Intuitive Eating & Health At Every Size (HAES)

Food and Body

As Americans, we are inundated with messaging around food choices, nutrition, and “wellness”; there are whole advertising and lobbying firms devoted to it. These messages often center around body appearance over overall health, and prioritize postcolonial ideas of diet and food which often vilify foods that have long been staples of the diets found throughout the communities of the global majority population. At Humantold, we understand that there is a link between how we feel, how we perceive ourselves in the mirror, and the messages we internalize from our cultures, macro and micro. In our efforts to be a force for change for good, we want to shift the conversation we have around not only mental health, but also health in general, incorporating the discussion around food and body. We only get one body and we want to walk alongside you as we learn to offer ourselves kindness, grace, and nourishment. Continue reading to learn more about our approach and offerings.

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Body Liberation

Body liberation is a movement that advocates for the acceptance and celebration of all bodies, challenging societal beauty standards and promoting the right to exist without shame or judgment based on size, shape, or appearance. It’s recognizing that every body, regardless of shape or size, deserves respect, care, and compassion. In therapy, body liberation can be a path toward healing, where we learn to reject harmful messages around body image and instead embrace acceptance and gratitude for all our bodies do for us. This process takes time, and it’s not always easy, but it’s about giving yourself the grace to grow and find peace with the body you’re in. Our therapists offer a safe space to explore these feelings, challenge negative thoughts, acknowledge systemic factors, and work toward a more compassionate relationship with your body.

Non Diet Approach to a Relationship with Food

A non-diet approach to therapy focuses on cultivating a peaceful relationship with food by rejecting traditional diet culture and its emphasis on weight loss or restrictive eating. Instead of labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” this approach encourages individuals to listen to their body’s natural hunger and fullness cues, practice mindful eating, and develop a more intuitive connection with food. Our therapists are trained in Intuitive Eating, a framework that helps clients break free from the cycle of dieting, guilt, and shame around food choices, emphasizing nourishment, satisfaction, and overall well-being rather than appearance or calorie counting. Additionally, we have a Registered Dietitian on staff who can expand the conversation beyond the good/bad binary, to help clients gain greater clarity and understanding of their individual needs surrounding food. The overall goal of the collaborative talk therapy and nutrition counseling endeavor is to shift the focus away from external rules and restrictions, fostering a sense of self-compassion and autonomy in eating decisions. By prioritizing emotional and physical health over weight control, the non-diet approach empowers individuals to rebuild trust in their bodies, reduce disordered eating patterns, and improve their mental and physical well-being.

Health at Every Size

The Health at Every Size (HAES) approach to therapy promotes the idea that health and well-being can be achieved across a wide range of body sizes, challenging the assumption that thinness equates to health. Rather than focusing on weight loss or body size as a measure of success, HAES emphasizes behaviors that support holistic health, such as intuitive eating, joyful movement, and emotional well-being. In therapy, the HAES framework encourages clients to shift their focus away from weight-centric goals and instead prioritize self-care practices that enhance their physical, emotional, and mental health, regardless of their size. By rejecting the societal pressure to conform to a narrow standard of beauty, HAES helps clients break free from diet culture, reduce body shame, and foster body neutrality or acceptance. The approach also addresses the impact of weight stigma and supports clients in building a positive relationship with food, movement, and their bodies, empowering them to achieve a sustainable, individualized sense of health and happiness.

Recovery Support

Our therapists offer recovery support therapy to individuals in active recovery from eating disorders following intensive treatment. This therapy is designed to cultivate a compassionate and non-judgmental environment, allowing clients to explore their relationship with food, body image, exercise, and self-worth. At this stage of therapy, we emphasize the significance of rebuilding trust in one’s body, engaging in mindful and intuitive eating practices, and challenging the harmful beliefs instilled by diet culture.

Additional conditions we treat: binge-eating, orthorexia, general disordered eating behaviors, emotional eating, compulsive exercising.

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