Fatphobia and our collective response to fat people in our community is as fascinating as it is heartbreaking. Someone being fat has nearly zero impact on anyone besides themself, and yet for some reason, we as a society are so judgmental and frankly, angry, at fat people for the simple fact of being fat. We […]

So you want to improve your relationship with your body? WELCOME TO THE CLUB, HONEY! Can you imagine the brain space that would free up if you stop thinking about how much you hate your body? We probably would have figured out life on mars and how to teleport by now. Instead we invented the […]

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 […]

Feeling overwhelmed? Girl, same. I would be surprised if you weren’t–you are human, after all. The digital age is a blessing, allowing us to be connected with loved ones and kept up-to-date, but it can also be wildly overstimulating to have constant access to everything, everywhere, all at once. They call it a doomscroll for […]

One of the best parts about living in the Midwest is that we get very clear and stereotypical seasons. We see the leaves outside our windows turn from green to red to gold, then float to the ground. Branches are bare and the world looks brown, then slowly but surely, the branches breathe back to […]

Happy National Disability Pride Month! Observed in July, this designation commemorates the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which highlights disability culture, history, and community pride. This particular message of honoring each person’s uniqueness and seeing it for what it is–a natural and beautiful part of human diversity–is needed now perhaps more than […]

“I’ll be so much happier once I lose weight.” “I’ll plan a beach vacation with my girlfriends as soon as I feel sexy in a bikini.” “I’ll finally be able to start dating once I’m thinner.” There’s a lot of waiting around that we do when we have plans to lose weight and those plans […]

As a social worker, I know that barriers to mental health access are systemic and far-reaching. Getting help is far more difficult than it should be, particularly for the low income community. I wanted to share a few Chicago-area resources that make mental health more accessible:  Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) CDPH offers low […]

First things first: I believe you. You tell me you’re experiencing chronic pain, I believe you. You do not have to prove yourself to anyone, least of all me. The medical profession has consistently let down many people, particularly women, by not believing them when they express that they are in pain. With Grief Into […]

It’s common to go to a museum and find a room inaccessible due to restoration efforts underway. Sometimes, entire rooms are blocked off with a red rope and a large curtain or plastic tarp, ensuring curious visitors are kept at bay as the team works to restore priceless works of art, removing dust, dirt and […]