Faculty of Medicine of Harvard University
Date Prepared: April 2026
Curriculum vitae
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06/1984: Bachelor of Science, Communications Ohio University Athens, OH
05/1997: Master of Arts, Counseling Psychology Lesley University Cambridge, MA
05/2007: Doctor of Philosophy, Counseling Psychology (Advisor: Debra Franko, PhD)Northeastern University, Boston, MA
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09/01-06/02: Intern Psychiatry Cambridge Hospital Cambridge, MA
07/05-06/06: Intern Clinical Department of Neurology, Psychiatry/Eating Disorder Unit, Laurelwood Hospital, Laurelwood, OH
07/06-06/07: Murphy Fellow, Psychiatry DBT Team, Massachusetts Mental Health Center Boston, MA
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01/2013: Instructor of Psychology Department of Psychiatry Harvard Medical School
04/2023: Assistant Professor of Psychology Department of Psychiatry Harvard Medical School
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01/97-06/02: Clinician Behavioral Medicine Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
01/98-03/99: Research Clinician Behavioral Medicine Sleep Laboratory Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
09/98-09/99: Research Clinician Behavioral Medicine Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
03/02-06/05: Research Therapist, Psychopharmacology, Dept of Psychiatry Boston Medical Center
02/08-01/09: Senior Clinician Domar Center Boston IVF/ Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
01/2013-Present: Active Staff, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Boston Children’s Hospital
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03/94-06/00: Research Assistant, Behavioral Medicine Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
09/99-09/01: Research Assistant, Behavioral Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Dana Farber Cancer Institute
03/00-09/00: Milieu Counselor Eating Disorder Unit Waltham Hospital
03/03-06/05: ClinicianDialectical Behavioral TherapyTwo Brattle Center
03/94-06/00: Research Assistant, Behavioral Medicine Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
09/99-09/01: Research Assistant, Behavioral Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Dana Farber Cancer Institute
03/00-09/00: Milieu Counselor Eating Disorder Unit Waltham Hospital
03/03-06/05: ClinicianDialectical Behavioral TherapyTwo Brattle Center
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Local
09/97-06/00: Administrative Director, Mind Body Women’s Health Center, Behavioral Medicine, New England Deaconess Hospital
10/98-04/00: Administrative Director, Department of Behavioral Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
07/07-02/08: Director, Outpatient Programs, Walden Behavioral Care
09/08-08/12: Clinical Director, Eating Disorder Programs, Laurel Hill Inn
01/13- Present: Associate Director, Eating Disorder Program Division of Adolescent/ Young Adult Medicine Boston Children’s Hospital
9/20-2025: Associate Director, Postdoctoral Fellowship, Leadership Education in Adolescent Health (LEAH)Division of Adolescent/Young Adult MedicineBoston Children’s Hospital
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Local
2013-Present: Committee to Improve Eating Disorder Services, Boston Children’s Hospital
2015-2025: Post-Doctoral Committee LEAH Fellowship, Boston Children’s Hospital
2016- Present: Committee to assess inpatient services and create CPG for patients with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorders, Boston Children’s Hospital
2017-Present: Committee to plan Feeding and Eating Disorders conference with medical inpatient nursing staff, Boston Children’s Hospital
2023-Present: Manton Clinical Advisory Board, Committee to develop clinical resources for non-Psychiatric providers, Harvard Medical School
National
2020-Present: Member, Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB), Implementation, Outcome, and Mechanisms of Family-Based Treatment for Adolescent Anorexia Nervosa Adapted for the Home Setting: A Pilot Effectiveness Trial. PI: Andrea Goldschmidt PhD
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1997: Psi Chi Psychology Honor Society
2007-Present: Massachusetts Psychology Association
2007-Present: Multi-Service Eating Disorder Association
2007-Present: Academy for Eating Disorders
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Ad hoc Reviewer
European Eating Disorder Review
Global Journal of Health Science
Reproductive Biomedicine & Society
Journal of Women’s Health
Jornal de Pediatria
Journal of Eating Disorders
Eating and Weight Disorders
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2006-2007 Murphy Fellow State of Massachusetts
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Training, Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
Report of Funded and Unfunded Projects
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1994-2000: Prevention of Depression in Infertile Women. R29MH050024from the National Institute of Mental Health. Research Assistant (PI: Alice Domar, PhD)
The goal of this study was to determine whether psychological interventions could lead to decreased depression and increased pregnancy rates in infertile women.
2004-2006: The Prevalence of Eating Disorders in Infertile Women. Protocol: 2004-P-000161/1; BIDMC. Principal Investigator (Co-PI Alice Domar, PhD)
The goal of the study was to assess eating disorder diagnosis, past and present in women undergoing fertility treatments at Boston IVF.
