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