Feedback From the Field: Helping Clients with Body Image

In a previous issue of Inner IDEA Body-Mind-Spirit Review, we asked: How would you deal with a client who exhibits body dysmorphic behavior?

“When I read this it really hit home. I am a trainer who trains only women. I deal primarily with those who wish they were ‘smaller.’ The first thing I require of a client is to work at establishing a mind-body connection. It is astonishing how many individuals have little or no control over the way they carry their bodies and move through space each day. Whether they are a sloucher, an over corrector, or just unbalanced, it appears to me that when clients have full-body awareness and carry themselves more confidently through core stabilization techniques, their overall body image seems to improve.

“I encourage journaling and practicing positive affirmations each day. I help clients identify their body type and then learn more about what their body requires for health. Clients with body dymorphic behaviors usually require more reality checks. Frequent measurements and trips to the scale only seem to worsen the behaviors.”

–Emily Wong, Baton Rouge Louisiana

“As a Pilates instructor in Los Angeles, I deal with body dysmorphic issues frequently. I am a former dancer and have dealt with my own issues in this area most of my life. Basically, I try to shift my client’s focus from appearance to health, making the point that a healthy, balanced body will naturally appear beautiful.”

–Kim Harris, Los Angeles, California