The Center for Eating Disorders offers comprehensive, individualized team treatment of eating, weight, and body image issues. Our goal is: Recovery. Each member of our clinical team practices a relationship-based approach to treatment that respects the unique needs and differences of every client.

Judith Banker is Founder, and has served as President, of the Center for Eating Disorders (CED) since its inception in 1983. CED stands as among the first multidisciplinary non-profit outpatient eating disorders treatment and education organizations in the United States.

Judith served as Lead Consultant to the Huron Oaks Eating Disorder Recovery Program facilitating an innovative partnership between CED and St. Joseph Mercy Hospital-Ann Arbor to provide partial hospitalization treatment to adolescents and adults with eating disorders. A member of the Professional Advisory Panel of F.E.A.S.T. (Families Empowered and Supporting Eating Disorder Treatment), Judith also served on the Advisory Board of the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED) and the Global Foundation for Eating Disorders.

Judith is Past President and a Fellow of the AED and currently sits on the Editorial Board of the Eating Disorders Review. The 2011 recipient of the AED Clinical Leadership Award, Judith lectures internationally on clinical treatment issues in particular the transtheoretical application of a psychodynamic principles in eating disorder treatment and the integration of research and clinical expertise to improve treatment. Her research and publications topics include research- practice integration, effective eating disorder treatment, and early identification and screening for eating disorders.

Amy is the Founder of Bodywise and President of the Board of the Center for Eating Disorders in Ann Arbor. She is the co-founder of Pershing Consulting, LLC, which offers training to clinicians treating BED and trauma worldwide. Amy is also the creator of “Hungerwise™,” a 9-week online program for ending chronic dieting and weight cycling.

Amy is an internationally known leader in the development of treatment paradigms for BED, and one of the first clinicians to specialize in BED treatment. Based on 35 years of clinical experience, Amy has pioneered an approach to BED recovery that is strengths-based and trauma informed, incorporating Internal Family Systems (IFS) and body-based techniques to heal the deeper issues that drive binge behaviors. Her approach integrates a non-diet body empowerment philosophy, helping clients create lasting change with food and body image.

Amy lectures and teaches internationally on the treatment of BED for professional and lay communities; she has been featured on radio, podcast, and television programs around the world speaking about BED treatment and recovery, relapse prevention, weight stigma, and a non-diet approach for eating and movement. She offers a number of full and half day training opportunities and conference presentations through PESI for clinical professionals. Amy is the Past Chair of the Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA), and the winner of BEDA’s Pioneer in Clinical Advocacy award. She is the author of the book Binge Eating Disorder: The Journey to Recovery and Beyond (Taylor and Francis) and the workbook "Emotional Eating, Chronic Dieting, Bingeing And Body Image: A Trauma- Informed Workbook ", with Judith Matz and Christy Harrison (PESI Publishing, 2023).

Suzanne received her medical degree from Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago and completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Michigan. Throughout her career Suzanne has been interested in the impact of mental health, particularly eating and mood disorders and substance abuse, on her patients’ overall well-being.

She joined the Center for Eating Disorders’ staff in 2011. Suzanne is also active in eating disorder advocacy and education efforts as past member of the Board of Directors for the Binge Eating Disorder Association and as a member of the Academy of Eating Disorders (AED) and the AED Medical Care Special Interest Group. Dr. Dooley-Hash was elected to the 2018 AED Class of Fellows.

Her current research interests include early identification of eating disorders through improved screening, the comorbidity of eating disorders with both psychiatric and medical conditions, and methods for improving education about eating disorders for healthcare providers.

Erin graduated with a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology from the Michigan School of Professional Psychology in 2005 and has served on CED’s clinical staff since that time. With a background in psychoeducational eating disorder group work, and individual and family treatment, Erin has a particular interest in the treatment of children, adolescents and young adults with eating, weight, and/or body image disorders and their families. An additional area of interest is working with maternity and post-partum related eating disorder and body image issues. Erin is a member of the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED). She currently is a member of the AED Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Special Interest Group, the Research-Practice Forum, and served on the AED Development Committee.

Stephanie Collins, Registered Dietitian, and Head Nutritionist at the Center for Eating Disorders, earned a Bachelor of Science from Michigan State University where she also gained her background in the treatment of eating disorders working with on-campus eating disorder education and awareness projects. In the past 20 years, Stephanie’s work experience includes: Clinical Dietitian for the University of Michigan Hospital; Nutritionist at Michigan State University providing individual counseling, teaching group classes and sports nutrition counseling for athletes; Nutritionist for Head Start, advising low income families on a wide range of nutritional concerns; and Head Dietitian Consultant for the Huron Oaks Eating Disorder Recovery Partial Hospitalization Program, St. Joseph Mercy-Ann Arbor. She is skilled in all nutrition related disease diagnoses, including cardiovascular disease, and weight management. Stephanie also has specialized training in providing individuals with diabetes ways to manage their condition using a weight neutral, non-diet, mindfulness-based approach.

