SPECIALTY · BODY IMAGE DISTRESS
You deserve to feel
at home in your body.
If you are searching for a body image therapist in Santa Clarita or across California, you may have been carrying this for longer than you can remember. I am a licensed clinical psychologist who works with teens and adults ready to loosen the grip of the critical inner voice.
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A painful relationship with your body can affect everything, from how you move through the world to how present you are able to be in your own life.
Ph.D. -Eating Disorder Psychologist
Telehealth in Santa Clarita and throughout California
Adults, Teens 14+ and Families
YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE THIS
What body image distress feels like from the inside
The critical voice about your body has probably been there for a long time. It can feel like everyone else has figured out something you haven't.
You spend significant time and mental energy thinking about how your body looks, checking mirrors, or avoiding them, or both.
Getting dressed can feel defeating before the day has even started.
Being in situations where your body feels visible or exposed, at the beach, in a fitting room, in photos, is exhausting or avoided.
The critical inner voice about your body is louder than almost anything else.
You find it hard to be fully present in your life because part of your attention is always on how your body looks.
You do not need a formal eating disorder diagnosis to deserve support with body image. If this is affecting your quality of life, that is enough.
UNDERSTANDING BODY IMAGE DISTRESS
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)
BDD is a condition involving intense, persistent preoccupation with perceived flaws in appearance that are not visible or appear minor to others. It causes significant distress and often leads to compulsive checking, avoidance, or reassurance-seeking behaviors. If this sounds familiar, I can help.
What is body image distress?
Body image distress refers to a negative, preoccupying, or painful relationship with one's physical appearance. It exists on a spectrum, from persistent dissatisfaction to body dysmorphic disorder, and does not require a formal eating disorder diagnosis.
Body image struggles are extraordinarily common, and are deeply influenced by culture, family, social media, trauma, and identity. They are real, they are valid, and they are very treatable.
COMMON SIGNS OF ANOREXIA NERVOSA INCLUDE:
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Frequent negative thoughts about your appearance
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Comparing your body to others
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Seeking reassurance about your appearance
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Low self-worth tied closely to appearance
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Mirror checking or mirror avoidance
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Avoiding photographs or social situations
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Difficulty concentrating due to body-focused thoughts
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Significant distress around clothing or getting dressed
TREATMENT
How I treat body image distress
This is slow, meaningful work, and it is absolutely possible. Therapy for body image distress focuses on understanding where the critical narrative came from, gently challenging distorted perceptions, and building a more compassionate and peaceful relationship with your body.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
We identify and challenge the specific thoughts and behaviors that maintain body image distress (mirror checking, avoidance, comparison, and reassurance-seeking), and gradually build more flexible, compassionate responses.
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
We explore where the critical inner voice about your body came from. We explore the messages, experiences, and relationships that shaped how you see yourself. Understanding the origins is often the first step toward changing the narrative.
HAES and Body Neutrality
My practice is rooted in Health at Every Size principles. The goal of treatment is not to love your body. It is to make peace with it. To give it less of your mental space and energy, and reclaim that for the rest of your life.
Do I need an eating disorder diagnosis?
No. Body image distress is its own valid reason to seek support, entirely independent of eating disorder behaviors. Many of my clients working on body image do not have a formal eating disorder diagnosis.
What about teens?
Adolescence is a particularly vulnerable time for body image. I work with teens from age 14 and involve families where appropriate, helping young people build a healthier relationship with their bodies before more entrenched patterns develop.
WHO I SEE
Who I work with
I work with adults, teens aged 14 and older, and families navigating anorexia nervosa in Santa Clarita and throughout California via telehealth.
Adults
Individual therapy for adults ready to loosen the grip of body-focused thoughts and find more ease in their own skin.
Teens (14+)
Compassionate support for adolescents developing a painful relationship with their bodies, with family involvement where helpful.
Families
Support and guidance for the parents and caregivers.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked Questions
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Do I need to have an eating disorder to work on body image?
Not at all. Body image distress is its own valid reason to seek support, entirely independent of eating disorder behaviors. If your relationship with your body is affecting your quality of life or mood, that is enough.
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Is the goal to love my body?
Not necessarily. Body love is not a realistic or necessary goal for everyone, and that framing can feel pressuring. The goal is peace. We start by giving your body less of your mental energy and attention, and reclaiming that space for the rest of your life. Body neutrality is often a more accessible and sustainable destination.
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I think I might have body dysmorphic disorder. Can you help?
Yes. I have experience treating body dysmorphic disorder using CBT and exposure-based approaches. If you suspect BDD, a thorough assessment in our first sessions will help clarify the diagnosis and guide treatment.
ALSO EXPLORE
Related Specialties
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Disordered Eating
Support for those who don't fit a diagnosis but know their relationship with food isn't right.
Specialty
Body Image Distress
Therapy for a painful, preoccupying relationship with your body, with or without a formal diagnosis.
Specialty
Support for Families
Psychoeducation, guidance, and personal therapy for those closest to someone with an eating disorder.