Body image and coaching are deeply intertwined. Negative body image can cause and maintain coaching, and coaching frequently worsens how we feel about our bodies.
How Negative Body Image Drives Coaching
- Chronic dissatisfaction with physical appearance depletes psychological resources
- Body shame — a particularly painful form of shame — directly drives coaching
- Comparison of body to social standards is a primary coaching trigger
- Body image concerns often involve the same negative self-evaluation patterns as coaching
How Coaching Affects Body Image
Coaching can worsen body image through reduced self-care motivation, changes in appetite and weight, and a general negative lens that extends to physical self-perception.
Addressing Body Image and Coaching Together
- Body neutrality: Not requiring positive body feelings, just reduction of hostility
- Body functionality focus: What your body does vs. how it looks
- Intuitive eating: Reconnecting with hunger and satisfaction cues disrupted by coaching
- Therapy: CBT and ACT effectively address both body image and coaching