The Body Grievers® Club

In this episode of The Body Grievers® Club, Bri challenges the idea that confidence comes simply from "doing the thing," arguing that without thought awareness and body connection, change won't stick. She reframes confidence as self-assurance: not the absence of discomfort. Brie shares her history with dieting, bariatric surgery at 19, and the ongoing body image pain that persisted even at a small...

In this episode of The Body GrieversⓇ Club, Bri interviews Ashantis Jones, a counselor and ASM-certified personal trainer, about healing body image and movement through an intersectional, weight-inclusive lens. Ashantis shares how her eating disorder recovery, later neurodivergence diagnoses (ADHD/autism traits and ARFID), and experience with fibromyalgia shaped her approach to care, emphasizing t...

In this episode of The Body Grievers® Club, Bri joins therapist/social worker Monica Freudenreich to discuss eating disorders versus disordered eating, emphasizing that most people with eating disorders often go unrecognized or dismissed by providers who lack specialized training and may be influenced by diet culture trends. They describe how diagnostic labels can shift, how insurance and treatmen...

In this episode of The Body GrieversⓇ Club, Bri interviews licensed clinical social worker and parent Keri Baker about body image, food, and raising kids—especially when both parent and child live in larger bodies. Keri shares her history of early dieting, years of chronic dieting, likely undiagnosed eating disorder symptoms, and finding intuitive eating and anti-diet care through supportive provi...

In this episode of The Body GrieversⓇ Club, Bri shares her five-year movement journey from having no exercise practice to building an intuitive, consistent, feel-good relationship with movement. She traces how the pandemic disrupted her gym routine, triggered body image distress when back pain arose on a short walk, and revealed deeper body grief tied to internalized ableism rather than weight los...

In this episode of The Body GrieversⓇ Club, Bri interviews dietitian and certified diabetes educator Kristie Messerli (The Type 2 Diabetes Nutritionist) about type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, medication, and the shame and fear that often follow diagnosis. Kristie explains diabetes in lay terms, emphasizing insulin resistance as the underlying issue, genetics as a major driver, and the nuance b...

In this episode of The Body GrieversⓇ  Club, Bri shares how receiving five perfectly fitting gowns from Sydney's Closet sparked a corrective experience that contrasted with her 2007 prom season, when a dream dress wouldn't zip and intensified shame, restriction, and a fixation on weight loss that later contributed to pursuing bariatric surgery. She reflects on being pre-diabetic at 16, the discour...

In this episode of The Body GrieversⓇ Club, Bri interviews anti-diet, weight-inclusive personal stylist Dacy Gillespie about clothing grief, style, and size accessibility. Dacy shares how styling clients revealed the need to address body feelings and how "flattering" advice often aims to make bodies appear smaller, rooted in white supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism, referencing work by Sabrina...

In this episode of The Body Grievers® Club, Brianna interviews TikTok creator and author Allora Dannon, who describes herself as a plus-size "accidental late bloomer spokesperson." Allora explains how she reframed "late bloomer" to mean not dating or experiencing physical intimacy until her thirties, and she shares how growing up as the oldest of ten in a supportive religious family still left her...

In this episode of The Body Grievers® Club, Bri discusses the challenges of self-advocacy within the context of body image and core beliefs. She recounts a personal experience at the Sacramento Airport where she found herself struggling to ask for a wheelchair accommodation due to an injury. Bri explores the layers of body image distress, internalized ableism, and the difficulty of allowing onesel...

In this episode of The Body GrieversⓇ Club, Bri sits down with Kimmie Singh, a registered dietitian specializing in PCOS and eating disorders, to discuss the complex journey of body liberation. They explore the societal assumptions faced by fat dietitians, the challenges of navigating professional spaces, and the stigmas around PCOS and body image. Kim breaks down her unique approach to nutrition,...

In this episode of The Body GrieversⓇ Club, Bri goes live and bears all about the complexities of body image and the radical notion of body acceptance. As a body image coach, she challenges societal norms and misconceptions around health and body size, dives deep into the emotional and psychological toll of weight discrimination, and introduces the concept of 'body grief.' The discussion includes...