2016 -2021: Neurobiological and Behavioral Risk Mechanisms of Youth Avoidant/Restrictive Eating Trajectories. National Institute of Mental Health, 1R01MH108595. Site PI (mPIs: Elizabeth Lawson, M.D., Nadia Micali, M.D.)
DSM-5 recently recognized Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) as a new diagnosis, but little is known about its risk mechanisms and pathophysiology. The purpose of this multidisciplinary study is to examine how underlying neurobiological abnormalities in fear circuitry, homeostatic appetite, and sensory perception may contribute to avoidant/restrictive eating by integrating findings across mind, brain, and behavior in youth with avoidant/restrictive eating versus healthy controls.
2017-2018: A Group Based Intervention for Treating Emotional Overeating among Adolescents. Co-PI, Philanthropic Grant Friends of Boston Children’s Hospital
Goal: behavioral medicine intervention with adolescents to examine if group intervention results in improvements in health behaviors, mood regulation, and overall psychopathology
2020-2022: The Impact of Covid-19 on Binge Eating Behaviors of Adolescents. Philanthropic Grant Friends of Boston Children’s Hospital. PI ($10,000)
The goal of this study is to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted adolescents and young adults with Binge Eating Disorder and bingeing behaviors.
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2023 -2024: Dying to Be Beautiful. $2500 The Medical Staff Organization (MSO) at Boston Children’s Hospital Ingenuity Award.
A conference examining serious, negative health behaviours that are affecting the people of the Caribbean, and those of Caribbean descent living in the diaspora, in their quest to achieve the ever changing ideals of beauty.
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2020-2025: Malnutrition Across the Weight Spectrum IRB-P00037275. Collaborator PI: Grace Jhe, PhD
2020-2024: The attitudes toward weight restoration for adolescents with atypical anorexia nervosa. IRB-P00035443 Co-PI: Grace Jhe
2021-2022: Characterization of ARFID Subtypes in a Cohort of Patients Seeking Multi-Disciplinary Specialty Care PI: IRB-P00035705 Tracy Richmond, Elana Bern Collaborator
Report of Local Teaching and Training
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2001-2002: Intro to Psychology, Undergraduates. Bouve College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University. Three-hour weekly course – two semesters
2004: Detecting Eating Disorders in Primary Care Physician Assistant students. Massachusetts School of Pharmacy, Guest Lecturer. Two-hour lecture
2004: Borderline Personality Disorder: Diagnosis and Treatment. Massachusetts School of Pharmacy, Guest Lecturer. Two-hour lecture
2007: Eating Disorders, What Clinicians Need to Know. Interns, fellows, residents. Longwood Psychiatry Grand Rounds One hour lecture
2008: Validation Therapy to Reduce Clinician Burnout. Interns, fellows, residents. Longwood Psychiatry Grand Rounds One hour lecture
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2013-2014: Family Based Treatment
Interns, Fellows, Attending Faculty. Consultation Liaison Team, Psychiatry. Boston Children’s Hospital. One hour lecture2013: DSM-5: Eating Disorders Interns, Fellows, Faculty. Consultation Liaison Team, Psychiatry. Boston Children’s Hospital. One hour lecture
2013: Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Interns, Fellows, Faculty. Consultation Liaison Team, Psychiatry. Boston Children’s Hospital. One hour lecture
2013-present: Leaderships Education in Adolescent Health (LEAH) Teaching Case, Eatin Disorders. Multidisciplinary LEAH Fellows. Adolescent Medicine Boston Children’s Hospital. 7 hours of interactive sessions per year
2013: Introduction to Eating Disorders General Pediatric residents. Department of Pediatrics Boston Children’s Hospital. One hour lecture
2013: Introduction to Eating Disorders General Pediatric residents. Department of Psychiatry Boston Children’s Hospital. 2 Two- hour lecture
2014: Family Based Therapy: Challenging Cases Interns, Fellows, Faculty. Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine Boston Children’s Hospita. One hour lecture, 5 sessions per year
2015: DBT and Eating Disorders Interns, Fellows, Faculty. Consultation Liaison Team Psychiatry Boston Children’s Hospital. One hour lecture
2014: Family Based Therapy: Challenging Cases Interns, Fellows, Faculty. Eating Disorder Service, Massachusetts General Hospital. One hour lecture
2015: DBT and Eating Disorders Interns, Fellows, Faculty. Consultation Liaison Team Psychiatry Boston Children’s Hospital. One hour lecture
2015: Intro to Family Based Treatment Medical psychiatry intern. Department of Psychiatry Boston Children’s Hospital. One hour lecture
2015: Evidence Based Practice: Eating Disorders Psychology Interns. Department of Psychiatry Boston Children’s Hospital One hour lecture
2017: Eating Disorder/Obesity Weekly Seminar Multidisciplinary Fellows. Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine Boston Children’s Hospital. One hour lecture, 5 sessions per year
2018: Introduction to Family Based Treatment Fellows, interns, and faculty. Consultation Liaison Team Psychiatry Boston Children’s Hospital. One hour lecture
2021: Psychotherapy 201: Intro to Family Based Treatment. Medical psychiatry interns. Department of Psychiatry Boston Children’s Hospital. One hour lecture
2021: Eating Disorders: Introduction. Center for Adolescent Behavioral Health Research, Boston Children’s Hospital One-hour lecture
2021: Family Based Treatment. Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine Boston Children’s Hospital. One hour lecture
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No presentations below were sponsored by outside entities
Report of Regional, National and International Invited Teaching and Presentations
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No presentations below were sponsored by outside entities.
