Body Image Issues

I am a Health at Every Size (HAES) practitioner and a fierce advocate for body acceptance and liberation. I believe all bodies are good bodies, regardless of size, shape, or ability.

I teach clients body neutrality and work to break down barriers to weight stigma, body-focused perfectionism, and other cultural factors that lead to poor body image.

Too often we are told we are not good enough and we need to change how we look, sound, move etc. Entire businesses run on making us feel less than. In such a cultural environment, being ourselves fully and unapologetically is the best revolution we can engage in. I work with clients using tenets of HAES and Intuitive Eating to create tailored programs of radical self love and body diversity.

Most of us have felt, at one point or another, that our body's size or shape is somehow wrong. For those of us who identify as fat, or whose bodies are otherwise considered atypical, it can feel impossible to distinguish our authentic feelings about our bodies from the forces that profit off of our self-criticism. I approach our work from a fat-positive, all-bodies-are-good-bodies perspective that prioritizes individual bodily autonomy and experience.

I extensive experience in working with individuals who struggle with body dysmorphic issues.

Body image struggles are common, yet painful. I support individuals with exploring where their body image struggles are coming from and developing practicing to build a more compassionate relationship to the body.

Cis-Hetero-Patriarchy and White Supremacy has filled us all up with harmful, restrictive, and value ridden attitudes towards bodies. No wonder we have complicated relationships with food, eating, and bodies. The dominant systems in place uphold diet culture and anti-fat bias in order to maintain power and control. By recognizing the origins of harmful practices in your life, you may begin the practice of unlearning and replacing these limiting and painful beliefs.

If you struggle with feelings of anxiety and self-judgment regarding your physical body's appearance or abilities, and feel overwhelmed and hopeless because of these painful feelings there are things we can work on together to help you find a more peaceful, kind, and functional way to relate to your body and food. I have worked in residential, partial hospitalization, and outpatient levels of care to treat eating disorders and body image concerns, and I want to share that experience to help you.

Do you find yourself spending hours in front of the mirror? Have you ever felt that wave of anxiety when your go-to pair of jeans fits a little different than they did yesterday? Your body image is not a superficial problem. Your body is your home, a place in which you deserve to feel safe, peaceful, and connected. When you're at war with your body, its exhausting, frustrating, and maybe even intolerable. It's time for you and your body to get on the same page. Let's talk about it.

Sonya Renee Taylor (2021) writes that the "body is not an apology." I wholeheartedly believe this. At the same time, truly embodying this is HARD, and is a communal effort. Our bodies do not live in a vacuum, but are consistently being impacted/informed by the world, the systems, and the people around it. Through compassionate, somatic, and relational holding, I hope to help you reclaim a loving relationship with your body. To celebrate the uniqueness that makes you, YOU one breath at a time.

Constantly criticizing our looks and having persistent low self-esteem in our appearance seems to be a norm in our culture. Finding freedom from our own negative beliefs can be the biggest act of kindness you give yourself.

I know that your circumstances are unique, so I work with you to get to the roots of the negative body image, low self-esteem, self doubt, and disconnection , so we can process and heal these patterns that are holding you back. I work with you weekly to help you achieve your unique goals, and help with live a life that you love.

I facilitate a body liberation focused body image group for those looking to not only explore their own relationship with their body but also explore cultural influences on our beliefs related to health, bodies and food.

We will deconstruct myths and perceptions about bodies and work toward removing value, stigma, and judgment from your relationship with your body. Accepting and working with the body you have today. Learn how to do no harm, but take no shit! Feel empowered to live your truth! Your body is the least exciting thing about you.

Diet culture is a system of belief that equates thinness to moral value, sees weight loss as a status gain, and oppresses people for not fitting their definition of “healthy”. It has been found to contribute to disordered eating behavior, fatphobia, and weight stigma. Many therapists reinforce these systems of oppression and stigma and can cause harm to their clients. These effects are often magnified for fat or larger-bodied clients. I believe in HAES, weight-neutrality, & body liberation.

You’re tired of dieting. You’re tired of feeling anxious about the way your body looks and the way clothes fit. You don't want to care what others' think, and you just want to feel okay in your body. Good news: You can learn to appreciate it, accept it and feel comfortable in it. I help clients shut down and stop engaging in diet and body-shaming talk, stop listening to what culture says they should look like, stop measuring worth by clothing size, and learn to accept and appreciate their bodies

I support clients in exploring their relationship to their body and the factors that have impeded this relationship, including gender, diet culture, and dissociation. I do not provide formal eating disorder treatment. I may refer you to an appropriate provider if your current situation requires medical monitoring.