Body-image therapy

Body image is a complex interplay of factors resulting in a sense of the body perceived by that individual. In eating-disorder clients, there is a distortion between their perceived image of their body and its actuality. This is combined with a sense of dissatisfaction and alienation of mind and body. Cognitive, right-brain, and kinesthetic strategies are described that seek to decrease distortion and dissatisfaction and facilitates individuation-separation and a reintegration of the self. These strategies are both therapeutic and evaluative. Cultural expectations of women have had a profound impact on the proliferation of eating disorders, and they account for the fact that body distortion is found in both normal and eating-disordered women.