Fat: Guidelines for Therapists

A note on nomenclature: I deliberately use the term “fat” not “obese”. In groups of people who have been marginalised on the basis of race or sexual orientation, an important part of claiming agency is declaring the right to choose what members call themselves. Similarly it is the practice in the fat community to reclaim the term “fat” fr om the pool of epithets directed against us, as segments of the gay community have reclaimed “queer”. Therefore in what follows, I use “fat” rather than “obese” except when quoting or referring to research reports.I have been able to locate three sets of guidelines for therapists when dealing with patients with size issues -- one published in the American Psychological Association's Monitor, one by NAAFA, and the last by Marion Woodman. So let's look at the first two.  From the APA Monitor, a brief set of guidelines for therapists interested in being "size friendly" -- it's a short piece and seems to have been little noticed, though it was published in January 2004. Here are the guidelines:* Don't make assumptions about overweight clients, such as about whether they have an eating disorder or are working toward acceptance of their weight.* Display size-friendly artwork or magazines--such as BBW Magazine--in your office or lounge.* Have seating in your office that can accommodate larger people. An example is armless chairs.* Raise your colleagues' and students' awareness by addressing these issues in formal and inform...
Source: Jung At Heart - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: blogs