When you have distorted or unhealthy body image, it can cause you to want to harm yourself instead of love yourself.
Appreciating and Accepting Yourself
Better Body Esteem™ is a five-step process that includes gaining awareness of body image issues and overcoming shame. Two other important aspects of this process are appreciation and acceptance. I teach people to look every day at the things they can be grateful for, for example, “I have two legs that I can walk on.” […]
Better Body Esteem™ Begins with Awareness
In a previous blog post, I presented the Five A’s of Better Body EsteemTM, beginning with awareness. When we look at 12 Step recovery programs, awareness is about admitting you have a problem. In the Transtheoretical (Stages of Change) model developed by Prochaska and DiClemente, it’s the contemplation stage you reach once you’ve passed through […]
Why I Love Restorative Yoga
The first time I experienced restorative yoga was on a spa vacation celebrating my 50th birthday. After one class, I couldn’t wait to get back. It was an unbelievably healing and spiritual experience. In restorative yoga, props are used to help you hold postures and relax into them for longer, allowing the body to release […]
Food, Femininity and Façades
We can hope to live authentically as women, so our outsides match our insides. But how do food and femininity relate?
7 Formulas for Living in Recovery #3: The Continuum
Whatever the issue in life, we are all on a continuum between extremes, and we may shift to different points along that line at any given moment. This awareness really helps to diffuse all-or-nothing thinking. Instead of seeing yourself as all good, or not good at all, it’s about placing somewhere along that path between […]
12 Keys to a Healthy Weight – Include Activity In Your Daily Routine
Welcome back to the 12 Keys to a Healthy Weight. Last week we looked at the relationship between body image and self-care. Today we’ll look at how to adjust your movement activities for optimal health and healing. Key #6: Find movement activities you love and keep doing them Physical activity has many benefits for those […]
Introducing the 12 Keys to a Healthy Weight
Fall is a time of new beginnings, as we close the chapter of summer and look to start something new. This could be all kinds of different things, from taking a class, to finding a new hobby to explore, to embarking on a healthy lifestyle program. Starting something new – even something we’re very excited […]
Facing the Shame of Low Body Esteem
Once you start talking openly and honestly about concerns or feelings about the body, some serious core issues may come to the surface. In therapy we can deal with family history, anger and other emotions, all types of abuse, sadness and depression, and shame. There’s a big correlation, in fact, between food and shame. I […]
The Five A’s of Better Body Esteem™
Do you know that: Four out of five 10-year-old girls reported they were afraid of getting fat 80% of American women are dissatisfied with their appearance Americans spent 40 billion dollars on diet-related products every year We need to reverse these disturbing trends and heal ourselves and others. Better Body Esteem™ is a trade-marked program […]