In this episode of Shoulders Down, Leah sits down with licensed psychotherapist Paula D. Atkinson to explore the intersection of body image, eating disorders, social justice, and body liberation.

Paula shares her personal journey from growing up as a fat child, developing anorexia as a teenager, and eventually becoming a therapist, educator, and advocate for body justice. Together, Leah and Paula discuss the history of fatphobia, the limitations of weight-centric definitions of health, and why healing body image requires more than individual self-acceptance.

Their conversation explores the role of systemic oppression in shaping body image, the power of critical thinking in diet culture recovery, and how anger can become a catalyst for liberation rather than something to suppress.

You'll hear about:

• Paula's journey from anorexia recovery to becoming a body liberation therapist and educator
• What teaching a university course on weight, health, and society revealed about diet culture and the "obesity epidemic"
• The role of rage in disordered eating and body image healing
• Why external validation can never replace genuine self-acceptance
• How body image healing intersects with social justice, oppression, and collective liberation
• Paula's perspective on anger, psychedelics, and other unexpected pathways to body liberation

More From Paula:

• Website: https://www.pauladatkinson.com
• Instagram: @pauladatkinson

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