Alexandra Sophocleus, MA

About

  • Pronouns: she/her

  • Occupation and Specialty: Mental Health Therapist

  • Location (Clinic/hospital): Many Sparrows, LLC

  • Location (City): Twin Cities Metro (Southwest Minneapolis)

  • Offers Telehealth: Yes

  • Contact Information: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/alexandra-sophocleus-minneapolis-mn/1399867

  • Bio: I provide individual therapy services to adults ages 18+, both in person in my office in Southwest Minneapolis and virtually. I have experience in working with people struggling with anxiety, trauma, body image, and eating disorders/disordered eating using a Health at Every Size and body liberation focus. I am trained in the Anchored Relational Model (formerly known as AIR Network Model) of therapy for supporting people dealing with trauma-related distress. My approach can be described as compassionate, trauma-informed, client-centered, and relational.

Approach to care

  • What does it look like for you to provide care to patients in larger bodies? How is, or isn’t, your approach different from how you care for patients in smaller bodies? If you work with children, how is or isn’t your approach different when working with children?

    I use a Health at Every Size and body/fat liberation framework so that my clients in larger bodies can explore their experiences of existing in their body without fear of judgment. When supporting clients dealing with body image distress and disordered eating, topics related to health at every size and body liberation come up frequently regardless of body size. I aim to support all of my clients in exploring what living through values of body liberation can look like for them.

  • What is your perspective on how weight is or is not related to health?

    I do not believe that weight is a determining factor of someone's health. I also acknowledge the way that medical fatphobia has contributed to medical neglect for people in larger bodies, and has thusly become a risk factor for medical neglect for people in larger bodies. I strongly believe that "proving" health is not a requirement for someone to receive meaningful care, especially in the context of therapy.

  • Finish this sentence: “Fat people are…” 

    the COOLEST!

  • How do you, your clinic, and the healthcare system you work in use BMI (i.e BMI cutoffs for accessing certain services, BMI on charts and printouts, etc)? Is this flexible?

    My practice does not use the BMI or any physical marker of appearance to indicate health or wellbeing.

  • If a patient declines to be weighed, how do you and/or your staff proceed?

    N/A

  • If a patient declines to discuss weight loss, nutrition, and/or exercise, how do you proceed?

    I do not bring up weight loss, nutrition, or exercise in my practice. If a client would like to discuss these topics, I would invite the opportunity to gently explore why that topic is important for the client to discuss in an affirming way while supporting the values of HAES and body/fat liberation.

  • What does the physical accessibility of your office space look like? What kinds of accommodations are present for people in larger bodies? Are there things you wish were in place that are currently not? 

    My office building has a ramp that leads to entry. My office is located on the main floor, which is a few stairs up from the main entrance, and can also be accessed through a lift. There is a single-user bathroom for all genders on the main floor that I have found comfortable to use as a super-fat person. I do not know the weight limits of the furniture in my office as I did not procure them, but have a sofa and chair that I have found comfortable to use and have not had issues with.

  • What do you do to allow fat people to feel comfortable and welcome in your office? 

    I keep a library of books related to fat liberation and Health at Every Size in my office to encourage exploration on related topics. I keep pillows and blankets, an essential oil diffuser, and fidgets to encourage physical comfort the space.

  • If you’d like to use this space to talk about any identities (gender, race, size, sexuality, etc.) you hold and how this relates to your care, please do so. 

    I identify as a White, super-fat, cisgender woman (using she/her pronouns). I am deeply passionate about helping people explore what existing in a larger body means for them while opening space for the aspects of identity that intersect with fatness (which is... all of them!). An important part of liberation-focused therapy is to acknowledge the ways that systems of oppression (including the mental health system) impacts mental health, and I aim to incorporate values rooted in social justice and decolonizing therapy practices. I also acknowledge that incorporating these values is a journey, and am always striving to grow in this area.