Body & Eating Issues Counseling & Therapy
FIND RELIEF WITH EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENT
Struggling with body-focused behaviors, appearance concerns, or a difficult relationship with food can feel overwhelming and isolating. Urges to pull or pick, worry about how you look, or rigid rules around food can take up significant time and energy. Many people carry these patterns privately for years, and the short-term relief they bring often keeps the cycle going.
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At Invictus Counseling, our counselors specialize in anxiety and anxiety-related challenges, including BFRBs, body dysmorphic disorder, and eating concerns. Our therapists bring advanced training, ongoing supervision, and access to expert consultation to every step of treatment.
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Using proven methods including Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), iCBT, anxiety sensitivity work, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), we help you understand the urges behind these behaviors and respond to them differently, all without shame or judgment.
WHAT ARE BODY & EATING ISSUES?
Body-focused repetitive behaviors, appearance-related distress, and difficulties with food often share a common thread: anxiety, urges,
and the need for relief.
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These patterns can show up as hair pulling or skin picking, distressing preoccupation with perceived flaws in appearance, or rigid rules around food and eating. The relief they bring is short-term, which keeps the cycle going.
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Over time, these concerns can limit confidence, relationships, and daily functioning. The good news is that they can be reduced with practical, evidence-based therapy.
COMMON SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF BODY & EATING ISSUE
Body and eating concerns look different for everyone, but common experiences include:
Hair pulling
Skin picking
Strong urges or tension
Short-term relief, then distress
Preoccupation with perceived flaws
Repeated appearance checking
Comparing yourself to others
Reassurance seeking
Avoiding mirrors or photos
Avoiding meals with others
Rigid rules around food
Need for control around eating
TYPES OF BODY & EATING ISSUES WE TREAT
Body-Focused
Repetitive Behaviors
BFRBs are repetitive behaviors directed at the body that are difficult to stop, including trichotillomania (hair pulling) and excoriation (skin picking). They often happen in response to urges, tension, or discomfort, and bring short-term relief that keeps the cycle going. Counseling helps you recognize triggers, build awareness of the urge cycle, and develop practical alternatives.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Body Dysmorphic Disorder involves distressing preoccupation with perceived flaws in appearance that others often don't notice. It can lead to repeated checking, comparing, seeking reassurance, or avoiding situations and photos. Counseling helps reduce these behaviors and the need for certainty, rather than trying to argue with the thoughts themselves.
Eating Disorders
Difficulties with food, eating, and body image are often driven by anxiety, rigid rules, and a need for control. Our work in this area is a sub-specialty and varies by clinician, so we'll match you with a therapist whose training fits your needs. We also coordinate with medical providers when appropriate.
OUR EVIDENCE BASED APPROACH TO BODY & EATING ISSUES TREATMENT
ACCEPTANCE & COMMITMENT THERAPY (ACT) & iCBT
These approaches engage the cognitive side of how anxiety impacts your mental wellness. They help you respond differently to urges and distressing thoughts about appearance.
EXPOSURE & RESPONSE PREVENTION (ERP)
ERP helps you gradually and safely face feared or avoided situations. At the same time, it reduces checking, reassurance seeking, and other compulsive behaviors.
ANXIETY SENSITIVITY WORK
Urges, discomfort, and uncomfortable physical sensations often drive body-focused behaviors. Anxiety sensitivity work reduces the distress that comes with them.
COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT)
CBT helps you identify and challenge the thought patterns that fuel body and eating concerns. It often includes goal-oriented exercises and practice between sessions so you make real progress.
WHY CHOOSE INVICTUS COUNSELING FOR BODY & EATING ISSUES THERAPY?
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Specialists in anxiety and anxiety-related concerns
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ERP, ACT, iCBT, and CBT
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Focused care for BFRBs, BDD, and eating concerns
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Care without shame or judgment
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Two evidence-based Foundational Trainings for every new therapist
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Ongoing supervision and expert consultation
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Coordination with medical providers when appropriate
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Virtual sessions when helpful
BENEFITS OF BODY & EATING ISSUES COUNSELING
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Understand urges and triggers
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Reduce body-focused behaviors
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Reduce checking and comparing
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Cut back on
reassurance seeking
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Respond differently to appearance thoughts
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Re-enter avoided situations
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Regain confidence
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Build lasting coping strategies
Relief is possible with the right support and evidence-based care.
FAQ'S
TAKE THE FIRST STEP TOWARD CONFIDENCE AND FREEDOM
If body-focused behaviors or eating concerns are interfering with your daily life, you don't have to face them alone. With practical, evidence-based care, it is possible to reduce distressing behaviors and regain confidence, calm, and control.
Whether these patterns started recently or you've carried them for years, our therapists are here to support you every step of the way.