EP 46: Athlete-Specific Care: A Game Changer in Eating Disorder Treatment

Riley Nickols, PhD, CEDS-C is a counseling and sport psychologist who specializes in working with athletes to address mental health and sport performance concerns. Currently, Dr. Nickols is the Senior Program Advisor for Athlete EDGE at EDCare in Denver, CO where specialized intensive eating disorder treatment is provided for athletes.

He is also the founder of Mind Body Endurance, a group of providers with compassion and an expertise working with athletes, our providers aim to improve mental health, address sport concerns, optimize performance, facilitate healing, and restore freedom for athletes.

In this episode we dive into athlete-specific eating disorder treatment and the need for higher levels of care for high-performance athletes.

Listen to hear about:

• How eating disorders in athletes often go unnoticed or get misdiagnosed
• How to approach an athlete who you are concerned about as a parent, coach, or friend
• Why standard eating disorder treatment isn't always effective for athletes
• How the treatment team collaborates to create an effective, sport-aligned recovery plan
• When a higher level of care might be necessary for an athlete
• Balancing medical safety and psychological healing with an athlete’s desire to keep training
• And so much more!

Stay connected:

• Athlete Edge at ED Care on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athlete_edge_at_edcare/
• Athlete Edge at ED Care website: https://eatingdisorder.care/athlete-edge/
• Mindy Body Endurance website: https://mindbodyendurance.com/
• Stevie's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevielynlyn/
• Stevie's website: https://stevielynrd.com/

Join Dr. Nickols at the 4th annual virtual workshop: 2025 Eating Disorders in Sport:
A Treatment Playbook for Providers on 7/25/25 use code STEVIE25 for 25% off