An important reflection point for professionals working in the eating disorder field...
How well does your online appearance of "wokeness" translate into your practice with individuals struggling with eating disorders and disordered eating?
While online spaces are different than clinical settings with certain practice standards, what matters to those you work with, is how well you transform the values you espouse online, into your practice.
How do you advocate and incorporate the following in your practice?
agentic care
de-colonization
cultural competence
trauma-informed care
harm reduction
collaborative care
community care
valuing of lived/living experience
anti-carceral care
anti-diet/weight inclusive care
non-medicalization
*as felt by each person with lived/living experience
Performative "wokeness" is not a substitute for continued work in advocating from the ground up, and helping to change the systems that perpetuate harm for those healing from eating disorders and disordered eating.
Each professional has a responsibility - as well as a great deal of privilege behind their qualifications - to continue to pursue "radical" change in larger systems.
While individuals with lived/living experience also have power in helping to change systems, to state that patients/clients have more power than those with professional designations, reflects limited understanding of testimonial and hermeneutical injustice.
Change is challenging and complicated, but how capable do we view ourselves if we do not keep pushing at the edges of these reformative movements, where we can?
Let's honour our capability and responsibilities the same way we expect those with lived/living experience to, in their own healing journeys.
To learn more about these topics, check out @dr.jenniewh, @mercifullymimi, @fatmarquisele, @bodyjustice.therapist, @intersectionalrecovery, @blackandembodied on Instagram. These are just a few great resources to explore.
- S.
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