Relationship with Food & Body
It Doesn’t have to be this hard forever
body image challenges and eating issues can make life a daily struggle.
Small choices like what clothes to throw on or what to have for lunch can produce an intense amount of anxiety. A comment someone else makes about food or body can start up a cycle of brutal negative self-talk. What you’re eating or not eating can raise concern of friends and family. Thoughts about food and body can become obsessive, taking your attention away from other areas of life you want to be present for.
we are all carrying around an entire lifetime of internalized messages about our bodies and how we eat.
As your therapist I help you break things down so you can start understanding your relationship with food and body more deeply.
You’ll consider messages you received about your body and eating from family in early life, both directly and through watching how those around you related to food and body.
We’ll discuss societal pressures and how these contribute to poor body image. I work from a body positive perspective.
We’ll look at your habits with eating and exercise and consider what roles they play emotionally. Do they give you a sense of control? Do they allow you to suppress anger, anxiety, or sadness?
You’ll increase awareness of your internal dialogue about your body.
You’ll develop your own ideal for healthy relationship with food and body that isn’t about thinness or a certain aspect of appearance.
We’ll plan together steps you can take to start shifting things in the direction of your ideal.
At certain levels, disordered eating and body image challenges aren’t responsive to weekly therapy alone and more intensive support is needed. If that’s your situation, I can help you understand and access additional treatment resources. This might look like working with a dietician in addition to therapy, or it might be entering a more focused treatment program that provides wraparound care for people dealing with eating disorders.