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CONVERSATION
The healing power of relationships Rebecca Lester uses her expertise in anthropology and social work to treat patients in her nonprofit therapy practice.
by
JOSH VALERI
Through her research on eating disorders, religious conversions, and polyamory, Rebecca Lester has gained an intimate understanding of the complex relationship between cultural practice and personal development. For the professor of sociocultural anthropology, however, a theoretical understanding of the issues is not enough. In her highly personalized nonprofit therapy practice, she applies the lenses of both anthropology and social work to address the needs of her patients. Recently, Lester, chair of the Department of Anthropology, sat down with the Ampersand to discuss her research on eating disorders, the healing potential of relationships, and how she built a community of selves.
