Body Image Counseling for Transgender Individuals in Philadelphia, PA
No One Told You That Body Image Could Get More Complicated After Transitioning
Maybe you hated your body before transitioning, and the only way to cope was to pretend it didn’t exist. You just started HRT or you finally went out in public in clothes that felt aligned with your gender. You wore make-up for the first time leaving the house, and you feel excited when a stranger holds the door for you in public.
However, looking in the mirror is still hard sometimes. Certain clothes feel awkward, and you always feel restless and on edge.
Perhaps you finally got top surgery and while the results are great, you still find yourself picking apart your flaws. You keep thinking with the next surgery, then you’ll finally feel okay with your body.
Maybe you…
Spend hours scrolling social media because you can’t help comparing yourself to the trans people who look thin and seem to pass.
Exercise to the point where it’s no longer enjoyable because taking a rest day feels too stressful.
Blame yourself when you get misgendered, especially on a day when you were feeling good about how you looked.
Cringe when you see pictures of yourself while that voice in your head keeps picking apart how you look.
Count calories, skip meals, and avoid going out to dinner with your friends.
Gender transition can feel exciting, and it can stir up so many complicated feelings about your body, sometimes more intensely than before.
My Approach to body image counseling…
Helping You Build Confidence Beyond Cis-Normative Expectations
Your struggles aren’t personal failings, they are natural responses to living in a world that puts impossible standards on people.
As a white, cisgender queer woman, I’ll never fully know what it’s like to be you. However, I am committed to creating the safest place possible where you can be vulnerable and do deep, meaningful work in therapy. I know I can’t cure systemic oppression, or fix gender dysphoria. My goal is to create a space where you can talk openly about all of the complicated feelings around your body. My approach is rooted in helping you build self-compassion, rather than body positivity.
In our work together, we’ll call out the harmful systems that put certain bodies and identities above others. We’ll explore how these cis-het expectations have impacted how you see yourself and move through the world.
Together we’ll explore how you experience gender outside of your body, and what brings your gender euphoria. We’ll use mind-body approaches like art therapy and IFS to rewrite the parts of your self-narrative that came from societal messaging.
Therapy Services
I offer specialized, experiential approaches that support queer and gender affirming care.
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IFS is a compassion-based model that can help you understand the different parts of your inner world that may hold conflicting feelings around your identity. IFS can help you name and heal the parts that come from internalized homophobia and transphobia.
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Art therapy helps you process feelings in ways beyond words. The creative process can help you understand yourself in a deeper way and unlock new aspects of your identity. Art therapy is flexible and expansive, making it queer affirming at its core.
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Psychodynamic Therapy explores how early relationships and cultural messages about gender shape current patterns. Understanding these influences creates opportunities for profound healing and change in your relationship with yourself.
LGBTQ-Affirming Eating Disorder Therapy in Philadelphia
Are you tired of counting calories and checking the scale? Maybe you want to stop tracking your food, but you’re afraid of gaining weight. Maybe you want to change your body to feel more aligned in your gender, but the mental load is becoming too much.
I understand that traditional recovery narratives don’t land for queer and trans folks. My approach to eating disorder therapy is nuanced and collaborative, where you define what recovery means to you.
There is a path forward, and it doesn’t have to be perfect. There is space for all of your conflicting feelings, wants, and fears. I’d love to help you find more peace with food and confidence in who you are.
body image counseling can help you…
Let Go of Cis-Het Ideas of Attractiveness
Shifting focus onto what makes you feel good in your gender instead of what makes you more acceptable to others.
Feel Confident in Yourself
Feel validated and real in your gender regardless of what the world is staying. Harmful systems will still have their impact, but your worth won’t be defined by them.
Learn Self-Compassion
Therapy helps you look at every side of yourself with kindness, not criticism. Even the parts buried in shame and guilt.
Separate Gender Dysphoria from Body Image Issues
We’ll explore gender-affirming options that are within your control to help alleviate gender dysphoria, while also finding ways to cope with aspects of your body that you can’t change.
Reduce Self-blame
The beliefs you inherited from oppressive systems aren’t yours to carry. It’s time to start directing your anger where it belongs—at the systems that caused the harm, not you.
