Therapy for Weight Management in Peachtree City, GA
Cora stepped off the scale and sighed. For as long as she can remember, she has struggled with her weight. She watches what she eats—stays away from bad food and sticks to good food. Cora also exercises regularly, but weight management has never been easy for her. Several times, Cora has lost a significant amount of weight, only go gain it all back. The worst part of it all? The voice inside her head. Cora does not have an easy relationship with her body. Many people can probably relate to Cora’s experiences. Because people are whole beings, weight management is often more difficult than simply burning more calories than one eats. Often, the emotional component of weight management is the most important component. More and more, people are going to therapy as they seek to manage their weight. Counseling for weight management has helped many people build a positive understanding of their body and establish long-term healthy patterns.
“I think there’s so much emphasis on body image and results and outcome, but really what you should be after is to be healthy and to feel good about yourself.”
—Abby Wambach
Nutritionists and coaches and trainers can all be important elements of a weight management plan, but so can mental health professionals. In order to change an individual’s body, their mind may also need to change as well. The goal of weight management is not to fit into a certain clothing size, but the goal is to establish a healthy, self-confidence. To get there, counseling may help people heal past wounds that are contributing to their weight struggles, confront untrue thought patterns, and build healthy coping skills. These are often the foundation to long-term change.
Thriveworks Peachtree City provides therapy for weight management. We understand that having a healthy relationship with one’s body is easier said than done. We also understand that being healthy, both physically and emotionally, is possible.
America’s Difficulty with Body Weight
It is common knowledge that many Americans struggle with maintaining a healthy body weight. Obesity is a growing problem for both children and adults. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that…
- 9 percent of kids ages 2-5 are obese.
- 17 percent of kids ages 6-11 are obese.
- 20 percent of kids ages 12-19 are obese.
- 20 percent of adults in American (ages 20 and older) are obese.
- 20 percent of adults in America are overweight.
These percentages describe more than just a number on a scale. Behind the numbers are challenges that are not so obvious. Mental health challenges (like eating disorders, anxiety, or depression) are often the root causes of weight and body image problems. Working with a mental health professional may help people address these foundational problems so that they can experiencing a long-term, healthy relationship with themselves and their bodies.
Therapy and Body Image
What are the benefits of working with a therapist as well as a nutritionist or a trainer when seeking to manage weight? There are two ways that counseling for weight management may help people in their journey to mental and physical health. First, therapy may help people heal past wounds that are fueling a contentious relationship with their body. Second, therapy may help people build coping skills that allow them to work toward a healthy future.
Healing emotional and psychological wounds: If an eating disorder is contributing to the difficulty of weight management, then mental health professionals can often diagnose this underlying problem and help their clients find treatment. Same with anxiety or depression that may be contributing factors. Another common psychological and emotional wound is negative thinking patterns. Often times, people do not even know that they are telling themselves negative and untrue things such as…
- Overeating needs to be punished.
- Achievement should be rewarded with food.
- Being comfortable with one’s own body is impossible.
Often, people are not even aware that they are believing these untrue things. When these negative thought patterns are identified, they can be changed. In the process, people often change their relationship with their bodies.
Working toward a healthy future: Fad diets focus upon strict rules that are easy to break—eat this! Do not eat that! The goal of therapy, however, is more far-reaching and more empowering. The goal of counseling is to help people come to a place of holistic healthiness. In counseling, people may work on how to…
- Cultivate their self-awareness so that they can identify their true inner voice.
- Motivate themselves without rewards or punishments but by setting healthy goals.
- Developing healthy coping skills so that food is not used as self-medication but for its proper purpose.
- Get back on track after over-eating.
Meeting with a Counselor at Thriveworks Peachtree City for Weight Management Therapy
If you are sick of fad diets and exercise crazes, consider trying a different approach. Consider going to counseling for weight management. The therapists at Thriveworks Peachtree City offer weight management counseling, and we have appointments available. When you make that call to our office, know that a scheduling specialist will answer. We do not have a voicemail, but real people help our clients schedule their appointments. We also do not put our clients on a waitlist, but new clients often have their first session within 24 hours. Many different insurance plans are accepted, and weekend and evening sessions are offered. Let’s work together toward both physical and emotional health. Call today.
