I have worked with people ages 10 to 70 who have suffered from negative body image and I am always struck and saddened how other people and systems in their lives have reinforced this idea that there is something wrong with their bodies. The ones providing shame messages aren’t just any people, these are people…
Is your anxiety making you weird and not in a good way? Anxiety symptoms show up differently for different people but there are some common threads to look out for. In this post we will explain common feelings of anxiety and how they might be altering your true personality. First let’s look at how social…
Often at the start of your therapeutic work, your therapist will explore earlier experiences and ask to hear parts of your past. This can sometimes be unclear to people why this is important when the issues you are facing are present… like today, not 20 years ago. This post explains how bringing parts of your…
We have been trained by diet culture and other systems of power to connect guilt and shame to our food intake. Think about the first time you started feeling guilt and/or shame about what you were eating. Maybe you were a child, teen or young adult. When did joy, connection, love, and positive feelings get…
This blog post was orginially puclished as “Pain: It’s not in your head, but it might impact your mental health” on the blog of Beyond the Body Health Psychology Services, LLC (Owned by Dr. Jennifer Steiner) on 7/22/21. https://www.beyondthebodypsych.com/blog/painitsnotinyourhead If you’re reading this right now, chances are that you are more than familiar with chronic…
*This blog post was originally posted on the blog of Beyond the Body Health Psychology Services, LLC (owned by Dr. Jennifer Steiner) on 2/3/22 I know it may sound like a wild idea but once upon a time the idea of online therapy was unheard of for most people. For many people, the words “therapy”…
Sleep hygiene. Who cares? You should. Am I perfect about it? Nope? Do I notice a significant difference in my mental, physical, and spiritual functioning as a result? Yup. In any ways possible, make the hour leading up to sleep a sacred space. Sure it’s tempting to go all in, but do this in a…
Ya’ll we are exhausted. I am exhausted. Tonight, at dinner, my husband and I sat and stared at each other while the noise of our kids reverberated around us. He is stressed and tired. I am stressed and tired. Finally, I looked at him and said, “are we in the eye of the storm?” We…
Honesty and Authenticity What does it mean to be honest with yourself? What would it mean for you to live a more authentic life? In 2008, the psychologist Alex Wood and his colleagues published an article in the Journal of Counseling Psychology where they developed a scale for measuring authenticity. Of the scale’s 12 items,…
Whether it is a new idea, decision, or even a habit, one change may be enough to improve your life. Even the smallest change in our lives, with time added, can snowball into something much bigger. This article will cover my own experience and the many personal development books, video, podcasts, and blogs I have…