SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020      VOLUME 20, NO. 5

Body Image and Food Challenges in the Black Community

Black Families and Body Image: The Need for a Holistic Approach


Issues surrounding body images among Black people must be understood within the broader historical and familial experiences in which they exist. Too often, clinicians focus on treating Black people who struggle with body image without understanding the unique experiences of Black families.
Charlece Bishop, MS

Demons Under the Dinner Table: The Impact of Diet Culture and Weight Stigma on the Black Community


Weight stigma and fatphobia contribute to the development of disordered eating patterns, eating disorders, and body dissatisfaction. Weight stigma stems from diet culture and diet culture contributes to the development of poor body image, disordered eating habits, and has been shown to take a toll on mental health.
Alyssa Davis, MS

Food is a necessity and much more, woven into cultural values, connections, and comfort.

Cultural Considerations in the Treatment of Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are prevalent among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), yet predominately associated with images of White, young, thin, affluent women. This myth is influenced by who gets a diagnosis, participates in clinical research, and receives care in treatment settings.
Ashley Acle, MFT

Destructive Consequences of Lack

No one consciously sets out to create an emotional life built around food and destructive eating patterns, but growing up in lack results in destructive consequences and impacts lives for generations.
Sabrina C. Richardson, MMFT

Shelley Hanson thumb

A Message from the President

Profession and Practice

In the AAMFT Governance Policies (December 2019)—and on the AAMFT website—there is a Core Purpose statement of AAMFT that reads, “Recognizing that relationships are fundamental to the health and well-being of individuals, couples, families, and communities, AAMFT exists to advance the profession and the practice of marriage and family therapy.”
Shelley A. Hanson, MA

Recent Issues

JULY / AUGUST 2021

Climate Change & Natural Disasters: A Call to Action for Systemic Therapists


Topics including eco-informed family therapy, MFTs and climate change, and helping families cope with disasters.
MAY / JUNE 2021

Disability and the Family


Topics including interventions, disability & stigma, and neurodiversity.
FTM March April 2021 Cover
MARCH / APRIL 2021

Working with Trans Clients and Their Families


Topics including body dysmorphia, trans youth and their parents, and trans feminine clients.