Latinx Health Collective

Build peaceful relationships with food and your bodies

The health narrative is dominated by voices that don’t take into account Latinx experiences. We grew up Latinx and know that eating and feeling good in your skin is a struggle for many in our communities. Through the lens of intuitive eating and Health at Every Size, Latinx Health Collective helps you define health on your own terms so you can discover more food and body peace.

  • The health narrative is dominated by voices that don’t take into account Latine experiences. We grew up Latine and know that eating and feeling good in your skin is a struggle for many in our communities. Through the lens of intuitive eating and Health at Every Size, Latinx Health Collective helps you define health on your own terms so you can discover more food and body peace.

  • Latinx Health Collective challenges the dominant culture’s belief that health is determined by weight and diet alone, that health is easily accessible, and that engaging in certain behaviors is a moral obligation. We are Health at Every Size aligned and recognize that health is nuanced, complex, and deeply personal. Systemic and social injustices create barriers to health for Latine communities. Unrealistic beauty and health standards alienate Latines, and further oppress us by promoting specific aesthetics and eating expectations that are unattainable for many and may not fully align with an individual’s personal values. We believe that every Latine is entitled to their own definition of health free of judgment, and to live free of the oppression of food and body shame.

Who we are

Melissa Carmona (she/elle)

MS, LCMHC, NCC

Carolina Guízar (she/her)

MS, RDN, CDN

  • Melissa Carmona, MS, LCMHC, NCC, is a bilingual Clinical Mental Health Counselor at Cafecito Counseling, North Carolina. She accompanies people in their healing process from eating disorders, depression, anxiety, and trauma through a social justice and strength-based lens and other therapy modalities, including EMDR. Through the lens of Health at Every Size® and intuitive eating, Melissa also helps clients understand the different aspects of their identities (gender, sexuality, race, religion, education, etc) and how those influence food and body image.

    Born in the United States to Colombian immigrants, Melissa spent 14 years in Colombia before returning to the United States. Her Latine roots have shaped her career trajectory, and she brings this perspective into her work with immigrants and those trying to heal their relationship with food and their bodies.

    Melissa attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She has worked with people of all ages and families in both private and community settings. In community settings, Melissa has worked directly with doctors and psychiatrists to provide integrative care to patients. She has also worked with Latine immigrants who struggle to adjust to this new country and political climate. Melissa is fluent in Spanish.

    You can learn more about Melissa through her instagram @The-Spanglish-Therapist

  • Carolina Guízar, MS, RDN, CDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and certified intuitive eating counselor with a private practice in New York City. She works with individuals who are recovering from diet culture and want to cultivate a more peaceful relationship with food and their bodies. She also specializes in Irritable Bowel Syndrome and brings a non-diet approach to her work with this population.

    The daughter of Mexican immigrants, Carolina understands the difficulties that many in Latinx communities face. Carolina set out to spread the message of Health at Every Size and intuitive eating to Latinx communities via her account @eathority with the aim of alleviating the suffering brought on by food preoccupation and body dissatisfaction. She hopes to shed light on the oppressive qualities of diet culture, and its impact on Latinx communities in the United States.

    Carolina gained valuable clinical and foodservice experience at Montefiore Medical Center and Montefiore-Einstein Center for Cancer Care in the Bronx, New York, where she established a comprehensive nutrition program for breast cancer patients and survivors. She expanded her counseling and foodservice skills at the non-profit organization, God's Love We Deliver. Carolina holds a Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts in History and Spanish from Georgetown University. She is proficient in Spanish.

Food & Body Image Healing for Latinxs

a 12-week, self-paced online course

that helps you move away from food restriction, feel better in your body, and get in touch with the intuitive eater inside

by

Carolina Guízar and Melissa Carmona

See the course curriculum and purchase it here.

Guest speakers + Webinars + Trainings

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.