Body Image Therapy in Brentwood, TN
Therapy for body image concerns
Body image is one of those elusive terms that can feel hard to nail down. Most of our clients present with what they would describe as negative or poor body image. Oftentimes, this is causing some sort of distress in their everyday life. If this sounds like you, you are not alone. Lots of individuals struggle with poor body image. You are brave for even being here and wanting something more for yourself. Body image has four components: affective, perceptive, cognitive, and behavioral. Essentially, this means how we experience our bodies, how we perceive our bodies, what we think, and what we do because of it. Our caregivers have a role to play in how we see ourselves. How they talk about their bodies directly impacts how we talk about our bodies later in life. Our friends, colleagues, and loved ones’ dialogues about their bodies may also factor into our body image. Cultural expectations also plays a role. Long story short, there is a lot that goes into one’s view of self, particularly one’s body image.
The work in therapy around healing body image does not happen overnight. There really is not a quick fix. Healing body image oftentimes involves adjusting expectations, setting boundaries, grief work, increasing insight and awareness, and developing self-compassion. While we cannot guarantee outcomes, we do know that it is possible to change your relationship to your body. Ultimately, we hope for peace for all clients in their relationship to their bodies.
Below is a list of therapeutic treatments we use for treating body image:
- cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- exposure-response prevention therapy (ERP)
- acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
- inner child and grief work
- narrative therapy
Symptoms of poor body image may include:
- buying clothes that do not fit (too small/too big)
- thinking about your body all day, everyday
- highly critical of your body
- checking various body parts
- isolating or withdrawing from social events because of poor body image
- experiencing shame or disgust towards yourself because of your body
- struggling to get dressed for school or work
- engaging in disordered eating or exercise patterns in an effort to change your body
- hiding your body
