From Body Positivity to Body Neutrality - A More Sustainable Approach?

Hey friends! I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Eleanor Clark, a fellow therapist who specializes in treating eating disorders and struggling with body image. Eleanor shares so openly about her own journey recovering from an eating disorder, and how that personal experience led her into this field and helped grow her passion for helping others. I found it insightful how she talks about the uniqueness of each person's eating disorder - it's not a one-size-fits-all approach. A big theme from our discussion was around the concept of body neutrality rather than body positivity. Eleanor explains how body positivity, while sounding good in theory, often sets people up for failure and guilt when they can't live up to loving their bodies all the time. She realized the approach of body neutrality was more sustainable for her clients long-term. Towards the end, Eleanor also opens up about starting her podcast and speaking out on some controversial issues around gender-affirming care for minors. It was so inspiring to hear how she found the courage to use her voice, even when it goes against the grain. I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! And definitely check out Eleanor's book Body Neutrality as well as her podcast The Dissenting Therapist.

Parenting Gender Confused Children Support Group:
https://faithfullyengaged.com/support-group/
Eleanor’s Links:
Website: http://www.eleanorclarklmhc.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eleanorclark_lmhc/
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Body-Neutrality-Eleanor-Clark/dp/1032221607/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=s8Jum&content-id=amzn1.sym.cf86ec3a-68a6-43e9-8115-04171136930a&pf_rd_p=cf86ec3a-68a6-43e9-8115-04171136930a&pf_rd_r=135-6079766-1283955&pd_rd_wg=yFi08&pd_rd_r=dead3ca0-ffca-442d-b331-5e972bd24f15&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk

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TIMESTAMPS:

00:00:09 - Launching a Podcast

00:01:14 - Eleanor's Background

00:02:37 - Body Neutrality

00:06:49 - Body Positivity vs. Body Neutrality

00:14:16 - The Problem with Body Positivity

00:16:21 - Understanding Guilt and Shame

00:19:50 - Moral Conundrum of Choosing Recovery

00:21:39 - Speaking Out Against Controversial Topics

00:26:48 - Overcoming Fear and Building Community

00:28:04 - Connecting People in Need

00:29:18 - Finding Courage from Others

00:30:35 - Finding Like-minded Therapists

00:32:06 - Taking Steps for Alignment

00:33:11 - Benefits of Self-Employment