serving as an advocate for a person battling anorexia—and their family. It is an honor to advise researchers and clinicians on improved approaches in the treatment of anorexia from the perspective of a recovered patient.
In 2021, I contributed an essay to What Doesn’t Kill Her: Women’s Stories of Resilience, a collection of sixty triumphant survival stories written by a diverse array of women. Dedicated to the strength and resilience of women, the collection has been hailed by many prominent activists and academics, including Gloria Steinem: “When someone is ill, many old cultures say that they have lost their story. I believe that reading the stories in What Doesn’t Kill Her will help each of us to trust and tell our own.”
Education—in the roles of both teacher and student—is one of my many passions. I hold six degrees and graduate certificates, including: an honors degree in Philosophy from Westminster University, a graduate certificate in French Language and Literature from the Université de Paris—Sorbonne, an advanced graduate certificate in French Literature and Poetry from L’Institut de Touraine, and a graduate certificate in Negotiation & Peace Studies and Master of Public Policy & Administration degree from Boise State University. I teach in the Graduate School of Public Service at Boise State, and I make an annual sojourn to Paris.
The Mountain West is my home. I live on a small but demanding farm with my outrageously talented wife, our remarkably smart and hilarious puppy, and a small flock of loud but prolific chickens. Mountains of exceptional height, chocolate of profound depth, and conversations of extraordinary length reliably lure me from my writing mat.
