Meet Brooke Wesley of Bellatore Recovery

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brooke Wesley.

Hi Brooke, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
My story with eating disorders began with my own struggle with anorexia, and the long winding road to recovery. Like many teens, I struggled with intense body dissatisfaction and confusion with regard to my worthiness. As a result, I set out to change my body and sadly developed an eating disorder that led me and my family into years of treatment.

After a hard battle back to health and seeing so many others suffer, I was determined to help people heal from this overwhelming, all-consuming disease. After receiving my undergraduate degree in psychology and a Master’s in Social Work, I began working with individuals and families suffering from eating disorders. After 18 years in the field, I continue to be blessed daily by the individuals and families I walk alongside in recovery.

Because of the significant need for treatment in the Kansas City area, I, along with my amazing partners Amy Sullivan and Kirsten Oelklaus, began an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) called Bellatore Recovery. We provide an adolescent program and adult program, in conjunction with other individual groups and services.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We have been blessed to have each other to problem solve. We have had normal challenges, including the stress of beginning a program and more people needing help than we had space. However, we have not faced anything we could not work through or solve.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Amy, Kirsten, and I are a group of eating disorder professionals who connected personally over the years. We’ve grown together in late-night, post-conference talks about our careers, our children, and our ever-changing roles as clinicians, mothers, wives, and friends.
All native Kansans, we noticed a critical need in our community for a strong eating disorder recovery program. We knew that together we could fill that gap. The result: Bellatore Recovery, which translates to “beautiful warrior” to describe each and every one of our brave teen and adult clients. We are all certified by the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (iaedp™).
This certification is awarded to therapists, physicians, and registered dietitians who demonstrate clinical expertise through rigorous examination, education, and experience. We have devoted our lives to working with individuals with eating disorders, so we know the pain, the fear, and the self-loathing. We also know the path, the hope, the fulfillment, and the ultimate joy of the recovery process.
When you come to Bellatore, you can expect kindness, compassion, and an intimate awareness of the many facets and challenges of disordered eating. You can also expect hope that’s grounded in proven clinical success and recovery techniques.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
We thrive in connection. We believe community support is the only way to help people heal and connect to their authentic selves. Please always reach out!

Contact Info: 

• Email: [email protected]
  
• Website: bellatorerecovery.com