Una Bella Vita Tucson: A Light of Hope for Adolescent Eating Disorder Support

Having been a familiar face in Marana's entrepreneurial and marketing circles for the last 13 years, my journey with Una Bella Vita Tucson, or simply Bella Vita Tucson, has been deeply transformative. This nonprofit organization is my heartfelt dedication to aiding adolescents and their families grappling with eating disorders. My path to founding Bella Vita Tucson is marked by diverse experiences, from my middle and high school teaching career to my successful forays into the business world. However, it was a deeply personal experience that ignited my unwavering passion for effecting change in my community.

The genesis of Bella Vita Tucson can be traced back to my family's struggle with my daughter's eating disorder in 2022. Confronted with the challenges of finding adequate support and resources, I recognized the urgent need for accessible and comprehensive assistance for individuals battling eating disorders, particularly adolescents and their families. In response, Bella Vita Tucson not only offers free therapeutic processing groups to bridge a critical gap in Tucson's mental health services but also covers the costs of these services since insurance typically does not cover most, if not all, eating disorder treatment expenses.

Through Bella Vita Tucson, I aim to provide the kind of financial assistance and support for families I wish I had received. Beyond tangible support, Bella Vita Tucson is challenging the stigma surrounding eating disorders by fostering an environment of empathy, understanding, and education through bi-weekly therapeutic processing groups at no charge, the first of its kind in AZ. I hope to empower individuals and families to seek help without fear or shame. Our family hopes Bella Vita Tucson emerges as a pillar of hope in Tucson's mental health landscape, I invite the community to join me in advocating for change and supporting those in need, ultimately aspiring to help establish an inpatient eating disorder facility that I would like to have built-in Marana which will specialize in treating adolescents within this community but also nationwide.

Follow Bella Vita Tucson on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, or visit bvtucson.org to stay updated on our upcoming processing groups.