Opal Blog

http://opalfoodandbody.com/events/

National Eating Disorders Awareness week has always been a week of great effort, emotion, and passion.  Kara, Lexi  and Julie have been involved with this awareness week in countless ways over the years.  Lectures, panel discussions, jeans giveaways, jump roping demos, and more.  The area universities have especially been home to these events.

Julie recalls raising thousands of dollars to bring Jean Kilbourne to Seattle Pacific University for what she called Respect Your Body Week.  This was so rewarding and such a
thrill to have an acclaimed voice regarding media’s impact on body image and self-esteem
speak to a campus eager to learn an alternative to their image focused culture.

This year Opal: Food+Body Wisdom will host events and participate in events throughout the region. With such a connection to the universities in the area it is no surprise that the staff will be speaking at University of Washington, Seattle Pacific University and Bastyr University. Opal will also be hosting its own forum on body image Monday February 27th at 6pm, along with collecting jeans as part of the Great Jeans Giveaway.

Here is the link to our complete list of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week events.  http://opalfoodandbody.com/events/  Come join us increase awareness around food and body concerns and ensure that eating disorders are talked about in a respectful, productive, and educational way.  We can make a difference!

January 30, 2012

ON FEBRUARY 1, OPAL:  FOOD + BODY WISDOM LAUNCHES AN EATING DISORDER TREATMENT CENTER IN SEATTLE, OPENING WITH DR. ELIZABETH HUTCHINSON, MD OF SWEDISH FAMILY MEDICINE AS MEDICAL DIRECTOR

Partial Hospitalization Program offered as all-day, highest level of care

SEATTLE, WA –    This week marks the much-anticipated launch of Opal: Food + Body Wisdom, an eating disorder treatment center in Seattle with a strong focus on cutting-edge research and specialization toward athletes.  Opal practices a holistic approach that considers the biological, psychological, emotional, social, familial, and spiritual factors contributing to the development and maintenance of an eating disorder. 

“What sets us apart from other eating disorder treatment centers is that we are deeply focused on a counter-cultural, non-diet, size-acceptance approach to eating recovery.  Additionally, we are quick to innovate our programs as new research on eating disorders is revealed,” states Dr. Alexia Giblin, Executive Director of Opal.  “In the journey of recovery, we will move clients towards a trust-based relationship with their body, emotions, and food, eventually helping them to live in attunement to their body’s own wisdom,” continues Dr. Giblin, explaining more about the name Opal:  Food + Body Wisdom.  

With personalized treatment, Opal’s levels of care offered at launch include a 10 hours/day, Monday through Friday Partial Hospitalization Program, an Intensive Outpatient Program, and an Outpatient Program.   Opal offers the important treatment components of nutrition restoration, group therapy, individual therapy, marriage/family counseling, medical care, and client-therapist sessions that focus on values, acceptance, emotions, and healing.  The Opal facility has a full kitchen that will reintroduce clients to the process of eating as a means to nourishment in a practical, functional, and fun way.  Dietitians on staff will offer meal outings, culinary classes, and nutrition education.  

Dr. Elizabeth Hutchinson practices Family Medicine at Swedish Medical Center and will be Opal’s Medical Director.  She will oversee the management of medical conditions of patients seeking care at Opal.  “I am delighted that Opal will be providing much needed comprehensive eating disorder treatment for patients in the Puget Sound region” states Dr. Hutchinson. She will continue to work closely with Opal’s staff to make referrals and treatment plans seamless.”  In addition to being an affiliate partner with Swedish, Opal will also be in-network with both Premera and First Choice Health Network insurance.

The new spa-like facility for Opal: Food + Body Wisdom is located in the University District neighborhood of Seattle in the 45^th Street Plaza building.  Described as an “urban tree house,” the space exudes serenity and freshness, offering floor-to-ceiling windows with mountain and Sound views, a balcony for a breath of fresh air, and a cozy, light-filled healing environment.  

Opal: Food + Body is being co-founded by three veteran professionals who have worked in deep collaboration for several years in treating clients together. These founders, sharing a combined 35 years of work in eating disorder recovery, are:  

-        Executive Director, Alexia Giblin, PhD

-        Clinical Director, Kara Bazzi, LMFT

-        Nutrition Director, Julie Church, RD, CD  

Together, they are committed to making Opal a nationally recognized program offering compassionate treatment for eating disorders.

To learn more about Opal: Food + Body Wisdom, please visit www.opalfoodandbody.com or contact Executive Director Dr. Alexia Giblin.

There is a lot going on at Opal as we get closer and closer to February 1st.  We are continuing to be so encouraged by successes, like those listed below, as we take the last remaining steps towards opening.

Swedish Medical Center—Dr. Elizabeth Hutchinson of Swedish Family Medicine will serve as Opal’s Medical Director. http://opalfoodandbody.com/medical/ . This connection will ensure seamless integration of medical care with all aspects of treatment at Opal. 

February 1st…but call now—Please remember Opal when you are seeing your clients needing a higher level of care for their eating and body image concerns.  We are beginning our program February 1st and are staffed and ready to begin the intake process with prospective new clients immediately.

One of my side areas of interest is interior design and architecture. You can imagine the thrill of helping to design almost 6000 square feet of wide open space!  We are grateful for design help from Lou Maxon of Maxon Design, Amata Alden of Burgess Design, and Joey Giblin of Interior Management (OK, yeah, she’s my mom).

I am amazed with the power our surroundings have on our emotional states. I can walk in to a room and feel immediately transported to another place emotionally. We “get” this connection between design aesthetic and feeling and have taken great care to create a space that offers a comfortable, soothing portal to recovery. Our urban tree house with incredible mountain and city views includes touches of mid-century design, modern freshness and an earthy, natural quality.

“Wabi-sabi” is a Japanese principle that drives both our therapy and interior design approaches. Wabi-sabi is the Japanese world view of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature. It reveres authenticity, uniqueness and the natural cycle of life.   The imperfect circle of our Opal logo embodies wabi-sabi. Look around our space through a wabi-sabi lens and you will find the beauty of imperfect life, both in the interior design and in the people who roam the halls.