Galloway, NJ– Stockton University will host more than a dozen events throughout the spring 2018 semester in support of Disordered Eating Awareness and Prevention Month. Events include disordered eating screenings, stories of recovery, mental health first aid trainings, a coping skills workshop, a mindfulness retreat, a presentation by Colleen Coffey, Active Minds national speaker, and a keynote address by Disordered Eating Awareness Prevention (DEAP) Speaker Blythe Baird.

Nate Morell, assistant director of Counseling Services believes the events help to shed light on some of the most deadly and stigmatized mental health challenges, Eating Disorders. “We believe, with prevention, outreach, and treatment, we can promote life and wellness,” said Morell. “Our goal this year is moving the community from seeing eating disorders as a stigmatized/shameful and misunderstood concept, to connecting with people on a heart level, through hearing people’s stories of vulnerability, struggle, and recovery.”

All events are listed below and are free and open to the public.

Monday, Feb. 26-Friday, March 2, 2018
National Eating Disorder Awareness (N.E.D.A) Week

Tuesday, Feb. 13; Tuesday, March 20; Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Event: Eating to Thrive
Event Description: Learn to use food and psychology to improve wellness
Time: 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Location: F-226

Monday Feb. 26-March 1, 2018
Event: Disordered Eating Screenings
Event Description: Free Disordered Eating Screenings, Interactive Tabling & Pet Therapists
Time: 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Location: In front of the Library (E-Wing Gallery)

Monday, Feb. 26, 2018
Event: Recovery Narrative & Yoga
Event Description: Recovery narrative and yoga event with Psychotherapist and Yoga Instructor Corrine Kopp. Bring a yoga mat!
Time: 6-7:30 p.m.
Location: Lakeside Lodge

Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2018
Event: Student Stories of Recovery from Eating Disorders
Event Description: Students will share their stories of recovery from eating disorders.
Time: 4:30-5:45 p.m.
Location: F-111

Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018
Event: Active Minds National Speaker
Event Description: National Speaker Colleen Coffey from Active Minds shares her story, “A Complete Life,” relating her earliest memories of anxiety at the age of three, through her teens, and into adulthood. With a family history of mental health disorders, she was diagnosed with anxiety, depression, disordered eating and obsessive/compulsive disorder at a young age but did not receive the correct treatment until much later in life. In spite of a high school and college career that included leadership positions, starring roles and popularity, Colleen silently suffered panic attacks, extreme stress and feelings of emptiness. While in graduate school, she found proper treatment, and with a combination of psychiatric and medical doctors, a therapist and a nutritionist, she broke out of the cycle of being angry, sad, anxious and preoccupied. She learned that diagnoses don’t lead her life, healthy coping skills were accessible, and she was good enough as herself. Colleen has become a widely-sought speaker and consultant, devoted to showing audiences that mental health disorders are often a product of biology or environment, or both, and that recovery is possible, stigma is useless, and everyone holds the power to transform communities.
Time: 8-10 p.m.
Location: Campus Center Theater

Thursday, March 1, 2018
Event: Coping Skills Workshop
Event Description: Participants will be split into five classrooms where they will learn four coping skills including yoga, mindful eating, meditation and creative self-expression. Students will switch rooms every 15 minutes.
Time: 4:30-5:45 p.m.
Location: F-201, F-202, F-203, F-206, F-215

Friday, March 2, 2018
Event: Mental Health First Aid
Event Description: CPR for the Brain. A 3-year certification on how to support and connect people experiencing mental health challenges.
Time: 8 a.m-5 p.m.
Location: Lakeside Lodge

Note: Pre-registration is required. Visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mental-health-first-aid-march-2-2018-tickets-41045809120 to register.

Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Event: Food Trends/Binge Eating Disorder
Event Description: Come explore the truth about food trends including, Clean Eating, Paleo, and Juice Cleanses. The program will be led by Stockton Nutritionist Kim Raring and Health Educator Kristen Mittleman.
Time: 4-5 p.m.
Location: TRLC

Wednesday, March 21, 2018
Event: Mental Health First Aid
Event Description: CPR for the Brain. A 3-year certification on how to support and connect people experiencing mental health challenges.
Time: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Location: Lakeside Lodge

Note: Pre-registration is required. Visit https://www.facebook.com/stocktondeap/ for link to register.

Thursday, March 22, 2018
Event: Celebrity Eating Disorder Discussion
Event Description: Participants will view clips from various celebrities discussing their struggles with eating disorders. A reflection session will be held after the videos.  
Time: 4:30-5:45 p.m.
Location: West Quad-103

Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Event: Blythe Baird, Disordered Eating Awareness Prevention (DEAP) Keynote Speaker
Event Description: Blythe Baird is a 21 year-old college senior, published author (Give Me a God I Can Relate To) and a slam poet with millions of views on YouTube. Blythe is also sexual assault survivor, member of the LGBTQ community, a college senior, a person in recovery from an eating disorder, and a women's rights advocate.
Time: 8-10 p.m.
Location: Campus Center Theater

Thursday, April 5, 2018
Event: Nourish
Event Description: Take part in creating a healthy plant-based meal, meet a local organic farmer and share and enjoy a meal together!
Time: 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Location: Townsend Residential Life Center (TRLC)

Saturday, April 14, 2018
Event: Mindfulness in Daily Life Retreat
Event Description: A full day meditation retreat led by alum Bhikkhu Jayasara, who after being married and widowed and working full time as a DYFS worker, became a Theravada, Buddhist Monk.
Time:9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Location: N-Wing Meditation Room

Thursday, April 19, 2018
Event: Gratitude Fest
Event Description: The event will feature gratitude-focused activities including painting/crafts, yoga, meditation, nutrition and spirituality. All activities are aimed at growing happiness and resilience.
Time: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Location: Townsend Residential Life Center (TRLC)

In addition to these events, the Eating Disorder Support Group meets from 5:30-6:30 p.m. every Tuesday (excluding holidays and semester breaks) in the TRLC Meeting Room 1. The group is run by Nate Morell, assistant director of Counseling Services and Kim Raring, campus nutritionist and is open to anyone who suffers from disordered eating.

Events are sponsored by the Wellness Center at Stockton University, Active Minds, Student Senate, Sorority and Fraternity Life, The Pride Alliance and the Mental Health Association of Atlantic County.

For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/stocktondeap/ or contact Nathan Morell, assistant director of Counseling Services at Nathan.morell@stockton.edu or 609-652-4286.

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Contact: 
Diane D’Amico
Director of News and Media Relations
Galloway, N.J. 08205
Diane.D’Amico@Stockton.edu
609-652-4593
stockton.edu/media