Jason MacKenzie is a husband, father, and business owner.   After losing his first wife Cindy and his 19-year-old daughter Chloe, he’s on a mission to educate men, and the people who love them, about grief and healing. He writes about loss, grief and healing at his Substack. https://improvingman.substack.com/  

Our Hosts, Linda and John Mazur, and Ellen Bennett, discuss various mental health issues—eating disorders, anxiety, depression, suicide, substance and alcohol use disorders. This team has a combined experience of over thirty-five years in dealing with eating disorders and their co-morbidities. They share their insights on anorexia, grief, advocacy, and the significance of finding support networks. The podcasts feature interviews with mental health experts, authors, and individuals with lived experiences. Linda, John, and Ellen emphasize the need for improved community awareness and the benefits of strong interpersonal connections. Join us as we start the conversations to end the pervasive shame and stigma associated with mental health issues as we strive to improve mental health care and learn to embrace, better understand, and support those who struggle, and those who love them. Let’s help each other pick up the pieces and discover new pathways to healing.

The Mazur’s can be reached at: [email protected]

To learn more about their nonprofit visit:
www.TheEmileeConnection.com

Their book and audiobook : Emilee - The Story of a Girl and Her Family Hijacked by Anorexia: Mazur, Linda, Mazur, John, Mazur, Emilee: 9781700920126: Amazon.com: Books

Their book website www.EmileetheStoryofaGirl.com

Ellen Bennett is an advocate, speaker, retired educator, and director of KMB for Answers which is a non-profit foundation providing educational and financial support for mental health professionals as well as assistance for families in search of resources. She is a community advisory board member of the Western New York Comprehensive Care Center for Eating Disorders, and also a member of the Academy for Eating Disorders-Expert by Experience.

For more information about Ellen Bennett and the foundation founded in memory of her daughter Katlyn, go to: www.kmbforanswers.com 
Email: [email protected].

Jason Wood turned his battle with orthorexia into a mission to break the stigma around men’s mental health by publishing his memoir Starving for Survival. He is proud to serve on the board for Running in Silence, Michigan Eating Disorder Alliance, and SoulPaws Recovery Project. Jason is also the Director of Community Engagement at ANAD and facilitates the organization’s new men’s peer support group. Through speaking engagements, his writing, and his work, Jason strives to start an important conversation that encourages everyone--especially men--to speak up, share their stories, and get the help they deserve. 

Our Hosts, Linda and John Mazur, and Ellen Bennett, discuss various mental health issues—eating disorders, anxiety, depression, suicide, substance and alcohol use disorders. This team has a combined experience of over thirty-five years in dealing with eating disorders and their co-morbidities. They share their insights on anorexia, grief, advocacy, and the significance of finding support networks. The podcasts feature interviews with mental health experts, authors, and individuals with lived experiences. Linda, John, and Ellen emphasize the need for improved community awareness and the benefits of strong interpersonal connections. Join us as we start the conversations to end the pervasive shame and stigma associated with mental health issues as we strive to improve mental health care and learn to embrace, better understand, and support those who struggle, and those who love them. Let’s help each other pick up the pieces and discover new pathways to healing.

Linda and John Mazur advocate locally, nationally, and internationally. They serve as community advisory board members of the Western New York Comprehensive Care Center for Eating Disorders. They attended President Biden's Speech,  Improving Access for Mental Health Care, in 2023. They have spoken at eating disorder conferences, and for community groups regarding the importance of eating disorder and mental health awareness, advocacy, and education. They provide peer support groups for adults and families through their non-profit, The Emilee Connection, as well as connect people to resources. They wish these supports were available for their adult daughter, Emilee, and for them, as her parents. It takes a village of support to help someone through a mental health struggle. They honored their daughter's last wish by writing a memoir with her writings included, so it might bring awareness to the things that need to change, in the hope that no one else would have to suffer as she did.

The Mazur’s can be reached at: [email protected]
To learn more about their nonprofit visit: www.TheEmileeConnection.com

Their book and audiobook : Emilee - The Story of a Girl and Her Family Hijacked by Anorexia: Mazur, Linda, Mazur, John, Mazur, Emilee: 9781700920126: Amazon.com: Books

Their book website 
www.EmileetheStoryofaGirl.com

Ellen Bennett is an advocate, speaker, retired educator, and director of KMB for Answers which is a non-profit foundation providing educational and financial support for mental health professionals as well as assistance for families in search of resources. She advocates locally, nationally, and internationally, is a community advisory board member of the Western New York Comprehensive Care Center for Eating Disorders, and a member of the Academy for Eating Disorders-Expert by Experience.

