4th Annual Conference
2025 Eating Disorders in Sport:
A Treatment Playbook for Providers
Co-Occurring Conditions in the Athlete with an Eating Disorder
Eating Disorders in Sport: A Treatment Playbook for Providers
Co-Occurring Conditions in the Treatment of the Athlete with an Eating Disorder
Riley Nickols, PhD, CEDS-S
Founder – Mind Body Endurance, Counseling & Sport Psychologist
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About Riley
Dr. Nickols obtained an MS in Sport Psychology from Ithaca College in addition to an MS in Counseling Psychology and a PhD in Counseling Psychology from Fordham University. He regularly speaks to athletes, coaches, and sports medicine personnel about supporting the mental health of athletes, disordered eating, and unbalanced exercise in sport. Additionally, Dr. Nickols consults with eating disorder professionals on best practices for integrating exercise during eating disorder treatment and is sensitive to the unique demands of eating disorder recovery in relation to training and competing in sport.
Currently, Dr. Nickols is the Senior Program Advisor for Athlete EDGE at EDCare in Denver, CO where specialized intensive eating disorder treatment is provided for athletes. He was previously the Director of the Victory Program, the nation’s first residential eating disorder treatment facility for athletes, from 2013-2021 at McCallum Place in St. Louis, Missouri.
Dr. Nickols is a member of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s (USOPC) Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) Expert Panel and is listed in the USOPC’s Mental Health Directory. He is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS) and Consultant (CEDS-C) through the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (IAEDP) and holds a certificate in the Integrated Treatment of Eating Disorders from the Contemporary Psychotherapy’s Center for the Study of Anorexia & Bulimia (CSAB) in New York, NY. He currently serves on the Clinical Advisory Council for the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA).
Dr. Nickols is currently on the steering committee for the Eating Disorders and Body Image Special Interest Group as part of the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Division 38 (Society for Health Psychology) and was on the steering committee for Safe Exercise at Every Stage’s (SEES) Athlete Guidelines.
Dr. Nickols is a member of the Big Sky Sport Psychology Group, Collegiate Clinical/Counseling Sport Psychology Association (CCSPA), American Psychological Association’s Division 47 (Exercise & Sport Psychology), and the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) Eating Disorders Special Interest Group. He is also an Approved Mentor through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology.
Dr. Nickols is a licensed psychologist in California, Colorado, Iowa, Massachusetts, Missouri, and New York. Additionally, he is an approved, participating PSYPACT psychologist and can provide telehealth in the participating PSYPACT states.
In addition to competing in endurance sports for over 20 years, Dr. Nickols is a running and triathlon coach.
His proudest accomplishment is being married to his best friend and raising three adorable kids.
Rebecca “Becca” McConville,
MS, RD, LD, CSSD, CEDRD-S
Director of Performance Nutrition – Mind Body Endurance
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About Becca
Being a former collegiate athlete now youth coach and Mom to an active daughter, my career’s mission is to create a safer place in sport to see athletes thrive. This means aligning with like-minded , value-driven professionals. As the director of Performance Nutrition at MBE Becca creates a place to challenge the status quo and have ongoing peer consultation to stay evidence-informed & connected to the clients.
In addition to private practice, she has served as a consultant to the University of Missouri Kansas City Athletics, Kansas City Ballet, local colleges and previously worked with the Kansas City Chiefs. Becca and Riley have developed and presented over the US The Eating Disorder in Sport Workshop for athlete providers.
Becca is also the author of Finding your Sweet Spot- How to Avoid RED-S (Relative Energy Deficit in Sport) by Optimizing Your Energy Balance and RED-Solution mentorship program for clinicians.. She is a co-host of a podcast called PHIT for a Queen devoted to female athletes. In 2022, she released her workbook on transitioning out of sport, At LAST, with Dr. Mel Streno.
Special Guest Presenters
Hear from leaders in the field of treating eating disorders in the context of sport.
Mitch Abrams, PsyD
Sport, Clinical, & Forensic Psychologist
Abrams Psychological Services
Learned Excellence for Athletes
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About Dr. Abrams
Dr. Mitch Abrams is a licensed psychologist in NY & NJ, is listed in the USOPC Mental Health & Performance Directory, and provides consultation nationally through PSYPACT reciprocity. He is the CEO and founder of Abrams Psychological Services and Learned Excellence for Athletes, his sport psychology consulting company. He is one of the few sport, clinical and forensic psychologists in the United States and presents regularly on topics that sit at the chiasm of those subdisciplines. Dr. Abrams has been recognized as an expert who can describe complicated clinical matters in jargon-free practical terms.
