therapy for body image + disordered eating in California
If you’re here to looking for an anti-diet therapist you might:
be sick and tired of all the diet noise, but wonder what else you might do
feel like diet culture has stolen so much joy, money, and life from you and it’s time to do something new
wish for support from someone who understands that dieting isn’t it
want a different approach to how you treat your body and learn compassionate ways to care for it
If you’re familiar with the term diet culture, you probably also think, “but how can LITERALLY everyone around me (medical providers included) be suggesting dieting as the magic solution to life’s problems?” The truth: it’s normalized, it’s expected, and it may even garner some side eyes if we choose to divest from this mindset. All of this alongside the billion dollar diet industry crafting marketing campaigns and perks for providers who nudge their patients toward the next new thing.
Here’s the deal: we know diets don’t work and we know that there is profit to be made from the self-hatred of our bodies.
DIET CULTURE AND BODY IMAGE
It’s almost impossible to go a day (or even a few hours) without being reminded of the ‘ideal body’ our culture has put on a pedestal. Commercials, ads, billboards, your friend talking about their most recent diet, your coworker talking critically about how their body has changed over the pandemic... the list is never ending.
We can only take so much before all of these diet and body comments burn us out and become our own inner voice. Living in diet culture is a major risk factor for developing disordered eating and body image issues. It’s likely you learned these things at a very, very young age. Our families, while often with good intentions, might plant these beliefs like seeds, continuing to water and feed them by modeling diet culture as we grow up. As the adage goes, “intent does not equal impact.”
We’re all humans who make mistakes sometimes: parents do it, friends do it, teachers do it, therapists do it, and you do too. Recognizing the harmful systems we live in and the power they hold over our beliefs is a key to disarming the shame that comes from diet culture.
You and your body deserve compassion & care. Working with a body image therapist can help you…
move closer to neutral feelings about your body
learn how to set compassionate boundaries with yourself and others
begin to use self-compassion practices as an act of care for your body
get the tools you need to get back to body neutral when the body image noise inevitably shifts you down a gear
build the courage to stand up for your body and all that it does for you
DISORDERED EATING AND EATING DISORDERS
Guess what? Eating Disorders happen for folks in ALL BODIES at ALL SIZES. Disordered Eating is often a response to trauma. Whether you are recovered from previous treatment, seeking aftercare, or just noticed troubling thoughts or habits around food and the body, healing is possible.
Disordered eating is sold to us literally every time we are in the checkout at the store or watching any TV show. Go hang out with friends or family and you’re bound to hear about Aunt Sue’s “____ diet” or your friend’s strict workout routine. Let’s face it, there’s no getting around it. Diet culture is baked into our relationships and our lifestyle.
Unsurprisingly, most eating disorders end up occurring after a pattern of dieting and strict exercise routines. How do you know if your habits have crossed over to something unhelpful?
Have you removed entire food groups from your diet? (with the exception of specific medical needs)
Do you feel extreme guilt after eating something outside your diet plan?
When you are exhausted or injured do you still feel like you HAVE to exercise?
If you still weigh yourself (it’s possible to break up with the scale!), what happens the second you see the number on the scale? If you notice drastic swings in your mood or your day ruined because of that number you see on the scale, you’ve got a big clue.
Those are just a few of the situations that might tell us something in the relationship we have with food and our body is leaning towards disordered. It may be time to talk with someone about your experiences and get some more support.
Do having these habits automatically mean you have an eating disorder? No. Does it mean you might be getting into risky territory with disordered eating? Maybe. There’s no way to tell just by answering a few questions, but working together in therapy with a specialized provider who knows about this stuff can help you get some insight into what’s going on.
I’ll tell you one thing: you weren’t born hating your body and you can absolutely get back to the place of body acceptance and feeling joy in movement and eating again.
It’s time for a change. Healing disordered eating in therapy can…
reconnect you to your body and what it needs
learn to quiet that sneaky disordered eating voice
bring back the joy that disordered eating stole away
build your own self-care plan for those moments when things get tough
get to know your body again, and maybe bring a little joy and fun back to having a body
Meet Your Therapist & Fellow Body Rebel:
I’ve personally experienced the impacts of fatphobia and diet culture in my own body & food healing journey. I’ve had providers invalidate, misunderstand and make assumptions about me based on my body. This has sparked a passion for truly embodying body acceptance with my clients and helping them find liberation & empowerment in their bodies.
Ready to say “f*ck you” to diet culture? I’ve got your back!