About the Staff of ACORN

Phillip Werdell, M.A.

Phil has been a Yale University Scholar of the House, and was awarded Corning and Fulbright Fellowships. He was an administrator and/or teacher at City University of New York, the College for Human Services, Campus-Free College, Kansas State University’s University for Man, the College of New Rochelle’s School of New Resources, the University of New Hampshire Graduate School of Human Services, the Manisota College of Florida and Sarasota University.

He is the co-founder of ACORN, and author of “Food Addiction: Beyond Ordinary Eating Disorders” published in the Clinical Forum of the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals as well as dozens of other publications on food dependency. His most recent book is: "Bariatric Surgery and Food Addiction: Some Pre-Operative Considerations."

Phil is a recovering food addict maintaining an 80 lb. weight loss for 24 years.

Is co-founder and National Services Coordinator for ACORN. Mary is a food addict with over 17 years of stable recovery and is maintaining over 195-pound weight loss for 20 years. Her strong commitment to recovery and her ability to honestly relate her personal struggles and successes with food addiction offer an invaluable source of information and hope for those seeking to learn about food dependency and freedom from a life addicted to food.

Mary is a CENAPS Trained Relapse Prevention Specialist, a certified instructor for the Zenger-Miller training program, a nationally recognized speaker, and facilitates food dependency recovery groups, workshops, and intensives throughout the United States. She is the editor of News from ACORN, various material for ACORN lectures, and co-author of “Food Addiction Recovery: A New Model of Professional Support.”

Holds a Masters of Arts in Liberal Studies with specialized training in alcohol, drugs, codependecy and food addiction. Dolores has worked at Eagleville Hospital as a certified Addiction Counselor (CAC). At Rutgers University, she studied codependency treatment with Dr. Janet Woititz (ACOA) and consequently was trained while facilitating groups with Dr. Yvonne Kaye. Dolores is a staff member of ACORN and in 2004, completed 3 years of specialized professional training with its director and founder, Phil Werdell, M.A. She continues to strengthen her affiliations with noted practitioners, John Bradshaw and Kip Flock on "shame reduction" work.

Dolores also teaches in the Addiction Studies Program at Alvernia College. She has a private practice and operates Gladness House, in Philadelphia, PA.

Dolores is maintaining a 130 pound weight loss and has been involved in the 12 Step rooms for over 30 years. She has produced her first DVD, "Relapse, Recovery and the Powerlessness of Shame."

Gerri Helms is a Life/Health Coach who partners with people who want to turn their passion and potential into realistic and attainable goals. Gerri specializes in helping people with the practical day-to-day issues of abstinence and recovery. Gerri is a Coach-U trained professional and follows the ethical guidelines of the International Coaching Federation. Clients also benefit from Gerri’s twenty-five year career in the corporate arena. She conducts retreats, seminars and workshops throughout the country and abroad. Gerri is the author of “Trust God and Buy Broccoli, a Spiritual Approach to Weight Loss.”

Gerri Helms is maintaining a 100 plus pound weight loss in recovery for over sixteen years

Holds a Masters Degree with a specialty in pastoral counseling. She has run a drug treatment program for women inside Framingham State Prison and an outpatient program for women who are dually addicted. Eigen has been clean and sober for over 22 years, and abstinent for over eight years, maintaining a weight loss of 50 lbs.