The 18th Annual HEAL Conference

Kayla Bryant, OTR/L, is a pediatric occupational therapist, pediatric pelvic floor therapist, somatic therapist, and founder of The Family OT in Asheville. She specializes in neurodivergent-affirming, trauma-informed care and is passionate about helping children, adolescents, and adults reconnect with their bodies through sensory, interoceptive, nervous system-based, and somatic approaches to healing. Her work focuses on the intersection of neurodivergence, trauma, sensory processing, pelvic health, emotional regulation, and embodied safety, with a special interest in how these experiences influence eating differences, body awareness, and self-trust. Kayla believes healing happens not through compliance or normalization, but through safety, curiosity, connection, and honoring the unique ways each nervous system experiences the world.

Leah L. Graves, RDN, LDN, hon CEDS-C, F.iaedp, FAED, brings more than 40 years of experience in eating disorder nutrition care across clinical practice, health system leadership, education, and advocacy. She is the principal of Graves Nutrition Consultancy, LLC, and a partner with Complex Solutions for Eating Disorders, providing advanced consultation, training, and program development to professionals and treatment organizations. Leah is a certified trainer for dietitians with the Temperament-Based Therapy with Support (TBT-S) Training Institute and co-editor of Eating Disorder Review, the clinical journal of the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (iaedp), roles that position her at the forefront of developing and disseminating best practice nutrition care in eating disorder treatment. A founding member and fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED) and iaedp, she currently co-chairs the AED Nutrition Task Force and is a frequent national and international speaker and author focused on advancing standards of nutrition therapy for eating disorders.

Laura Henson, RD, LDN, specializes in medical nutrition therapy for adults, adolescents, and children with disordered eating patterns. She is a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor and enjoys teaming up with clients to break free of the diet cycle. Laura also has a passion for helping neurodivergent individuals navigate their eating challenges. Laura received her Bachelor of Science degree in nutrition from Marshall University and completed her dietetic internship with Iowa State University. She worked as a nutrition educator in elementary schools with Marshall University’s Nutrition Education Program and as a clinical dietitian at Central Regional Hospital, a state psychiatric hospital. Most recently, she was a clinical dietitian at Veritas Collaborative, treating individuals with eating disorders at several levels of care, including inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient. She is a member of the International Association for Eating Disorder Professionals (iaedp) and the International Federation of Eating Disorder Dietitians. Laura promotes Health At Every Size® principles and practices a non-diet approach. She utilizes motivational interviewing and DBT skills to provide client-centered, compassionate care. Laura welcomes clients of all ages, genders, and backgrounds.

Johanna Kandel, is the Founder and CEO of the National Alliance for Eating Disorders and a nationally recognized leader, speaker, and expert in the field. After recovering from a decade-long struggle with eating disorders, she founded The Alliance in 2000 and has spent more than two decades expanding access to care, support, and education nationwide. Johanna works closely with policymakers to advance eating disorder awareness and treatment access and has served on federal mental health advisory committees. She is the author of Life Beyond Your Eating Disorder and a frequent media contributor featured in outlets such as NBC News, The Today Show, and The New York Times.

Christine Northrup, LCSW, CED-S, SEP, values the innate wisdom of each individual as the guiding force of her work. With extensive training in serving diverse populations, Christine works through a Health at Every Size lens and welcomes clients from all racial and cultural backgrounds, sexual orientations, and gender identities. She specializes in the treatment of trauma and eating disorders and the intersection of attachment and sensory processing issues. Christine also works with life transitions, anxiety, depression, learning differences, issues impacting the LGBTQQIA+ community, parenting, and resolving shock trauma. She has extensive training in somatic experiencing and embodied recovery. Christine works with a psycho-biological approach and often integrates expressive arts and movement into her work with clients. Christine’s work is informed by my training in mindfulness, ACT, and DBT, as well as her background teaching arts in the public school system.

Ari Pence, MD, MSCP, is a board-certified family medicine physician at Christie Clinic in Champaign, Illinois, and a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner. She provides comprehensive, integrative primary care across the lifespan, with special clinical interests in eating disorders, menopause and hormone therapy, perinatal and postpartum mood disorders, behavioral and mental health, and gender-affirming care. Dr. Pence is known for her patient-centered, trauma-informed approach and for integrating medical, psychological, and social dimensions of care. Dr. Pence completed her family medicine with obstetrics residency at Northwestern McGaw Family Medicine and community health residency at Humboldt Park in Chicago after earning her medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine. She worked at MAHEC in Asheville in the Department of Family Medicine and really began her work in the world of eating disorder care. She has held numerous leadership roles in wellness, medical education, and maternal-child health, and currently serves as a clinical associate professor at Carle Illinois College of Medicine. She is an experienced educator and speaker and has presented nationally on eating disorder care, clinician wellness, organizational change, breastfeeding support, and resiliency in medical training.