For more information about Ellen Bennett and the foundation founded in memory of her daughter Katlyn, go to: www.kmbforanswers.com 
Email: [email protected].

Sally McQuillen, LCSW, CADC, is a psychotherapist in private practice specializing in addiction recovery, grief and trauma healing. An avid reader with a double major in writing and dance criticism in college, she began working in public relations and marketing prior to obtaining her master’s degree in social work. 

Reaching for Beautiful is Sally’s first book. She and her husband live on the north shore of Chicago where they raised their three children.

Sally Stearns McQuillen 
Facebook@sal.mcq 
InstagramSally McQuillen, LCSW, CADC 
LinkedInhttps://substack.com/@salmcq
Sally McQuillen, LCSW, CADC  www.sallymcquillen.com

Our Hosts:

Linda and John (Jack) Mazur founded a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization in 2022 in memory of their daughter, Emilee which provides peer support, social connection, and education for adults with eating disorders and for their family members. For more information or to contact them go to: www.theemileeconnection.com  

• Linda and John (Jack) Mazur wrote, Emilee: The Story of a Girl and Her Family Hijacked by Anorexia, to honor their daughter’s wish, to raise awareness, evoke compassion, and foster change in how eating disorders are viewed and treated.

• Paperback and Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Emilee-Story-Family-Hijacked-Anorexia/dp/170092012X ·         
• Audiobook:https://www.amazon.com/Emilee-Story-Family-Hijacked-Anorexia/dp/B08R6LRPDS ·         
• Linda and Jack can also be reached through the book website:  https://emileethestoryofagirl.com or at [email protected]  

 Ellen Bennett is the director of KMB for Answers, a non-profit charity providing educational and financial support for mental health professionals as well as assistance for families in search of resources. For more information about Ellen Bennett and the foundation founded in memory of her daughter Katlyn, go to: www.Kmbforanswers.com

Mehek Mohan is a Stanford Graduate School of Business student and the co-founder of Kahani, a personalized recovery platform for individuals navigating eating disorders. Prior to Stanford, Mehek led AI and automation initiatives at Genentech within the Early Clinical Development team. She earned her undergraduate degree in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley and has experience in early-stage venture capital. Mehek is passionate about making mental health care tools more accessible by leveraging cutting-edge advances in technology. 

We will take a deep dive into this recovery platform to learn and understand how technology has the potential to improve outcomes. This platform is new, an 8-week pilot program was launched in April of this year just as we were recording this podcast.  Kahani is a digital recovery companion designed to help individuals navigating eating disorder recovery by providing structured, evidence-based activities in a game-like format.
Think Inside Out meets Duolingo meets Farmville!  

 Email:  [email protected]  Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mehekmohan/ 


Our Hosts:   ·         

Linda and John(Jack) Mazur founded a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization in 2022 in memory of their daughter, Emilee which provides peer support, social connection, and education for adults with eating disorders and for their family members. For more information or to contact them go to: www.theemileeconnection.com  

• Linda and John (Jack) Mazur wrote, Emilee: The Story of a Girl and Her Family Hijacked by Anorexia, to honor their daughter’s wish, to raise awareness, evoke compassion, and foster change in how eating disorders are viewed and treated.

 Paperback: and Kindle:https://www.amazon.com/Emilee-Story-Family-Hijacked-Anorexia/dp/170092012X   
     

Audiobook :https://www.amazon.com/Emilee-Story-Family-Hijacked-Anorexia/dp/B08R6LRPDS 
       

Linda and Jack can also be reached through the book website:   https://emileethestoryofagirl.com or at [email protected]  


Ellen Bennett is the director of KMB for Answers, a non-profit charity providing educational and financial support for mental health professionals as well as assistance for families in search of resources. For more information about Ellen Bennett and the foundation founded in memory of her daughter Katlyn, go to: www.Kmbforanswers.com

Dr. Wisniewski (she/her) is an internationally recognized leader in eating disorder
treatment and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), with almost 30 years of clinical,
research and training experience. An Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychological
Sciences at Case Western Reserve University, Dr. Wisniewski has taught hundreds of
workshops and continuing education seminars around the world and has authored
numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and invited book chapters.

Dr. Wisniewski has pioneered the use of DBT in the treatment of multi-diagnostic eating
disorders (MED) and is a sought-after authority on this empirically founded method of
treatment, providing consultation and training to clinics around the globe. She is the co-
author of the MED-DBT Treatment Manual to be published in 2025 with Guilford Press.