1997: Stress and Women’s Health. Lecturer, State Street Bank, Boston, MA
1998: Stress as a Public Health Hazard. Guest lecturer, Boston University School of Public Health
2000: Western Massachusetts Dietetic Association, Springfield, MA
2008: College Students and Eating Disorders, Oral Presentation Mt. Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA
2007: Eating Disorders: What Clinicians Need to Know
Invited lecture/Longwood Psychiatry Rounds, Boston, MA2008: Application of Dialectical Behavior Therapy to Eating Disorders Invited Workshop
Being Present: The Gift of Recovery. Multi-Service Eating Disorder Association, Newton, MA2008: College Students and Eating Disorders/ Invited Workshop Mt. Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA
2009: The Prevalence of Eating Disorders in Infertility Women, Symposia Presentation New England Eating Disorders Research Collaborative, Boston, MA
2009: The Use of DBT with Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder Doctoral Students
2009: Guest lecturer/Bouve College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University. The Use of DBT with Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder Doctoral Students
Guest lecturer/Massachusetts School of Pharmacy2009: DBT: Clinical Focus – Use with Eating Disorders/ Workshop Presentation
2010: Suicidality and Eating Disorders: What You Don’t Know but Need to Ask/Invited Workshop Multi-Service Eating Disorder Association, Newton, MA
2011: The Use of DBT with Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder Doctoral Students. Guest lecturer/Bouve College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University
2012: DBT: A Quick and Dirty Guide to Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Doctoral Students. Guest lecturer/Bouve College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University
2012: Plymouth State University, Fourth Eating Disorder Conference: Untangling the Web: Disordered Eating and Weight Disorders – Knowledge, Tools, and Strategies, Meredith, NH
2017: Family Based Treatment: The Art and the Science. Invited workshop. Why Weight: Envisioning a New Future in Eating Disorder Treatment Conference. Multi Service Eating Disorder Association, Newton, MA.
2017: Eating Disorders in College Students. Invited Workshop Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Medical Center, Cambridge, MA
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1997: Behavioral Medicine Approaches to Infertility/Invited speaker/2 Day workshop UCLA, Department of OB/GYN. Los Angeles, CA
1998: Creating a Non-Profit Women’s Health Center / Keynote Speaker Marketing Healthcare to Women; New York, NY
2007: The prevalence of eating disorders in infertile women/ Invited presentation Academy for Eating Disorders, International Conference, Baltimore, MD
2008: DBT: From Theory to Therapy Office/ Invited workshop presentation National Eating Disorders Association, Sept, Austin, TX.
2009: DBT: Calming the Hurt/ Invited workshop presentation
National Eating Disorder Conference, Breaking the Silence: Tools for Help, Hope, and Healing, Rockland, New York2009: DBT: Calming the Chaos – The Art and Science of Eating Disorder Treatment/ Invited Presentation, Renfrew Conference, Philadelphia, PA
2011: Suicidality and Eating Disorders: What You Don’t Know but Need to Ask/ Invited workshop presentation, National Eating Disorder Association, Los Angeles, California
2022: Eating Disorders: Assessment and Treatment. University of Tennessee, Doctoral Training Program, Memphis, TN
2023: Eating Disorders: Assessment and Treatment. University of Tennessee, Doctoral Training Program, Memphis, TN
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2016: Eating Disorders and Adolescents/ Invited Presentation Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2016: DBT and Eating Disorders/ Invited Presentation La Fundación Foro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2017: Binge Eating Disorder in the Caribbean. Dying to Be Beautiful: Body Image, Eating Behaviours and Health in the Caribbean 3rd Biennial Conference December 1-3, 2017
The Faculty of Social Sciences and the Faculty of Medical Sciences
The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica2023: Faculty, Evidence Based Treatment for Eating Disorders: A case-based series. Diplomado y Magíster en Clínica de los Trastornos de la Conducta Alimentaria de la Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile.
