Welcome to Reader’s Request Fridays. As a reminder, I’ll be addressing one reader email every other week, so if you have a specific question you’d like answered or a topic you’d like covered, please email me. If you’re interested in counseling, call (415) 658-5738 or visit my Appointments page to schedule a consultation.

This week’s Reader’s Request Fridays is a little different.

I recently received a request to share a link to A Beautiful Body Project, an online photography exhibition being put together by Jade Beall.

Beall takes gorgeous photos of women’s bodies, and does not use retouching of any kind. Beall initially focused on shooting women during and after pregnancy, but her project has expanded to include photos and stories of body image, illness, and miscarriage.

The photos and accompanying stories are a touching and stunning antidote to the usual images we see of women in the media.

All different types, colors, shapes, and sizes of bodies are shown in their natural state, and the effects of pregnancy, aging, and illness – stretch marks, sagging skin, weight gain, scars – are celebrated rather than hidden or digitally whisked away.

I strongly encourage everyone to visit the site, click through the pictures, and read some of the stories. The project is truly a testament to the beauty of the female form.