De-Centering Whiteness in Eating Disorder Treatment: Liberatory and Social Justice Rooted Approaches

With an increasingly diverse nation, fast becoming a majority “minority” country, decentering whiteness in mental healthcare is critical to cultivating more culturally attuned therapeutic approaches that are effective and applicable for individuals who hold identities outside of the default, e.g. White, male, cisgendered, heterosexual. A stance of clinical neutrality and an individualistic focus are not only inadequate, they are harmful. By deconstructing dominant cultural norms and biases underlying current eating disorder practices, we endeavor to disrupt these harmful dynamics.

This prese...Read morentation will draw upon intersectional perspectives to address power differentials, cultural humility, and social justice. Culturally attuned and competent, antiracist clinical practice represents a critical need in eating disorder treatment, challenging traditional models to confront and dismantle systemic racism and bias embedded within therapeutic practices. The proposed framework begins by acknowledging the historical and ongoing impact of racism on mental health systems, highlighting the need for intentional efforts to counteract biases and promote equitable outcomes. Central to culturally competent clinical practice is a commitment to self-awareness and ongoing self-reflection among providers, fostering an environment conducive to critical dialogue and mutual learning.

By adopting a critical framework that centers equity and justice, we reinforce our professions core mission of beneficence by becoming agents of change in creating more just and equitable mental health systems. We explore the urgent need within eating disorder assessment and treatment to address the systemic nature of barriers to accessing care, stigma, lack of representation among providers and mistrust of providers who do not possess an adequate understanding of cultural factors. We will explore structural and institutional, as well as interpersonal, manifestations of racism essential for an antiracist foundation to our work. Through a social justice lens, participants will explore privilege, bias, and the importance of intersectional identities. Less...

Learning Objectives

• Identify and understand the roles which providers’ own subjectivities, awareness of privilege, and understanding of bias play in their work with clients from marginalized groups and minoritized identities.
• Generate two ways in which providers can actively engage in equitable and social justice focused practices in working with people struggling with mental health conditions.
• Describe the systemic nature and impact of discrimination on clients with mental health conditions.

Friday, October 17, 2025

10:00 AM EDT - 12:00 PM EDT