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Media & Speaking Requests:

To request an interview with Jenni, please fill out the form to the left using “Media Request,” and our PR team will respond shortly.

For speaking inquiries, feel free to fill out the form to the left. However, the Speaking page of our site includes a more comprehensive form that will speed the process along more quickly! Just click on the Speaking tab and fill out the form beneath the speaking reel video and description.

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Jenni’s Mailing Address:

PO Box 163481
Austin, TX 78716
United States

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Resources

Eating Disorders Videos

NEDA Celebrating 15 Years of Saving Lives 2016

NEDA Donor Thank You – 2015

 

Jenni Schaefer – Passing the Recovery Baton

Tea Time with Robyn Cruze – A Chat with Jenni Schaefer – Episode 4

Jenni Schaefer’s Dream Big Event

NEDA Walk Austin 2016

Crowds Turn Out to Raise Awareness About Eating Disorders

Jenni Schaefer on TWC News

“That Voice I Heard At Four Years Old in Dance Class is Gone;” Author Shares Story of Overcoming Anorexia

Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Videos

Facebook Live: Posttraumatic Growth: Resilience after Trauma and Eating Disorders

Part 1: The DBT-Prolonged Exposure Protocol: New Approach for the Treatment of PTSD and Complex Comorbidities

Part 3: The DBT-PE Protocol for PTSD: Addressing Barriers to Treatment and Finding Recovery

Jenni Schaefer on TWC News

Fight Against Mental Illness Achievable as Resources Become More Readily Available

Facebook Live with Jenni Schaefer and Jen Lombardi

Part 2: Integrated Care for PTSD: The DBT-PE Protocol

Facebook Live: Trauma, PTSD, and Eating Disorders

Almost Anorexic Videos

Book Trailer

Almost Anorexic at College: Recognition, Treatment, and Prevention

February 18,2014 - Screening for Mental Health- Almost Anorexia at College: Recognition, Treatment, and Prevention

Goodbye Ed, Hello Me Videos

Jenni Schaefer with Partha Nandi, MD

Just Eat (Seriously)

 

A Perfectly Imperfect Life

 

What is Your Guitar?

 

Having Fun to Save My Life

 

Who Am I Without Ed?

My Thighs Touch!

 

Goodbye Ed, Hello Me

 

Making Connections in Recovery and Life

 

The Worst Pickup Line Ever

 

Don’t Settle for Mediocre

 

Jump!

 

Life Without Ed Videos

Audiobook Sample

April 6, 2014 – Jenni Schaefer
“Life Without Ed” Audiobook Sample

 

NEDA: Voice of Ed

February 18,2014 – National Eating Disorder Association “Voice of Ed:” Externalizing the Eating Disorder

 

View more Life Without Ed videos: FINDINGbalance.com

Common Eating Disorder and PTSD Questions

Jenni has had the chance to connect with thousands of women and men over the years. Here, we would like to share some of the most commonly asked questions along with Jenni’s answers. If you have a question that you don’t see listed here, please send us an email. We update this page regularly!

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Recovery Tools

Trauma Basics

Understanding PTSD

Fight or Flight Response

Treatment for PTSD

Self-Help Strategies

PTSD Coach Online

Checklist for Better Sleep

Memory

PTSD – Brain Visual

Film Projector Metaphor

Linen Cupboard Metaphor

Eating Disorder Recovery Tools

Almost Anorexic

Group Discussion Questions

Normal Eating Means

Do’s and Don’ts of Support

Fully Recovered vs. Barely Recovered

Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26)

Matching Your Positive Traits to Life Goals

Graph Your Feelings of Fatness for the Past Week

Your Dietary Rules and Purging Behaviors

Your Self-Evaluation Pie Chart

Thin or Large Woman?

