Thank You, Martin Luther King, Jr., for Inspiring Me to Live Fearlessly
BIPOC, Special TopicsHow much time do you have left here?By “here,” I mean on Earth. Don’t be alarmed. I am simply asking you this in existential kind of way, a way that I hope will make you realize that the greatest gift you and I both have…
Caught Between Two Cultures: Developing a Positive Body Image as a Biracial Woman
BIPOC, Special TopicsEven if you haven't read any of her novels, you've probably heard of Margaret Wolfe Hungerford’s most famous quote, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” It’s a very simple way of explaining aesthetic relativism after all.We see aesthetic…
The Problematic Whitewashing of Eating Disorder Recovery
BIPOC, Special TopicsThe image of recovery, particularly online, has such a pristine filter on it. Take a look at the recovery tag on Instagram or Tumblr and you will see some very positive things, but it can also be intimidating and even discouraging. Some may…
Olympic Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad Gets a Barbie
BIPOC, Body Image, Special TopicsMy body began to shake. It started at my core and radiated slowly outwards, like those concentric circles you might see in…
Surviving the Holidays as a Transgender or Nonbinary Person
LGBTQIA+, Special TopicsIt is that time of year again: the holiday season. It is supposed to be a time of merriment and joining together of family, but for many it just winds up being a time of despair, dread, hangovers, fights, tears, and sadness.For those of us who…
Beyond the Binary: My Experience as a Gender Nonconforming Person in Recovery
LGBTQIA+, Recovery, Special TopicsEating disorders are stereotypically viewed as illnesses that plague young, upper-class, white females. This idea is perpetuated by a variety of factors, including the media, and prevents other people with eating disorders from seeking or receiving…
Providing Better Care for Transgender and Non-Binary Patients
LGBTQIA+, Special TopicsIn our work as a public health researcher (Allegra) and clinician (Carly), we have been excited to see growing interest in improving care for transgender and non-binary patients within the eating disorders field. Below we offer some lessons…
Dear Leon: How Can I Develop a Positive Body Image As a Gender Non-Conforming Person?
Body Image, LGBTQIA+, Special TopicsLeon Silvers is a psychotherapist, founder, and director of Silvers Psychotherapy, a group therapy practice in NYC. He specializes in working with clients with eating disorders, substance abuse, trauma, and LGBT issues. He has worked in various…
7 Ways to Make Recovery Communities More Trans Affirming
LGBTQIA+, Recovery, Special TopicsIt’s Transgender Awareness Week, a time meant to raise visibility and acceptance for transgender and gender non-conforming people. As one of the most marginalized groups in America today, transgender people are often denied access to basic…
We Need to Talk About Gender and Sexuality in the Doctor’s Office
LGBTQIA+, Special TopicsLast night, I had the privilege of attending “Gender and Sexuality in the Doctor’s Office: LGBTQ Experiences of Healthcare Across Contexts,” a visiting scholar lecture at CLAGS by Emily Allen Paine, a doctoral candidate in the Department…