For more information about MEDA and services call

1-866-343-MEDA

1-617-558-1881

Meet the Staff

Beth Mayer

Beth Mayer, LICSW, has been in the eating disorders field for 27 years. She is nationally recognized for her work in the eating disorders field and has spoken at conferences around the country. Beth is currently the President of MEDA. Prior to becoming President, she served as Executive Director of MEDA. She was also a member of MEDA's Board of Directors for several years. Beth has been the Program Director of three community-based adolescent programs for Riverside Community Care, a nonprofit, healthcare and human services organization that delivers mental health, early intervention and substance abuse treatment services throughout Eastern and Central Massachusetts. Beth also served as the Executive Director of Travelers Aid Society of Boston, an organization that works with vulnerable individuals and families to address their immediate housing and social service needs through outreach, direct service and advocacy. Beth has a private clinical practice and for 20 years has been providing individual, couples and family therapy with a focus on eating disorders, addictions, sexual abuse, clinical depression and multiple personality disorders. Beth has also served as an adjunct professor at Simmons College, Boston University, Boston College, Lesley University and Salem State College, supervising MSW and LMHC graduate student interns. Beth holds a B.S. in Clinical Psychology from Quinnipiac University and a Master of Social Work Degree from Boston College.

Kristin Tyman

Kristin Tyman, MPH is the Executive Director at MEDA. Kristin has been at MEDA since 2004. Her current role includes event planning and management, budget and strategic planning, grant writing and public speaking. She earned her B.A. from The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA and completed her Master's in Public Health at Boston University in January 2010. The intersection between eating disorders and public health is an area of extreme interest to Kristin. She is proud to be a member of MEDA's team and promote the message that full recovery from an eating disorder is possible.

Lindsay Brady

Lindsay Brady, LICSW, is the Clinical Director at MEDA. Lindsay has worked in many genres of social work including inpatient child, adult, and geriatric care, school-based counseling, individual and family outpatient therapy, and day treatment of adolescents and adults. Lindsay came to MEDA from The Bridge of Central Massachusetts where she provided individual and group therapy to transition-aged youth struggling with persistent, long-term mental illness. Lindsay is clinically trained in multiple evidence based practices including Illness Management and Recovery (IMR), and Cognitive Restructuring for PTSD. Lindsay specializes in the treatment of PTSD and eating disorders in adolescents and adults. Lindsay received her Bachelor degree in Sociology and Urban Studies from Worcester State University, and a Masters in Social Work from Wheelock College.

Emma Woodward

Emma Woodward, M.Ed. is the Program Coordinator at MEDA. Emma earned her bachelors in Psychology from Lesley University in 2009. She continued on at Lesley in the Self-Designed Masters Degree program. In the Spring of 2011 she graduated with her Masters in Education with a Focus on Eating Disorder Treatment and Prevention. During her graduate studies Emma interned at MEDA as well as Comprehensive Psychiatric Resources. After graduation Emma went on to work as a Mental Heath Counselor at Walden Behavioral Care in the Adult and Adolescent Residential Programs. Emma is especially interested in the study of media and westernized culture and their impact on the development of eating disorders in adolescent girls.

Meet the Board

Rebecca Manley

Rebecca Manley, M.S., is the founder of MEDA. MEDA is a national organization dedicated to the prevention and treatment of eating disorders. MEDA serves as a resource to those struggling with eating disorders and their families. MEDA also serves as a support network for schools and universities as well as a training program for professionals offering a comprehensive internship program, supervision groups and a national conference held every spring. Almost twenty years old, MEDA is internationally known for its unique treatment model as well as for its innovative educational programming. Servicing thousands each year, MEDA is the largest eating disorder nonprofit in New England. Rebecca holds a B.A. from Saint Michaels College in secondary education and English, and a M.S. from Wheelock College in family studies with an emphasis on early childhood development. Rebecca is also a trained teen coach. Rebecca is best known for her work in eating disorder prevention. Her published curriculum entitled, "Teaching Body Confidence" has been featured on the televised news programs World News Tonight on ABC News, 48 Hours news on CBS as well as many other national and local stations.

Rebecca also worked with the Office of Women's Development in Washington DC and helped develop their body image curriculum. In 2001, she spearheaded the first eating disorder screening program for high schools, developed the educational materials for the program and co-produced the video used for the program. For the past twenty years, she has continued to develop and present an eating disorder prevention program for early childhood educators and high school audiences. Additionally, she has presented more than five hundred lectures and spoken to over 25,000 girls on topics relating to eating disorders, media influences, self-esteem, and body image. Most recently, Rebecca has been working with athletic team coaches to help them develop positive strategies for working with girls. Rebecca is the mother of three girls and has served on the PTO for the past ten years and currently is the PTO president of her daughters’ middle school. In addition to her work at MEDA, Rebecca recently launched a private coaching practice focusing on teen girls.

