Voices of Experience in Eating Disorders with Kel O'Neill

Kel O’Neill is a UK-based counsellor, educator, researcher, and lived-experience advocate specialising in eating disorders. She is the founder of Mental Health Bites, creator of The Eating Disorder Recovery Companion, and the curator of VOXED – Voices of Experience in Eating Disorders. Kel’s work focuses on ethical, trauma-informed practice, challenging stigma, and bridging the gap between lived experience and professional knowledge.This week, we discuss:What VoxED is and why Kel created it.Why eating disorder education often feels inaccessible, and what VoxED is doing differently.How VoxED broadens “lived experience” to include clinicians, carers, researchers and community voices.Why lived experience shouldn’t be tokenistic, and how it can be valued as expertise.Why the eating disorder field needs shared spaces for nuanced, difficult conversations.How recovery goes beyond food and weight to identity, meaning and living.Timestamps:00:00: What is VoxED?02:10 :Where did the idea began (EDAW 2021)05:10: Who's speaking at VoXED06:40: Moving beyond “tick-box” lived experience08:10: The purpose of VoxED: shared space + shared power14:40: Why change has been slow in eating disorders (and what’s missing)21:10: Recovery beyond food and weight: identity, meaning, and living42:10: VoxED details: date, access, recordings, and low-cost ticketsVoxED conference details:Date: Friday 13th FebruaryFormat: Fully online (9:00–18:30, with breaks)Tickets: self-select pricing options £20 / £37 / £50Resources & LinksFollow Kel on Instagram (@kel_mhb)Visit Kel's website (www.counsellingandtraining.co.uk) to find out more about VOXEDSubscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTubeIf you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share the podcast to help us spread awareness.Sending positive beans your way, Han 💛