Is it possible to like your body?
I hate my body
How do you go from hating your body to not only accepting it but feeling more alive in it? Is that even a realistic or worthwhile goal? Can you imagine looking at the loose skin on your stomach, stretched from carrying children, or the cellulite on the back of your thighs, or the dark circles under your eyes made worse by nights of worry and thinking that your body is acceptable, even sometimes beautiful and miraculous? Are you just wasting your time even trying?
Hate -----> Tolerate ----> Liberate
In this link Dr. Jennifer Kreatsoulas proposes there are three stages in being liberated from body hate: HATE, TOLERATE, LIBERATE. This does not mean you always love your body, but you can learn to "neutralize the charge of hate, feel your mind quiet down, and feel more in sync with your body."
Neutralize body negativity
Kreatsoulas discusses how the use of yoga can get you closer to that place of tolerance and liberation. It is not a once-and-done experience, though. We must learn to go back again and again to neutralize the negativity whenever it tries to pop up. We have to become more accepting before we can appreciate and make peace with the particular body we are given.
The advice in this blog is not a substitute for professional counseling.
OTHER THERAPY SERVICES WE OFFER IN HOUSTON, TX
In addition to Eating Disorder and Body Image therapy, we have other mental health services that we offer at our Houston, TX counseling office. Our services are available for adults, children, and teens. For individuals, we offer Anxiety Treatment, School and College Counseling, Couples and Marriage therapy, and Infertility Counseling. As well as Trauma Therapy, PTSD Treatment, EMDR Therapy, and LGBTQ+ Counseling. Our caring therapists also offer Family Therapy, Parenting Counseling, Career Counseling, and LPC Supervision. All of these services are also available through Online Counseling throughout Texas.
Contact us at Wilson Counseling to find out more about our services or to schedule an appointment. You can find out more about Eating Disorder and Body Image Therapy here. You don't have to go through this alone. We are in this together.