Fueling Wellness: Supporting Students and Athletes with Disordered Eating and Body Image Concerns — Proactive Strategies for School Professionals, Coaches, and Families | Virtual

The Mental Health Board and the Center for Emotional Wellness of the Northwest Suburbs have partnered to offer this training opportunity for our BH network.

REGISTER HERE!
FREE: 1 IDFPR CEUs for LSW/LCSW, LPC/LCPC, Psychologists, and ISBE CPDU’s for School Professionals (Pending)

SUMMARY

Disordered eating and body image concerns are significant challenges affecting many students and athletes, impacting their physical health, mental well-being, and overall performance. This session offers school professionals, coaches, and mental health practitioners practical, proactive strategies to identify early warning signs and respond with empathy and effectiveness. Participants will explore how societal pressures, perfectionism, and sport- or activity-specific demands contribute to these issues and learn trauma-informed, culturally sensitive approaches to support healthy relationships with food, body, and self-esteem. The focus is on creating collaborative, nurturing environments that prioritize wellness, resilience, and long-term recovery.

PRESENTERS

Jacqueline Rhew, CADC, LCPC, is the co-founder of the Center for Emotional Wellness of the Northwest Suburbs. She is an expert in her field and is called upon by hundreds of school districts, family agencies and mental health facilities — locally and nationally — for consulting staff to better serve their youth. Jacqueline served as a Clinical Consultant for AMITA Health Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital for many years, and previously served as Assistant Director for the School Anxiety/School Refusal Program — a program she was instrumental in creating and developing. She has facilitated 300-plus workshops for professionals and parents — locally and nationally — on topics ranging from anxiety, school refusal, parenting, and self-injury.

Robin Choquette, Psy.D, is the founder of Elite Performance Counseling, where she provides psychological services to individuals, couples, and families in Illinois, Iowa, and Kansas.

She is the co-author of The Successful Parenting Workbook: Create Your Custom Plan for Raising Independent Children into Adulthood and co-host of the Successful Parenting Podcast. Dr. Choquette also delivers trainings and presentations for schools and private sports organizations at both local and national levels.

Passionate about community involvement, she serves on the board of directors for New Horizon Ranch, where she combines her love for volunteering with her dedication to supporting families and communities.

Katie Primak, is a Registered Dietitian with over 19 years of experience specializing in the treatment of eating disorders. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from San Diego State University and completed her Dietetic Internship through Sodexo. Katie has worked extensively in both inpatient and outpatient settings, including 18 years at Alexian Brothers/Amita Health and over 2 years as a consultant for the Eating Recovery Center (ERC).

Currently, she runs a private practice in Crystal Lake and Hoffman Estates, IL, offering nutritional counseling for eating disorders, weight management, food allergies, pregnancy, diabetes, and more. A Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian (CEDRD), Katie is passionate about helping people of all ages build a healthy relationship with food and their bodies through education, therapy, and a collaborative care approach.