IN THIS EPISODE:

This week, I am joined by Carmen Cool, MA, LPC, a politicized therapist, educator, speaker, and activist helping people heal their relationships with food and their bodies. For the past 20 years, Carmen has been working to dismantle diet culture, support the next generation of body liberation leaders, and shift the psychotherapy profession toward justice. She has also started and run a nonprofit, created youth programs, and speaks internationally on Health At Every Size ®, feminism and eating disorders, and weight stigma.

SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• Owning and respecting oneself despite what other people think.

• Recovering from an eating disorder vs recovering from weight stigma.

• How personal views can change over time.

• Doing “whatever it takes” to heal from an eating disorder.

• Who decides what “recovered” looks like?

• There is no “one-size-fits-all” eating disorder or recovery and the paths are unique to the individual.

• Challenging and embracing anger

• How meeting societal expectations/misconceptions can be an achievement when one is in their eating disorder.

• The diagnostic criteria used by insurance companies as a contributing factor to weight stigma.

• Believing in the healing and preventative strength of activism.

• Looking at how outside influences affect one’s relationship to their body.

ABOUT CARMEN COOL:

Carmen Cool, MA, LPC is a politicized therapist, educator, speaker, & activist helping people heal their relationships with food and their bodies. For the past 20 years, Carmen has been working to dismantle diet culture, support the next generation of body liberation leaders, and shift the psychotherapy profession toward justice. She has also started and run a nonprofit, created youth programs, and speaks internationally on Health At Every Size ®, feminism and eating disorders, and weight stigma. Carmen served as the Board President of the Association for Size Diversity and Health, was named “Most Inspiring Individual” in Boulder, Colorado, and was the recipient of the Excellence in Eating Disorder Advocacy Award in Washington, DC.

CONNECT WITH CARMEN COOL:

• You can learn more about Carmen at CarmenCool.com.

• Learn more about Carmen’s therapy, supervision, and speaking services

• Follow Carmen on Instagram

• Listen to Carmen on:

  • "Anti-Fat Bias and Weight Stigma in Psychotherapy w/ Hilary Kinavey & Carmen Cool" for Embodied and Awake

  • "Moving Past 'The Rebellious Streak' with Carmen Cool" with Summer Innanen

  • "How Anger Can Help in Diet Recovery and Body Acceptance with Carmen Cool" for Food Psyche

ABOUT KARIN LEWIS:

Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS has been recovered from Anorexia Nervosa for over 20 years and has been specializing in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders since 2005. Karin is the founder of the Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center located in Boston, MA. You can visit Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center online to learn more about Karin and her center’s services. You can also connect with Karin on social media by following her on Facebook and Instagram.