Body Image Issues

I support clients in exploring their relationship to their body and the factors that have impeded this relationship, including gender, diet culture, and dissociation. I do not provide formal eating disorder treatment. I may refer you to an appropriate provider if your current situation requires medical monitoring.

Imagine spending your life with the people and things you love, without worrying about what you ate or how long you worked out today. Imagine feeling fulfilled, like you deserve to be happy: that you're good enough just as you are. Through therapy, you can feel at ease in your body, make peace with food, and live a life that reflects your true values.

Most of us have felt, at one point or another, that our body's size or shape is somehow wrong. For those of us who identify as fat, or whose bodies are otherwise considered atypical, it can feel impossible to distinguish our authentic feelings about our bodies from the forces that profit off of our self-criticism. I approach our work from a fat-positive, all-bodies-are-good-bodies perspective that prioritizes individual bodily autonomy and experience.

Body image and self worth have huge impacts on how we live our lives. I believe ideal body image is a social construct, and want to help you challenge your views on your body. I aim to help you recognize how you came to view yourself as you do, work to challenge it, and work to create a healthier, more realistic self-image. When we are able to accept and be kind to ourselves, it improves relationships with others, social skills, and overall functioning.

I have a particular interest in working with folks who inhabit larger bodies but have experience working with individuals across a broad range of intersectional identities around body image, acceptance, identity, outward presentation vs. inner feelings, and confidence. I aim to take a whole body approach, exploring your history with your body image, how it impacts you today, and steps that you can take to cultivate accepting who you are today. I align with HAES values and am fat positive.

Everyone has issues with their body image, to some extent. I am curious about where and when this belief first started, and what role it plays in your life today.

Having a body, especially in Western culture, is really hard. I believe every single body is deserving of compassion and care. I am strongly committed to Health At Every Size and body neutrality and think it is imperative to acknowledge fatphobia and weight discrimination to work in this field. Working on body image is often a difficult yet rewarding way to work on self-compassion.

Maybe you feel like you don't have a good idea of how you even appear, your appearance seemingly shifting from one moment to the next, a string that controls how good or bad your day will be. Maybe you feel caught in a cycle of the next diet or next skincare product, just waiting for the thing that will make you feel like you can inhabit your own skin. I'm here to offer a different way, and love helping people find an easier relationship to themselves and their bodies.

No matter your body size or shape, worrying about appearance too much can be painful. I help teens and adults of all genders develop tools for coping with body image issues. Difficulties with depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, trauma and/or life transitions can be related to trouble with eating and body image. My approach integrates cognitive behavioral (CBT) interventions with acceptance, self-compassion, and embodiment practices.

Body image is deeply embedded in eating disorder recovery and motherhood. I have extensive training in body image issues and how to relearn body image, beauty ideals, and reconnect with our good bodies. I do not focus on the way our body looks or changing our body to heal body image- we know our bodies aren't the problem! If you want true freedom, I help in redefining and reconnecting with our bodies and what defines a body. All bodies are good bodies here!

Do you find yourself feeling chronically stressed because of body image issues, diet culture pressures, rigid dieting, or reliance on comfort foods? When we swing from strict dieting practices to emotional eating, we are often left feeling out of control, hopeless, and disconnected from our body and needs. The cycle is often described as exhausting. Therapy will help you create balance in all areas of your life and help you effectively cope with external stressors.

I am a fat liberationist which has meant significant client work and training on issues around bodies and how we can all come to trust our own bodies.

For over five years, I've supported clients in enhancing their body image. My approach integrates a Health At Every Size, Feminist, and Anti-Racist perspective, prioritizing weight-neutral care, fostering body acceptance, encouraging joyful movement, and elevating self-worth.

I work with Body Image concerns, including but not limited to: Body Dysmorphia; Eating Disorders; Weight Gain/Loss; Food Shame; Food Addiction; Exercise Addiction; Familial Trauma; Bullying/Harassment; Kink; Puberty and Body Changes; Gender Exploration; Plastic Surgery; Ageing; Pregnancy; Reclamation of Self

We will deconstruct myths and perceptions about bodies and work toward removing value, stigma, and judgment from your relationship with your body. Accepting and working with the body you have today. Your relationship to food and your body are powerful entry points into exploring more about yourself and what you truly want out of life.

Sex Therapy usually involves a deeper look into some of the causes of sexual difficulties, dysfunctions, and dissatisfaction. Sexual issues can alert you to other issues happening in your life, as the mind and body are connected. If you find yourself consistently distracted or “spectatoring” during physical intimacy, sexual mindfulness can help to bring you back into your body and the present moment so that intimacy with yourself or your partner is the main focus.

I cannot think of one woman in my life who has not been affected deeply by the pervasive diet culture that cloaks our culture. Often the internal battle around body size, food, body image, and loathing begins before puberty and it often feels like it might be there until the end. WAIT. What if it didn't have to be that way? What if you could find peace with yourself - beyond having a 'good' eating day, a perfect workout week or a smaller pair of pants? It is possible. Yes, even for you!