Body image very rarely is about our actual body. Oftentimes body image stems from a lack of self-worth and value as well as a perceived loss of control. Diet culture revs up this unhealthy and irrational view of our bodies by creating the fantasy that if our bodies are “fixed” our lives might be fixed as well. Although body image can be deeply rooted and lead to poor self-esteem and even the development of an eating disorder there is hope. Body image is a learned behavior and can be reversed!

As your child(ren) head back to school, you may see them starting to experience an increase in anxiety. For students that face school anxiety the struggle is real.  For parents of students that face school anxiety, the struggle is also real. Here are some quick tips to help your child manage school anxiety/school refusal.  

Food is energy, food is culture, food is comfort. Food has always, and will always, be an integral aspect of life. If you’re feeling stuck in the mindset of “good foods” and “bad foods” I encourage to widen your lens. What other values can you see in food outside of nutritional value? It is undeniable that foods hold sensory values, emotional values, and environmental values. Intentionally incorporate variety in your intake and see what happens when you view food from the context of all of its values. What values feel important to you? By shifting our focus we are able to widen food acceptance and reduce guilt. Who doesn’t want that?!

We are often told that in order to be healthy, we need to be happy. But if we place pressure on ourselves to always feel happy, we are setting ourselves up for an unattainable goal. Let’s take a look at a healthier perspective on happiness and all the other emotions that come along with living fully.

In an age where much of our time is spent online, it’s easy to feel impacted by the people you follow. Although social media has shown vast positive outcomes, we need to talk about the harmful portrayal of perfection, self-objectification, and digital manipulation. Following the never ending diet trends and using filters won’t lead you to a meaningful life, but instead a life of constantly chasing an unattainable standard. At the end of the day, we are just women seeking connection and wanting to feel enough.

Body image is not just something girls in their teens struggle with, but woman of every age. Susan Sontag brilliantly spoke about how our culture only allows one standard of female beauty… the girl. And of course we have some thoughts on this!

The refusal to accept anything short of perfection; perfectionism. The desire or need for perfection appears to plague more individuals than not, and is resulting in damaging beliefs surrounding self worth leading to the detriment of mental health.  The impact of unrealistic expectations can be so harmful that teens and adults alike, will do almost anything to feel “good enough.” Thankfully, with the right support, resources, and positive reinforcement, we can help shape and change individuals’ goals, views of themselves and overall mental health.

A lot of our body image in our adult years stems from our younger years. This is an age when filtering out hurtful and untrue messages was hard because we were not cognitively or emotionally mature enough to fully process these thoughts and oftentimes are not equipped with the tools to combat diet culture, especially from loved ones. The views of our bodies can shape our views of self and have a damaging ripple effect on overall self-love. Although we cannot go back in time and pluck out those thoughts we can challenge ourselves to deprogram the hurtful and unproductive messages we picked up when we were younger and to speak to ourselves and others with the gentleness that our younger selves deserve!

Many of us live with societal pressures around food. We are told that our character is molded by the foods we choose to eat. Diet culture equates a persons level of morality or “goodness” with the foods they eat. You are “good” because you ate veggies and you are “bad” because you ate ice cream. The social idealization of thinness and pressures around food are contributors to the development of eating disorders. THIS is the problem. Food is not the problem.

When an eating disorder takes hold, it is very likely that your core values will be pushed to the side and you will be headed in a completely different direction from where you originally intended. If you look at what the eating disorder finds valuable, it will likely be very different from what you value.

We cannot grow if we stick to what is comfortable. Stop letting fear keep you from amazing opportunities.

Bah Humbug! Are you experiencing a sense of the blues with this upcoming holiday season? While ‘tis the season’ can bring about joy for some, it can be rather tough emotionally and physically for others. We want you to enjoy time spent with family and friends to the fullest. Head to our blog to read this month’s post on Managing Mental Health During the Holidays, written by therapist Sarah Hart!

There is a way to eat for emotional wellness that does not have to translate to being unhealthy or abusing emotional eating. Being able to find that balance can allow for a better quality of life and one that focuses on wellness in a more holistic way, including mental, emotional and physical wellness.

Let's celebrate food again! Who’s with us this pumpkin spice season in allowing in eating for emotional health and no longer depriving ourselves of foods we loved due to fear that we’re doing something bad or wrong?!

EMDR therapy is incredibly powerful. Learn how beneficial this form of therapy is as Lotus Therapy Group gives you a real example of how it works.

Riding the wave means that we accept the emotion as is. This type of acceptance doesn’t mean that we like it, approve it, want it, or deserve it. Accepting the emotion means that we are acknowledging the reality of a current emotional state. By allowing ourselves to fully feel that emotion, it will come in, and like a wave, it might hit us hard, but it will pass. That’s key to remember. Emotions, like waves, do not show up and just stay around forever. Waves and emotions roll in, build up, peak, and they move out.

How we take care of our bodies matters, but this does not have to be driven by weight. Often times a weight focus can lead to crash or yo-yo dieting and unhealthy mindsets about food and our bodies.

Once you have found the right team, treatment typically looks like one appointment a week with the therapist and one appointment a week with the dietitian.