2024: Family Based Treatment. Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Distinguished American Guest Lecturer Course, Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel.
2024: Managing Atypical Anorexia - Workshop Presenter, Dying to Be Beautiful, University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica.
2024: Faculty, Evidence Based Treatment for Eating Disorders: A case-based series. Diplomado y Magíster en Clínica de los Trastornos de la Conducta Alimentaria de la Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile.
2025: Manton Webinar Series: Eating Disorders in Pediatrics: Early Recognition and Intervention. Featured Speaker
2025: Harvard Medical School Webinar: Understanding Eating Disorders: A Comprehensive Approach for Health Care Professionals.
Featured Speaker
Report of Teaching and Education Innovations
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2001-2009 Licensed Mental Health Counselor
2005-2007 Ohio Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor
2009- Massachusetts License Psychology, Health Provider 2021- Virginia Licensed Psychologist
2021- Vermont Licensed Psychologist
2023- Ohio Licensed Psychologist
2025- Connecticut Licensed Psychologist
2026- Florida Telehealth License Psychologist
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2001- Psychologist. Private Practice. Cambridge & Needham, MA Brookline, MA
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Family Based Treatment Protocol for BCH inpatient medical setting 2011-present: Restructured clinical care for all BCH patients with eating disorders. Led the integration of Family Based Treatment (FBT) – an empirically based treatment for adolescents with eating disorders - so that parents can begin in the inpatient medical setting to learn the treatment at the bedside. Led the education of all staff in implementing and maintaining BCH FBT inpatient pediatric unit protocol (e.g., menus have been restructured and color coded to eliminate calorie counting). Led the education of parents regarding FBT.
BCH Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and Binge Eating Protocol 2013-preset: Worked with BCH colleagues to create an 8-week curriculum to use with adolescents who experience binge eating seen in the Strategies for Teen Empowerment and Physical Health Weight Management Clinic in BCH Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine (Burton, Freizinger M, Pluhar E. 2021).
Report of Education of Patients and Service to the Community
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2014, 2016: Parent Support Group – Eating Disorder Service Co-leader 2-week, 2-hour group
Adolescent Hospital Boston Children’s Hospital2017: Committee Member, Multi-Service Eating Disorder Association (MEDA) conference committee. Involved in planning their yearly national conference.
2019: Committee Member, Multi-Service Eating Disorder Association (MEDA) conference committee. Involved in planning their yearly national conference.
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No educational materials below were sponsored by outside entities.
2011, 2021: Eating Disorder Education Website Advisor, youngwomenshealth.org -
1996:
Pain and Disability, Co-Author. Jamison, RN, Freizinger, MB Pain and Disability. In: Anchor, K. ed. Disability Analysis Handbook. Dubuque: Kendall Hart, 1996, 41-55.
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2013, 2021:
Understanding Eating Disorders: A Guide for Parents and Families. Co-author, Center for Young Women’s Health: Boston Children’s Hospital League. Patient Educational Pamphlet, Division of Adolescent Medicine, pamphlet available youngwomenshealth.org
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Domar AD, Clapp D, Slawsby EA, Dusek J, Kessel B, Freizinger M. The impact of group psychological interventions on pregnancy rates in infertile women. Fertil. Steril. 2000, 73:805-11.
Domar A, Clapp D, Slawsby E, Orav J, Kessel B, Freizinger M. The efficacy of group psychological interventions on reducing distress in infertile women. J Health Psychol. 2000, 19 (6), 568-575 Special Section: Stress and Reproduction.
Freizinger M, Franko DL, Dacey M, Okun B, Domar AD. The prevalence of eating disorders in infertile women. Fertil Steril. 2010, Jan;93(1):72-8. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.09.055. Epub 2008 Nov 11. PMID: 19006795.
Cousins A, Freizinger M, Duffy ME, Wolfe B. Self-report of eating disorder symptoms among women with ovulatory and unexplained infertility, J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2015, 44(3):380-8. doi: 10.1111/1552-6909.12573.
Ibeziako P, Rohan JM, Bujoreanu S, Choi C, Hanrahan M, Freizinger M. Medically hospitalized patients with eating disorders and somatoform disorders in pediatrics: What are their similarities and differences and how can we improve their care? Hosp Pediatr. 2016 Dec; 6(12):730-737.
Pluhar E, Freizinger M, Nikolov R, Burton ET. A call to Action for Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Focused Training: Results from an Inpatient Staff Needs Assessment. J Psychiatr Pract. 2019; 25(5):395-401.
