Taking a Different Perspective on Recovery

I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Family Relations and Human Development at the University of Guelph. I have a particular interest in innovative, qualitative approaches to research, critical feminist approaches, and community-engaged research. In my Masters research I used a critical feminist and narrative lens to explore the stories of young women overcoming eating disorders. I take a collaborative approach in my work, recognizing various sources of "expertise" and working with research participants in the giving of voice and sharing of stories. Through my research I hope to expand upon the dominant discourses about what it means to have, and to overcome, an eating disorder, and how this may look different depending on one's social location. For my PhD, I hope to expand upon my Masters research by using digital storytelling with families and health care practitioners to engage with various and intersecting definitions of eating disorder recovery.

I have had the opportunity to work in a wide array of environments, ranging from government to retail, which has given me the chance to experience an eclectic range of topics and settings. My experience ranges from working with young adults with developmental disabilities to conducting literature reviews and writing reports for governmental and community organizations. I have found community-based research to be particularly engaging, as working with communities/community organizations helps the links between university and community to become more clear. I appreciate conducting research that has practical value in community settings.

Course and Outcome of Bipolar Youth (COBY) Study: Brown Site Project Director. Duties include development and implementation of standardized research procedures, assisting in NIMH grant submission and IRB renewals, contributing to poster and manuscript submissions, assisting with conference presentations, overseeing study retention, implementation of metabolic syndrome assessments, conducting training and reliability program, and updating subject databases.

Erin Harrop, MSW, CPP is a doctoral student at the University of Seattle. She is currently serving as a research assistant and has skills and expertise in clinical assessment, motivational interviewing and eating disorders.