Inland Empire Chapter of CAMFT

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Bully on the Block: Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Its Implications for the Eating Disorder Popul

Bully on the Block: Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Its Implications for the Eating Disorder Population

Presented by AMY ISABELLA CHALKER, RDN, CEDS

Friday, February 27, 2026, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

DESCRIPTIVE NARRATIVE:

Join Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Easting Disorder Specialist Amy Isabella Chalker for a presentation on this perplexing syndrome. Using case studies and current research, Amy will illustrate how MCAS can impact up to 25% of eating disorder clients, how to recognize the signs and systems, steps in diagnosis and treatment, and what can interfere with receiving effective care. In addition to becoming familiar with other medical and mental health conditions commonly seen alongside MCAS, attendees will learn to look beyond the eating disorder diagnosis and conceptualize a clients' broader medical picture while remaining open to our continually changing field and an ever-growing set of knowledge, appreciating our limits as providers with humility.

Objectives:

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to::
1. List 3 symptoms of eating disorder clients' presentation that could indicate MCAS.

2. Describe recommended steps to be taken in the presence of suspected MCAS.

3. Describe recommended steps to be taken in the presence of suspected MCAS.

4. Discuss 3 potentially damaging clinician responses to such a presentation that are rooted in our countertransference.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER

Amy has been a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for 18 years, working in a variety of professional settings, including private practice, clinical care, the food industry, and other wellness settings. Her focus has ranged from general nutrition to weight management to her current specialties in Clinical Eating Disorders, Disordered Eating behaviors, Child/Family Feeding, and co-occurring gastrointestinal conditions/chronic illnesses.

Hailing from Cape Code, MA, Amy attended Columbia University in New Yor City and Simmons University in Boston, receiving her B.S in Nutrition & Food Science, and completing her Dietetic Internship through California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

Amy practices through a Modern Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic lens, emphasizing the clinical relationship as central to the healing process; she has completed the 2 year program certificate program in Modern Psychoanalysis from the Center for Modern Psychoanalytic Studies in New York City and received ongoing supervison.