Eating Disorders
and Body Image

The pregnancy and post-partum period brings about enormous changes in the body, changes that aren’t always comfortable or welcome. The same can be true for infertility treatments. Poor body image can often develop, impacting self-esteem, feelings of self-worth, and one’s identity. Therapy can be helpful to decrease feelings of shame, anxiety, and depression and ultimately improve your relationship with your body.

Eating disorders are a signal of underlying issues that find a way to be expressed through the eating disorder. Given this, a large focus in therapy is understanding what purpose the eating disorder serves and bringing to light the underlying issues. Treatment involves a multipronged approach that reduces behaviors, improves the capacity to feel and express emotions, challenges negative and distorted thoughts, addresses poor body image, and treats any underlying issues (such as trauma, depression, anxiety, etc). Treatment will often include coordinating care with (and referring to) a dietitian and primary care provider. Given this holistic approach to treating eating disorders, successful treatment is transformational - transforming one’s relationship with your body, with food, and with themselves.