Public Speaking
Eating disorders are a symptom of a larger problem: a society that has strayed from its roots and lost its connection to the natural world. To truly address this problem, we need to look beyond individual behavior and consider the structural factors that contribute to the development of eating disorders.
Nalgona Positivity Pride (NPP) is an organization pushing past dominant eating disorder narratives & superficial body-positivity campaigns that lack depth. Established in 2014 by Gloria Lucas, NPP stands out for its approach that integrates body liberation, harm reduction, and indigenous knowledge. NPP offers speaking services as part of its mission to educate and inspire individuals and communities. These services are appropriate for schools, universities, and organizations interested in deepening their knowledge of body image issues and creating a more inclusive environment. NPP's speaking services seek to challenge prevailing beauty standards by exploring the intersection of race and body image, and acknowledging the role of indigenous knowledge in body liberation.
Gloria Lucas, an acclaimed speaker and activist, leads these talks, offering a unique perspective on body positivity and self-love that prioritizes social justice and community empowerment. Overall, NPP's speaking services provide a valuable opportunity to engage with body positivity and self-love from an intersectional and community-based perspective.
1.
What They Didn't Teach You In Grad School: Why Historical Trauma and Harm Reduction are Key to Understanding & Treating Eating Disorders
Conventional eating disorder recovery models have been found to be insufficient, and it is apparent that current treatment models are heavily based in Western psychology and abstinence-based models. Over the past 9 years, Gloria Lucas, an eating disorders awareness activist, has learned the importance of harm reduction philosophies and approaches. However, this overlap is rarely discussed in mental health and eating disorder treatment circles. The two-part educational talk provides valuable insight into the significance of intergenerational trauma and anti-colonialism, and how activism promoting harm reduction for eating disorders can invert the eating disorder treatment industry. The lecture will provide a comprehensive explanation of colonialism, including an in-depth examination of the distinctions between colonization, settler colonialism, and coloniality. The discussion will specifically focus on three consequences of colonialism: ecological destruction, sexual violence and exploitation of indigenous and two-spirits related to oil pipelines, and the imposition of colonial beauty standards. Additionally, the lecture will delve into the concept of historical trauma and how eating disorders are linked to colonialism. The upcoming lecture will offer a detailed overview of harm reduction and eating disorder harm reduction, covering its radical origins beyond public health and the principles of indigenous harm reduction. Participants will also gain insights into why it is essential for the eating disorder field to move beyond recovery-only models.
Purpose:
Enhance awareness and break away from established patterns, beliefs, and interventions that are considered standard or conventional in eating disorder pathology.
Learning Objectives:
Understand the limitations of conventional eating disorder recovery models and recognize the need for alternative approaches based on harm reduction principles.
Recognize the impact of intergenerational trauma and anti-colonialism on eating disorder pathology and treatment.
Gain knowledge about colonialism and its various forms, including the effects of ecological destruction, sexual violence, and the imposition of beauty standards.
Understand the concept of historical trauma and its connection to eating disorders.
Learn about the principles and origins of harm reduction, including indigenous harm reduction, and its relevance to eating disorder treatment.
Recognize the importance of moving beyond recovery-only models in the eating disorder field.
Who is this for:
Mental health providers and students, eating disorder clinicians, social work departments
2.
Historical Trauma and Eating Disorders: What's The Connection?
Title for Part 1: "Unearthing the Unspoken Link Between Colonialism and Eating Disorders"
Title for Part 2: "Beyond the Brain: Exploring the Oppression-Based Roots of Eating Disorders and the Future of Treatment"
Gloria Lucas, an eating disorders awareness activist, emphasizes that eating disorders are not just brain disorders but are deeply rooted in the social and political context in which they emerge. In this compelling presentation, attendees will gain a new perspective on eating disorders and their links to oppression, violence, and historical trauma. By centering the experiences of people of color and indigenous populations, participants will explore how cultural insensitivity, undiagnosed conditions, and inaccessible treatment have perpetuated the myth that eating disorders only affect white, middle-class individuals. Through this social justice lens, the legacies of colonialism and their impact on body image, self-esteem, and food will be examined, providing attendees with a deeper understanding of the complex nature of eating disorders.
In this one-of-a-kind presentation, attendees will gain a critical introduction to colonialism and how it's related to disordered eating. Learn about the correlations and differences between colonialism, settler colonialism, and coloniality, and how they contribute to health disparities. During this presentation, we will delve into various forms of colonialism that have affected body image and relationships with food, including epidemic diseases, health inequalities, family disruptions, forced relocations, environmental degradation, and sexual violence. By examining these phenomena, participants will gain a more nuanced and compassionate understanding of eating disorders, and how historical trauma affects BIPOC communities.
In this presentation, we will delve into the historical roots of anti-fatness, which can be traced back to anti-Black and Christian puritanical beliefs. We will examine colonial food warfare that altered and destroyed indigenous food biodiversity. Furthermore, we will delve into the emergence of diet culture and wellness industries as a product of white colonialism, disrupting the ecological traditions, spiritualities, and ancestral internal body wisdom of indigenous communities.