He is the nation’s expert in anger and violence in sports. His book, aptly titled Anger Management in Sport – Understanding and Controlling Violence in Sports, is the only tome on the market that not only describes the problem of violence in sport, but provides the How-To of teaching athletes, coaches parents. This guides people how to use their anger to help performance, rather than engaging in behavior that they will regret. He has also written many articles and book chapters on issues related to violence and trauma in athlete populations.
Dr. Abrams has also been a pioneer in sexual assault & dating violence prevention, with specific focus on athlete populations, developing the Abrams Model of Sexual Assault Prevention. This is an accountability-based model that includes, but far exceeds, Bystander Intervention modalities and is the most comprehensive Sexual Assault Prevention Program available for athletes. His model focuses on prevention, risk assessment of accused perpetrators and treatment, as indicated. Because of his forensic expertise, Dr. Abrams has been called upon to conduct these risk assessments related to athletes’ violence and criminality risk. He has trained sport psychologists on this process as well.
Dr. Abrams has consulted with thousands of athletes over the past 25 years and has developed programs for athletic organizations at the Youth Sport, High School, College & Professional levels. Dr. Abrams works to build the strengths of athletes, coaches and teams through improved communication, life skills introduction and direct counseling.
He is a full member of the American Psychological Association as well as its Divisions 47 – Society for Sport, Exercise & Performance Psychology, Division 18 – Psychologists in Public Service,
and Division 41 – The American Psychology-Law Society. Further, he holds membership in the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), where he is a Fellow and he is also the Founder and Co-Chair of the “Anger & Violence in Sport” Special Interest Group (SIG).
Over the course of twenty-five years working inside the New Jersey prison system, Dr. Abrams progressed from directing the inpatient mental health units at Northern State Prison to his current position as Chief Psychologist for Rutgers/University Correctional Healthcare where he oversees the delivery of mental health services. He coordinates the Forensic Track of Rutgers’ predoctoral psychology internship and is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Rutgers/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Mark R. Allen, MD
Owner/Founder, Peak Sports Psychiatry, PLLC
Chairman of the Board, American Board of Sports & Performance Psychiatry
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Long School of Medicine, UT Health San Antonio
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About Dr. Allen
Dr. Allen has advanced, sport-specific training, including the International Olympic Committee’s Diploma in Mental Health in Elite Sport, the FIFA Diploma in Football Medicine, and the ISSP’s Certificate of Additional Training in Sports Psychiatry. Currently, he serves as Chairman of the American Board of Sports & Performance Psychiatry (ABSPP) and is a member of the editorial board for Sports Psychiatry: The Journal of Sports & Exercise Psychiatry.
In his clinical practice, Dr. Allen works with athletes across all levels, from high school to Olympic and professional competitors. He is honored to serve as the consulting psychiatrist for the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team. Beyond his practice, he contributes to the athlete mental health community through his roles on the medical advisory boards of two non-profits—The Hidden Opponent and Alston For Athletes—and as a contributor to the youth sports mental performance platform MaxU.
Based in Denver, Colorado, Dr. Allen enjoys spending his free time playing golf and pickleball, hiking, and relaxing with his wife, two sons, and their beloved fur-kids.
Kate Bennett, PsyD
Clinical Sport Psychologist
Founder of Athlete Insight
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About Dr. Bennett
Dr. Bennett combines her sport experiences and clinical expertise to support the mental health and performance needs of athletes. She is a specialist in the treatment of eating disorders, disordered eating, exercise dependency, and REDs. Dr. Bennett authored “Treating Athletes with Eating Disorders.” She has appeared on numerous podcasts and presented nationally on these topics.
Dr. Bennett is on the Way of Champions Advisory Board and is listed on the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee mental health directory.
Patrick Devenny
Former College & NFL Football Player
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About Patrick
Patrick Devenny is a former University of Colorado and Seattle Seahawk football player. Patrick has struggled much of his life with disordered eating and restrictive eating. Looking back, it is hard for him to pinpoint the exact moment that his eating disorder started to consume his life, but he believes that given the pressures of trying to do whatever was necessary to achieve his dream of playing in the NFL, food became an issue. His eating disorder really became evident once his career was over and in 2015, he realized just how overwhelmed his life was with food and body image issues. While on the path to recovery, he has developed a passion for raising awareness for athletes/males with eating disorders in hopes that his story can help at least one person with their own journey in recovery.
Patrick Ivey, PhD
Assistant Vice President/Associate Athletics Director
for Health and Performance – University of Louisville
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About Dr. Ivey
career spanning over 20 years in collegiate roles. In January 2019, he joined the University of
Louisville (UofL) as the Associate Athletic Director for Student Athlete Health and Performance.
