Date of Award
Spring 5-22-2021
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
MA - Master of Arts
Department
Expressive Therapies
Advisor
Kelvin Ramirez
Abstract
Anti-fat bias exists and is a pervasive and often overlooked form of oppression that significantly harms the mental health of fat people. Similar to other forms of oppression, anti-fat bias remains perpetuated through ideology, enforced institutionally through discriminatory practices, and enacted through interpersonal harassment. There is growing interest in exploring not only the mental health impacts of anti-fat bias, but also the development of effective therapeutic interventions to support fat people impacted by it. However, research on therapeutic strategies for combating this issue remains scarce. The field of Expressive Therapies, with its range of creative modalities and focus on engaging the body in therapy, provides a unique opportunity for supporting fat people in healing from anti-fat bias, cultivating positive body image, and empowering themselves to advocate for body liberation. This literature review examines the ideological, institutional, and interpersonal manifestations of anti-fat bias, its impact on the mental health of fat people, and presents research exploring a range of therapeutic approaches relevant to supporting fat people harmed by anti-fat bias.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Tracy, Katlyn, "Nothing to Lose: A Literature Review on Combating Anti-Fat Bias through Expressive Therapies" (2021). Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses. 431.
https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/expressive_theses/431
Included in
Art Therapy Commons, Counseling Commons, Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons
Rights
The author owns the copyright to this work.
