Board of Directors - VICE PRESIDENT
Founder
WellCentered, Inc.
Ellen Shuman is the founder of WellCentered, Inc., an organization that, since 1993, has provided Acoria Eating Disorder Treatment Programs, outpatient therapy services in Cincinnati, and “A Weigh Out Life Coaching”, coaching services conducted worldwide, by telephone, to people with emotional eating challenges and binge eating disorders (www.aweighout.com).
Shuman entered the wellness field in 1993, following a Peabody and Emmy award-winning career as a journalist. She decided to start an eating disorder treatment center after her November 1992 appearances on the Oprah Winfrey Show and the simultaneous airing in Cincinnati of a series of reports she produced on binge eating disorder, in which she shared her professional knowledge of binge eating disorder and her own personal struggles. Viewer response was an overwhelming request for more information about binge eating disorder, which had not been named or publicized before that. Shuman started doing more research and offering free seminars at local hospitals. As the demand for treatment options increased, she coordinated with treatment providers in her community to initiate Acoria Eating Disorder Treatment Programs. Shuman served as director and program developer for the Acoria Center for 12 years. The same year Acoria began, her news series, entitled “Binge Eating Disorder; Why You Can’t Stop Eating,” was honored with Women in Communication, Inc.’s, Clarion Award for Best Television Health/Medical News.
Today, Shuman coaches full time, is the co-chair of the International Academy for Eating Disorders Special Interest Group on Health at Every Size (HAES), is actively engaged in BED research, and has published with University of Alabama Psychologist Mary Boggiano, Ph.D., on the subject of abnormal eating patterns in people with BED.
Shuman received her coach training from Diane Menendez, Ph.D., and The Institute for Life Coach Training. She is a Knight Fellow, Stanford University, Class of 1989, and she received her BA from the University of Georgia.
Shuman provides presentations on the topics of emotional eating and binge eating disorder, eating disorders across the weight spectrum, body image, and size-ism. She continues to offer free informational seminars several times a month for individual who struggle with emotional eating and BED. With new technology, these seminars are conducted by telephone, allowing Shuman to reach people all over the world—a continuation of the outreach work she started when BED was first named.
Publications that have featured Ellen’s work include O Magazine, RED (UK), Healthy (UK), Balance, a publication of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Girl’s Life Magazine, athealth.com, Experience Life Magazine, Cincinnati Magazine, Cincinnati Woman Magazine, Applause Magazine, The Cincinnati Enquirer, and The Cincinnati Post.
She is also co-author of a hands-on sports nutrition book for children, called The Official Snack Guide For Beleaguered Sports Parents, and is currently working on her next book, Imagine A Weigh Out; An End To Diets and Out-of-Control Eating. |
