Starting Here
Maybe how you feel about your body affects your mood, your confidence, or how present you feel in your own life. Maybe you're tired of how much mental energy goes into how you look.
Body image therapy isn't about achieving a certain appearance—it's about building a more peaceful relationship with your body and yourself.
This Can Look Like
Body image struggles can look like:
- Feeling uncomfortable or critical of your body much of the time
- Basing your self-worth heavily on your appearance
- Avoiding mirrors, photos, or social situations because of how you feel about your body
- Comparing your body to others, including on social media
- A strained or complicated relationship with food, exercise, or your body
- Difficulty separating how you look from how you feel about yourself
How Therapy Can Help
Therapy helps you build a relationship with your body based on more than appearance. We'll help you:
- Understand where body image struggles first took root
- Separate your self-worth from your appearance
- Reduce the mental energy spent monitoring or criticizing your body
- Build self-compassion around a part of life that's often full of judgment
- Recognize when body image concerns may need specialized eating disorder support
Our Approach
We approach body image with care and without judgment, at whatever point you're starting from. If your relationship with food or exercise raises concerns about disordered eating, your therapist can talk through appropriate specialized support and referrals alongside this work.
Therapeutic Approaches We May Use
- Internal Family Systems (IFS) — understanding the critical voice around body image
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) — building self-worth beyond appearance
- Psychodynamic Therapy — exploring where body image struggles began
- Mindfulness-Based Therapy — practicing presence in your body without judgment
Who Might Benefit From Treatment
Body image therapy may be a good fit if you:
- Feel critical of your body much of the time
- Tie your self-worth closely to your appearance
- Notice body image affecting your confidence, relationships, or daily life
- Are recovering from or navigating a complicated relationship with food or exercise
- Want a calmer, more peaceful relationship with your body
What to Expect in Therapy
Your first session is a space to talk about your relationship with your body without judgment, including where these feelings may have started.
Your therapist will help you build a more compassionate relationship with yourself, connecting you with additional specialized support if needed.
Sessions are available in person at our Midtown Nashville office or online for clients throughout Tennessee.
FAQ
Is this the same as eating disorder treatment?
Not exactly. This page focuses on the broader emotional relationship with your body and self-worth. If disordered eating is part of what you're navigating, your therapist can talk through whether specialized eating disorder treatment alongside or instead of general therapy would serve you better.
Do I need to have a diagnosed condition to start?
No. Many people come to body image therapy simply wanting a healthier relationship with how they see themselves, without a specific diagnosis.
Do you accept insurance?
Nashville Counseling Associates is out-of-network with insurance providers, so we don't bill insurance directly. Many clients use out-of-network benefits to get reimbursed, and we're happy to provide a superbill (an itemized receipt) for you to submit.
Session fees generally range from $130–$185 depending on the clinician, with $85 sessions available with our graduate-level interns and sliding-scale options based on financial need.
How do I get started?
Fill out our contact form or call (615) 281-9139. We'll ask a few questions about what you're looking for and help match you with a therapist whose experience fits your relationship with your body.
Sessions are available in person at our Midtown Nashville office or online for clients located anywhere in Tennessee.
Ready to begin counseling?
You don't have to keep carrying this on your own. Reach out to Nashville Counseling Associates, and we'll help connect you with a therapist whose training and approach fit building a more peaceful relationship with your body.