Ivey was promoted to senior associate athletics director for health and performance on the
executive team in January 2025. His dedication and expertise have made him an invaluable
addition to the UofL staff.
In addition to his role at UofL, Dr. Ivey was elected as the President of the Board of Directors for
the collegiate strength and conditioning coaches association (CSCCa) in 2023. This prestigious
appointment reflects his leadership skills and his commitment to advancing the field of strength
and conditioning. Ivey also serves as a Board of Trustee with Logan University.
Before joining Louisville, Dr. Ivey spent two years at Arkansas State, where he held the position
of Assistant Athletics Director of Athletics Performance for one year and Director of Mental
Performance in 2017. Prior to that, he served as the Associate Athletics Director for Athletic
Performance at Missouri from 2011 to 2015. Dr. Ivey’s outstanding work earned him the title of
National Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year by FootballScoop.com in 2013. From
2016 to 2017, he served as the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Access and Leadership
Development at Missouri.
Dr. Ivey’s own athletic background includes being a former Missouri football letter winner from
1993 to 1995. In 1995, he was recognized as an All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete.
After completing his undergraduate degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management with a focus
on nutrition in 1996, he went on to play in the NFL for the Detroit Lions, San Diego Chargers,
Denver Broncos, and Green Bay Packers for four seasons.
Continuing his academic pursuits, Dr. Ivey earned a Master’s degree in Health Education with
an emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction in 2000 while working as a graduate assistant
director of strength and conditioning at Missouri. In 2004, he returned to Missouri as the
Director of Strength and Conditioning, following his tenure as Director of Strength and
Conditioning at Tulsa from 2002 to 2003. During his time at Tulsa, he played a pivotal role in
revitalizing the football program, leading them to an impressive turnaround from a 1-11 record
to an 8-5 record in 2003.
In 2013, Dr. Ivey obtained his Ph.D. in sports psychology from Missouri, further enhancing his
knowledge and expertise in his field. He holds several certifications, including Master Strength
and Conditioning Coach (MSCC) and Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified (SCCC) through
the CSCCa, as well as Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National
Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Dr. Ivey is also a renowned speaker on sports
performance, sharing his insights and experiences with others.
Originally hailing from Detroit, Michigan, Dr. Ivey shares his life with his wife, Dr. Starla Ivey,
and their two daughters, Paisli and Serena.
Grace Ray Schumacher, RDN, CEDS, OTD
Nutrition Partnership, LLC
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About Grace
Grace Ray Schumacher, RDN, CEDS, OTD, is a registered dietitian with 10 years of history working as an eating disorders specialist and is a recent occupational therapy doctoral graduate. She is highly trained in Ayres Sensory Integration which includes sensory-perceptual development of the body schema. Her expertise includes therapeutic modalities for oral-motor and sensory feeding difficulties across the lifespan using a multi-relational approach for interventions. She is a proficient practitioner of Greenspan/DIR Floortime, a social-emotional framework originally designed for neurodivergent children which promotes holistic development and adaptability to stressors and rejects a behaviorist paradigm. She is author of “Foodtime,” a Greenspan therapy manual to address pediatric feeding and eating disorders including Avoidant-Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), which is pending publication.
Riley Nickols, PhD, CEDS-C and Becca McConville MS, RD, LDN, CSSD, CEDRD-C are excited to facilitate a full day of learning to advance the understanding and effectiveness of providers to assess and treat athletes with eating disorders.
The theme for the 2025 Eating Disorders in Sport: A Treatment Playbook for Providers is Co-Occurring Conditions in the Athlete with an Eating Disorder . Renowned experts, Mitch Abrams, PsyD , Mark R. Allen, MD, Kate Bennett, PsyD, Patrick Devenny, Patrick Ivey, and Grace Ray Schumacher, RDN, CEDS, OTD will share valuable knowledge, recommendations, and lived experiences to enhance the treatment of athletes.
This workshop will inform, empower, and equip sport personnel and eating disorder providers with evidence-based best practices to allow staff and organizations to treat athletes with confidence and effectiveness.
Participants will learn how to optimally support athletes navigating eating disorder treatment by using best practices while leveraging available resources, both in-house and external providers, while being sensitive to the complex and multifaceted nature of an eating disorder.
This training will provide education, training, and practical interventions specific to: understanding the role of trauma in the manifestation of an eating disorder, medical and psychological concerns, inherent risks and dangers of mismanaging an eating disorder case, establishment of weight goals/policies, navigating crucial conversations with athlete and sport personnel, modifying and reintegrating training during treatment, and challenges in collaborative care within a multidisciplinary treatment team.
