Breaking Free
My lifelong Commitment to Liberation and Abolitionism
“Guilt is not a response to anger; it is a response to one’s own actions or lack of action. If it leads to change then it can be useful, since it is then no longer guilt but the beginning of knowledge.
Yet all too often, guilt is just another name for impotence, for defensiveness destructive of communication; it becomes a device to protect ignorance and the continuation of things the way they are, the ultimate protection for changelessness.”
Unfuck Yourself:
My Journey toward Liberation
My journey toward recognizing the systemic oppression of marginalized people/bodies in the United States and around the world began over a decade ago. Like the glass-shattering moment of many white people, I was defensive and angry, attempting to shield myself from confronting my unearned privileges and the deep guilt that came along with this realization. Nonetheless, I leaned into the guilt, anger, and defensiveness because something deep inside told me to listen—that those emotions spoke to a truth I’d not known before and it was important to explore.
I swallowed my pride, took several deep breaths, and let curiosity be my guide. I listened, spoke to, and learned from people whose experiences are those different from my own and had to admit to myself that my understanding of the world was woefully ignorant and incomplete. In the years since, my guilt turned to humility, self-reflection, and an opportunity to lean into the discomfort to understand others’ experiences, which I know is a lifelong commitment and never-ending journey.
While the bulk of my work centers around fat liberation and combatting anti-fat bias in our diet-centric world, I recognize that this is only a very small piece of the puzzle and ending all oppression outright is important for liberation to be truly achieved. More than that, liberation in general is dependent on the liberation of Black bodies specifically. As such, I am committed to examining my practices, both personally and professionally, to recognize my privilege, unlearn the engrained lessons of white supremacy and work toward stopping its continuation, learn from and amplify the voices of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color pointing to and speaking out against oppression, and take personal steps to achieve liberation for all.
I recognize I have A LOT of privilege. I am a straight, white, cis-gendered, able-bodied, straight-sized, middle-class woman with a Master’s level education. I am aware of the myriad of unearned privileges that come with these identities and I am constantly challenging my perspective. I am committed to divesting from white supremacy and diet culture as these structures are exploitative at best and deadly at worst.
With eyes now open, I will no longer be a bystander that supports systems of violence through inaction.
Liberatory Action Plan
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
It’s not enough to simply say I’m making the commitment to liberation practices, action is required too. Based on the work of Barbara J. Love, the following is my plan for developing my liberatory consciousness, which I acknowledge will inevitably change over time:
Last Updated: March 3, 2025
Develop Awareness of oppressive systems
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My education about the real history of the United States began when I was assigned a book my Multicultural Competency class in graduate school: A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America by Ronald Takaki. While I had a cursory knowledge of the atrocities committed in the name of America, this book painted a vivid picture that left me with heartache chapter after chapter. This led to an avalanche of books added to my reading list, which I am slowly working my way through.
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In May 2020, I began working with the Center for Body Trust (fmly Be Nourished), a Portland, Oregon-based organization, to earn a Body Trust® Certification that focuses on learning to trust your body to heal a difficult relationship with it from a social justice lens. The focus of this training has largely centered on fat liberation, but the curriculum is increasingly recognizing the importance of Black feminist theory in liberatory movements. I completed the certification in January 2021.
I engaged in the year-long Freedom School curriculum offered through The Adaway Group to further enhance the book knowledge mentioned above. This is a program with readings and monthly conversations between participants and facilitators intended to take a deep dive into exploring, navigating, and understanding the social and political landscape and ways to become involved in social movements from a Black feminist perspective.
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Analyze and question the status quo.
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Explored liberatory frameworks to use as guides for future work.
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Spring 2025 - Fall 2026: Engage in the AAMFT Leadership program to begin understanding the intricacies of the organization and bring key questions to bear.
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Be Accountable for my role in this work
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Plan in progress
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Plan currently in development.
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Plan in development
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take Allied Action with those doing similar work.
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Coming soon!
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Plan in development
Ethical Statement
I help untangle the very sticky, pervasive web of diet culture that has deeply harmed society’s perception of food and bodies. I work to liberate people from the oppressive beliefs and actions of diet culture and white supremacy.
I believe in self-reverence.
Healing happens when we return to ourselves and learn to no longer distract from what is happening around us. I aim to validate difficult experiences and cultivate restorative, healing practices.
I believe in security.
Everyone has the right to feel safe, whether it is physically, emotionally, spiritually, or financially. I aim to create a transparent and predictable environment that allows clients the security to embark on their healing journey.
I believe in strong communities.
We are all interconnected and individuals thrive when supported in their communities. I aim to foster a community that takes care of each and every member, whether or not we know each other, because everyone thrives in a supportive community.
I believe in liberation.
Autonomy is essential to living free of external, oppressive forces that go against our best interest and those of the common good. I aim to provide an honest, trusting environment for clients to make their own decisions based on their needs and those of their community.
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