Join us for a workshop exploring the Health At Every Size® (HAES) paradigm. Why is Health At Every Size important, and how can we put it into practice?
What is Health At Every Size?
HAES is a social justice movement which argues that a shift towards weight-inclusive health care and outcomes is needed. It recognises that a person’s health cannot be determined by BMI, body fat percentage or a number on a scale.
Health At Every Size acknowledges that health and wellbeing are made up of so much more than just food and movement and that pursuit of health is neither a moral imperative nor an individual obligation. Overall, HAES argues that a person's weight should not be used as a measure to judge, oppress or determine the value of an individual. Every body is deserving of respectful and health-enhancing care and HAES has the potential to help people of all shapes and sizes to be healthier, happier and more at peace with thier bodies.
Health At Every Size for Counsellors
Counsellors may be in a privileged position to help individuals explore their lived experiences with their bodies, food, movement, and treatment by health professionals if these topics emerge during counselling sessions.
Questioning our practice
Would our care and approach change if we explored the weight inclusive approach? How might our own cultural biases and embodied experiences inform our work as counselling professionals? How can we provide a safe space for people of all sizes to feel seen, listened to and accepted? How comfortable and knowledgable are we when the topics of weight, size or disordered eating emerge in our therapeutic conversations?
Why workshop?
Lifetime workshops are an opportunity to step away from the daily patterns of life that can limit growth into a generous non-judgemental space. This workshop invites you to challenge negative thought processes and invest in your whole self: body and mind.
Who is it for?
This workshop has been designed by experienced nutritionists and therapists to develop the practice of practising counsellors and therapists, students preparing for a career in counselling and psychotherapy and anyone working with others in mental health and wellbeing.
This workshop will be beneficial to counsellors with an uneasy relationship with their own body, as well as for those who would like to better support clients of every size. This workshop is founded on the understanding that we all feel frustrated with our bodies at times. Sometimes these frustrations grow into something more insidious and can threaten our wellbeing. As counsellors, learning to acknowledge negative body thoughts and to accept ourselves as we are in the present will help us to help others.
During this half-day workshop you will:
Explore the principles of Health At Every Size and the evidence for this approach
Consider the significance of weight stigma and fatphobia in healthcare and society
Explore the significance of your own embodied experiences within your practice
Consider how non-diet and weight-inclusive approaches can augment your practice.
Workshop timings & facilities
Arrival at 9.30 for 9.40 start.
Short break mid-morning for sharing experiences and refreshments.
Refreshments available throughout the workshop.
MELISSA GARSIDE
Melissa is a Nutritionist (ANutr) and weightlifting coach. She specialises in intuitive eating and is an advocate for Health At Every Size.