My Philosophy
In today’s world it can be a real challenge to develop a healthy body image. Both men and women are affected by media and social influences that invite them to feel flawed or inadequate, which in turn may lead to body image dissatisfaction, dieting issues, or obesity. In therapy, we work together to challenge the idea of the ideal body and to celebrate the unique way a person manifests in the world.
We don’t often hear people say how much they love their body or how grateful they are to their body for journeying with them through their lives. I believe that a cornerstone of psychological health is to have a loving, respectful relationship with our bodies and ourselves. This is only possible when we practice good physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual self-care.
I often hear people say “I know what to do but I just can’t seem to do it.” Therapy can help a person overcome obstacles to practicing self-care and to developing a good relationship with their bodies/themselves. I highly recommend that, in addition to therapy, clients engage in some form of body work such as Yoga, meditation, Tai chi etc. I teach meditation techniques in session for clients who are comfortable doing breathing/meditation exercises.
My Approach
I have a no-diet approach that provides my clients with tools and strategies to move to their natural set point weight with good nutrition and a healthy, active lifestyle. A person’s set point range is not rigidly fixed but it is fairly consistent over the course of an individual’s life. According to research, our bodies strive to maintain a set point which is a range of weight that is optimal for each individual. The best approach is to develop good nutrition and a healthy active lifestyle that maintains a weight within that set point range. When an individual goes too far below or above their set point range they risk compromising their physical and emotional health.
A wonderful thing about human beings is that we all come in different shapes and sizes. As a culture I believe that we are in the process of losing the ability to enjoy this basic human reality in an effort to conform to an ideal created by commercial forces and our own struggle with self-esteem. Our bodies don’t refer to fashion magazines in order to establish their set point range.
