Counseling Individuals with Eating Disorders: An Intersectional Approach

Merle A. Keitel, PhD is a professor in the Counseling Psychology doctoral program and former chair of the Division of Psychological and Educational Services at Fordham University's Graduate School of Education. Her primary teaching responsibilities are in the areas of individual psychotherapy and counseling theory and process. Dr. Keitel is proud of the accomplishments of the many doctoral students she has mentored over the past 38 years. She is the co-author with Mary Kopala of Counseling Women with Breast Cancer (Sage, 2000) and the co-editor of the Handbook of Counseling Women (Sage, 2003, 2017). She has written numerous book chapters and articles on topics related to women's issues and health psychology such as eating disorders, cancer, infertility and miscarriage, and PCOS. She was given the James C. Hansen Humanitarian award from the University of Buffalo, the Katherine J. Scanlon Award for 'extraordinary contribution to Fordham University and to the field of Psychology', and was represented in the Oral History of Feminist Psychologists (Division 35, APA).


Melinda Parisi Cummings, PhD is a licensed psychologist with over 25 years of experience in working with those with eating disorders. She is currently an Associate Professor in the APA-accredited doctoral program in Counseling Psychology at Holy Family University, with primary teaching responsibilities in the areas of assessment, psychopathology, and clinical practice. Prior to her faculty appointment, she served for fifteen years as Program Director of the Princeton Center for Eating Disorders at Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center. She continues to serve as a consultant to the program and is an affiliate member of the Penn Medicine-Princeton medical staff. She has written and presented extensively on assessment and treatment of eating disorders, the impact of eating disorders on families, and ethical issues in providing care. She maintains a part-time psychotherapy and supervision/consultation practice and is a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist and Approved Consultant through the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals.


Jennie Park-Taylor, PhD is an Associate Professor and the Director of Training of the APA-accredited doctoral program in Counseling Psychology at Fordham University's Graduate School of Education in New York City. Her primary teaching responsibilities are in the areas of multicultural counseling, qualitative research methods and family counseling and assessment. Dr. Park-Taylor has written numerous articles and book chapters on topics related to intersectional social identities, the health and wellness of minoritized individuals and threats to identity and healthy development (e.g., racism, stereotype threat).