Sources of Inspiration to Help your Understanding of Body Grief 

If the first step is familiarization, then the second step is understanding. And even as a professional specializing in the topic of Body Grief, I can assure you–the process of understanding is a lifelong effort. There are always more perspectives to learn from, experiences to share, and stories to read. My understanding of Body Grief first started in my own body from the physical injury that resulted from my sport. From there, I discovered an author who wrote extensively on the topic of Body Grief and in fact, coined the term “Body Grief” itself–Jayne Mattingly. I wanted to share a few resources here to help you with your process of understanding body grief. You can of course read the blog post about my personal journey to Body Grief, here.

Three Resources I Love

Jayne Mattingly | Jayne is a disability advocate and recovery expert, who wrote a book titled “This Is Body Grief.” Her book walks readers through the seven stages of body grief—from shock and self-blame to hope and body trust—while sharing personal stories and practical tools for healing. It’s especially helpful for those dealing with chronic illness, disability, or body image struggles. You can learn more about Jayne here.

Sarah Nicole Landry | Sarah is a podcaster and content creator who uses her platform to connect with folks on all sorts of topics related to the body positivity movement. Her content is deeply relatable for those experiencing body grief or recovering from physical changes, and she’s even hosted Jayne Mattingly for an episode. You can listen to her podcast here. 

The Body Positive | This pioneering nonprofit helps people develop a healthy relationship with their bodies through its Be Body Positive Model, includes five core components: reclaiming health, practicing intuitive self-care, cultivating self-love, declaring your own authentic beauty, and building community. Their programs are backed by research from Stanford and Cornell, showing significant improvements in body image and self-esteem. Learn more about The Body Positive here.