BODY APPRECIATION, SELF-CARE, AND COMPASSION
Body Image Therapist
in Hawaii
You feel as though your worth is tied to your appearance.
MAYBE YOU’VE THOUGHT TO YOURSELF, “I’D FEEL BETTER WHEN…’I LOSE WEIGHT,’ ‘…I FIX HOW I LOOK,’ ‘…I CAN CONTROL MY EATING,’ AND ‘…I FIX X, Y, AND Z ABOUT MY BODY.”
These thoughts often lead to feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. Simply put, they can make you feel flat-out horrible. Your feelings make sense, though. Our appearance-obsessed society and social media often portray an unrealistic and narrow image of beauty, which may leave many of us feeling “less than.”
Does this sound like you?
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You’re tired of feeling uncomfortable in your clothes and cringing when you see yourself in the mirror or in photos.
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You have a negative relationship with food. You describe certain foods as "bad" and some as "good." You may overeat and go towards "bad" foods when stressed. Or, you may restrict food and have obsessive tendencies about the types of food you eat and how much. In some cases, you may even find yourself purging after eating.
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You tear yourself down when you look at yourself in the mirror. You think, "My face isn't smooth, I don't have straight hair, my lips are dry, my nose isn't sharp..." Your descriptions may differ based on what you find to be an image of beauty, but the concept is the same. You feel you are inadequate with your looks.
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Those closest to you, whether your mom, significant other, or aunts, may have commented about your weight and body, but you don't want to continue to feel this way and don't want your children (or future children) to experience the same thing you are. You don't want your children to question their worth because of their bodies, struggle to feel like they are good enough for those around them, compare themselves to others or even past versions of themselves, put themselves down, and overall walk around without confidence. You want a different body image story for yourself and those you look up to you as an example.
Here’s what we’ll do together
We will build your confidence, help you spend less time worrying about your appearance, and focus on what makes you happy and fulfilled.
ALLOW
You don't have to fix your body to change your relationship with it. I will help you understand and challenge the negative thoughts and beliefs that hold you back. You'll learn to be more flexible in your thinking and stop letting thoughts of self-criticism, comparisons, rules, and "shoulds" push you around. Instead, you'll learn to minimize its effects on your feelings and behaviors.
CARE
Take steps of self-compassion, self-kindness, self-care, and forgiveness. Together, we will identify what you want your life to be about. We will realign you with what matters to you and what brings you meaning and purpose. We will build confidence that is rooted in something other than appearance. Step into the vibrant and confident person you are, inside and out.
TAKE ACTION
We’ll focus on boosting your motivation to break free from the habits that keep you stuck. Together, we’ll create small, daily, achievable habits that align with what’s important to you. You’ll be encouraged to continue progressing toward the life you want.
WHAT WE’LL WORK ON
Imagine a life where…
Understand and navigate societal and media influences on body image
Promote body acceptance and peace with one's body
Foster self-compassion with kinder, forgiving self-talk and attitudes
Encourage self-care over self-punishment for healthier lifestyle changes
Identify and challenge harmful and unhelpful thoughts
Reclaim your body image story
FAQs
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Body image is the perception that a person has of their body and the thoughts and feelings a person experiences as a result of that perception. Those thoughts and feelings can be positive, negative, or a combination. Societal and individual factors influence them. Poor body image is a risk factor for eating disorders. Positive body image occurs when people can accept, appreciate, and respect their bodies.
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Symptoms of poor body image or body dissatisfaction include chronic dieting, excessive exercising, obsessing over appearances, and obsessive comparison of yourself to others.
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A variety of factors and influences can cause body image issues, such as social media, family and peer influences and comments, and negative experiences in which someone makes a negative remark about a person’s body.
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I use the Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) approach, which promotes body image psychological flexibility. Research has shown that body image psychological flexibility predicts body appreciation, self-care, self-compassion, and quality of life. The ACT approach will help you live in the present and help distance yourself from the distressing thoughts that keep you stuck. Employing ACT also encourages self-acceptance and, in turn, self-compassion while helping you to identify personal values to realign and guide you. Ultimately, this powerful approach can aid you in “zooming out” and seeing a broader perspective. Together, these benefits of the ACT approach allow you to take steps toward what matters to you.
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One strategy is to be mindful of your social media content. How do you feel when you view messages that promote weight loss? How do you feel when you view messages that encourage body positivity? Be more intentional in your use of social media.