Stephanie's approach to eating disorder treatment is to provide kind, compassionate, and individually tailored nutrition counseling to clients of all ages struggling with food and/or weight issues. She is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, International Federation of Eating Disorder Dietitians, the Southeastern Michigan Dietetic Association and the Academy for Eating Disorders.

Meret Flessenkämper received her master’s degree in clinical psychology from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. Her background includes research and clinical training in the areas of eating disorders, intimacy and loneliness, the transition to parenthood and interpersonal issues in LGBTQIA+ couples. Meret served a clinical internship with the Center for Eating Disorders as an undergraduate and held internships at the University of Michigan and Wayne State University. 

Meret approaches her clients with a non-judgmental positive attitude and curiosity. Taking a resource-oriented stance, she aims to help people see the potential that is sometimes hard to see when you are in a dark place. Her focus is on providing a caring and kind space in which clients can befriend their body and heal their relationship with food and movement. She uses Intuitive Eating and Health at Every Size as a roadmap to recovery for her clients. 

Meret is offering culturally sensitive support services to supplement or add on to psychotherapy and nutrition services for clients in treatment. Her services include psychoeducation, meal support, emotional support, behavioral support and other supportive services clients may need in between their therapy sessions. Meret is a member of the Academy for Eating Disorders.

Melanie earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Cornell University and continued her education at Boston University School of Medicine, where she received her Masters in Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine. She strongly believes positive change is possible for every individual and focuses on providing a caring strengths-based environment for emotional and behavioral change to flourish. She is an advocate for Health at Every Size and body positivity. She has specialized in working with clients struggling with eating disorders and eating-related issues in outpatient, inpatient, and partial hospitalization settings, with a special interest in working with college students and young adults. She has worked extensively with clients experiencing a variety of substance abuse and mental health issues, including eating disorders, trauma, anxiety, and depression.

Melanie was involved in clinical research for several years prior to beginning her clinical work and has a strong interest in the integration of behavioral medicine and counseling. Melanie is a member of the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), the Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA), and is a member of the Advisory Board for the Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Southern New Hampshire University.

Amanda earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Kalamazoo College in 2003 and a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2006. Following graduation, she joined the Center for Eating Disorders (CED) as a post-graduate intern. She currently provides individual psychotherapy at CED and serves a CED Clinical Consultant to the Eating Disorder Partial Hospitalization Program at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor. Amanda has extensive training and expertise in helping adolescents, college students, and adults with all types of eating disorders and body image concerns. Her treatment approach is collaborative and tailored to meet the unique needs and treatment goals of each of her clients. Amanda’s professional background also includes academic publication and presenting nationally and internationally on identity and self-esteem in the development and maintenance of eating disorders, body image, athletes and eating disorders, and eating disorder recovery. Amanda served as CED Support Group Facilitator from 2008-2014. She is an active member of the Academy for Eating Disorders and the Binge Eating Disorders Association and attends national eating disorder conferences annually.

Joy earned her Master’s Degree of Clinical Social Work in 2005 from Eastern Michigan University. She has worked for nearly 20 years in multiple psychiatric treatment settings and levels of care, developing a broad scope and depth of clinical skills to address a range of primary and co-occurring psychological disorders and treatment demands. In her work at CED, Joy’s area of focus is the treatment of those struggling with body image and relationship with food issues, – in particular those with BED (Binge Eating Disorder) -  and trauma histories (CPTSD, PTSD). She applies the principles of Intuitive Eating and Internal Family Systems (IFS) to the treatment of individuals experiencing a lack of connection with self, including a disconnection from appetite, and emotional awareness and expression.  Joy serves as a group leader and trainer for CED’s Hungerwise Program, a pioneering non-diet skills training program designed by CED Board President, Amy Pershing, LMSW to assist people in regulating compulsive/binge eating and yo-yo dieting patterns.

Joy’s approach to treatment is grounded in her passion for working collaboratively with clients to help them develop curiosity and understanding about their own internal emotional/psychological systems, including the origins of these systems and the mechanisms that perpetuate them; and to help them identify external systems and societal pressures that impact their growth and well-being.  Her approach is strength-based, helping clients to identify and implement their own natural skills and resilience to move forward and achieve their goals. This empowerment paradigm allows her clients to safely explore options, experiment with new patterns and strategies, and to speak difficult truths in a way that promotes growth and change.

Sarah earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Michigan in 2008 and joined the staff at CED in 2016. She has clinical expertise in the treatment of all eating disorders - with an emphasis on Binge Eating Disorder (BED), anxiety disorders, trauma and complex trauma - as well as a strong interest in the clinical application of Internal Family Systems (IFS). Sarah’s professional background includes inpatient psychiatric care for UMHS, research on Social Anxiety Disorder and Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors at the UM School of Social Work, Consultant for the Huron Oaks Eating Disorder Recovery Partial Hospitalization Program, St. Joseph Mercy-Ann Arbor, and therapist in the outpatient setting.

Sarah works to treat and raise awareness for Binge Eating Disorder and weight stigma-related issues. In her practice, she takes the whole person into account when forming individualized treatment plans with clients, and works from a "health at every size" paradigm and weight-neutral perspective. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and a former member of Binge Eating Disorders Association (BEDA).