Dr. Wisniewski has earned some of the highest awards and accreditations in the field.
She has been elected fellow by the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED), where she
has served on the board of directors and as the co-chair of the borderline personality
disorder special interest group. In 2013 the AED awarded Dr. Wisniewski the
Outstanding Clinician Award to acknowledge her leadership in the field and her
commitment to providing the best solutions for those with eating disorders.

In 2023, she was recognized as Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT)
Champion for her exceptional dedication, influence, and social impact through the
promotion of evidence-based psychological interventions. In 2024 Dr. Wisniewski was
honored with the Fulbright Specialist Award, through which she served at Comenzar de
Nuevo AC, a non-profit eating disorder facility in Monterrey, Mexico.

Dr. Wisniewski is the founder and Chief Clinical Officer of the Center for Evidence
Based Treatment (www.cebtohio.com), which offers therapy, training, and consultation
in evidence-based approaches to mental health conditions via traditional and
teletherapy platforms.



Our Hosts:   ·         

Linda and John(Jack) Mazur founded a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization in 2022 in memory of their daughter, Emilee which provides peer support, social connection, and education for adults with eating disorders and for their family members. For more information or to contact them go to: www.theemileeconnection.com  

• Linda and John (Jack) Mazur wrote, Emilee: The Story of a Girl and Her Family Hijacked by Anorexia, to honor their daughter’s wish, to raise awareness, evoke compassion, and foster change in how eating disorders are viewed and treated.

 Paperback: and Kindle:https://www.amazon.com/Emilee-Story-Family-Hijacked-Anorexia/dp/170092012X   
     

Audiobook :https://www.amazon.com/Emilee-Story-Family-Hijacked-Anorexia/dp/B08R6LRPDS 
       

Linda and Jack can also be reached through the book website:   https://emileethestoryofagirl.com or at [email protected]  


Ellen Bennett is the director of KMB for Answers, a non-profit charity providing educational and financial support for mental health professionals as well as assistance for families in search of resources. For more information about Ellen Bennett and the foundation founded in memory of her daughter Katlyn, go to: www.Kmbforanswers.com

Julie Fingersh is a writer, freelance journalist, and most recently, the author of Stay: A Story of Family, Love & Other Traumas (Rowman & Littlefield), which was named one of the best memoirs of 2024 by People Magazine and called “Rich, wise, funny, and hard to put down” by NYT bestselling author Anne Lamott.

Julie’s personal essays, editorials, and reported stories have appeared in The New York Times, Oprah Magazine, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Huffington Post, and more. Her Substack newsletter, Take my Advice. I’m Not Using It, is a midlife sequel of an award-winning humorist column she wrote in her twenties for Billboard Publications. 

Julie has two adult children and lives with her husband in Marin County, California and New Haven, Connecticut. 

Julie Fingersh
Writer, Journalist & Author
New York Times | Huffington Post | Oprah Magazine

Author of: Stay: A Story of Family, Love, & Other Traumas  (Rowman & Littlefield) 
Named one of People Magazine’s Best Books of 2024 
Named one of Zibby Owens’s Top 22 Books of 2024 and Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2024 
Substack newsletter: “Take My Advice. I’m Not Using It”  

Our Hosts:   ·         

Linda and John(Jack) Mazur founded a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization in 2022 in memory of their daughter, Emilee which provides peer support, social connection, and education for adults with eating disorders and for their family members. For more information or to contact them go to: www.theemileeconnection.com  

• Linda and John (Jack) Mazur wrote, Emilee: The Story of a Girl and Her Family Hijacked by Anorexia, to honor their daughter’s wish, to raise awareness, evoke compassion, and foster change in how eating disorders are viewed and treated.

 Paperback: and Kindle:https://www.amazon.com/Emilee-Story-Family-Hijacked-Anorexia/dp/170092012X   
     

Audiobook :https://www.amazon.com/Emilee-Story-Family-Hijacked-Anorexia/dp/B08R6LRPDS 
       

Linda and Jack can also be reached through the book website:   https://emileethestoryofagirl.com or at [email protected]  


Ellen Bennett is the director of KMB for Answers, a non-profit charity providing educational and financial support for mental health professionals as well as assistance for families in search of resources. For more information about Ellen Bennett and the foundation founded in memory of her daughter Katlyn, go to: www.Kmbforanswers.com

Jennifer L. Gaudiani, MD, CEDS-C, FAED, is the founder and medical director of the Gaudiani
Clinic. Board certified in internal medicine, she completed her undergraduate degree at
Harvard Medical School at Boston University School of Medicine, and her internal medicine
residency and chief residency at Yale.   
Dr. Gaudiani served as the medical director at the ACUTE Center for Eating Disorders prior to
founding the Gaudiani Clinic in 2016. The Gaudiani Clinic offers specialized, trauma-informed
outpatient medical care to individuals seeking support for eating disorders, undernourishment
related to complex medical issues, and weight-inclusive primary care. The Gaudiani Clinic is
based in Colorado with a satellite location in North Carolina and is licensed to practice in almost
every US state via thoughtful telemedicine. The Gaudiani Clinic also offers international
professional consultation and education.  
 
