My guest in this episode is Fatema Jivanjee-Shakir. We met in 2022 when we were serving together on a Mental Health Panel for a large corporate event. The minute I heard her talk about the experiences of body grief, I knew instantly that I had a lot to learn from her and that my listeners did too. That’s why I’m thrilled to be sharing our conversation with you in this episode. She helps us understand the impact of culture on our sense of self and our body-image. We explore some of the many causes of body grief as well as some common maladaptive ways we cope with it.

Fatema Jivanjee-Shakir, LMSW is an eating disorder & body image therapist, writer, and speaker. Her work is strongly informed by the Health at Every Size perspective and intersectional approaches to healing. Fatema has a special interest in working with BIPOC clients. Fatema is a therapist at Conason Psychological Services and a Board Member of the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals New York chapter.

Connect with Fatema on Instagram at @YourSouthAsianTherapist or find her on her website: fjshakir.com. Reach out to her for individual and couple’s therapy at www.conasonpsychologicalservices.com.

(19:11) – Fatema explores how cultural biases, including ageism, impacts our self-image and can impact our sense of our body, and the grief we experience over normal changes.

(29:15) – Sunita explores the secondary losses that can arise when we experience body grief as a result of all sorts of losses.

(45:00) - Fatema explains how the Body Mass Index (BMI) was invented and why it’s use is harmful, problematic, and can have real world negative consequences to our mental, emotional and physical health.

You asked, I answered. I finally created some GSB Podcast merch from tees to hoodies to coffee mugs, journals and stickers. Head over to the Grief Happens Shop at www.lisakeefauver.com/griefhappensshop

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