An exploration of the psychosocial aspects of weight and body shape and the subsequent marginalization of people in large bodies

Interview-style, with Elizabeth Irias, LMFT

  • Course Description

    This interview explores 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 and health, and the subsequent marginalization of people in large bodies. Listeners will gain knowledge about body shape and weight issues in our current society, the definitions for one’s weight status, and the true relationships between body size, weight and health. Listeners will also be asked to explore their own thoughts, feelings, and ideas about their own bodies and will then be more equipped to work with people of all body shapes without supporting fat phobia and diet culture, thin idealism and sizeism.

  • Learning Objectives

    Upon completing this course, participants will be able to: Describe three or more medical, psychosocial, moral, and social/cultural perspectives on weight and health and how these tenets affect beliefs about obesity and the treatment of people in larger bodies in the United States; Describe how social media, capitalism, and the diet industr affect attitudes, practices and cultural norms when it comes to body shape and weight; Provide definitions for the following terms: Body justice, body liberation, intuitive eating, thin idealism, fat phobia, body positivity, diet mentality, the fat acceptance movement, and the Health At Every Size approach.


    Target Audience and Instructional Level
    This course is intended for psychologists, therapists, social workers, clinical counselors, and addiction counselors. Instructional level: Intermediate

  • How To Take This Course

    In order to receive a certificate of completion reflecting the associated CE credit hour, you must:
    #1: Have an active paid Clearly Clinical membership
    #2: Listen to the corresponding course podcast
    #3: Achieve a passing grade on the post-presentation test (the test has up to ten questions and you must earn a score of at least 80%; you are able to re-test)
    #4: Complete the requested course evaluation.

    Course elements (including the course audio, post-test, and requested course evaluation) can be completed on a computer or mobile device via your Clearly Clinical account.

  • Course Format

    This high-quality and interesting course contains a one-hour, non-interactive audio podcast presentation which is available for free via all major public podcast providers. You can also listen to and download the file via our course player.

  • Commercial Support

    There is no known commercial support or conflict of interest for this CE program, content, sponsor, or instructor.

  • Certificate Access Details

    Once you've completed the course, your certificate will automatically populate in the 'Certificate' section of your account; it will also be emailed to you. Access to completion certificate will expire 365 days after issuance. Course certificates will be on file for ten (10) years from date of course completion.

  • Accommodations

    If you have special needs or need an accommodation, please email us at info@clearlyclinical.com and we will do our best to assist you.

Expert Interviewee and Interviewer

Paula D. Atkinson, LICSW

Eating Disorder Expert

Paula D. Atkinson is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, working as a psychotherapist in private practice. She has been working for years with those who suffer from disordered eating, food obsession, exercise compulsion and body image issues. She treats clients with a weight neutral, anti-diet approach. Paula proudly identifies as a body justice activist, teaching courses on the myths of the U.S.'s measures of health, our culture's thin idealism, and the oppression of large bodies to mental health professionals and as a professor at George Washington University. Paula is a Health At Every Size registered practitioner, a member of The International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals, the National Association of Social Workers and the Association of Social Work Boards. Please visit her at PaulaAtkinson.com, and Medium.com.

Elizabeth 'Beth' Irias, MS, LMFT

Interviewer & Clearly Clinical Founder

Elizabeth 'Beth' Irias (she/her) is a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and the Founder and President of Clearly Clinical. She has specializations in Clinical Documentation, Best Practice, and Utilization Review, and works closely with clinical teams across the US as a trainer and national conference presenter; Beth was formerly an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University in the Graduate Psychology and Education department. Licensed in California and Oregon, she provides therapy via her private practice to young adult and adult clients, members of the LGBTQ population, and those with addictive disorders. She has two young children, a super cool spouse who helps out with Clearly Clinical's tech, and a rescue dog.

See why we're the country's premier CE provider

  • CONVENIENT: All courses are 1-hour podcast episodes, available on all public podcast platforms

  • AFFORDABLE: We offer quality CE courses through a reasonably-priced membership

  • SOCIALLY-RESPONSIBLE: We donate to The Trevor Project for LGBTQIA+ youth suicide prevention

  • WOMEN-OWNED: We are founded and run by Elizabeth Irias, LMFT

  • DIVERSE: We highlight expert presenters from historically-marginalized communities

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