stepping into the new year feels a bit different this year, but what remains is the inevitable constant of “new year, new you” content, with the joy of holiday indulgence a mere memory, and instead , the same outlets encourage us to lose weight. and get in shape.
We know that this cycle is not healthy and that food guilt can be very harmful. Luckily, there’s a lot of content supporting wellness around diet and body image these days. from instagram influencers showing that it’s okay to live in whatever body you make, conveying the importance of treating your body with kindness and not living in an endless cycle of dieting, magazines like cosmopolitan and happy that explore these topics with a beautifully diverse range of real life. models, to books that explore issues of body image and intuitive eating.
You are reading: Books about body image
we all need to understand body image issues
Even if clients don’t show up due to body image issues, we all have a personal relationship with our body, which is influenced by the culture we live in. once you start asking the right questions, you can uncover a whole host of emotions. experience that the client had not previously thought to share. we need to ensure our knowledge is up to date in this area, addressing any biases or misconceptions we may have to better support our clients and not risk further harm.
We will be sharing various articles and content to help you with your knowledge ahead of our Body Image: Skin, Identity, and Gaze in Psychotherapy cpd online event on Saturday, February 6th.
here are four brilliant books on body image to get you started
The following books cover both lived experiences, while also highlighting how much more there is to one’s identity beyond the shape of our bodies. These are all fantastic and enlightening reads that we highly recommend, so let’s get started…
body positive power: how to stop dieting, make peace with your body and live by megan jayne crabbe
Megan Jayne Crabbe (aka Bodyposipanda) shares her own story of body image issues and eating disorder, alongside research supporting the message that it’s not our bodies that are the problem, but the way we’ve been taught to see them.
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“hating our bodies is something we learn, and surely it’s something we can unlearn.” – megan jayne crabbe
happy fat man: taking up space in a world that wants to shrink you by sofie hagen
Comedian, activist, and writer Sofie Hagen’s book is a brilliant insight into living in a world that is not only not designed for larger bodies, but is also a world rife with fatphobia. this is one of those books you need to read to get rid of your own assumptions and feelings about weight. Sofie shares her own experiences alongside research, debunking myths and providing insight into what it can feel like to be disrespected, shamed and unaccommodated on a daily basis.
during lockdown, sofie also produced online comedy talks on various topics, available for a minimum price of just £5. how to be happy fat picks up themes from the book and explores fatness and self-love, but what about health? unravels common misconceptions about weight.
“loving your body can seem impossible and just another thing to fail at. you fail to diet, and then you fail to love your body. and even if you love your body, you may not love it all the time… [body neutrality] is something we can all aspire to and achieve… it’s like my ears. I feel very neutral about my ears. I don’t have good or bad things to say; they are just ears. And if I could feel that with my whole body, that would be amazing.” – sofie hagen interviewed by the guardian
the body is not an excuse: the power of radical self-love by sonya renee taylor
sonya renee taylor explores body image through a different lens in this powerful book. she offers radical self-love as the healing solution to systems of oppression that teach people body shame. the book goes beyond personal change and towards the idea of collective power, seeking a more just and compassionate world for all.
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“living in a female body, a black body, an aged body, a fat body, a mentally ill body is daily waking up to a planet that expects a certain set of apologies to already live on our tongues. there is a level of ‘not enough’ or ‘too much’ stitched into these difference threads.” – sonya renee taylor
False Bodies, True Selves: Moving Beyond Appearance-Centered Identity Struggles and Back to the True Self by Nicole Schnackenberg
the psychologist dr. Nicole Schnackenberg explores the link between appearance and identity in this book that presents both theoretical insights into appearance-focused struggles and more personal experiences. while various underlying meanings behind that struggle are conveyed, particular attention is paid to a systemic approach.
Nicole is one of our speakers at our online body image conference and will be presenting on “shame, identity, and the true embodied self”, exploring how shame can be projected onto the body. here she is introducing her talk :
nicole is also the author of:
- Emerging Bodies: Fall in Love with Your Body and Remember Your Divine Essence
- Reflections on Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Stories of Courage, Determination, and Hope
- Parents Guide for Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Supporting Your Child, Adolescent, or Young Adult
The book links in this post are affiliate links, which means we get a small portion of the sales. at no additional cost to you, this helps us at btp continue to help therapists and clients.
For more information on body image in psychotherapy, view our on-demand online body image conference.
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