Design a Behavioral Experiment to Test Your Prediction about a Dietary Rule

Compulsive Exercise Test

Your Intuitive Exercise Schedule

Your Body Checking Is Getting OLD

Your Social Support Network

Your Personalized Relapse Prevention Plan

Goodbye Ed, Hello Me

Group Discussion Questions

Recovered (Period.) Exercise

Ed’s Bio

Writing Your Wedding Vows

Life Without Ed

Group Discussion Questions

Divorce Decree from Ed

Eviction Notice for Ed

Declaration of Independence from Ed

Life Without Ed Audio Clips

Introduction

Ed’s Rules

Don’t Give Up

Compare and Despair

Afterword, Life After Ed

Book Excerpts

Almost Anorexic

Introduction Excerpt

But I Don’t Diet

Wearing Ed Glasses

Don’t Settle For Almost Recovered

The Eating Disorder Cliff

Goodbye Ed, Hello Me

Foreword

A Thigh of Relief

I’m Not Wonder Woman

Making Waves

The Hole

Who Am I Without Ed?

Life Without Ed

Introduction Excerpt

Ed’s Rules

Compare and Despair

Relapse

Won’t vs. Can’t

Serenity

Afterword, Life After Ed

Other Resources

Listen to Recovery Podcasts
Take Compulsive Exercise Test

Free Confidential Assessment

Many people suffering from eating disorders do not realize they have an illness. The signs and symptoms of anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and related disorders frequently go undetected. In a society that promotes dieting and unrealistic beauty standards, disordered eating seems to be the norm. As many as 1 in 20 adults (1 in 10 teen girls!) have experienced key symptoms of anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder. The need for eating disorder treatment and prevention is great.

In an effort to spread awareness, Jenni has written a wide array of articles related to the treatment and recovery of eating disorders, PTSD, and other mental illnesses. Jenni’s message is clear: there is always hope for recovery, no matter how severe the illness. If you or someone you love struggles with an eating disorder, trauma, or PTSD, please check out some of the articles below.

Featured Articles

Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Learning To Love Your Body

Tools For Eating Disorder Recovery

Conquering Relapse

Life Beyond Ed

For Loved Ones

Overcoming Perfectionism

Music & Healing

Help For the Holidays

All Things Ed

Wisdom For Writers

By Jenni Schaefer, author of almost anorexic, life without ed, and goodbye ed, hello me

I never wanted to be a writer. That is, as a child, I never wanted to write. I didn’t like writing, and I wasn’t a big fan of reading either. In fact, I distinctly remember looking at books thinking, “Who in the world would ever want to write something like that?” I imagined that the book writing process would be completely tedious and boring.

Throughout school, when English teachers encouraged me to pursue writing (Thanks, Ms. Carwile!), I turned to science and math instead. I preferred chemistry, algebra, and related subjects, because assignments in these classes seemed to be more clear-cut and defined, often with one correct answer—a specific number or combination of numbers. I could usually figure out that answer, and I liked that.

I did not like English class with its writing assignments that had a wide array of answers with all kinds of possibilities. Instead of finding “the” answer, I had to process material, formulate my own thoughts, and speak my mind. This was risky, and at the time, I didn’t enjoy it at all. So, in college, I pursued a biochemistry degree where any writing that I did was confined to laboratory reports. I graduated and planned to enter medical school.

That’s when my plans changed. Writing has been a calling. I didn’t want to be a writer. I didn’t pursue it, but writing found me anyway. For that, I am deeply grateful.

I took a one-year deferral from entering medical school and ended up in treatment for my eating disorder. Throughout the recovery process, I wrote detailed notes in journals during appointments with my treatment team. I even took notes in group therapy, which, looking back, I can see how this might have worried my group members!

Mentoring can be very helpful in growing as a writer! Ask someone you know for guidance.

Since I write articles, books, and songs, I wanted to find a mentor who could guide me in all areas. I chose RobSimbeck.com, and he said yes! Rob is an extremely gifted writer. He actually wrote the bio on my website.

Eventually, I wanted to help other people who struggled with eating disorders, so I decided to turn my journal entries into a book (Life Without Ed). I was surprised to discover that I enjoyed the writing process. Unlike what I had imagined, writing a book was not boring but exciting. Sure, the editing process seemed a bit tedious at times, but the overall experience was that I came alive as the words poured out of my pen onto the page.

The process of writing Life Without Ed was unlike anything I had done before. I learned that I could speak my truth on paper even when I couldn’t do it in my everyday life. I also discovered that I liked writing. No, I loved it. (I love reading now, too.)

