St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) May 20, 2014

From June 5 to 7, addiction and mental health professionals, physicians, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and other health care professionals will gather in St. Louis, Mo. for the Insight & Innovation in Eating Disorder Treatment Summit. Among the esteemed panel of speakers are Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, FACP, Senior Science Advisor to Elements Behavioral Health; Karen Brownd, LPC, CSAT-S, program director at The Center for Relationship and Sexual Recovery at The Ranch; and Susan Strain, ACSW, LCSW, CEDS, program director of eating disorder services at The Ranch.

On Thursday, June 5, Brownd and Strain will co-present The Trifecta for Relapse, from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. While clients may initially seek treatment for substance abuse, trauma or mood disorders, additional symptoms of co-existing sex, love and relationship addictions and eating disorders may be uncovered, said Brownd. Often, it is a case of one disorder or addiction masking the other.

The presentation will focus on clinical tools and techniques to identify co-existing love, relationship and sex addiction and eating disorders. Treatment and clinical strategies will be highlighted by case examples exploring the roles of shame, secrecy, and the drive to maintain power and control in both sex/love/relationship addictions and eating disorders.

Kicking off the morning on Friday, June 6, Dr. Peeke will present Slipping Into Your Genes: How the New Science of Epigenetics is Redefining Eating, from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. In this presentation, practitioners will learn simple and practical steps to achieve optimal epigenetic expression for themselves and their patients and create more positive lifelong health outcomes.

Thanks to the groundbreaking science of epigenetics, we now know that DNA is not destiny, said Dr. Peeke. It is incredibly empowering for clinicians and their patients to learn about the ways our physical health and mental well-being are shaped every day by every thought we have, every bite of food we eat and each step we take.

Then, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., in Shame, Blame and Guilt: Solutions for Healing the Triad of Pain, Dr. Peeke will address how these three emotions are associated with self-destructive behaviors, including addiction and disordered eating. Her presentation will explore the underlying issue how toxic shame fuels the compulsive-addictive cycle as well as the solution a holistic and integrative strategy for healing.

To register for the conference, which is co-hosted by The Ranch, visit the Ben Franklin Institute website. To learn more about other speaking engagements in the behavioral health care field, visit the Elements Behavioral Health events page or contact Jeanette Lisalda at jlisalda(at)theelements(dot)com.

About The Ranch

Since 1999, The Ranch has provided comprehensive therapeutic programs that treat the underlying causes of eating disorders, addictions and other self-defeating behaviors. The Ranch offers innovative therapies to address the multidimensional aspects of the whole person while teaching personal accountability in a safe, nurturing, real-life environment. Located on a working horse ranch in the beautiful rolling hills of Nunnelly, Tennessee, The Ranch offers programs with a variable length of stay, which allows each client to anchor new recovery behaviors needed for lasting change. For more information about The Ranch, call (855) 893-5987 or visit http://www.recoveryranch.com.

Visit link:
Relapse, Epigenetics and Shame Explored by Elements Behavioral Health at Insight & Innovation in Eating Disorder ...