MAGPS - Fall 2022 Conference / Body Justice with Paula Atkinson at the Chesapeake Hyatt

Body Justice in Groups

Presented by Paula D. Atkinson, LICSW

Join us as Paula Atkinson helps us to explore the psychosocial aspects of weight and body shape, the broad range of social sciences including anthropology and sociology that create the way we think about weight, “health”, worth, and identity. 

Over the course of this dynamic conference we will explore the topics of fat phobia, size-ism, thin idealism, and weight stigma and how these intersect with other racism, classism, and forms of oppression as well as how they are present in groups. The role of body liberation and body justice will be included as we discuss how it intersects with diversity, equity, and inclusion.  

During the course of the weekend, participants will:

1. Analyze weight stigma, sizeism, and thin supremacy in individual and societal systems and extrapolate that to group therapy. Specifically recognizing medical, psychosocial, moral, and social/cultural perspectives on weight and health and how these tenets affect beliefs about fatness/thinness and the treatment of people in larger bodies in the world and in groups.

2. Name ways in which social media, capitalism, and the diet industry, affect implicit attitudes, practices and cultural norms when it comes to body shape and weight; then identify how these systems affect the group process for participants of all body shapes.

3. Discuss the prevalence and the ways in which disordered eating, negative body image, food obsession, food addiction, exercise compulsion and diet cycling, may manifest differently in individuals and may influence a group process.

4. Navigate differently shaped bodies in groups through re-examining therapeutic factors.

5. Define the following factors: body justice, body liberation, intuitive eating, thin idealism, fat phobia, body positivity, diet mentality, joyful movement, the fat acceptance movement, and the Health At Every Size approach and how these philosophies and movements can positively affect a group process.

6. Identify relevant ethical codes associated with addressing systemic oppression based on body shape and creating inclusive and culturally responsive therapeutic encounters.

7. Apply a broad range of skills, strategies, and innovative practices to incorporate principles of body justice into group work.

Conference Schedule

Friday, November 4, 2022
7- 8:00 pm Welcome & Community Connection
8:30-10:00 pm Welcome Social Hour 

Saturday, November 5, 2022
8 -8:30 am BodyWorks Meditation Session sponsored by Anti-Racism Committee
8:30-9:00 Welcome
9 -10:00 am Plenary 1: Body Justice for Beginners: How we got to FAT = BAD
10 - 10:15 am BREAK
10:15- 11:30 am Small Process Group # 1
11:30- 11:45 am BREAK
11:45 -12:45 pm Plenary 2:  Body Reflections for Each of Us: How I Experience Living in this Body
12:45- 2:45 pm LUNCH
2:45-4:00 pm Plenary 3: Large Discussion Group & Case Presentation
4:00- 4:15 BREAK
4:15-5:30 Small Process Group 2

7:00- 9:00 pm Movie Night sponsored by the Cinema Series Committee

Sunday, November 6, 2022
8- 8:30 am BodyWorks Meditation Session sponsored by Anti-Racism Committee
8:30-9:00 am Welcome
9 - 10:00 am Plenary 4: Body Liberation for All: How to Cease Doing Harm
10 - 10:15 am BREAK
10:15 - 11:30 am Small Process Group 3
1:30 - 12:00 pm Small Group Process Debrief
12:00 - 12:15 BREAK
12:15 -1:15 Plenary 5: Q&A Group Discussion
1:15 - 1:30: Conference Closing 

REGISTRATION RATES AND INFORMATION