We have sadly normalized body dissatisfaction, preoccupation and difficult relationships with food in our society. This leads to people who do not see themselves as being classified  with Body Dysmorphia or an eating disorder to see themselves as not “sick enough” to deserve or need support, although it is still negatively contributing to their well-being. I have extensive experience working with BDD and eating disorders, and I also want to open up a space for those who maybe do not fit the diagnostic criteria, but are feeling like their relationship with their body and/or food are causing them pain.

Body and physical appearance preoccupation very rarely are about what they seem on the outside and are much more likely driven by core unmet needs and residue from difficult life experiences that are trying to be met through this medium. Therapy can support you in connecting with what this is really about and compassionately getting to know the root cause of this pain. This can open it up for you to have more compassion for yourself and find other ways of getting these needs met. It is not to say that it is “bad” to want to improve your fitness or even enjoy looking a certain way, but not having these be driven by shame and fear.

It can be very scary to think about changing the way you have been managing your relationship with food and your body because there is fear around what might happen if you let go of some control, but this fear is what keeps it stuck.

I believe that an integrated approach of process based therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to be a good fit for addressing these concerns. Processing supports the process of  being able to dig into important historical pieces that need to be understood and heard with compassion and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for supporting ways in linking what is going on in the now and connecting to what is important to you going forward.