I will never stop writing. Being recovered means that I am healthy enough and in the right frame of mind to write about anything at all. I don’t have to write just about eating disorders and recovery. I can turn day-to-day life into a blog or interesting dating experiences into a book. (I warned my fiancé early on that he would end up in a book someday!)

I have connected with people of all ages—from all over the world—who want to write and who have asked me about the process. I will share some of my ideas here.

One key to being a writer is to write (and often). The more I write on a regular basis, the easier and more fun it becomes. I encourage you to write about anything and everything.

Life Without Ed Eating Disorder BookWhen you have an interesting idea or thought, write it down forever. Some writers I know carry little notebooks with them everywhere they go. I prefer to write just on whatever is nearest to me at the time that an idea arises—sometimes it is my journal, but more likely, it is a napkin or the back of a receipt. Lately, I have been taking more and more notes on my iPhone. But don’t worry about capturing every idea. Sometimes, you just need to live! I have discovered that the good ideas will rise to the surface regardless.

Another key to writing for me has been reading. I read books, blogs, and publications of all kinds. If you are serious about being a writer, start reading, too.

Since many of you have asked me specifically about the book publishing process, I will share my journey below. I know a lot of published authors, and no one’s path looks the same. Here are answers to some common questions:

How did you get your first book published?

  1. I spent several months writing a detailed book proposal. (I wrote the book proposal before I finished writing the book.) To write my proposal, I used Jeff Herman’s book, Write the Perfect Book Proposal.
  2. I looked for literary agents who might be interested in my work by searching PublishersMarketplace.com and by using Jeff Herman’s book, Guide to To Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents.
  3. I sent a brief one-page query letter to many agents describing my book and asking them if they would like to see my book proposal. (Jeff Herman’s books talk about how to write a query letter.) I did not send the book proposal initially—I just mailed the query letter.
  4. I sent my book proposal to only those literary agents who requested it. From there, I signed with an agent who was interested. My agent found my publisher. (Important note: A reputable literary agent will not ask for money up front. An agent only gets paid if he or she secures a book deal, usually receiving 15% of an author’s earnings. It is always a good idea to ask an attorney to review a contract before signing.)

Was finding a literary agent and publisher easy?

  1. No, I received over fifty rejection letters from literary agents, including one from my current literary agency! They were not interested in my first book, Life Without Ed, but they really wanted to work with me on my second, Goodbye Ed, Hello Me. (Watch my speaker’s reel video at YouTube.com/JenniSchaefer to see all of the rejection letters and to learn more about this experience.) I didn’t stop sending letters and eventually found an agent for Life Without Ed.
  2. My agent for Life Without Ed had a difficult time finding a publisher who believed in the “Ed” idea. He was rejected time and time again. As it turns out, those publishers were wrong about the “Ed” idea. I am grateful that Life Without Ed has been read by many people and was recently even published in Korea. Excitedly, Life Without Ed is having a birthday soon; the Tenth Anniversary Edition has a new cover and added content. (The yellow cover above is the book’s original one.) All of this is to say: believe in your ideas. Even if others don’t, your idea could go far. Don’t let a little (or a lot) of rejection stop you!
  3. I didn’t quit. My agents never quit. And I was able to get two book deals via the process described above.
Almost AnorexicMy third book, Almost Anorexic was a very unique experience. Harvard Health Publications actually contacted me and asked if I wanted to coauthor the book. I know of other instances where writers have been approached by publishers to write books. An interesting and popular blog has been to known to attract publishers and literary agents.

What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

You have a unique voice, and your message is important to share. If you have a difficult time finding a publisher, consider self-publishing, which many people actually prefer.

Consider posting your work on a website or blog. There are people out there who will enjoy your writing style and who need to read what you have to say.

You are a writer if you write. (You do not have to get something published to be a writer.) Keep writing and believe in yourself. I look forward to reading your work.

Additional resource:

Goodbye Ed, Hello MeMichele Matrisciani runs a full-service content development consulting company. Michele is the first editor who believed in Life Without Ed. Without Michele, my first book might have never been published! Visit www.michelem.net.

Download “For Writers” pdf