The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love (2021) by Sonya Renee Taylor
What a powerful book/message. Sonya Renee Taylor brings attention to the ways in which a hierarchy of body types has been established in our society as a way to justify the power of some and oppression of others. Much like Matè, Taylor spans out wide and breaks down social and historical context and the impact it has had on cultivating and embedding arbitrary beliefs ranking the value of some bodies over others in order to cultivate a system of power that reinforces the privilege of some, as well as creating an opportunity for financial gain (i.e., capitalistic endeavors of beauty and “wellness” companies). These companies and other systems of power (i.e., bureaucratic systems) have capitalized (pun intended) on the basic survival instinct of inclusion/community (as reflected in Polyvagal Theory) as a way to create division, fear, insecurity, disempowerment, and inequity.
So, how then do we heal this wound of division and oppression? With humility, we have to first see how we have each unintentionally internalized these deep-seeded social understandings and take accountability for the ways we have contributed to reinforcing these social norms, and then do the work involved to de-condition it. Second, with compassion and curiosity, we need to challenge others around us to do the same until we are able to create a more inclusive space that is curious, accepting, inclusive, and loving of ALL types of bodies. While this may sound intense and overwhelming, Taylor does a great job to provide guidance by way of modeling compassion and curiosity to guide the reader to assess for our own biases/prejudices about “other” bodies and walks us through steps to re-program a more radical self-love foundation that allows space for all bodies.
How did I hear about this book: Client recommendation
Would I recommend it to colleagues: Absolutely
Would I recommend this to clients: Absolutely
How do I apply this content to my work: I’m having a hard time figuring out how to address this bullet point. As I read the book and the challenge questions posed, I found myself needing to apply it to my own personal lens before I could apply it to my professional lens (highlighting a new layer of biases I didn’t realize I had that I can now process in therapy and clinical supervision). And though the book itself was a quick read, the content has so much depth that I wanted to read it a second time before I completed this review as I don’t feel like I’ve completely wrapped my brain around it all at this time. That being said, there’s no shortage of ways that key topics regarding oppression, bodies, and radical self-love come up in my specialties of trauma, addiction, and dance/movement therapy. Additionally, my appreciation for spanning out wide to understand the cultural and historical impacts on the individual helps me to better understand and contextualize the individual experience of trauma for the client sitting in front of me. Additionally, I have a close friend who is a fellow dance/movement therapist specializing in the treatment of eating disorders who utilizes this book and the corresponding workbook (that I still need to check out) with their clients regularly (as a more practical application about how to apply this content with clinical work).
Disclaimers: These reviews are based on my own personal experience reading these books and do not reflect on the book’s author or publisher. I have not received any commissions or other incentives to promote my reviews. My reviews express my own unbiased opinions.
