Women's Center

A Little Bit About The Body Positive

About The Body Positive

• The Body Positive was founded in 1996 by Connie Sobczak and Elizabeth Scott, LCSW, CEDS-S
• They provide a training program to help individuals talk about body image and body positivity in a way that helps "people develop balanced, joyful self-care, empowered lives, and a relationship with their whole selves that is guided by love, forgiveness, and humor"
• In 2019, they created an online training program to increase access to their Be Body Positive program
• In their trainings, they focus on a Be Body Positive model with the 5 competencies, which are fundamental skills that can be practiced on a daily basis
  1. Reclaim health
  2. Practice intuitive self-care
  3. Cultivate self love
  4. Declare your own authentic beauty
  5. Build community

Be Body Positive Certified Schools

• Body Positive Cornell
  • partners with The Body Positive to train students to lead peer-led weekly discussions
  • leads 8 week discussion series with the following groups: General Study Body, Varsity Athletics, Women of Color, or Panhel
• Body Positive Brandeis
  • partners with The Body Positive to train students to lead peer-led weekly discussions
  • focuses on a "commitment to serve people of all identities and create space for dialogue around the impact of privilege, oppression, and intersecting identities on body image and self-care

Student Testimonials

• "I have never felt as confident in my body as I do since starting these weekly meetings, and I am so lucky I found this group of people whose goal it is to bring out the best in one another while recognizing the real challenges we face everyday with body positivity."  - Body Positive Brandeis student
   
• "The Body Positive group allowed me to see past a fear of vulnerability through powerful discussion and connections made with other group members. The mission of the Body Positive is truly encapsulated in how it brought a group of strangers with different bodies and experiences to learn, share, and grow in positivity together." - Body Positive Brandeis student
   
• “I participated in a BPC group my junior fall and absolutely loved the experience…Each person in my group was so kind, supportive, and understanding whenever I shared my stories. BPC genuinely provided us with a safe and respectful environment to discuss sensitive struggles that each member had gone through."  - Body Positive Cornell student
   
• “The body is intertwined into every aspect of life. The fact that I came into the group not knowing anyone but could feel so comfortable sharing my life story and opinions on subjects not usually talked about, like eating disorders, is what struck me as so unique. Forming emotional ties to people in such a short amount of time is a positive aspect of The Body Positive. By creating a safe and open space, I appreciated how The Body Positive encouraged us to analyze our perceptions, our futures, and ourselves.” - Stanford University student

An AppState Women's Center and Wellness and Prevention Services program and peer-led organization that actively works toward bringing a body positive attitude to Appalachian State University. A safe space for weekly discussions about body image concerns, food concerns, and self-esteem where judgement is not feared and conversations are weight-neutral. These conversations are led by trained peer-facilitators.

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