SPECIALTY · BODY IMAGE DISTRESS · BODY DYSMORPHIA
Therapy for body image distress, for teens, families, and adults
For the person whose body is never far from their mind, and for the parent who hears the self-criticism and does not know how to answer it.
The goal is not to love your body. It is to think about it less.
YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE THIS
What body image distress feels like from the inside
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You spend significant time and mental energy thinking about how your body looks, checking mirrors, or avoiding them, or both.
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Getting dressed can feel defeating before the day has even started.
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Being in situations where your body feels visible or exposed, at the beach, in a fitting room, in photos, is exhausting or avoided.
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The critical inner voice about your body is louder than almost anything else.
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You find it hard to be fully present in your life because part of your attention is always on how your body looks.
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Your teen has started refusing photos, changing clothes several times before leaving the house, or asking whether they look fat.
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Your reassurance does not seem to land, and sometimes it seems to make things worse.
UNDERSTANDING BODY IMAGE DISTRESS
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.
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Body image struggles are extraordinarily common, and are deeply influenced by culture, social media, the people around us, trauma, and identity. They are real, they are valid, and they are very treatable.
SYMPTOMS
Common signs of body image distress 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
The critical voice about your body did not come from nowhere, and arguing with it does not make it go quiet. We work on it from both directions at once: the habits that keep it loud, such as checking, comparing, avoiding, and asking for reassurance, and the history that shaped what it says. Changing the habits is practical work. Understanding the history is what helps the change last.
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You don’t have to love your body for this work to help. For many people that feels out of reach, and it can turn into one more thing to measure yourself against. What we work toward is peace: a body that takes up less of your attention, so the rest of your life can have it back.
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If you are the parent of a teen, you are part of this work. Often the first thing we change is what happens when your teen asks you for reassurance about their body. Reassurance rarely settles the worry for long, and I will show you what helps more. There are many factors behind body image distress, and your support is what will do the most to move things forward.
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Related: Disordered eating, Anorexia nervosa, Support for families and loved ones.
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.
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Do you take insurance?
I am an out-of-network provider and do not bill insurance directly. A superbill is provided, which you can submit to your insurance for possible out-of-network reimbursement. I recommend contacting your insurance provider to understand your out-of-network benefits before we begin.
SESSION LENGTH
SESSION FEE
PAYMENT
INSURANCE
45
Out-of-Network
Credit & debit​​
$250
minutes
per session
cards accepted
Superbill provided