In my clinical practice, I see capable people. They are successful in their careers, raising families, caring for parents, and enjoying time with friends, but many of them share one thing in common. No matter how successful they are, they view themselves as failures because of their weight or some other perceived flaw. Their social encounters often reinforce their sense of failure with body shaming and name calling. Every person who has ever been teased or called a name remem

No matter what magazine you pick up, you’ll find a section about relationships. Often, they promote the importance of physical attraction and chemistry, encouraging you to look or act a certain way. As a licensed therapist, I understand their view on the importance of chemistry and sex appeal. However, these aspects are not the keys to finding love or even being in a healthy relationship. Rather, these messages that “you’re not good enough” or “you don’t have the right look”

The day after Easter I took a break and went to Ecuador. I had always wanted to see the Galapagos, and it coordinated with a meeting my husband had in Guayaquil. It’s amazing what you see when you have no other objective than to enjoy. One of the first thing I noticed were the women’s bodies and the way they moved. A lot of my work is centered with the media and everyone knows that the camera adds 10 pounds (the camera adds a lot of other things, too). Many of the women I wor

Prom is right around the corner, and when I see photos and video clips of the dresses worn this year, a sympathetic grimace creeps over my face. I remember all too well the dilemma of finding the perfect prom dress. People spend over four billion dollars on prom each year, and advertisers and department stores are not about to lose out on that opportunity. The dresses are incredibly revealing this year and that has nothing to do with fashion. What’s hot in Italy right now is

It’s beach time and body image as well as body awareness is on every woman’s mind as she shops for a swimsuit or summer fashion. Women are bombarded by billboards, television, social media and magazine ads with body shapes and sizes that don’t represent them or the majority of society. Recently, plus size models were featured in WorldLifestyle depicting beautiful women who don’t fit the classic type of model many women grew up aspiring to be like. These plus size models rival

The majority of women enjoy being in a relationship, but a large number of them also gain weight in relationships. Research has found that although relationships cause weight gain in women, it causes weight loss among men, especially within the first year of the relationship. 6,000 women were followed for ten years in a study recently mentioned in the New York Times. Women with partners who had children gained an average of 20 pounds, while women in relationships who didn’t h

In our weight conscious society and a generation of obese children, it’s easy to begin placing one’s worth on their weight. In fact, girls especially are obsessed with the scale and feel judged according to their weight. It’s common to see morning news anchors or talk show hosts growing thinner and thinner. There comes a point, as with any obsession, when you cross the line between looking good and looking unhealthy. The host of Lifetime Television’s show, “How to Look Good N