Posted by Dinah on May 10, 2008, at 14:33:52
In reply to Talking about weight in therapy, posted by Daisym on May 10, 2008, at 1:16:05
I find talking about my weight and body image far more difficult than talking about sex or money or my feelings for my therapist.
Moreover, I think my therapist finds it equally difficult. He tends to try to divert the discussion, or minimize the problem. I'm not sure if this is because of the social norms involved, or if his own weight issues have anything to do with it. He'll dismiss it with vague references to medications causing my weight gain. Earlier in our relationship, he'd ask me why I don't wear makeup or dress nicer, but now he doesn't do that.
It's such an enormously layered and complex topic, and I think it deserves a layered and complex and lengthy look.
It occurs to me that this would be one of those perfect opportunities for a scheduled chat on a particular topic. It seems like a lot of us struggle with this issue. And while I don't minimize the chance of actual insight being gained in discussing it candidly and in the relative privacy of chat, at the very least, wouldn't it help desensitize us to the topic so we could more easily talk about it in therapy?
poster:Dinah
thread:828305
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20080508/msgs/828352.html