Health at Every Size® Healthcare Provider Listing
Jennifer Hicks, MHSc
(she/her)
Personal Trainer, Dance Fitness Teacher, Speech-Language Pathologist
Toronto,
Ontario,
Canada
Contact Me:
Make an Appointment:
Sliding Scale Available
Specialties & Areas of Focus:
- Anorexia
- Eating Disorders
- Bipolar Disorder
- Beginners
- Aging
- Dementia
- Exercise Addiction
- Neurodivergent
- Mental Health
Modalities & Theoretical Lenses:
- Fat Liberation
- Body Neutrality
- Anti Oppression
- Anti Ageism
- Anti Racism
- Anti Ableism
Age Groups Served:
- Adults (18 years old and up)
- Older Adults (65+ years old)
- Adults (18 years old and up)
- Older Adults (65+ years old)
Languages Services Offered In:
- English
- English
My Philosophy of Care
As a Health At Every Size® (HAES®) informed instructor I take an anti-diet, weight neutral approach to my life and to my teaching. I'm honoured to be part of the HAES® paradigm which is committed to advancing social justice and respecting the diversity of human bodies (including, explicitly, larger bodies).
The HAES® philosophy aligns with my own in that I believe that, at a fundamental level, people can trust themselves and their bodies and that society should encourage such self-reliance. In this viewpoint, pleasure is prioritized over denial and you are encouraged to exercise agency and autonomy over your body and your experience.
I intimately understand how people's lived experiences can create complicated relationships with movement and I strongly believe that our individual innate body knowledge can guide us to more rewarding exercise (and life) experiences.
The HAES® philosophy aligns with my own in that I believe that, at a fundamental level, people can trust themselves and their bodies and that society should encourage such self-reliance. In this viewpoint, pleasure is prioritized over denial and you are encouraged to exercise agency and autonomy over your body and your experience.
I intimately understand how people's lived experiences can create complicated relationships with movement and I strongly believe that our individual innate body knowledge can guide us to more rewarding exercise (and life) experiences.
About Me & My Practice
I am a neurodiverse cisgendered bi-woman living my midlife enjoying being in and moving my body! After many teenaged/young-adult years of disordered eating and body shame, in my early 30s life presented me with anorexia, an exercise addiction and bipolar disorder. After years of living within this mental health crisis, I was introduced to a movement practice which asked me to stand in and accept my "now body" and helped me flip the switch from painful all-or-nothing exercise to pleasurable and joyful movement. I learned self-respect and how to honour instead of punishing myself. And now I share that with philosophy with the world as a Certified Personal Trainer and Dance Fitness Teacher and am trained as a Size Inclusive Fitness Specialist.
When you come to my classes and trainings, you'll experience accessible, size/age & ability inclusive and gender affirming fitness experiences that celebrate body diversity! I honour, respect and welcome people of all races, body sizes/shapes, ages, dis/abilities, gender identities, sexual orientations, religions, cultures, castes, tribes, socio-economic statuses, physical and cognitive abilities and other beautiful human attributes. I want to make you feel welcomed, safe and valued in your movement experiences and am continuously educating myself to make that possible.
I am a founding member of Nia International's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council as well as Reimagining Dementia: A Creative Coalition for Justice.
When you come to my classes and trainings, you'll experience accessible, size/age & ability inclusive and gender affirming fitness experiences that celebrate body diversity! I honour, respect and welcome people of all races, body sizes/shapes, ages, dis/abilities, gender identities, sexual orientations, religions, cultures, castes, tribes, socio-economic statuses, physical and cognitive abilities and other beautiful human attributes. I want to make you feel welcomed, safe and valued in your movement experiences and am continuously educating myself to make that possible.
I am a founding member of Nia International's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council as well as Reimagining Dementia: A Creative Coalition for Justice.
Accessibility Considerations
Most of my offerings are virtual so that people can be comfortable within their own space. My in-person classes are held in an accessible physical space (it has an elevator and physically accessible washroom) and expanded weight-limit seating is available. At my in-person space there are gender neutral washrooms and gender affirming signage / posters throughout the space.