Understanding Eating Disorders in a Digital Age
Adult & Adolescent Clinical Training Series
March 27, 2026 | Live Zoom Webinar | 4 NBCC CEs
Navigating the Evolving Landscape of Eating Disorders: Cultural Influences & Treatment Implications
Eating disorders remain among the most complex and high-risk mental health conditions clinicians treat, often involving significant medical, psychological, and ethical considerations across adolescent and adult populations.
As diagnostic presentations evolve, clinicians are increasingly encountering eating disorder symptomatology shaped and reinforced by contemporary pop culture, social media platforms & algorithms, and appearance-driven digital communities.
In this clinically focused training, Melissa Preston, LPC, RD, licensed counselor and registered dietitian with over 15 years of specialized experience, provides an in-depth, evidence-based overview of eating disorder diagnostic categories (AN, BN, BED, ARFID), and examining how platforms like TikTok, celebrity narratives, and wellness culture influence symptom development, maintenance, and recovery.
Why attend this training?
In a digital era where the “clean girl aesthetic,” #WhatIEatInADay videos, fitness trackers, and celebrity transformation narratives dominate social media feeds, mental health professionals must be equipped to navigate the evolving landscape of eating disorder development, maintenance, and recovery.
This training examines how cultural forces, including influencer-driven wellness trends, aesthetic-driven “health” movements, online comparison loops, and celebrity discourses (such as Lizzo’s conversations about body autonomy and Taylor Swift’s openness about her struggles) are shaping clients’ beliefs about food, bodies, and self-worth across adolescent and adult populations.
In this training, pop culture is examined as a clinically significant factor that impacts belief systems, identity formation, and symptom maintenance. Participants will be equipped with practical tools to enhance clinical rigor by:
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Integrating media literacy and narrative reframing into treatment ethically and effectively to reduce symptom reinforcement.
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Applying culturally-responsive and trauma-informed interventions to help clients challenge internalized media messages.
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Supporting clients to build resilience and foster healthier relationships with food and their bodies.
Presenter
Melissa Preston, LPC, RD, is a licensed professional counselor and registered dietitian with more than 15 years of specialized experience in the assessment and treatment of eating disorders.
Since 2013, she has operated a thriving private practice dedicated to supporting individuals struggling with eating disorders, body image concerns, and related mental health issues. Blending clinical expertise with a compassionate, client-centered approach, Melissa integrates both therapeutic and nutritional perspectives to provide comprehensive, evidence-based care.
Additionally, she is an experienced presenter who has delivered trainings, conference presentations, and webinars on eating disorders, body image, and the influence of culture on food and body relationships. In addition to clinical work and professional education, she has served as a guest lecturer and instructor for master’s-level counseling and nutrition programs, helping prepare emerging clinicians to work effectively and ethically with individuals impacted by disordered eating.
Known for an engaging and accessible teaching style, Melissa brings together clinical insight, current research, and real-world application to support mental health professionals in deepening their competence and confidence when working with clients affected by eating disorders.
Who should Attend?
This training focuses on adult and adolescent clients, and is perfect for mental health professionals who want to stay culturally informed, clinically sharp, and relevant in conversations that clients are already having online.
This includes:
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Therapists working with adolescents and adults
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Licensed and pre-licensed clinicians, including counselors, social workers, marriage and family therapists, psychologists, and school-based mental health providers
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Clinical supervisors and case managers seeking to better support staff or clients
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Behavioral health professionals in outpatient, community, or integrated care settings
Learning Objectives
1. Define the primary diagnostic categories of eating disorders (e.g., AN, BN, BED, ARFID) and describe key psychological, behavioral, and medical features essential for accurate identification and clinical assessment.
2. Explain the impact of contemporary pop-culture influences—including social media trends, celebrity narratives, and appearance-driven online communities—on the onset, maintenance, and presentation of eating disorders across developmental stages.
3. Differentiate evidence-based information about eating disorders from common myths and misinformation found in digital and pop-culture spaces, and demonstrate strategies for teaching clients media literacy skills to reduce symptom reinforcement.
4. Apply evidence-based, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed interventions to help clients challenge internalized media messages, improve body image flexibility, and develop more adaptive relationships with food and their bodies.
Details & Registration
Date: Friday March 27th, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM Mountain Time (See how this translates into your timezone).
Location: Online Zoom Training (MT Time Zone)
Pricing:
$80 Full Professional Rate
$65 Mid-Level Professional Rate
$50 Student / Accessible Professional Rate
*Pricing includes CE Certificate
What if I can't make the training live? We've got you covered! With this event, you can register to attend live or for the recording only and watch it whenever it works for you. All registrants will receive access to the recordings, which will be available for 30 days.
Of Note: If you are attending the online training live, it is required that you have your video on and are actively participating in order to earn the offered CEs. Please do not engage in other activities while in this training including driving, driving through for that coffee fix, or rearranging your closet - this training requires your attention and engagement. You will receive an email with the Zoom link and any handouts the day prior to the training.
CE Information: This training will provide 4 CE Credits following successful completion of a post-test. A New Hope Academy has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7816. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. A New Hope Academy is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.