Body Image Therapy

The program is based on the assumption that people who have a negative image of their own body or its elements and negative personal relationships with their own body are subject to strong self-criticism leading to low mood, a sense of unattractiveness and, in extreme cases, to an obsession with their own body. A prolonged state of distorted perception of one’s own body can lead to illness or maintain its symptoms. It is a short-term therapy model consisting of 12, 60-minute therapeutic sessions conducted in cotherapy by psychotherapists in the dominant cognitive-behavioral trend. During the first meetings, the patient’s distortions are determined. Then, triggering thoughts, beliefs, assumptions and judgments are analyzed, as well as the consequences that follow such thoughts. The outline of the program includes an introduction to training, changing previous habits that make it difficult to accept oneself, learning techniques that help develop non-judgmental attitudes, making the distorted self-image more realistic by making an outline of one’s body, and a discussion on the influence of the media. Techniques used in this therapy include: worksheets, body image journaling, expressive writing, and setting personal plans for change.