INSIGHTS / BLOG
Insights
Thoughtful perspectives on eating, body and weight
A place for considered writing about eating, body and weight: the questions that arise in psychotherapy, professional practice, everyday life and the relationship with food, eating and the body. These pieces support reflection, curiosity and more compassionate conversations.
A kaleidoscope of perspectives
Eating, body and weight can be considered a multidimensional kaleidoscope. Relationships, personal histories, family relationships and transgenerational challenges with eating all contribute. Others include culture, shame, identity, stigma, oppression, alienation and social expectations of us and our shape and size. Food, eating, body and weight can hold many different meanings. There are rarely simple answers. Insights is a space to stay curious about these influences, and to share ideas and perspectives that may be useful to professionals, organisations and individuals.
The writing here will draw on relational psychotherapy, teaching and supervision, research, and Mandy’s clinical experience in this specialist field. Some pieces will be written for practitioners; others will be interesting to anyone wanting to understand more about their relationship with food, eating, body or weight.
WHAT YOU WILL FIND HERE
What you will find here
- Reflections on eating, body and weight in psychotherapy and everyday life.
- Ideas from relational practice, including shame, meaning-making, relationships and the therapeutic encounter.
- Learning notes for counsellors, psychotherapists, psychologists and other helping professionals.
- Thoughtful responses to cultural, social and political influences on body, shape and size.
- News of forthcoming learning, webinars, supervision and resources where relevant.
A NOTE ABOUT THE WRITING
Insights offers information and reflection, not individual therapeutic advice. If a piece raises something difficult for you, it may be helpful to speak with an appropriate professional or support service. You can find UK sources of help and support on our Help and support page. The views and examples shared will be handled carefully to protect confidentiality and will not identify clients or supervisees.
EXPLORE THE LATEST INSIGHTS
Explore the latest insights
FEATURED INSIGHT · EATING, BODY, AND WEIGHT
Celebrating Life in a Fuller Body
Challenges weight stigma and the pressure to postpone joy until the body changes, affirming dignity, body diversity and the possibility of embracing pleasure, connection, movement, rest and belonging in the present.
FOOD, EATING AND RELATIONSHIPS
Understanding Eating Distress
Eating distress can take many forms.
21 September 2026
EATING, BODY AND WEIGHT
What fuels body dissatisfaction?
Considers how body comments, comparison, narrow appearance ideals and conditional recognition can shape body dissatisfaction, shame and distress.
14 September 2026
FOOD, EATING AND RELATIONSHIPS
When Food and Eating Isn’t Easy
Food can be one of the ways we come together.
7 September 2026
EATING, BODY AND WEIGHT
When Food Becomes the Enemy
Reflects on the emotional and social challenges of food allergy, intolerance and dietary restriction, acknowledging grief and anxiety while considering practical support, safer eating, inclusion and rebuilding confidence around food.
24 August 2026
FOR PROFESSIONALS
Exploring Therapist Anxiety When Working with Eating Disorders
Anxiety is a frequent visitor for therapists working with disordered eating and eating disorders.
17 August 2026
FOOD, EATING AND RELATIONSHIPS
When Food Is Love
Explores how food can become intertwined with attachment, comfort, intimacy and unmet emotional needs, while offering a compassionate perspective on expanding sources of care, connection and nourishment beyond food alone.
31 August 2026
FOOD, EATING AND RELATIONSHIPS
The Psychology of Food and Eating
Food and eating are interesting areas to explore psychologically.
2 September 2026
FOR PROFESSIONALS
What does eating really mean?
There is no simple answer to what eating really means. It can sustain, comfort, connect, evoke and expose.
12 October 2026
FOR PROFESSIONALS
Invisibility, pain and size
What might it mean to feel highly visible and, at the same time, unseen?
19 October 2026