Celebrate Your Identity
You’ll identify and connect with your values, goals, and passions that that make up who you are. Find ways to notice small moments of gratitude and what brings you happiness, even in a cis-het world.
Societal beauty standards don’t have to define your worth
Find freedom from the rules that don’t serve you.
Questions?
FAQs
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Starting therapy begins with a free 20-minute phone consultation where we discuss what brings you to seek support and whether my approach aligns with your needs.
There's no pressure - finding the right therapist who understands transgender health is crucial for effective therapy.
If we decide to work together, you'll complete intake paperwork through a secure client portal.
Our first session focuses on understanding your goals, exploring your history with gender identity and any co-occurring concerns like eating disorders, and discussing how therapy can support your journey.
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I typically meet with clients weekly for one-hour sessions at a consistent day and time. Some benefit from meeting more frequently or for extended 90-minute sessions, particularly when doing intensive work around gender dysphoria or eating disorders.
Between sessions, I may provide journal prompts to deepen self-exploration. For those working with OCD through ERP, there will be specific homework to practice skills and track progress.
Sometimes goals/needs change in therapy, or you might realize that something is missing in sessions. I always center your needs in treatment and encourage feedback on what’s working for you and what’s not working
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I get it, starting therapy is a huge leap! Here are some things to consider:
You’re looking to explore your gender and feel ready to talk about it.
You’re considering HRT or gender affirming surgery and need support in how to take those next steps
You’re looking for a gender affirming letter.
You’re looking for a social justice, anti-oppressive approach to therapy.
You’re interested in trying non-traditional approaches to counseling (in addition to talk therapy).
You’re looking to do deeper work to understand yourself better.
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You can schedule a consultation by booking online.
We’ll start with a quick, free 20-minute phone chat to talk about what’s been coming up for you and what kind of support you’re looking for. There’s no pressure — it’s just a chance for us to connect and see if working together feels like a good fit. You deserve a therapist who really gets your experience and makes space for all of who you are.
After the phone call, if it’s a good fit, we can schedule that first appointment. You will receive an email to set up your client portal and complete the intake paperwork online. Once all of the forms are completed, your appointment will be confirmed.
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Yes. Supporting transgender and non-binary individuals is one of my primary specialties. I have training in both eating disorder treatment and gender-affirming care, and I understand how closely gender identity and body image can be connected. My goal is to provide a space where your identity is affirmed and your full experience is understood.
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Many traditional approaches focus solely on food behaviors or body image without considering gender dysphoria. For transgender and non-binary individuals, body distress may not simply be about weight or appearance — it may be deeply connected to gender identity. When that piece is ignored, treatment can feel invalidating or incomplete.
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For some people, disordered eating becomes a way to cope with or attempt to change body characteristics that feel misaligned with their gender identity. Restricting, bingeing, purging, or over-exercising can sometimes be connected to a desire to suppress or reshape the body. In our work together, we gently explore how dysphoria and eating behaviors may be intertwined — without shame or judgment.
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I draw from Art Therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and psychodynamic therapy. These approaches allow us to explore complex emotions from multiple angles — cognitively, emotionally, and creatively.
Art Therapy can be especially powerful when feelings about body or gender feel too overwhelming or difficult to put into words. Sometimes creating images helps us access and process what language alone cannot.
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Queer and transgender individuals are at higher risk for trauma due to possibly facing discrimination, rejection, and healthcare systems that aren’t affirming. The stress of having to navigate a world that is increasingly hostile to LGBTQ people can take a toll on your mental health and well-being.
Learn more about trauma therapy for LGBTQ individuals in Philadelphia.
Creating Your Path Forward
Living authentically as your true self is possible, even when facing societal challenges. Through our work together, you can develop more self-confidence, improve your relationship with your body, and build hope for your future. My role is to provide consistent, compassionate support while you navigate your journey towards self-discovery.
Recovery from eating disorders, healing from trauma, and embracing your gender identity aren't linear processes. There will be challenges along the way. What matters is having steady support from someone who understands the unique experiences of transgender and non-binary individuals.