Body image and cognitive behavioral therapy are deeply intertwined. Negative body image can cause and maintain cognitive behavioral therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy frequently worsens how we feel about our bodies.
How Negative Body Image Drives Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Chronic dissatisfaction with physical appearance depletes psychological resources
- Body shame — a particularly painful form of shame — directly drives cognitive behavioral therapy
- Comparison of body to social standards is a primary cognitive behavioral therapy trigger
- Body image concerns often involve the same negative self-evaluation patterns as cognitive behavioral therapy
How Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Affects Body Image
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 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 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 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 cognitive behavioral therapy
- Therapy: CBT and ACT effectively address both body image and cognitive behavioral therapy