Oyer joins team to offer eating disorder treatment

As Park Center grows to meet the needs of a complex community, it is our pleasure to introduce a new member to the Park Center organization. Dr. Laura Oyer is a psychologist specializing in the treatment of eating disorders. She is overseeing the creation of a new Park Center Intensive Outpatient Program to support clients who want to address their eating habits.

Dr. Laura Oyer

The IOP and two community support groups originate from a needs assessment completed two years ago, said Connie Kerrigan, Parkview Behavioral Health Outreach Coordinator. Kerrigan is assisting with the project, and Oyer helms the resulting initiative.

Described by Kerrigan as a hybrid project, the initiative will address eating disorders at three access points: individualized outpatient counseling; the IOP, administered in three-hour sessions, three times per week; and two community support groups, one for people who are struggling with their eating habits, and the second for family and people who want to support someone with an eating disorder.

More than 30 million Americans will experience a clinically significant eating disorder in their lifetime. Eating disorders are complex biopsychosocial illnesses with serious consequences. According to The Alliance on Eating Disorders Awareness, they account for the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. One person dies every hour as a direct result of an eating disorder.

Oyer said hyperawareness of food intake, body image, weight, and fitness can lead to a wide variety of chronic issues that can affect all aspects of daily life. Not only are visible aspects impacted by diet, but emotional aspects are as well.

“It is common to eat or not eat to regulate (emotions), numb emotions, or control one’s environment.” Oyer explained. Oyer’s long-term goal is to change the conversation on what healthy eating looks like.

Oyer has worked in the field of eating disorders for over 10 years. She has experience in clinical settings, including residential and outpatient treatment. She served as the clinical director at two separate agencies, overseeing an Intensive Outpatient Program for eating disorders at one of them.