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Dr. Carly-Ann Franceschi’s journey toward a PhD began in a hospital emergency room where the young social worker noticed a troubling pattern. Patients in larger bodies were having their concerns dismissed, their symptoms minimized and, in some cases, their humanity questioned. 

“I noticed that some of my clients, who were in larger bodies, received poor treatment in their mental health care. I would notice the psychiatrist I was working with would say horrific things about my clients, and dismiss their mental health concerns because of their body,” says , BSW’14, MSW’17, PhD’26, who graduated at the June 10 convocation ceremony.  

“I was a young social worker. I was ill-equipped. I did not know how to advocate for my clients. I thought, I’m coming up against something here…”  

Journey to social work 

Franceschi, who grew up in a small ranching community in southern Alberta, always knew she’d pursue post-secondary education and her interest in questions of policy and justice led her to enrol at the University of Lethbridge with the intention of becoming a lawyer. 

“I was taking pre-law classes on the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and I really enjoyed it,” she says. “But I found that, when we were talking about policy and legislation that were impacting people, people’s experiences were just not addressed. There was no humanness in it. And so, I thought, I’m not sure if law is the right path for me.” 

A friend, who was completing a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) at the of the University of 91̽��'s , suggested it might be a good fit.  And it was. During her BSW, Franceschi appreciated the emphasis on advocacy, systems change and a focus on the people most affected by policy and law.   

After completing her BSW at Lethbridge, Franceschi went on to complete a master’s degree focused on gender, consent and sexuality. She then spent several years working in mental health, often in the health-care system, which is where she first began noticing the barriers faced by people in larger bodies when seeking care.  

She had loved research throughout her academic career and felt the best way to make a change for these patients was through a PhD, which would give her the tools and knowledge she needed.  

Sites of resistance 

Through body mapping, participants created large-scale visual representations of their bodies, using art, symbols and personal reflections to show where they carry knowledge, joy, pain and lived experience. The process allowed participants to express aspects of their health-care journeys that are often difficult to capture through words alone.

Understanding fat experience through arts-based approaches  

Working with Albertans who self-identified as fat and had experience navigating primary care, Franceschi used arts-based engagement ethnography, body mapping and somatic movement to both understand their experiences and work towards system transformation. Rather than viewing participants as subjects to be studied, which is a common experience for fat people, she invited them to become co-creators of knowledge.  

To understand participants’ experiences, Franceschi drew on queer theory, an approach more commonly associated with challenging assumptions about gender and sexuality. As she explains, rather than reducing people’s experiences to simplistic narratives of health or illness, Franceschi explored the often-contradictory realities of living in a larger body. Her research examined how participants navigated health systems, stigma and expectations while also finding joy, belonging and self-acceptance. 

Participants’ stories revealed both overt and subtle barriers when seeking medical help. The participants described everything from medical equipment and gowns that did not fit their bodies to assumptions that weight loss should be the solution to nearly every health concern they were experiencing. Many also described being denied referrals, delayed access to care or feeling judged in medical settings. 

However, their accounts also (literally) painted another story: A story of resilience, community and resistance. Franceschi was often struck by how participants held seemingly contradictory realities at once, carrying pain and stigma while also embracing joy, self-acceptance and pride in their bodies. 

This story came out through collective workshops and creative activities where participants found space to share experiences that are rarely discussed openly.  

One of the most powerful moments came during group somatic movement sessions, an arts-based practice that encourages people to move according to sensations within their bodies rather than external expectations. 

“What surprised me most was the sense of community that emerged,” Franceschi says. “People found acceptance and connection with one another in ways they hadn’t expected.” 

Her unique approach to understanding the issues was lauded by her supervisor, , PhD. “Dr. Franceschi demonstrated courage and creativity as a social work researcher,” says Walsh. “Her innovative arts-based methods were skilfully employed to showcase stories of fat stigma and discrimination among health-service users in Alberta, and to promote equity and inclusion for this population.” 

Somatic movement as research method  

Now an assistant professor, Franceschi is already planning the next phase of her research. She is launching new studies exploring collective somatic movement as a research methodology and hopes to expand her work into areas such as reproductive health care and rural access to services for people in larger bodies. 

While she hopes her research may eventually influence policy, Franceschi measures success in another way. 

“I want to create spaces where people feel affirmed, where they don’t feel surveilled or judged, and where their knowledge is valued,” she says. “For many participants, simply having the opportunity to contribute to knowledge about their own experiences was incredibly meaningful.” 

As she begins the next chapter of her career, Franceschi hopes that work will continue challenging assumptions, not only about body size and health, but about who gets to create knowledge in the first place.