When Our Partners and Families are Fatphobic: Experiencing Weight Stigma from the People We Love with Becky Belinsky LMFT

Guest Bio

Dr. Becky Belinsky is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California who specializes in working with clients who struggle with eating disorders and any type of food and/or body image related issues. Her approach is size inclusive and fat positive, and she is passionate about exploring the societal and relational factors that contribute to eating disorders and disordered eating. She has conducted research around the intersection of weight stigma, eating disorders, and family relationships, and is also a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. In addition to her work around eating disorders, Becky provides psychotherapy for adults, couples, and families around the issues of anxiety and relational challenges.

 

Overview: 

Becky Belinsky is on the show today to talk about her incredible dissertation research: Relationships Harm, Relationships Heal: Exploring Larger Bodied People's Experiences of Weight Stigma and Eating Disorders in the Context of Family Relationships. This study explored the intersection of weight stigma, eating disorders, and family/intimate partner relationships, which sought to understand the intersection of weight stigma, eating disorder development and recovery, and specifically the experience of receiving stigma from family and partners. Our discussion sheds light on the importance of working directly with and combatting weight stigma at the family system and societal levels in order to create more significant and meaningful change for people struggling with eating-related distress, and particularly for people in larger bodies.

 

In this episode of Taking Up Space, we discussed: 

• Define internalized and externalized weight stigma
• How experiences of weight stigma in our friends and family hurt eating disorder recovery 
• How attachment theory and our drive to connect and belong influences our relationships
• Boundary setting with those who are antifat, including family and partners

 

Resources Mentioned

• Relationships Harm, Relationships Heal: Exploring Larger Bodied People's Experiences of W s Experiences of Weight Stigma and Eating Disorder Stigma and Eating Disorders in the Context of Family Relationships  
• Website: www.beckybelinsky.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dr.BeckyBelinskyLMFT
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beckybelinskytherapy/

Free Offerings to get You Started

• Come Home to Your Self guide https://www.inneratlastherapy.com/resources

 

Get my Taking Up Space Workbook

• https://www.inneratlastherapy.com/shop

 

Join Our Community

• https://www.inneratlastherapy.com/

 

Subscribe and leave a Review!

 

Connect with Cassie:

inneratlastherapy.com

Read our Blog https://www.inneratlastherapy.com/blog

Schedule a Consultation https://www.inneratlastherapy.com/get-in-touch

Cassie on IG https://www.instagram.com/inneratlastherapy/

Cassie on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@inneratlastherapy