Pluhar E, Power S, Freizinger M, Altman, W. Medical Education: Guidelines for effective teaching of managing challenging patient encounters. Med.Sci.Educ. 2019, 29(3): 855-861. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-019-00729-x
Freizinger M, Forman SF, Tsappis M. Binge Eating Disorder: Identification and treatment updates for medical professionals in the Caribbean. Caribbean Journal of Psychology 2019, 11(2), 7-36.
Freizinger M, Jhe G, Pluhar E, Mancini L. Integrating Family-Based Treatment Principles in the Acute Inpatient Treatment of Adolescents with Restrictive Eating Disorders. Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2021, Apr 9;14:449-454.
Spigel R, Lin JA, Milliren CE, Freizinger M, Vitagliano JA, Woods ER, Forman SF, Richmond TK. Access to care and worsening eating disorder symptomatology in youth during the COVID-19 pandemic.J Eat Disord. 2021, Jun 10;9(1):69. doi: 10.1186/s40337-021-00421-9.PMID: 34112255.
Vitagliano JA, Jhe G, Milliren CE, Lin JA, Spigel R, Freizinger M, Woods ER Richmond TK.COVID-19 and eating disorder and mental health concerns in patients with eating disorders. JEat Disord, 2021, 9,80. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-021-00437-1.
Burton Murray H, Becker KR, Harshman SG, Breithaupt L, Kuhnle M, Dreier MJ, Hauser K, Freizinger M, Eddy KT, Misra M, Kuo B, Micali N, Thomas JJ,Lawson EA. Elevated fasting satiety-promoting cholecystokinin (CCK) in avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder compared to healthy controls. J Clin Psychiatry. 2022 September/October; 83(5).
Freizinger M, Recto M, Jhe G, Lin J. Atypical Anorexia in Youth: Cautiously Bridging the Treatment Gap. Children. 2022; 9(6):837. https://doi.org/10.3390/children9060837.
Freizinger M, Jhe GB, Dahlberg SE, Pluhar E., Raffoul A, Slater W., Shrier LA. Binge eating behaviors in adolescents and young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. JEat Disord. 2022, Aug 24;10(1):125. doi: 10.1186/s40337-022-00650-6. PMID: 36002838; PMCID: PMC9399990.
Jhe GB, Lin J, Freizinger M, Richmond T. Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa or Atypical Anorexia Nervosa with Premorbid Overweight/Obesity: What should we do about their weight loss?J. Child Adolesc. Psychiatr. Nurs. 2023Feb;36(1):55-58. doi: 10.1111/jcap.12394. Epub 2022 Sep 19. PMID: 36121167.
Richmond TK, Carmody J, Freizinger M, Milliren CE, P. Crowley PM, Jhe GB, Bern E. Assessment of patients with ARFID presenting to multi-disciplinary tertiary care program. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2023 Mar 15. doi: 10.1097/MPG.0000000000003774. Online ahead of print. PMID: 36917834
Lin JA and Jhe G*, Adhikari R, Vitagliano JA, Rose KL, Freizinger M, Richmond TK. Triggers for Eating Disorder Onset in Youth with Anorexia Nervosa across the Weight Spectrum. Eat Disord, 2023 Nov 2;31(6):553-572. doi: 10.1080/10640266.2023.2201988.
Lin JA, Matthews A, Adhikari R, Freizinger M, Richmond TK, Jhe G. Associations between presenting weight and premorbid weight and the medical sequalae in hospitalized youth with anorexia nervosa or atypical anorexia nervosa. Journal of Pediatric Nursing. 2024 Jul-Aug;77:125-130. doi: 10.1016/j.pedn.2024.03.013.
Kambanis PE, Tabri N, McPherson I, Gydus J, Kuhnle M, Stern CM, Asanza E, Becker KR, Breithaupt L, Freizinger M, Shrier LA, Bern E, Eddy KT, Misra M, Micali N*, Lawson EA*, Thomas JJ*. *Co-senior authors. Prospective two-year course and predictors of outcome in avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 2024 May 6:S0890-8567(24)00238-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2024.04.010.
Gordon K, Jhe G, Adhikari R, Matthews A, Freizinger M, Richmond T, Lin JA. Treatment adherence and nasogastric tube use in hospitalized youth with anorexia nervosa and premorbid overweight/obesity. Eat Disord. 2024 Jul 26:1-9. doi: 10.1080/10640266.2024.2379158
Jhe GB, Chad-Friedman E, Eldredge O, Milliren C, Lin J, Carmody J, Freizinger M, Gearhart M, Bern E, Richmond T. Weight/shape Concerns in Youth with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). Eat Disord. 2024 Sep 21:1-15. doi: 10.1080/10640266.2024.2404788.
