Meadows Behavioral Healthcare announced today that Jenni Schaefer has joined the organization as a Senior Fellow for its continuum of treatment services and advocate for its specialty eating disorder program, The Meadows Ranch.
Meadows Behavioral Healthcare announced today that Jenni Schaefer has joined the organization as a Senior Fellow for its continuum of treatment services and advocate for its specialty eating disorder program, The Meadows Ranch. In this role, Schaefer will be instrumental in supporting the program’s leading-edge approach to neurobehavioral health treatment, which is integrated with trauma services. She will also share her knowledge, experience, and expertise with patients and staff.
Schaefer graduated summa cum laude from Texas A&M University with a degree in biochemistry and knows first-hand the devastating consequences of an eating disorder. Since recovering from her own eating disorder, she has carried her message of self-acceptance and triumph over adversity to the public.
Schaefer has authored several books, including Life Without Ed: How One Woman Declared Independence from Her Eating Disorder and How You Can Too, and contributed to anthologies like the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. She is a sought-after speaker on addiction and food disorders, relationships, depression, and career. She has appeared on Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, The Today Show and Entertainment Tonight, as well as in print coverage from Cosmopolitan and The New York Times. She is a blogger for The Huffington Post, and her work has appeared in Publisher’s Weekly, The Chicago Tribune, Glamour, Shape, The Washington Times, Woman’s World, Seventeen, and more.
“Jenni is a multi-faceted individual and has a real passion for helping people overcome adversity and flourish in life,” said Sean Walsh, President of Meadows Behavioral Healthcare. “Her personal experience and knowledge of eating disorders and trauma, along with her high-energy message of the power of self-acceptance in overcoming self-sabotage, is a great lesson that will benefit the patients we help every day at The Meadows Ranch.”
Schaefer is Chair of the Ambassadors Council of the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) and recipient of their Westin Family Award for Excellence in Advocacy and Activism. She is a member of the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, and of the Academy of Eating Disorders.
“After battling the debilitating effects of both an eating disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, I now know that a deep healing is possible. I am incredibly grateful that my role as Senior Fellow will give me the chance to share this hope with others: recovery happens, and life can unfold in the most incredible, unimaginable ways,” Schaefer said. “Joining the team at The Meadows Ranch, alongside many of my heroes in the mental health field, is such a full circle—and surreal—story for me. Years ago, another Senior Fellow’s book, Dr. Peter Levine’s Waking the Tiger, provided me with the clarity and inspiration that I needed to face my own trauma. I am deeply honored to work with a program and team that I have admired ever since I began my work as an advocate.”
About Meadows Behavioral Healthcare
Meadows Behavioral Healthcare is the industry leader in providing treatment for people struggling with addiction, eating disorders, trauma, and related mental health conditions through its advanced integrated trauma resolution approach. The company’s programs — The Meadows, Claudia Black Young Adult Center, Gentle Path at The Meadows, Willow House at The Meadows, The Meadows Ranch, The Meadows Outpatient Center, and a variety of intensive workshops offered at Rio Retreat Center — are the premier choice for patients, families, and behavioral health professionals. For more information, please visit http://www.themeadows.com.