Our Ask an Expert Column is a way for the Libero community (you!) to reach out to professionals in the mental health and medical field and ask them questions related to recovery and overall wellness. All questions are submitted via the form below and will be answered anonymously on our site. Questions will be forwarded to an Expert we feel is best equipped to answer.
Scroll down to Submit your own question and to learn more about our Experts!
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Any identifying information will be made anonymous. We will do our best to answer every question; however, similar or related questions may be grouped together in a single answer. Some questions may be split-up and answered separately. Inappropriate questions or questions not fitting the content of our site will not be accepted. If you provided us with your email, we will be in touch when the answer to your question is published on our site, otherwise, subscribe to our mailing list so you’ll know when your response is live!
Disclaimer: This column is meant to serve as a safe place to ask questions and get opinions from educated professionals. Please always consult your own team before making any changes to your medication, activities, or recovery process. Although our Experts are certified professionals in their area, their advice may not be suitable for your situation, and thus is not to be taken in place of that given by your recovery team and/or family doctor or personal therapist. Please use your own good judgment, and consult a licensed mental or physical health practitioner for specific treatment. In the case of a crisis, please do not rely on this column. Please contact one of the Helplines listed in our Resources section if you feel you are a harm to yourself or in need of emergency support.
Meet the Experts
Alex Raymond, RD, LD
@EmpoweredEating
Alex is a Registered Dietitian at the private practices of Rebecca Bitzer and Associates and Empowered Eating. Alex’s goal is to assist her clients in discovering a life-long healthy relationship with food and their bodies. She is a firm believer in intuitive and mindful eating as well as health at any size. She works closely with her clients, whether they are struggling with eating disorders/disordered eating, diabetes, or other nutritional issues, to feel confident in food choices and answer their nutrition questions and concerns. Alex also runs a meal support group called Empowered Dining for clients who are recovering from an eating disorder. Alex is very excited to be a part of the Ask the Experts column and hopes she is able to answer your nutrition-related questions! Outside of counselling clients, Alex enjoys cooking (especially Italian foods), journaling, hiking and exploring Washington, DC. If you want to learn more about Alex and her counselling experience, please visit www.empoweredeatingblog.com.
Colleen Fuller, M.A, RCC
@colleen_fuller
Colleen Fuller is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with a Master’s in Counselling Psychology from City University of Seattle. She is also a happy wife and the proud mom of two terrific young adults. She loves to spend time talking with friends (especially over a good meal), working in her garden, and reading. She has a private practice in Vancouver, Canada, called Creative Solutions Counselling. She uses a variety of therapeutic approaches, including Solutions-Focused, CBT, and Narrative. If you would like to know more about her or consult with her (in person or via Skype), you can visit www.creativesolutionscounselling.com.
Josée Sovinsky, RD
@JoseeSovinskyRD
Josée is a passionate Registered Dietitian working in a community setting in Toronto, Ontario. Originally from a small town in Québec, she moved to Ottawa, Ontario to complete her degree and internship in Nutrition Sciences. She applies a non-diet approach to all of her work, wishing to inspire others to let go of the diet mentality and embrace food freedom. After facing her own struggles with disordered eating during her degree, she developed a strong interest in helping those affected by eating disorders and mental illness. She decided to learn more about intuitive and mindful eating, body acceptance and health at every size, which now strongly guide her work. She dreams of a world free from mental health stigma, body shaming and disordered eating. When she is not helping others make peace with food, she enjoys baking, learning to play the piano, reconnecting to her French Canadian roots, photography and doing yoga in her living room. To find out more about Josée, visit www.joseesovinskynutrition.com.
Robyn Baker, CPT, RYT, BS
@HapaGirl99
Robyn Baker is the founder, owner, and operator of Asteya Fitness in Irvine, California. She believes in health at every size and that the key to health and well-being is establishing and nurturing the mind-body connection through intuitive eating and exercise. She is a born and raised California girl and the mommy to a crazy spirited boy, Elijah. To find out more about Asteya Fitness, please visit www.asteyafitness.com.
Vanessa Segovia, MA, LMFT
@vanessasegoviamft
Vanessa Segovia is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Forensic Psychotherapist. Vanessa maintains an independent Private Practice in Santa Cruz, California which focuses on individuals facing trauma, anxiety, depression, addiction, disordered eating, and relationship issues. She also works as the Program Director for a residential facility treating woman in early recovery and their children. Vanessa has an extensive background providing treatment and crisis intervention within the criminal justice system and is a strong advocate for victim’s rights and prison reform. Vanessa’s work is strongly guided by the principal that in addition to trauma, social and cultural stigma and expectations create most of our individual suffering. She is firmly rooted in several key therapeutic models including Trauma Informed Care, Health at Every Size, EMDR, and Client Centered Psychotherapy. When Vanessa is not working, she enjoys cooking, baking, painting, photography, traveling, music and is always up for an adventure. Vanessa is very excited to sit on the Expert Panel and hopes she is able to answer your mental health questions! If you want to learn more about Vanessa and her experience, please visit www.vanessasegovia.com.
Victoria Wilkinson, BScN, RN
Victoria Wilkinson is a Public Health Nurse who graduated from Trinity Western University with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. When she’s not working, she enjoys dreaming about her next international trip, music, reading, and spending time with friends and family. She has a passion for helping those who are hurting and is specifically passionate about providing opportunities for those who are oppressed in the world. Victoria believes that everyone deserves to achieve wellness, which to her means achieving one’s personal potential when it comes to physical, mental, emotional, and social being. She believes that fear stops us from knowing our true worth and that through supportive communities, walking alongside one another, and through the grace and love of God, everyone can grow and change in order to achieve their personal state of well-being. Victoria would love to connect you to resources and offer support to help you know you are not alone, to help you take steps towards wellness, and to break free from the chains of fear and walk in the freedom. Victoria is excited to be a part of the Libero Network “Ask and Expert” panel and looks forward to journeying alongside you all!