Case study demonstrations will include relevant assessment tools and return to sport guidelines. Recommendations will be provided for how athletic departments can provide sufficient training and supervision so that staff can be equipped to comprehensively assess and treat eating disorders. Suggestions will be given to providers in private practice in how to optimally leverage available trainings, supervision, and support when collaborating in the care of an athlete.
Attendees will also learn how to comprehensively evaluate existing eating disorder protocols/procedures within an athletic department or sport governing body while identifying qualified personnel to assess and treat athletes who exhibit disordered eating and eating disorder behaviors.
2025 Eating Disorders in Sport: A Treatment Playbook for Providers Agenda (all times CST)
Co-Occurring Conditions in the Athlete with an Eating Disorder
9:00am – 9:20am – Introduction and the implications of co-occurring conditions with athletes.
9:20am – 10:20am – A Functional Analysis of Trauma, Sports & Eating Disorders – Understanding the Why to Change the How – Mitch Abrams, PsyD
Learning Objectives
- The attendees will be able to describe the relationship between trauma, eating disorders, and personality disorders, and how they may present in athlete populations.
- The attendees will be able to identify 3 different functionalities of disordered eating to consider in the conceptualization of behavioral etiology and corresponding treatment.
- The attendees will be able to discuss the complexities of expectations related to the expression and suppression of emotions in sport and how this can contribute to self-destructive behaviors, including disordered eating.
10:20am – 10:30am – Break
10:30am – 11:30am – Landmines and Booby Traps: Navigating the MINDfield of Eating Disorder Recovery – Kate Bennett, PsyD
Learning Objectives
- Discern between presenting symptoms and the underlying etiology that perpetuates eating disorders and maladaptive exercise behaviors.
- Develop clinical strategies to address perfectionism, shame, and narcissism to enhance treatment efficacy.
11:30pm – 12:30pm – Feeding Grief and Starving Myself – Patrick Devenny
Learning Objectives
- Explain how grief can manifest in eating habits (i.e., emotional eating, loss of appetite, disordered eating).
- Discuss the psychological mechanisms at play and how they might influence one’s relationship with food.
- Examine the notion of “starving oneself” as a reaction to emotional pain, guilt, or lack of control.
12:30pm – 12:45pm – Break and message from Athlete EDGE at EDCare
12:45pm – 1:45pm – Food as Feelings, Food as Fuel: Using a Sensory Lens for ARFID in Sport – Grace Ray Schumacher, RDN, CEDS, OTD
Learning Objectives
- Summarize the development and organization of the sensory nervous system.
- Relate principles of sensory integration theory to typical presentations of Avoidant-Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID).
- Infer helpful accommodations to improve functional capacities based on sensory profile.
- Examine potential motivating factors for food-and-nutritional change for individuals with ARFID.
1:45pm – 2:45pm – Building Institutional Change for Athlete Well-Being: A Framework for Collaboration and Policy Development – Pat Ivey, PhD
Learning Objectives
1. Understand the Administrative Perspective: Explore strategies for bridging the gap between clinicians, coaches, and administrators to foster a unified approach to athlete well-being.
2. Implementing Change from Within: Learn actionable steps to introduce and sustain institutional policies that prioritize mental and physical health, with an emphasis on practical support for clinicians and staff.
3. Overcoming Barriers to Progress: Identify common obstacles within athletic departments and develop solutions to drive collaboration, education, and mandatory certifications for staff working with athletes.
2:45pm – 3:45pm – The Sports Psychiatrist’s Playbook: Managing Medications in Eating Disorder Treatment Teams – Mark Allen, MD
Learning Objectives
- Understand the Unique Role: Identify the role of a sports psychiatrist on an eating disorder treatment team, particularly in the context of athletes and high-performance populations.
- Optimize Medication Use: Review evidence-based approaches to medication management in eating disorders, including indications, contraindications, and common challenges in treatment.
- Integrate Multidisciplinary Insights: Discuss how collaboration with nutritionists, therapists, and medical professionals enhances medication decision-making and outcomes for patients with eating disorders.
3:45pm – 4:00pm – How MBE can help with referrals, consultation, treatment, review/creation of policies, and education. Discussion and wrap-up.
Please email Riley (Riley.Nickols@mindbodyendurance.com) and Becca (Becca@mindbodyendurance.com) for questions about this event.
Athlete EDGE® at EDCare provides intensive, compassionate eating disorder treatment from professionals who understand the world of sport and the challenges athletes face. Dr. Riley Nickols is the Program Advisor for Athlete EDGE® at EDCare.
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