Body Shame and Eating Disorders
I once had a friend describe body shame and eating disorders as, “Nurturing Disorders.” I have found this to be true. The judgement of bodies for their worthiness is pervasive and invasive in our culture, and can impact every aspect of life. It can come from your closest friends, your family, your most intimate relationships, your doctor, or your neighbor. It is in books and movies, on billboards and all over social media. We are not nurtured into loving ourselves, we are trained to shame ourselves. If you are a person of color or LGBTQ, the impact of this shaming can be even more complex and painful! Wherever you land on the identity spectrum, It is time to end the war with yourself.
The development of a disordered relationship with your food and/or your body is not your fault. There is not something “wrong” with you if you can’t sustain the latest “Wellness Diet,” or “Lifestyle Change.” In fact, the war with yourself might mean that there is actually something right in you. Some part of you is doing its best to help you cope and survive in a really fucked up culture. The pain of a disordered relationship with food and/or your body are signs that your psyche is hurting, and asking for real, authentic nurturing and a sense of belonging AS YOU ARE.
Your body is not the enemy. Food and body image issues are paradoxically not actually about the food or your body – though that may be the painful focus that brings you to therapy. When we hurt, whatever the “symptom,” it is a deep call from the psyche that is it time to get under the surface and reconnect with an authentic wisdom already present in each one of us. From this deep place, pain is transformed from something to be avoided at all costs into something that can guide the way to realignment with who you really are and what really matters to you.
If you skinned your knee, for example, you would tend the wound with gentle care and kindness so that it could heal. The same is true for the soul. Tending the wounded parts brings healing and true integrity when we realign with the authentic Self. Being who you are becomes a radical act of self-care, and can change everything on every level.
It is possible to drop the struggle with food and your body and live a life that is rich, full, and aligned with your deepest values. You can get unstuck from the relentless shame, liberate your mind and body, and move towards what matters to you.
I work best with those seeking freedom from dieting and chronic body anxiety. I support people with a wide range of food and body image issues, including:
- Body Shame
- Constant body-checking or self-criticism
- Hiding your eating
- Chronic Dieting or “Yo-Yo Dieting”
- Weight Cycling
- Feeling out of control around food
- “Food Addiction” Behaviors (P.S. This is a tricky term, but disordered eating can definitely feel like an addictive process)
- Bingeing, Purging, or Restricting Food
- Binge Eating Disorder
These experiences can feel relentless and deeply shameful. You are not alone, and you don’t have to hide or live in shame any longer! I would love to support you in your recovery! I have an experienced eye for the trauma and grief that come with body image and food-related struggles. I have a deep understanding of body shame, weight stigma, and eating disorders. I have lived it myself and I have the tools to help you heal, and reclaim your right to an embodied, empowered life. I would love to support you as you come home to your body and yourself. There is a deep, powerful wisdom waiting there for you.
Take the step and reach out today. I would love to meet you and support you on your journey.