Dr. Gaudiani has lectured nationally and internationally, is widely published in
scientific literature as well as on blogs, is a Fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders, and is a
former member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Eating Disorders and the
Academy for Eating Disorders Medical Care Standards Committee. Dr. Gaudiani’s book, Sick
Enough: A  Guide to the Medical Complications of Eating Disorders has been translated into
multiple  languages and is available on Amazon with a second edition to be published in the
coming year.

Gaudiani Clinic website: https://www.gaudianiclinic.com/
Sick Enough Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Sick-Enough-Jennifer-L-
Gaudiani/dp/0815382456

Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube: @gaudianiclinic

Our Hosts:   ·         

Linda and John(Jack) Mazur founded a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization in 2022 in memory of their daughter, Emilee which provides peer support, social connection, and education for adults with eating disorders and for their family members. For more information or to contact them go to: www.theemileeconnection.com  

• Linda and John (Jack) Mazur wrote, Emilee: The Story of a Girl and Her Family Hijacked by Anorexia, to honor their daughter’s wish, to raise awareness, evoke compassion, and foster change in how eating disorders are viewed and treated.

 Paperback: and Kindle:https://www.amazon.com/Emilee-Story-Family-Hijacked-Anorexia/dp/170092012X   
     

Audiobook :https://www.amazon.com/Emilee-Story-Family-Hijacked-Anorexia/dp/B08R6LRPDS 
       

Linda and Jack can also be reached through the book website:   https://emileethestoryofagirl.com or at [email protected]  


Ellen Bennett is the director of KMB for Answers, a non-profit charity providing educational and financial support for mental health professionals as well as assistance for families in search of resources. For more information about Ellen Bennett and the foundation founded in memory of her daughter Katlyn, go to: www.Kmbforanswers.com

Shari Botwin, LCSW, has been counseling survivors in recovery from all types of traumas in her Philadelphia based private practice for over twenty-eight years. Her second book, “Thriving After Trauma: Stories of Living and Healing, Rowman & Littlefield,” (Rowman & Littlefield, November 8, 2019) deals with overcoming trauma including physical and sexual abuse, war-related injury, loss due to tragedy or illness and natural disaster. Botwin’s third book, Stolen Childhoods, released worldwide in May 2024.
Botwin has been qualified as an expert witness in high profile civil and criminal cases, including a case against R Kelly and another case involving over 100 plaintiffs against former pediatrician, Stuart Copperman. In January, Botwin was a featured panelist on a CLE panel about trauma-informed care for the Montgomery Bar Association, in Pennsylvania. Botwin has conducted Keynote presentations for CE credits for Advanced Recovery Systems, Stockton University, Rutgers University, Monte Nido Eating Disorders Center, International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals, Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Organization, Hofstra University, and Bay Path University. Botwin has given expert on-air commentary on breaking stories related to trauma and abuse.
She also is a regular guest contributor on the Law & Crime Network. NBC Nightly News , NBC News Now, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning NBC News Now with Dr. John Torres, Merit Street, Law & Crime, ABC News, CBS News, MSNBC Live, CTV News, CP-24 News, CNN, Time Magazine, Rolling Stone Magazine, Parade Magazine, The Daily Beast,  Parents Magazine, US Weekly, Newsy, Sports Illustrated, Prevention Magazine, The New York Times, Rolling Stone Magazine, Bored Panda, Parade Magazine, Parents Magazine, Newsbreak,  The Associated Press, Philadelphia Magazine and Radio Europe.
 