Jhe GB, Recto M, Vitagliano JA, Rose KL, Richmond T, Freizinger M, Lin J. Growing up in a larger body: youth- and parent-reported triggers for illness and barriers to recovery from anorexia nervosa. J Eat Disord. 2024 Nov 23; 12(1):192. PMID: 39580433; PMCID: PMC11585085.
Thomas JJ, Holsen L, Van De Water AL, Becker KR, Breithaupt L, Burton-Murray H, Asanza E, Gydus J, Palmer LP, Stern CM, Freizinger M, Shrier LA, Bern EM, Deckersbach T, Misra M, Eddy KT, Micali N, Lawson E. Neural Response to Food Cues in Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Feb 3;8(2):e2460101. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.60101. PMID: 39964683; PMCID: PMC11836757.
Carmody J, Milliren CE, Richmond TK, Crowley M, Eldredge O, Jhe GB, Freizinger M, Bern EM. Caregiver-Youth Agreement on the Nine-Item Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder Survey. Int J Eat Disord. 2025 Apr;58(4):770-777. doi: 10.1002/eat.24384. Epub 2025 Jan 24. PMID: 39853817.
Kambanis PE, Palmer LP, Jhe G, McPherson I, Graver H, Dalton AG, Ji C, Asanza E, Shabazian L, Dunford A, Breithaupt L, Freizinger M, Eddy KT, Misra M, Micali N, Holsen L, Lawson EA, Becker KR, Thomas JJ. Frequency and Predictors of Shape/Weight Concerns and Objective Binge Eating in Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). Int J Eat Disord. 2025 May;58(5):986-992. doi: 10.1002/eat.24398. Epub 2025 Feb 24. PMID: 39992069.
Gordon K, Jhe G, Adhikari R, Matthews A, Freizinger M, Richmond T, Lin JA. Treatment adherence and nasogastric tube use in hospitalized youth with anorexia nervosa and premorbid overweight/obesity. Eat Disord. 2025 Jul-Aug;33(4):451-459. doi: 10.1080/10640266.2024.2379158. Epub 2024 Jul 26. PMID: 39054888.
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Sonneville K, Freizinger M, Forman S, Burke P, Goncalves A, Pitts S, Gooding H. Treating Taylor: Multidisciplinary Management of Eating Disorders. MedEdPORTAL Publications; 2014. Available from: https://www.mededportal.org/publication/9938http://dx.doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.9938
Tsappis M, Freizinger M, Forman SF. Binge eating disorder: emerging treatments for a new diagnosis. Curr Opin Pediatr. 2016; 28(4): 415-420.
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Freizinger MB, DeCouto C. Treating eating disordered clients in the real world: challenges from the trenches. Renfrew Perspectives, Summer 2011.
Forman S, Freizinger MB. Bulimia. In: Cabana MD, ed. The 5-Minute Pediatric Consult (7th ed.) New York: Wolters Kluwer; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2013:144–145
Forman S, Freizinger MB. Bulimia. In: Cabana MD, ed. The 5-Minute Pediatric Consult. 8th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer; 2017:
Freizinger MB, Forman S. Eating disorders in adolescents. In: The Zuckerman Parker Handbook Behavioral and Developmental pediatrics: Handbook for Primary Care 4th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer; 2018.
Gans K, Freizinger M. The Keri Report, podcast on Apple Media and Spotify. Is There a Relationship Between Social Media and Eating Disorders? – Episode 40 2021.
Hartman-Munick S, Freizinger M, Forman S. Bulimia. In: Cabana MD, ed. The 5-Minute Pediatric Consult (8th ed.) New York: Wolters Kluwer; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2022:
Eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia are more severe than ever (nbcnews.com). Interview.
Eating disorders among teens have skyrocketed (audacy.com)
Adolescent eating disorders skyrocketing post-pandemic: report (nypost.com)
How a Weight-Loss Trend on TikTok Might Encourage Eating Disorders, Scientific American, 11/1/2023
Dying to Be Beautiful – Discussion of disordered eating in the Caribbean. NPRD Podcast, Podcasts Archive | Robyn Kievit, June 7, 2024
Jhe G, Freizinger M, Forman S. Chapter 37. Eating Disorders in Adolescents. Zuckerman Parker Handbook of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics for Primary Care, 5e . Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer; 2025.
What is anorexia? What eating disorder experts need you to know. Daryl Austin Daryl, USA TODAY. 02/24/2025.
I Couldn’t See What Was Happening to My Daughter—Until It Was All I Could See. By Then, It Was Almost Too Late. Erica Werner, Slate. 02/05/2026
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Pluhar E, Lois R, Freizinger M, Burton TE, Richmond T. Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescent Emotional Eating: Curriculum and Leader's Manual. 2012. Protocol was used at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore and the Department of Psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center.
