This series, For the Love of You, is allowing us to open a door to ourselves, encouraging us to show ourselves kindness and truly embrace how we can care for ourselves In a world that has told us, specifically women, that we should put ourselves last. And when it comes to our bodies, we’ve had a host of misinformation that tells us that our bodies are to be restricted and that we should disconnect from what our bodies need, because our needs will be at cross purposes with what our culture wants.
Dr. Hillary McBride is here to debunk all that mess and wants us to lovingly reunite with our bodies because our bodies are not just a hindrance that gets in the way of us being loved. She emphasizes the integral connection between our bodies and who we are–and that we should show our total person respect, because at the end of the day–our bodies are keeping us alive. Our bodies are where pleasure, joy, connection, experiences of fulfillment, and desire happens. The truth is, the body is always working for our good–and she tells us all the ways it is–even the ways we might *feel*our body is betraying us. Hillary is one of our best people–she’s been on the podcast multiple times and has spoken into so many moments for us over the last few years–dipping in right when we needed her. A psychologist and researcher, her work lands at the intersection of spirituality and mental health, trauma, body image and eating disorders, embodiment, and feminist psychology. And to top it off, Hillary is also inspiring generations of women to look at their bodies as She, not just the “thing” that carries their brain around each day. Hillary uncovers the truth that we haven’t been supported to have a dialogue with ourselves that is compassionate and that so often our bodies are seen as “a problem” or a root for our distrust. She gently reminds us: our various physiological responses to life are NOT proof that our bodies are bad and can’t be trusted–it’s really our bodies just saying, “Please let me care for you. Please trust me.”
Content warning: This episode talks about hard topics including eating disorders and sex. Listener discretion is advised, content may not be suitable for young audiences.