Move Toward a Kinder, More Positive Self-View
Understanding Body Image
Body image is the way you think, feel, and relate to your physical body. It’s shaped by past experiences, culture, family messages, identity, trauma, and social expectations. When those influences become critical or painful, you may find yourself trapped in cycles of self-judgment, comparison, shame, or disconnecting from your body altogether.
Body image struggles are not superficial—they are emotional. They often come from deeper places of longing, belonging, safety, and identity. Some life experiences can disconnect you from your body or distort the way you see yourself. They can influence confidence, relationships, intimacy, and emotional wellbeing.
Therapy helps you understand where these beliefs formed, how they protect you, and how to relate to your body with more compassion and presence.
What Creates Body Image Struggles
Body image challenges rarely come from “how you look.” They come from:
Family messages about appearance, weight, success, or worth
Cultural standards and social pressure
Identity factors (gender, race, sexuality, ability)
Trauma, chronic stress, anxiety
Medical conditions or changes in the body
Childhood experiences of being judged, compared, or shamed
Bullying or social exclusion
Perfectionism and self-criticism
Attachment wounds that shape how you relate to yourself
How Therapy Helps With Body Image
Body image healing is a gradual process. It's about building a healthier, kinder, more flexible relationship with yourself that is grounded in safety, curiosity, and connection.
Body image work includes:
Attachment-Focused Therapy
To explore how early relationships shaped your sense of worth, safety, and identity.
Psychodynamic Therapy
To understand the deeper emotional roots of shame, criticism, and self-judgment.
Emotionally-Focused & Somatic Approaches
To reconnect with your body in a way that feels safe, grounded, and empowering.
Narrative Therapy
To examine and rewrite the stories you’ve internalized about appearance, value, and belonging.
Identity-Informed Exploration
To consider how cultural, gendered, racial, or societal narratives influence your body image.
Body Image Therapy Sessions
In therapy, we will:
Explore how your body image developed
Understand what triggers shame, comparison, or self-criticism
Identify the deeper emotional needs beneath those reactions
Work through past experiences that shaped your beliefs
Build a more grounded and compassionate relationship with your body
Strengthen your ability to feel safe, present, and connected
Reduce perfectionism and internal pressure
Create more freedom in how you show up in your life
Thoughts
Constant comparison
Self-criticism
Feeling “not enough”
Obsessive focus on flaws
Beliefs that worthiness depends on appearance
HOW BODY IMAGE ISSUES SHOW UP
Emotions
Shame
Guilt around food or self-care
Disconnection from joy or pleasure
Feeling trapped or helpless
Body Experiences
Difficulty being present in your body
Avoiding mirrors or photos
Chronic tension or numbness
Feeling disconnected from hunger or fullness
Difficulty with intimacy
Behaviors
Avoiding social situations
Overanalyzing appearance before leaving the house
Repeatedly seeking reassurance
Perfectionistic routines
Over-exercising, restricting, or other coping patterns
Who I Work With
I support adults navigating:
Body dissatisfaction
Shame or self-criticism
Comparison or perfectionism
Body-related anxiety
Disconnection from the body
Identity-based body image struggles
Relationship or intimacy concerns
Emotional eating or restrictive tendencies
Body changes from illness, aging, pregnancy, or trauma
Healing body image is about reclaiming your sense of worth, safety, and connection. With support, you can develop a more peaceful, grounded, and accepting relationship with your body and a stronger sense of self-worth.