Body Image Therapy

Life can be difficult with poor body image

You try to avoid mirrors. When you can't avoid a mirror, you focus on your "flaws." People might give you compliments about your physical appearance, but you don't believe them. This dissatisfaction with your appearance affects your self-esteem, friendships, romantic relationships, and sex life, among other things.

It is not your fault - you have received so many messages throughout your life about how your body should look and how a woman's worth is connected to her appearance. It is no wonder many women hate their bodies and feel inferior when comparing their bodies to the societal ideal.

You don't need to change your body; you need to change your attitude towards your body

Generally, there are approaches to improving body image:

change your body
change your attitude and relationship with your body

Approach #1 may be helpful to some people in moderation, but it can also be damaging to many people. It is not always easy or even possible to create lasting change in your body. You might get stuck in an endless cycle of diets. You might even develop disordered eating patterns or an Eating Disorder. All while hating your body and maybe even hating yourself. This is why I believe body image therapy work needs to come from approach #2: changing your attitude toward your body and the relationship you have with your body

Why?

Because you are worthy, just as you are right now. Humans come in many different sizes and shapes. Even if you make physical changes, self-love needs to come from within. Your body is good and enhances your life in so many meaningful ways. You deserve to see the good in your body.

Let's work to improve your body image.

I follow a Health at Every Size® approach to working with body image, which places emphasis on health-promoting behaviours rather than body size and shape. It acknowledges the immense diversity of natural body shapes and sizes rather than aiming for one interpretation of beauty.

We focus on finding peace, acceptance, and appreciation towards your body.

Therapy for Body Image Might Include:

Exploring deep-rooted beliefs about body, self, weight
Heal deep hurt and painful memories connected to body, self, and weight
Challenging societal body ideals
Exploring internalized fatphobia
Challenging negative self-talk
Separating health from appearance and weight
Finding self-compassion
Accepting your body
Owning your worth beyond body
Finding worth and value in the body beyond appearance
Discovering a healthy relationship with food and movement (more information on disordered eating therapy here).
Improve overall self-esteem (more information on self-esteem therapy here)

I help clients develop a healthier relationship with their body in all its wonder (not just aesthetically), moving from focusing on the "flaws" to focusing on all the great things your body brings.

This is hard work. We will be challenging deeply held beliefs, and we are still living in a society that objectifies women's bodies. It is not easy to improve body image, but it is possible and so worth it.

You deserve to feel good about your body and yourself.