therapy in Los Angeles & Across CA
THERAPY for BODY IMAGE
Support. Understanding. Confidence.
Is your self-esteem connected to the way you look or feel in your body?
When experiencing difficult feelings, do you seek comfort in food rather than facing the problem?
Do you overeat when you aren’t even hungry? Have the out-of-control feelings led to guilt and shame?
You have always been consumed by the way you look or the number on the scale.
Do you tear yourself apart because of the way you look, or compare yourself to other people? Maybe you believe that life would be better if you could lose a certain amount of weight or look a certain way, but after meeting your goal you still feel the same exact way. You realize that your body image has become an overwhelming obsession and know it is time to make a change.
You’re frustrated. You work hard and your body seems to have a mind of its own. You may not be seeing the results you want. You notice that your self-esteem and self-value seem to go up and down as the numbers on the scale go up and down or the way your body looks.
You may be wondering why you think about food, weight, your skin, your body shape, or your clothing more than you should. You may be overwhelmed with feelings of depression and anxiety and realize it is related to your relationship with your body. You notice your thoughts about the way you look are impacting your job, your relationships, and the way you hold yourself in the world. You know things have got to change.
An unhealthy relationship with your body can make you feel helpless, hopeless, and lonely.
It can impact you holistically, affecting your job, relationships, self-esteem, and future goals. Body confidence allows us to hold ourselves in a different way, which non-verbally communicates to those around us. Our attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions about ourselves impact all relationships— from the workplace to our intimate relationships.
Body Image and body confidence issues are frequently connected to childhood. The messages we hear as a child or teenager are loud inner critics who judge us today. Combatting body image issues as an adult requires we work on deep-rooted conditioning around self-value, self-worth, image, fears, anxiety, and loneliness. You may notice the connection between the messages you got as a child and your struggles around body image, body confidence, weight, and food today.
And If you’ve undergone weight loss surgery…
You may have never reconditioned your inner critic.
Despite losing the weight, you may struggle with forever feeling overweight. The disconnection between your head and your body may be confusing. Counseling is crucial to making behavioral and mental changes in how you think about your body, weight, and food. Therapy is an important part of the post-surgical process, and it can help your weight loss journey be more successful. Therapy can improve attitude, boost self-esteem, and help patients recognize the psychological side of their weight loss goals. Therapy can also help with depression and anxiety related to your new body.
Body image counseling can help you develop a compassionate relationship with your body.
My approach to Body Image includes looking at your relationship with your body over time and the messaging you may have received around your body or image.
I integrate psychodynamic therapy with Transpersonal Tactics to expand your awareness and acceptance of your body.
Improve your Self-Esteem, Self-Confidence, and Self-Worth.
Build Body Compassion and Body Confidence.
Change the way you show up in Relationships.
Develop New Coping Mechanisms for emotional regulation.
How I work
I tailor my work to meet you where you are at, specifically targeting your challenges and goals.
Together, we'll understand how family, personal experiences, and culture shape your history with body image. We will develop concrete skills to help you deal with difficult emotions. You will learn from your feelings and develop strategies to cope with distress, developing a deep sense of self-compassion and understanding. You will develop an appreciation for your unique self, through a renewed sense of consciousness.
You will develop an emotional support system, establish healthy relationship boundaries, and enhance your communication skills to express your needs. You will learn to voice your feelings, communicate them to get what you need effectively, and transform criticism into self-love.
YOU can HAVE A healthy & happy RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR BODY.
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Many of my clients are looking for support in 1 or more of these categories:
Body Image
Body confidence
Public Image or Persona
Emotional Eating
Body hyper-fixation
Weight Loss Surgery
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We live in a society where unrealistic standards are constantly portrayed in media and create a sense of insecurity. However, it is possible to love your body and have an intuitive relationship with food. People who have a positive body image typically understand how culture or past experiences get in the way of developing body positivity and know how to move forward. Therapy can help you learn adequate skills, develop fulfilling relationships, and build solid confidence—the essentials for combating issues with body image and appearance.
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Yes. Especially after Weight Loss Surgery, it is important to understand your deep conditioning. Moving forward is not about the body or food, it is about emotional suffering, deep conditioning, and maladaptive coping mechanisms.
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Many people with issues about their body and appearance feel trapped and have a hard time believing that changes are possible. Making matters worse, not having other tools to cope with difficult emotions and challenges also makes you more vulnerable to emotional eating.
Whatever your situation may be or how stuck you feel, therapy can provide a non-judgmental space for us to understand the root of your challenges, identify what’s been keeping you stuck, and develop an actionable plan to make lasting changes. We will work together to help you develop intuitive habits, enhance your body image, and improve your overall quality of life.
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I am trained in Somatic Experiencing DBT/CBT, Psychodynamic therapy, Gestalt therapy, EMDR, Clinical Hypnotherapy, and AASECT Sex Therapy. To learn more about how I work, click here.