Burton T, Freizinger M, Pluhar E. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy protocol revision for emotional overeating in a weight management clinic. 2012. Protocol was used in the Division of Adolescent Medicine’s STEP Weight Management Clinic at Boston Children’s Hospital.
APA Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Eating Disorders 2021: Reviewer for the 2021 publication for mental health professionals.
Psychiatric and Medical Comorbidities of Eating Disorders: Findings from a Rapid Review of the Literature. Reviewer for the Journal of Eating Disorders. Australian National Eating Disorders Research and Translation Strategy 2021 – 2031, funded and released by the Australian Government. This review will be used to comprehensively summarize ED literature to guide policymaking and address urgent health concerns.
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Freizinger MB, Franko D., Dacey M, Okun B, & Domar AD. The prevalence of eating disorders in infertile women. 1-121.
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Carmody J, Richmond T, Gearhart M, Jhe G, Freizinger M, Ryan Davidson R, Bern E. (2021). Agreement between patient self-report and caregiver-proxy report on restrictive eating patterns in children and adolescents with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder. Paper presented at the annual The International Conference on Eating Disorders (ICED) Virtual Conference
Jhe G, Dreier M, Freizinger M,, Breithaupt Langston L, Becker K, Murray HB, Zayas L, Eddy K,, Thomas J. (2021).. Differences in Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) Profiles, Body Image, and Psychological Functioning across the Full Weight Spectrum. Paper presented at the annual The International Conference on Eating Disorders (ICED).
Jhe G, Bern EM, Carmody J, Freizinger M, Gearhart, Richmond T. Self-reported Concerns about Body Weight/Shape among Youth Diagnosed with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). (2021). Paper presented at the annual virtual The International Conference on Eating Disorders (ICED).
Lin JA; Jhe G; Vitagliano J; Adhikari R, Rose KL; Freizinger M, Richmond, T. Differences in medical outcomes and triggers for disease based on pre-morbid weight status in adolescents with anorexia nervosa. (2022). (SAHM). Poster presented at Annual Meeting of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) Conference March 9-12, 2022.
Adhikari R; Lin JA; Jhe G; Freizinger M; Richmond TK. Triggers for Eating Disorders in Adolescents and Young Adults. (2022). Poster presented at Annual Meeting of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) Conference March 9-12, 2022.
Richmond TK, Carmody J, Milliren C, Freizinger M, Jhe G, Crowley P, Bern E. Examining characteristics by subtype of patients presenting for care of avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) (2022). Paper presented at the annual The International Conference on Eating Disorders (ICED) Virtual
Recto M, Lin JA, Jhe G, Vitagliano J, Rose KL MPH, Freizinger M, Richmond T. The Perspectives of Teens and their Caregivers on Triggers for Higher Weight Variants of Anorexia Nervosa. 41st Annual Edward L. Pratt Lectures, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Tuesday, May 24th, 2022.
Recto M, Lin JA, Jhe G, Vitagliano J, Rose KL MPH, Freizinger M, Richmond T. Common themes in barriers to recovery among adolescents with anorexia nervosa and premorbid overweight/obesity and their parents. 41st Annual Edward L. Pratt Lectures, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Tuesday, May 24th, 2022.
Kambanis PE, McPherson I, Gydus J, Kuhnle MC, Stern C, Asana E, Becker KR, Breithaupt L, Freizinger M, Shrier L, Bern E, Misra M, Eddy KT, Micali N*, Lawson EA*, Thomas JJ*. *co-senior authors. (2023, June). Two-year naturalistic course and outcomes of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder. Posted presented at the International Conference on Eating Disorders, Washington DC.
McPherson I, Kambanis PE, Gydus J, Kuhnle MC, Stern C, Asanza E, Becker KR, Breithaupt L, Freizinger M, Shrier L, Bern E, Misra M, Eddy KT, Micali N, * Lawson EA,* Thomas JJ*. *co-senior authors. (2023, June). One-year naturalistic outcomes of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder depend on how remission is defined. Paper presentation at the International Conference on Eating Disorders, Washington, D.C.
Gordon K. Jhe G, Adhikari R, Matthews A, Freizinger M, Richmond T, Lin J. (2023, May) Psychological Distress in Hospitalized Youth with Anorexia Nervosa and Premorbid Overweight or Obesity. Poster presentation at the Pediatric Academic Society Conference, Washington, D.C.
