Health at Every Size
I am an approved HAES® provider and a member of the Association for Size Diversity and Health. I am also a member of Fat Rose and a supporter of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance.
If you are in a larger body, chances are you have had repeated negative experiences and even neglectful care from multiple healthcare providers.
Within the context of therapy, that stops here.
Every body is a good body.
All of you is welcome and wanted.
Folks in larger bodies are accustomed to the size and shape of our bodies being blamed for the challenges we face.
Once I went to the doctor for a chronic sinus infection and was told that if I lost weight I might have fewer sinus infections. A statement like this is based solely on anti-fat bias and has no medical truth.
It is neglect. It is malpractice. No more.
In therapy, a HAES® or weight-neutral approach acknowledges and addresses the harmful impacts of sizeism and weight-based discrimination. Common topics may include experiences growing up in a larger body, the unrelenting and dangerous messages of diet culture, body image, thoughts and feelings about food, isolation, and body shame. HAES® and body liberation therapy also offer opportunities to celebrate your body, listen to the innate wisdom your body is offering, and befriend your body.
In HAES® and body liberation aligned therapy, conversations could include topics such as establishing psychological safety and maybe even enjoyment with movement, the experiences of eating in public and eating in private, plans of care for having what you body needs throughout your day, and absolutely includes knowing that size is tied up with race, class, culture, ability- all of it!
All of you is welcome and wanted.
Anti-fat bias and diet culture has robbed us of our body wisdom.
HAES® and body liberationist therapy is a place to find that inner voice and turn up the volume. I will not ever tell you what you should eat, how you should move, or what healthy is for you. Instead, I support you defining and experiencing these for yourself— with lots of support and probably a good dose of some trauma work! No worries- I’ve got you!
My feminist, social justice, and body liberation approach to HAES® acknowledges how body size interacts with race, gender, sexuality, class, and ability.
We are all of our identities and experiences at one time. It is impossible to fully address the impact sizeism without talking about all of who we are. Combining HAES® with feminism and social justice provides a place to hold all of these at once.
There is room -healing room- for all of you.
Why do you use the term larger bodied? Why do you use the word fat?
Obese is a medical term rife with stigma and prejudice. Obese belongs to the medical-industrial complex. In my own life, I use the word fat quite freely. I identify as fat. I feel empowered by the word “fat.” Fat connects me to my own experience, to my body, and to many communities. Professionally, I lead with the term “larger bodied” since not everyone wants to use the word fat.
We are breaking the flimsy chairs they gave us and we are building new ones!
Come sit with me, fellow chairbreakers!