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January 31, 2000
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When Jaclyn Friedman-Lombardo began working in Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) in September, she said it was nice to be home. Why shouldn't it be like home? Her father, Mark Friedman of Psychology, has been working here since she was born. "I grew up with Montclair State in my life," she said. "So I'm excited to be working here."
Friedman-Lombardo, who earned a Ph.D. from the University of Rhode Island, is an expert in both school and clinical psychology. This semester has already given Friedman-Lombardo ample opportunity to put her training to the test. She recently accompanied Ben Brennan of CAPS to Seton Hall University to counsel students after the Boland Hall fire claimed three lives (see story, page 1). Next month she'll lecture at an eating disorder screening sponsored by CAPS as part of a national program that will take place Feb. 14-18.
Montclair State will conduct on-campus screenings Feb. 16 and 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Student Center, Ballroom C. Friedman-Lombardo will lecture both days at 11 a.m. in the Student Center, Room 415.
INSIGHT: What will your lecture cover?
Friedman-Lombardo: Signs and symptoms of different eating disorders, how to identify this distress in others and what to do about it. I'll also identify referral places in the area where people can get help.
INSIGHT: What will the screening involve?
Friedman-Lombardo: We welcome students, faculty, staff and people from the community to check it out at their leisure. There are no formal procedures. Participants can pick up pamphlets and brochures, watch a continuously run 15-minute video on eating problems, and complete a brief screening tool designed to identify people who have eating problems or struggles with food. Those who complete the screening tool will have an opportunity to sit down with someone who will score it and discuss the results with them. Then, if it's appropriate, provide a referral. People who have not yet reached a disorder situation, but are just feeling uncomfortable with food, should come in and get support before it escalates to a disorder. I sponsored this screening at the University of Rhode Island last year and it was very successful.
INSIGHT: What are some factors that lead to an eating disorder?
Friedman-Lombardo: People who struggle with food often have issues with control. They feel a loss of control in their lives in many areas, so in order to control something in their lives they control how much they eat. People who feel they are going to gain control restrict their eating or they overexercise, which usually leads to bulimia or anorexia. People who overeat feel as if they're losing control, which equates to consuming too many calories.
Those control issues can stem from a history of sexual assault or situations where they've been taken advantage of-mugged, scared-any situation where they've lost control in their lives. Or it could be someone from a family where the parents were very authoritarian and took all control away from the children. Those people have difficulty learning how to manage or control their own lives because their parents did it for them.
INSIGHT: What would you like this screening to accomplish?
Friedman-Lombardo: I hope to reach people who ordinarily would not come to the Counseling Center. People who suffer from an eating disorder often are secretive about what they're doing-purging, throwing up after eating, using laxatives or skipping meals. They don't want others to be concerned with them or to take away their control by telling them they need help because they're out of control. Treatment gets in the way of their plan.
This screening is an outreach program. We want to heighten awareness and let people who suffer from an eating disorder know there are individuals out there trained to help them.
INSIGHT: What is the secret to eating healthy?
Friedman-Lombardo: Don't label foods as "good" and "bad." Moderation is the key. Eat whatever you want so long as there's balance. It's OK to eat at Burger King once in a while, but if you're having Burger King every day, that's not in moderation. When people think in terms of good and bad food they start feeling guilty when they eat. That leads to shameful feelings about themselves. The struggle begins when they associate negative emotions with food.