3 Ways Going to Therapy Can Improve Your Body Image
Living in our culture we are raised to have a negative relationship and view of our body; thank you diet-industry. Think about it - when was the last time you drove with the radio on, or opened up a social media account, and were not bombarded with someone telling you about their weight loss and “better life.” Sadly, the research shows that over 90% of people who choose to engage in dieting or exercise to fit-in and feel healthy, ultimately end up gaining back the weight, and being more dissatisfied with their body and life. Diet culture tells you that it is “your fault” their diet did not work and that you just need to “do better'“ or “try harder".” NEVER taking accountability, never giving voice to the science proving diets do not work. Leaving millions of people ashamed of their bodies, their work ethic, and social status for the pure reason of capital gain.
With this societal pressure and the billions of dollars thrown into advertising it might be hard to see how or why therapy is a better way to address your body image concerns than a gym membership. For that reason I am listing out 3 of the ways therapy can provide sustainable healing to your body image. Not just a temporary fix for that next summer wedding, or GNO.
1 - Body Awareness and Tolerance
In therapy you can start to explore the natural power of your body, gain more awareness of your body, and learn to tolerate (maybe even one day love) the body you inhabit.
The body, YOUR BODY, is incredible - I mean think about all of the things you do to your body and yet it still survives and continues to meet your daily needs. It also receives messages from your internal and external experiences, communicating those to the mind, to protect you. Messages such as HOT, cold, Hungry, Tired, Lonely, Scared. When you don’t have a positive relationship with your body, you are likely not receiving these messages to their fullest and not engaging in your body to the capacity you could. Learning how to fully receive these messages and meet your bodies needs is a big step in improving body image.
If you are reading this post, it’s probably safe for me to assume, you or someone close to you, has a negative view of their body and because of this are probably unaware or disconnected from their body a good amount of the time. If you feel like a head floating around the world, doing some therapy to ground into your body, could be incredibly beneficial.
Therapy can you teach tools that allow you to slowly and safely engage with your body in an empowering way. This engagement, over time, makes it easier for you to tolerate the body you are in. This tolerance is a giant step towards self love and body acceptance.
2 - Challenging and Changing Negative Beliefs
If a friend walked up to you, and initiated a conversation about how terrible you are and how you never come through for them or do what you need of them, would you still be friends with them? Then why do you believe you can do this to your body all day long and then wonder why you have such a negative image/experience of your body? Therapy will help you identify your negative beliefs about your body, your life, and your value then challenge and shift those into more healthy, and accurate, beliefs. Therapy also teaches us how to sit in uncomfortable, uncertain, thoughts that we might not be able to challenge but also cannot currently live alongside.
3 - Navigate underlying concerns
For many negative body image is symptom. Which is why going to the gym, manipulating your body, or achieving those “weight loss goals” never create peace. The body tends take the brunt of our emotions and our traumas. If you struggle with anxiety, depression, attachment, trust, or have every experienced a traumatic event, your negative body image may be how your brain is coping with these states. Our body shape is something seen and expressed as being within our control (hence diet culture). So when we feel out of control, hating on the body holding those emotions, and trying to change it, creates a false sense of calm, an imposter peacefulness, and grip of control and certainty.
A good therapist will help identify why your body is becoming the scapegoat in your life. While then equipping you with tools, resources, and community, to navigate those reasons in a healthier, sustainable, effective way.