Thomas JJ,* Holsen L,* Becker KR, Breithaupt L, Asanza E, Gydus J, Stern C, Van de Water A, Freizinger M, Shrier LA, Bern E, Deckersbach T, Misra M, Eddy KT, Micali N**, Lawson E.** *denotes shared first authorship **denotes shared senior authorship. (2023, September). Neural response to food cues in avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) differs by ARFID presentation. Oral presentation at the Eating Disorders Research Society Meeting in Boston, MA, USA
Kambanis PE, Tabri N, McPherson I, Gydus J, Kuhnle M, Stern CM, Asanza E, Becker KR, Breithaupt L, Freizinger M, Shrier LA, Bern E, Eddy KT, Misra M, Micali N*, Lawson EA*, Thomas JJ*. *co-senior authors. (2023, March). Differential trajectories across avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder profiles in a 2-year prospective study. Oral presentation at the 2024 International Conference on Eating Disorders, New York, NY.
Kung, P.-H., Van De Water, A. L., Mancuso, C. J., Izquierdo, A. M., Kahn, D. L., Dreier, M. J., Ebrahimi, S., Gydus, J., Palmer, L. P., Stern, C. M., Kuhnle, M., Wons, O., Asanza, E., Slattery, M., Burton-Murray, H., Becker, K. R., Freizinger, M., Shrier, L. A., Bern, E. M., Plessow, F., Deckersbach, T., Makris, N., Misra, M., Micali, N., Lawson, E. A., Thomas, J. J., Eddy, K. T., Steward, T., Holsen, L., & Breithaupt, L. (2025, August). Hippocampal resting-state effective connectivity in restrictive eating disorders and its association with ghrelin. Paper to be presented at the Australia & New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders (ANZAED) Annual Conference, Melbourne, Australia.tem description
Report of Scholarship
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2160-2871
Peer reviewed publications in print or other media
Narrative Report
As a clinical psychologist, my goal has been the development and provision of innovative, empirically based, and family centered eating disorder (ED) treatment to improve patient care and enhance healthcare provider competence. This led to my unique certification in Family Based Treatment (FBT), which is considered by the Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine to be the first line treatment for adolescents with restrictive EDs.
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As the Associate Director of the Eating Disorder Program in the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine (AYAM) at BCH, I have worked closely across hospital disciplines to integrate FBT tenets at all levels of patient care. My work has led to revised protocols for patients with restrictive eating disorders that empower families throughout their hospital stay and subsequent outpatient treatment. My collaborations with hospital staff have led to the creation of a FBT continuum of care throughout the patient admission - from medical or psychiatric inpatient to outpatient therapy in the AYAM outpatient clinic. Grounded in patient centered care and evidence-based treatment, my efforts have resulted in systematic changes to the policy and procedures at Boston Children’s (Freizinger et al., 2021).
These hospital efforts have extended to collaborations nationally and internationally. For example, as site PI on a NIMH funded grant, I collaborated with colleagues at Massachusetts General Hospital to improve the process of identifying youth whose feeding problems will become chronic versus those who recover as part of their normative development. I sat on the NIMH grant Data and Safety Monitoring Board on a grant focused on improving the generalizability of FBT for lower income populations. As PI on a privately funded grant, I am working to inform and improve future treatment for youth during the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021, it was my honor to serve as a reviewer for the APA Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Eating Disorders.
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I have been training and teaching BCH fellows, faculty, and interdisciplinary trainees for almost ten years. I continuously train hospital staff to collaborate with families in crisis using FBT tenets and language day-to-day as well as didactic and CME presentations. At BCH from 2018 to 2021, we have seen an 185% increase in inpatients with EDs, a nearly 200% increase in length of stay, a doubling in requests for outpatient care and local health professionals feeling the strain responding to this increased demand for specialized services. In response, I organized a well-received Harvard CME zoom training for physicians and medical professionals to support them in their understanding and treatment of EDs. In the MCHB/HRSA-funded Leadership in Education for Adolescent Health (LEAH) training program, I co-lead a yearly case-based series on EDs for the multidisciplinary cohort of trainees and serve as Associate Director of LEAH Psychology Training program. I have trained clinicians nationally and internationally on assessing suicidality, the use of Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT) with ED patients, and FBT. I am now consulting on a project developing the first ED graduate program in Latin America at the Adolfo Ibáñez University, Santiago, Chile. I have worked to communicate knowledge through journals and textbooks in the fields of eating disorder treatment and assessment, eating disorders and infertility, binge eating disorders in youth, eating disorder severity during COVID-19, and binge eating in youth during COVID-19.
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My ability to understand my patients and translate their unique needs to medical staff has been integral to my efforts to improve patient care and enhance healthcare provide competence. It is critical for medical and non-medical staff to understand the complexities of EDs so that practitioners can deliver best care practices in an empathic and comprehensive manner. By conducting empirically based research, training healthcare professionals with consciousness and care, and understanding our patients’ needs, interventions and quality improvement practices can be developed that will help ED patients recover so that they can return to normal adolescent development even in these uncertain times.