Sizeism in Mental Health Training and Supervision

Abstract

Graduate programs in the mental health professions provide training in multicultural issues, but sizeism is rarely included in this training. Here we provide suggestions for fat-affirmative graduate training, including the Health at Every Size Movement, terminology about weight, women’s appearance in a cultural context, and the long-term failures of most diets. We also provide recommendations for fat-affirmative clinical supervision, so that trainees do not inadvertently contribute to clients’ self-hatred of their bodies.

Keywords:

• Body weight in therapy
• clinical supervision
• fat phobia
• fat studies
• health at every size
• mental health training
• sizeism
• size acceptance
• the obesity paradox
• therapeutic bias
• weight and dieting