In this enlightening discussion, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the root causes of eating disorders that extend beyond just altered brain chemistry. The limitations of Western psychology, derived from colonialism, have failed to address the unique challenges faced by marginalized communities. Through an examination of the consequences of repeated violence and neglect, including mental and health imbalances such as disordered eating, participants will come away with a new perspective on the inadequacy of current treatment models. Finally, we will conclude with reflective questions designed to inspire creative thinking and encourage participants to seek healing pathways outside of the dominant cultural norms.
Learning Objectives:
Gain a new perspective on eating disorders as not solely brain disorders, but deeply rooted in social and political contexts.
Understand the links between eating disorders and oppression, violence, and historical trauma.
Understand the correlations and differences between colonialism, settler colonialism, and coloniality, and their contributions to health disparities.
Delve into various forms of colonialism that have affected body image and relationships with food, including epidemic diseases, health inequalities, family disruptions, forced relocations, environmental degradation, and sexual violence.
Examine the historical roots of anti-fatness, including anti-Black and Christian puritanical beliefs.
Understand how colonial food warfare altered and destroyed indigenous food biodiversity.
Explore the emergence of diet culture and wellness industries as a product of white colonialism.
Gain a deeper understanding of the limitations of Western psychology, derived from colonialism, and how it has failed to address the unique challenges faced by marginalized communities.
Who is this for:
People who are new eating disorders, students, and clinicians.
3.
Reintegrating Indigenous Matriarchy & Repatriating Mesoamerican Goddesses Tlazolteotl, Coyolxauhqui, and Mayahuel for Mental Health & Eating Disorder Support
For too long, Eurocentric methodologies have dominated the eating disorder recovery field, leaving Black, Indigenous people of color (BIPOC) underrepresented and sometimes even further emotionally harmed by practitioners who fail to recognize the crucial socio-political and identity factors that affect clients' lived experiences. Dominant eating disorder treatment has given very little room for non-white worldviews and other cultures that could play integral roles in healing and recovery for the majority of the world.
In this session, we will delve into the invaluable indigenous epistemologies from Turtle Island and Anáhuac that have long been overlooked in mainstream treatment. Attendees will gain an understanding of the impact of colonialism on gender violence, which was one of its main targets for destruction. Participants will explore the history of gender violence against two-spirits and gain insight into how this violence continues to affect marginalized communities today. Through an examination of modern-day effects of colonialism on femmes, two-spirits, women, and femmes, attendees will gain a more nuanced understanding of the lasting impacts of historical trauma.
Additionally, participants will learn about the stories of Mayahuel, Tlazolteotl, and Coyolxauhqui, and how the wisdom of these Mesoamerican goddesses can provide healing possibilities. By integrating their teachings into mental and eating disorder care, attendees will gain tools to uplift and heal the feminine and femme, and honor the resilience of marginalized communities. Overall, this session will provide attendees with a deeper understanding of the complex intersections of colonialism, gender violence, and indigenous teachings, and how these intersections can inform more compassionate and effective support for those impacted by disordered eating.
By examining the rippling effects of historical trauma on femmes, transgender women, two-spirits, and women (FTWTSW). FTWTSW, we will gain a deeper understanding of how it affects their experiences today. Our conversation will also include the story and representation of Coyolxauhqui, Mayahuel and Tlazolteotl, three powerful Mesoamerican goddesses who can offer unique insights and approaches for personal mental and eating disorder care.
Finally, we will delve into the qualities of matriarchal brilliance and explore ways we can uplift and heal the feminine and femme. We will explore the valuable pieces of wisdom present in remnants of grandmother and elders. Don't miss this opportunity to broaden your perspective and deepen your understanding of the diverse cultural traditions that can contribute to eating disorder recovery. Join us in this transformative conversation that will inspire new paths towards healing and growth.
Learning Objectives:
Broaden one's perspective and deepen understanding of diverse cultural traditions that can contribute to eating disorder recovery.
Explore the intersection of colonialism, gender violence, and indigenous teachings in the context of eating disorder recovery
Understand the complex intersections of historical trauma and its impact on femmes, two-spirits, & women, the experiences of marginalized communities today
Gain tools to uplift and heal the feminine and femme in the context of eating disorder recovery.
Learn the background stories of Mesoamerican goddesses, Coyolxauhqui, Mayahuel and Tlazolteotl and how their life lessons can be integrated in modern life.
4.
"Prioritizing Harm Reduction as a First-Line Approach in Eating Disorder Care"
This thought-provoking talk challenges the traditional approach to eating disorder treatment and offers an alternative solution through harm reduction. Drawing from the rich history of past health and social justice movements, participants will gain insight into the philosophies and practices of harm reduction as a pragmatic and radically compassionate approach to supporting individuals in times of transition. The lecture also critically examines the concept of "recovery" under settler colonialism and global instability, highlighting the limitations of the current eating disorder treatment model and the urgent need for harm reduction strategies.
Learning Objectives:
Gain knowledge of an alternative approach to eating disorder care, which challenges the current treatment model and focuses on harm reduction.
Understand the philosophies and practices of harm reduction and its rich history in past health and social justice movements, ranging from the Black Panthers to the HIV Epidemic.
Explore how harm reduction can provide a programmatic and radically compassionate ground for individuals in points of transitions, such as those struggling with eating disorders.
Critically analyze the concept of "recovery" under settler colonialism and global instability, and how it may not be sufficient for individuals with eating disorders.
Recognize the reasons why the current eating disorder treatment model is not sufficient, and why there is a need for eating disorder harm reduction as an alternative solution.