Brianna Theus is a black registered dietitian based in Southwestern Connecticut who works with folks who struggle with eating disorders and disordered eating. She earned her bachelor’s in nutrition degree from the University of Saint Joseph in CT and completed her dietetic internship through Western Connecticut Health Network. Brianna has worked in various eating disorder treatment centers where she has developed a love for working with BIPOC clients and bringing in the impacts of white supremacy into sessions. When Brianna isn’t counseling, you can catch her baking or pole dancing.

Religion, Liberation and Eating Disorders

Brianna Theus, RDN

Panel Discussion on

Registered Dietitian

(she/her)

Mimi Cole, MS, recently graduated with her Master’s degree in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling. Mimi speaks from her clinical, research, and lived experience. She is the co-author of A Body Image Workbook for Every Body: A Guide for Deconstructing Diet Culture and Learning How to Respect, Nourish, and Care for Your Whole Self. Mimi is interested in topics of diversity and cultural considerations in traditional therapy, how traditional eating disorder treatment excludes and harms individuals with marginalized identities, and short term treatment attachment trauma. She is the hostess of the podcast, the Lovely Becoming, and has worked with various organizations including the National Alliance for Eating Disorders, the Eating Disorder Coalition, and Project HEAL. 

Mimi (Michelle) Cole, MS

Founder, The Lovely Becoming // The Lovely Becoming Podcast™

(she/her)

Gloria Lucas was born and raised in Southern California and founded Nalgona Positivity Pride in 2014 at the age of 24. Struggling with an eating disorder (ED) and not being able to relate to the conventional narratives of ED she was moved to share her story with the world. Gloria has a background in grassroots feminist organizing, sexual health education and HIV/AIDS services. With the help and support of people from her hometown, Inland Empire (IE), family, and friends she was able to grow and impact the lives of thousands who have struggled with body image and ED. Her areas of focus have consisted of eating disorder harm reduction, size diversity, and colonialism. Her work has been featured in NPR, Teen Vogue, MTV, Huffpost, Los Angeles Times, and Bitch Magazine. She is the person behind Mujeres Market, Seeds from The Flesh, and co-owner of Feminist WoC Biz Center. She currently resides in Orange County. 

Gloria Lucas

Founder, Nalgona Positivity Pride
Xicana Eating Disorders Awareness Educator
Creator of Nalgona Positivity Pride
Creator of Seeds From the Flesh
Creator of Mujeres Market

(she/her)

Fatema Jivanjee-Shakir, LMSW is an eating disorder clinician, writer, and speaker. She has extensive experience working with adults and adolescents in individual, group, and family therapy at the residential, partial hospitalization (PHP), intensive outpatient (IOP), and outpatient levels of care. Her work is strongly informed by the Health at Every Size perspective. Fatema has a special interest in working with BIPOC clients, especially those of South Asian and Muslim backgrounds. Fatema is a Primary Therapist at The Renfrew Center, a therapist in private practice at Conason Psychological Services, and a Board Member of the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals New York chapter. Connect with Fatema on Instagram: @YourSouthAsianTherapist or find her at her website: fjshakir.wordpress.com.

Fatema Jivanjee-Shakir, LMSW

Licensed Master Social Worker

(she/her)

Safiya is passionate about creating more equitable access to eating disorder care. She believes that everyone deserves healing that affirms and celebrates the whole self, and that no one should have to compromise aspects of who they are to receive care. Safiya recognizes that people who hold multiple marginalized identities are often most impacted by barriers to healthcare access, and is personally invested in making mental healthcare safer and more accessible.Safiya is a Licensed Master Social Worker in the state of Maryland. She has experience as a psychotherapist in community mental health and in private practice settings. She also provides groups, educational content, and consulting services. Her passion is using a liberatory framework to support BI&PoC in re-defining their relationship to food and to their body.Safiya holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Boston University.

Safiya Mchale, LMSW

Licensed Master Social Worker

(she/her or they/them)

Patrilie Hernandez identifies as a fat, multiracial, neuroatypical, queer femme of the Puerto Rican diaspora. They have worked in the health and nutrition sector as an educator, advocate, and policy analyst for over 14 years, shaping their understanding of how the pursuit of "health" seamlessly intersects with built environments, equity, and social justice. It wasn’t until they were diagnosed with an eating disorder in 2017 that they realized how much of their own disordered behaviors and thoughts around food, health, and bodies infiltrated all aspects of their personal life and career. Patrilie uses her own lived experiences and Body liberation journey to disrupt the status quo of current health and wellness spaces and advocates for a weight-inclusive paradigm that includes other social determinants of health that influence individual and community wellbeing. Combining their academic background in culinary arts, anthropology, nonprofit management, public health, and nutrition, Patrilie currently works as a consultant for state health departments on expanding nutrition security and health equity efforts. They are also the founder and CEO of Embody Lib, an organization that works alongside medical, health, and educational providers in applying weight-inclusive, multi-dimensional frameworks that reclaim health for people of the global majority. She likes cooking for others, caring for her plants and herbs, looking at the moon, and spending time with her partner and her chihuahua in her spare time.

Patrilie Hernandez

Founder and CEO of Embody Lib

(she/they)

Jordan is a Fat Queer Afro-Jew writer and photographer who focuses on Queer experiences, anti-racism, belonging for JoCs, and Fat activism. Jordan believes in collective liberation and is striving to find pathways to it that explore joy. He is a board member of Fat Torah, a grant advisory board member of the Jews of Color Initiative, and an alumni of various Jewish professional development programs. He seeks to support those with intersectional identities in gaining tools to unlock their own freedom personally and professionally.

Jordan Daniels

Fat Queer Afro-Jew Writer and Photographer

(he/him)