Body Image Therapy
in Baltimore
Is A Constant Preoccupation With Body Image Disrupting Your Life?
Are you so concerned about your appearance, weight, or body type that every mirror has become your worst enemy? Do you avoid certain events, places, or activities out of fear of how others will perceive you?
Perhaps you’re striving to achieve a certain look, physique, or level of performance for your career, so you exercise and restrict your eating to an unhealthy degree.
Or maybe something painful in the past has distorted your self-image, and you’re hoping therapy can help you heal that wound and maybe even teach you how to love your body.
Dealing With Body Image Issues Can Be An Unforgiving Experience
Just getting dressed can feel like a battle, poring through clothes only to settle once again on something that feels “safe” to wear. When the fear and self-consciousness completely take over, you probably turn down invitations to go out—or quietly suffer through situations, self-consciously evaluating yourself all the while.
The constant preoccupation with body image, diet, and other people’s opinions can make it impossible to get anything done at work or at home. Over time, your interest in physical intimacy, your sense of self-worth, and even your physical health can take a hit—and that’s where we can help.
Our body-positive therapists at BrykMinds want to help you nourish a compassionate, self-affirming relationship with yourself. Working together, you can heal the wounds underlying your fears, challenge your perceived flaws, and learn how to be kinder, gentler, and more loving toward yourself in every way.
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Society Plays A Huge Role In How We View Our Bodies
Given the constant messages we receive from television, movies, and social media about what the “right” physique is, it’s no wonder we struggle in our relationship with our bodies. The truth is, we all have unique body sizes and shapes—and none of that is indicative of our worth or our moral code.
Unfortunately, the pursuit of success, the need to feel accepted, and the fear of being seen as lazy or unattractive can overshadow that truth. Instead of loving our bodies and allowing ourselves to simply be, we strive to change core aspects of ourselves in order to feel valued, accepted, and safe from judgment.
Why Do People Often Turn To Therapy To Improve Their Body Image?
In addition to those powerful socio-cultural forces, we’re also inundated with conflicting messages about what’s skinny and what’s fat, what’s healthy and what’s unhealthy.
Even family and peers can offer unsolicited feedback that convinces us we need to change how we look. The social circles we navigate, the careers we pursue, the identities we assume for the roles we play—it can all leave us in a constant battle with our bodies.
Counseling for body image issues allows you to step back, gain new perspectives, and connect with your true values so that you’re the only one making decisions about your appearance. Over time, you can free yourself from the constant pressure to look perfect or “turn back the clock” and nourish a loving relationship with your body, all while making better choices that support your overall health.
Body Image Therapy Is About Healing Your Relationship With Yourself
Learning how to foster a compassionate, self-affirming relationship with our bodies can be complicated because how we see ourselves directly affects how we feel about ourselves. That’s why it’s so easy to start internalizing the idea that we have less value or we’re somehow defective if our bodies don’t meet certain expectations.
The truth is you’re not lazy, apathetic, or irresponsible. You’re a human being with amazing strength, resilience, and self-awareness—and you don’t deserve to miss out on life because you worry your body doesn’t “fit” or “belong.” You deserve to feel safe, valued, and comfortable in your own skin—and that’s what body image therapy is all about.
What Will We Do In Body Image Counseling?
Once you’re paired with a body-image therapist who fits your needs, we’ll begin by exploring your current relationship with your body and how that may have evolved over time. That may include a deep dive into any messages you received growing up about your appearance as well as how you have related to your body within the context of various experiences, roles, or identities.
We’ll look at the thoughts and feelings you have toward your body and the influence they might have had on certain behaviors over time (social avoidance/unhealthy food restrictions). From a logistics angle, we’ll examine your relationship with food and movement to better understand the ways in which you are fueling and caring for your body.
Ultimately, therapy can help you build a relationship of compassion and acceptance with yourself—one that allows you to see the value in who you are, independent of body-image and appearance.
How Do We Approach Treatment For Body Image Issues?
At BrykMinds, we use a humanistic, health-at-every-size approach to therapy that acknowledges your inherent strengths and honors the experiences that have influenced how you see yourself. We’ll never discount how discrimination and stereotypes come into play and the very real implications those forces have—and we’ll always prioritize the goals you want to achieve.
To tailor treatment to your needs, our body image therapists draw from several counseling strategies:
Mindfulness involves bringing a conscious awareness to the space your body occupies and becoming more aware of your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about your physical appearance—in turn, connecting you with your true self.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) invites you to bring a nonjudgmental stance to how you think and feel about your body while highlighting the ways those internal experiences may be guiding you away or toward the person you want to be.
Relational Identity Therapy focuses on the environmental, relational, and identity-based factors that drive unhealthy behaviors and internalized beliefs, allowing you to heal and reconnect with your intrinsic value as a human being.
Don’t Let Unrealistic Beauty Standards Define How You Show Up In Life
Although we can’t change the societal pressures that threaten our sense of self-worth, we can choose to embrace a new way of interacting and connecting with our physical selves. By working with one of our body image counselors, you can stop worrying so much about your appearance and get to a place where you finally feel better about yourself, your body, and how you show up in life.
Still Have Questions Or Concerns About Therapy For Body Image Issues?
I’m looking for a therapist to help me lose weight. Is this something you offer?
Although we do not offer specific weight-loss services, we can help you better understand the motivation for certain behaviors that could be working against your goals.
We can also explore the true reason for wanting to lose weight—is it related to trauma or attachment wounding in the past, a desire to feel attractive, or a need to fit a certain professional look? With that awareness, you can begin to heal, connect with your true values, and build a life that aligns with those ideals.
I worry body image therapy will take forever to produce results.
How we perceive our bodies is shaped by powerful social expectations, cultural forces, and life experiences—all of which can take a little time to work through. That said, it’s our job to help you make progress as quickly as possible, equipping you with insight and tools you can use to facilitate healing and create change on your own.
I feel like nothing will change the way I look.
Body-positive therapy isn’t about changing your body; rather, we want to help you tune into and celebrate your body’s uniqueness, resilience, and what it does for you on a daily basis. We’re also going to identify and acknowledge how external factors, including harmful social norms, have impacted your self-image.
By understanding where negative beliefs stem from and developing a more body-positive dynamic, you can change the way you see yourself and enjoy a life in which you finally feel comfortable in your own skin.
Your Value Is Not Defined By Your Appearance
From professional dancers and elite athletes to new mothers and middle-aged weekend warriors—we’ve all felt disappointed with our appearance at some point. So, if you’re ready to start truly appreciating your body, please call 240-222-5293 or use the contact button to set up your free, 15-minute consultation and see how our body image counselors at BrykMinds can help you.
BrykMinds offers online Body Image Therapy services in Baltimore, MD, Montgomery County, MD, Howard County, MD, Washington, DC, and throughout the state of Maryland.
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