Caroline Carlson Balz

As former Chairman of the Board, Caroline is passionate about MEDA's mission. Professionally, Caroline is a psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of eating disorders and sees patients in her private practice located at MEDA. Currently, Caroline is writing a book based on the development of self-concept for those in recovery from eating disorders. Caroline earned her Masters in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University and a Masters in Counseling from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. After graduating with a BA from Connecticut College, Caroline worked as a Managment Consultant at Sibson & Company's New York City Office. Between Master's degrees she worked at Dedham Country Day School as the Assistant Director of Development. As for organizational memberships, Caroline is a member of: American Counseling Association (ACA); Psy-Chi-The National Honors Society for Psychology, The Women's Educational and Industrial Union and The Vincent Club. Married for almost seven years, Caroline and her husband Bill have two young sons named William and Charlie.

Steve Fisch

Steve Fisch has had a long term interest in and commitment to socially progressive programs. He has been board member of the Boston Institute for Psychotherapy and several other not-for-profit service organizations. He has also been a Director of several for-profit companies and an elected member of the Sudbury School Committee. Mr. Fisch was a Senior Executive in Fortune 1000 category leaders including MDIS (Boeing), Prime Computer and Computervision and he was COO of IONA Technology and CEO of several early state, high tech companies where he created over $1B in shareholder value. Mr. Fisch is founder of Granite Point Partners, which provides strategic and tactical business consulting to enterprises focused in healthcare, education, energy conservation, and clean-tech products. Mr. Fisch earned his BSEE Degree from Tufts University and his MBA from Temple University.

Marilyn Newman

Marilyn Newman, LICSW, GCEC is a social worker/executive coach with thirty years of clinical experience in the fields of eating disorders and substance abuse. A graduate of Barnard college and the Simmons School of Social Work, Marilyn worked at McLean Hospital for many years and at the Partial Hospital Program and at the Appleton Outpatient Clinic, McLean's alcohol and drug treatment program. She has maintained a private practice in Sudbury for the past twenty-four years, at which she has specialized in treating adults and adolescents with eating disorders, alcohol and drug problems, and issues of trauma. Marilyn has led psychotherapy groups for men and women in recovery, survivors or trauma, and a support group for social workers with emotional difficulties. She has served on the SWAN Commission for the National Association of Social Workers, a group which runs a 24-hour hotline for social workers in personal or professional distress. She has given numerous presentations on the treatment of eating disorders, substance abuse and attention deficit disorder. Marilyn holds a degree in executive coaching from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, and specializes in the areas of team-building, emotional intelligence, and systemic issues in organizations. Marilyn has served as chair of several committees, on the board of directors, and as president of her synagogue. She lives in Wayland, and is the proud grandmother of eight.

Arlene Schuler

Co-Chairman of the Board, Arlene Schuler is an attorney and principal in Archstone Law Group, P.C., a business law firm in Waltham, MA, where she practices general business and commercial real estate law. Arlene is a graduate of Boston University School of Law and Smith College. Arlene also served for several years as a Staff Attorney for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Having attended women's schools for much of her educational life, Arlene is particularly interested in some of the unique challenges facing young women in the world today. Arlene is an accomplished equestrian and spends much of her free time as possible riding and training her Hanoverian mare.

Aiden Winslow

Co-Chairman of the Board, Aiden Winslow joined the Board of Directors at MEDA after playing many other roles within the organization including Assistant Director, Professional Member, tenant, and Co-Chair of the Annual Gala. Aiden is a Licensed Mental Health Clinician who has been in private practice for 13 years with adolescents and adults specializing in eating disorders and body image issues. She graduated from Skidmore College with majors in Psychology and Dance and went on to pursue a Masters Degree at Lesley University. In addition to her private practice and association with MEDA, Aiden worked as an Administrative Coordinator and Clinician at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Along with the other Board Members and MEDA Staff, Aiden is passionate about the continued expansion of MEDA’s presence, mission and strength within the community. She feels even more dedicated to this work as she and her husband are currently raising their three daughters. It is her hope that with an increased awareness on prevention and education of eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image issues, today’s girls will grow up feeling at home in their bodies.