In Conversation with Susie Orbach

Join renowned psychotherapist, author and activist Susie Orbach (recipient of an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Westminster) for a stimulating evening exploring 50 years of thinking, writing and campaigning on food, bodies, identity, therapy and power. She will be joined in conversation by psychotherapist and social scientist Professor Damien Ridge, and sociologist Dr Alison Fixsen.

From her groundbreaking Fat is a Feminist book to her recent book Bodies, Susie’s work bridges clinical practice, feminist theory, cultural analysis and public debate. As a psychotherapist, she has brought psychoanalytic insights to lived bodily experience; as a writer and media commentator, she has shaped public understanding of body image, health and inequality; and as a founder member of AnyBody UK, she continues to campaign for body diversity and social change.

Topics discussed will include Susie’s work across therapeutic, academic and public domains; bodies as sites of power, control and resistance; tensions between health, morality and appearance; the challenges posed by contemporary diet, wellness and media cultures; facing the current moment in politics; and future directions for body politics in scholarship; advice for clinicians, researchers and activists.

The evening will conclude with audience questions and open discussion.

Academics, students, practitioners and members of the general public are warmly welcome.

The event is free.

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Host or Publisher The University of Westminster