In this episode of The Body Grievers Club, Bri sits down with therapist, drama therapist, and creative arts therapist Dani Bryant—a fat, neurospicy clinician from upstate New York and one of Bri's dear friends. Together they unpack the messy, beautiful intersection of neurodivergence, ADHD, body image, and body liberation. Bri and Dani talk about what it means to work with your brain instead of ag...

In this episode of The Body Grievers Club, Bri sits down with Registered Dietitian and Certified Body Trust® Specialist Aaron Flores, RDN. They dig into how grief shows up in men's body image work, why "optimization culture" keeps so many dudes stuck, and what it really means to move from control to trust without the shame-fix-rush. Bri and Aaron unpack the lifelong messages men receive about "fix...

In this episode of The Body Grievers Club, Bri sits down with Registered Dietitian and Intuitive Eating Counselor Jenna Talleda. They talk about what it really looks like to advocate for yourself at the doctor's office. Together, they unpack the realities of weight stigma in healthcare, the pressure to shrink as a provider in a larger body, and the emotional labor of holding boundaries when your c...

In this solo episode of The Body Grievers Club, Bri gets real about the question she hears constantly: "Can I be fat and healthy?" She unpacks why "health" is not a moral scorecard, why definitions matter, and how fear and shame sneak into our health journeys. Drawing from her clinical background and lived experience, Bri reframes health as amoral, explores correlation vs. causation in weight rese...

In this episode of the Body Grievers Club, Bri is joined by Toni Davis, an LPC and registered play therapist supervisor from Texas. Together, they discuss how play therapy can help children process emotions and develop a healthy body image. Toni emphasizes how important it is to involve parents in the therapeutic process and offers insights into talking about body image issues. They suggest variou...

In this episode of The Body Grievers Club, Bri jumps into the complex emotions surrounding body image struggles and moving from body grief into radical body acceptance. She outlines her consistent, reliable method for navigating body image experiences and emphasizes the importance of gathering information, separating the story from the emotional distress, and building self-trust. Bri also discusse...

In this episode of the Body Grievers Club, Bri is joined by Dr. Lisa Folden, a licensed physical therapist based in Charlotte, North Carolina, who specializes in trauma and eating disorder-informed care. Their discussion dives into the concept of 'grieving movement,' how people can find joy in movement, and break free from toxic diet culture. Dr. Folden also shares her insight on embracing weight...

In this episode of the Body Grievers Club, Bri shares a personal story about the struggles of finding plus-size clothing, per her very own "Bathing Suit Gate". This story explores the emotional toll of fatphobia, systemic retail issues, and societal biases against larger bodies. Bri also identifies the need for radical body acceptance, encourages self-exploration, and shares strategies for coping...

In this episode of the Body Grievers Club, hosts Bri and Jana welcome Margaret Doherty, a licensed marriage and family therapist, to discuss her experiences with pregnancy as a person in a larger body. Margaret shares her journey toward body acceptance, the challenges she faced with medical professionals, and the lack of representation and support for plus-size pregnant women. They also discuss th...

In this episode of the Body Grievers Club, Bri and Jana invite Nicola Salmon, a fat-positive fertility coach and advocate, to discuss the unique challenges faced by individuals in larger bodies who seek to grow their families. Nicola shares her personal journey with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), pregnancy, and body advocacy. The conversation covers common myths about fertility and body size,...

In episode 71 of the Body Grievers Club, hosts Bri and Jana are joined by Hannah (they/them), a neurodiverse and gender-queer fitness professional. The group chats about Hannah's experiences with ADHD and potential autism, the challenges of body image, navigating diet culture, and how movement plays a vital role in managing stress and mental health. Additionally, Hannah highlights their community,...

In episode 70 of The Body Grievers® Club, hosts Bri and Jana engage with opera singer and model Alex Frankel, founder of the Hot Fat Guy Club, to discuss topics such as body positivity, challenging societal biases, and redefining masculinity.  The conversation covers personal journeys through weight cycling, battling body shame, and navigating traditional gender expectations from adolescence to ad...

In episode 69 of the Body Grievers® Club podcast, guest Jay Salazar (he/him), a TikTok educator known for his comedic and political content, discusses his experiences with bariatric surgery and then subsequent journey in finding food freedom  This episode includes: Challenges faced post-surgery, including criticism from the bariatric community Transitioning to intuitive eating post bariatric surge...