Anti-Fat Bias or Weight Stigma in Counseling
Weight stigma is one of the areas of marginalization that is increasing. Over the last decade, there has been a two thirds increase in weight-based discrimination (Fulton et al., 2023). Despite this increase, there is little legal or social protections for this group.
Weight stigma is something that can be found virtually everywhere including the counseling room. This post is geared towards helping those experiencing anti-fat bias or weight stigma advocate for themselves in finding a therapist, determining fit of therapist, and finding community resources for support outside of therapy.
Self-Advocacy
As a client in a larger body when considering advocacy it’s important to evaluate self-care and capacity. Checking in on what you are able to do to take care of yourself can help you assess if a certain conversation is worth the time and effort. For finding a therapist that is the right fit for you, something to consider is their approach to body diversity. If clinicians endorse being Health at Every Size (HAES) aligned or mention fat liberation, that might be a key indicator that for them body diversity is approved or celebrated.
For in person sessions, if a provider lists the accessibility of their office and chairs, they might also be someone who has thought through what you might need in session. At the end of the day, you deserve excellent care. Care that treats you like the unique individual you are and celebrates all that is you.
Within sessions, asking about your therapists views on weight stigma and fatphobia can be challenging, which is where capacity and self-care come in. Going at your own pace and making sure to provide care for yourself after hard conversations can ease some of this challenge. Asking questions that get directly to your questions can be beneficial rather than trying to seek information indirectly.
If you’d rather, you can also wait until session and see how the fit is before addressing concerns. In session if something comes up that makes you feel uncomfortable, it is okay to address it in the moment or even after the fact. Approaching with curiosity to what a provider was saying can help you make a decision on how to proceed. You get to choose what you’re comfortable with at the end of the day and not every provider will meet what you need.
Community
Finally, a note on finding community outside the therapeutic space. A study done in 2023 examined how healing from weight stigma was impacted by positive community support. Brownstone and other researchers found that individuals who joined this supportive group to talk about the impact of weight stigma and process their own lived experiences overall were positively benefited. Themes of “community being essential” and it causing “expansive healing” were found. What can be taken away from this is that we as humans have a need for community spaces where we feel seen and understood.
Finding community is so vital for our growth and healing. Though it can be challenging. Knowing which spaces are safe or putting yourself out there can be exhausting. Some tips for this are to start virtually. There are quite a few fat social clubs in the Seattle area that host events, swap tips, and generally come together for support. There’s even a group that meets monthly for a swim meet up during the summer. Looking at Facebook or Instagram can be helpful. Once you find these communities and choose to attend an event, there are always folks looking for community and new friends. It can be a great way to find people of a like mind, who also are in need of a buddy.
In positioning myself, a fat clinician, as a fat advocate and fat liberationist, I hope to create an impact in the therapeutic community to consider their own biases and work within themselves to create a more equitable space for people of all sizes. I sincerely hope that as you read this post, you feel empowered to take the next steps in finding a clinician that best meets your needs and celebrates your individuality.
References
- Brownstone, L. M., Kelly, D. A., Harrop, E. N., Norling, H. N., Palazzolo, L. P., Wright, O., & Tiede, E. (2023). Healing from weight stigma in community: A thematic analysis of a group intervention for large-bodied individuals. Psychotherapy (Chicago, Ill.), 60(4), 455–466. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000509
- Fulton, M., Dadana, S., & Srinivasan, V. N. (2023). Obesity, Stigma, and Discrimination. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.
- Freedman-Diamond, P. (2021, June 4). What it means to be a health at every size (HAES) provider. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fat-is-not-feeling/202106/what-it-means-be-health-every-size-haes-provider
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