Body Image and Imperfection, with Holli Rubin

<p>Do you feel bad about the way you look? Does seeing yourself in the mirror trigger thoughts like “I’m not good enough, attractive enough, thin enough?” </p> <p>Do you compare yourself to other people, thinking they look better than you?</p> <p>You’re not alone. </p> <p>In this episode, I speak with psychotherapist Holli Rubin about body image, and feelings we have about our bodies, and how unrealistic ‘body positivity’ can be for those with a negative body image. </p> <p> </p> <p>Holli Rubin is a psychotherapist, body image specialist and mental health practitioner with over 25 years’ experience where she has been commissioned by the Government Equalities Office and is part of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Body Image. </p> <p>We cover:</p> <ul><li style="font-weight:400;">Connection between our physical selves and our emotions</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">The lens we view our appearance with</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Body image isn’t vanity</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Feelings about our body aren’t fixed</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Social media/imagery feed our comparison</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Questioning the images we see - retouching</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">All bodies have imperfections</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Body neutrality rather than positivity</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Mindset shifts around what our bodies do for us</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Cosmetic surgery and body dysmorphia</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">The transmission of negative body image from mother to child</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Embracing changing body shape in pregnancy</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><a href='https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/body-dysmorphia/#:~:text=Body%20dysmorphic%20disorder%20(BDD)%2C,affects%20both%20men%20and%20women.'>Body dysmorphia NHS guidance</a></p> <p><a href='https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/body-dysmorphic-disorder-bdd/about-bdd/