Shari Botwin, LCSW (www.sharibotwin.com),
For Speaking Engagements: Shari Botwin | Speaking Fee | Booking Agent
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/stolenchildhoods
Stolen Childhoods here: https://www.amazon.com/Stolen-Childhoods-Thriving-After-Abuse/dp/1538183625/
Audiobook with Tantor Media: https://www.amazon.com/Stolen-Childhoods-Thriving-After-Abuse/dp/B0D4RFX67B/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shari-botwin-901172a Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warriorbotwin7/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharilcsw/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/shari_botwin


Our Hosts:
     
Linda and John(Jack) Mazur founded a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization in 2022 in memory of their daughter, Emilee which provides peer support, social connection, and education for adults with eating disorders and for their family members. For more information or to contact them go to: www.theemileeconnection.com  

• Linda and John (Jack) Mazur wrote, Emilee: The Story of a Girl and Her Family Hijacked by Anorexia, to honor their daughter’s wish, to raise awareness, evoke compassion, and foster change in how eating disorders are viewed and treated.

Paperback: and Kindle:https://www.amazon.com/Emilee-Story-Family-Hijacked-Anorexia/dp/170092012X      

Audiobook:https://www.amazon.com/Emilee-Story-Family-Hijacked-Anorexia/dp/B08R6LRPDS       

Linda and Jack can also be reached through the book website:  https://emileethestoryofagirl.com or at [email protected]  

Ellen Bennett is the director of KMB for Answers, a non-profit charity providing educational and financial support for mental health professionals as well as assistance for families in search of resources. For more information about Ellen Bennett and the foundation founded in memory of her daughter Katlyn, go to: www.Kmbforanswers.com

Today, our hosts Linda Mazur, Jack Mazur, and Ellen Bennett will provide valuable insights on mental health and eating disorders derived from their experience conducting 40 podcast interviews with experts and individuals with lived experience on "Once Shattered: Picking Up the Pieces."

Additionally, they will share their personal journeys and discuss the significant initiatives of their non-profits, The Emilee Connection and KMB for Answers, founded in memory of their daughters.

They have transformed personal loss into a purposeful mission that offers education, compassion, support and hope. Through their conversation, we will gain an understanding of the unique contributions of both non-profit organizations, fostering solace, inspiration, healing, and a sense of community.

KMB for Answers and The Emilee Connection sponsor these podcasts.

https://theemileeconnection.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Emilee-Story-Family-Hijacked-Anorexia/dp/170092012X

https://www.kmbforanswers.com/

Jennifer Collins, author, is a retired professor and physical therapist whose professional
career spanned forty years. She held many titles during those years, but “Mom” was the
one that brought her the most joy; her close-knit family was the center of her universe.
Her debut novel, Comfort in the Wings, emerged from Jennifer’s devastating
experiences with the loss of several immediate family members, including two of her
three children. Tragedy in her life brought an understanding that seemingly opposite
feelings - joy and profound sadness or gratitude and anger – can exist at the very same
moment. Striving to articulate those emotions compelled her to bring a seldom heard
voice into fiction. Supporting loved ones through chronic illness, substance use, mental
health struggles and sudden loss, Jennifer was struck by the toll that stigma and
judgement take on people who are grieving. Her books delve into meaningful
conversations about these issues without preaching or politicizing highly personal
issues.
Encouraged by readers’ response, Jennifer wrote two more books, creating the Love
That Does Not Die Trilogy. Jennifer enjoys writing about the quest for joy and gratitude
after grief, especially celebrating signs in nature from lost loved ones or finding healing
near water. Most recently, the MartinArts Council recognized her as their 2023 Literary
Arts Award Winner. She also considers herself an advocate for compassion and
kindness, and volunteers at a hospice home.
When not writing, Jennifer feels blessed to run a family business alongside her eldest son. For more information about the books go
to: www.wordsinthewingspress.com

Our Hosts:   ·         Linda and John(Jack) Mazur founded a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization in 2022 in memory of their daughter, Emilee which provides peer support, social connection, and education for adults with eating disorders and for their family members. For more information or to contact them go to: www.theemileeconnection.com  

• Linda and John (Jack) Mazur wrote, Emilee: The Story of a Girl and Her Family Hijacked by Anorexia, to honor their daughter’s wish, to raise awareness, evoke compassion, and foster change in how eating disorders are viewed and treated.

Paperback: and Kindle:https://www.amazon.com/Emilee-Story-Family-Hijacked-Anorexia/dp/170092012X      

Audiobook:https://www.amazon.com/Emilee-Story-Family-Hijacked-Anorexia/dp/B08R6LRPDS       

Linda and Jack can also be reached through the book website:  https://emileethestoryofagirl.com or at [email protected]  

Ellen Bennett is the director of KMB for Answers, a non-profit charity providing educational and financial support for mental health professionals as well as assistance for families in search of resources. For more information about Ellen Bennett and the foundation founded in memory of her daughter Katlyn, go to: www.Kmbforanswers.com