Exploring the Health at Every Size Framework in Therapeutic Practices

When clients come to therapy with concerns about their body, eating patterns, self-worth, or health, the conversation often carries a lot of shame, frustration, and history. One of the most powerful shifts we can make together is moving away from weight-focused narratives and toward a more compassionate, inclusive approach. That’s where Health at Every Size (HAES®) comes in.

What is Health at Every Size?

Health at Every Size is a framework developed by the Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH) that promotes respectful care, body diversity, and health behaviors that support well-being—without focusing on weight loss as a goal. It encourages people to trust their bodies, nourish themselves without guilt, and prioritize mental and physical health in sustainable ways.

Rather than treating weight as the root of all health issues, HAES invites us to look at the whole person: their environment, stress levels, access to care, trauma history, genetics, and social support. It challenges the idea that weight is always something that needs to be “fixed.”

Why HAES is Beneficial in Therapy

In therapy, adopting a HAES-aligned approach can:

• Reduce shame and increase self-compassion: Many clients carry years of internalized weight stigma. HAES helps create space to grieve that pain and begin healing in relationship with the body—not against it.

• Improve mental health: When we shift from self-criticism to curiosity, clients often feel freer to engage with health-supporting behaviors, such as joyful movement, intuitive eating, and rest, without the pressure of “fixing” their bodies.

• Support trauma healing: For clients with a history of body-based trauma or disordered eating, weight-focused messaging can retraumatize. HAES supports safety, agency, and trust—core elements of trauma-informed care.

• Challenge harmful cultural messages: HAES validates that people of all sizes, especially those in larger bodies, deserve respectful care, autonomy, and access to the same emotional healing as anyone else.

It’s not about ignoring health. It’s about redefining it. 

Health is complex and personal. What supports one person’s well-being might not work for another. HAES honors that complexity while promoting behaviors—like tuning into hunger and fullness cues, moving for joy, or setting boundaries—that are sustainable and kind.

Therapy grounded in HAES can be a powerful antidote to years of body shame and medical trauma. It opens the door to conversations about identity, belonging, and worth—not just food and fitness.

You are not a problem to be fixed. 

You are worthy of care, just as you are. If you're tired of the diet cycle, critical self-talk, or feeling like your body is the enemy, therapy through a HAES lens may help you reconnect with yourself in a deeper, more compassionate way.