Trans-Affirming Body Image Counseling in Philadelphia, PA
You didn’t expect body image to feel harder after transitioning.
Your gender expression finally feels aligned with who you are, but the way your body looks does not, and you still don’t feel good enough
Maybe you’ve been on HRT for awhile, and you’re wearing the clothes you’ve always wanted. Perhaps you wore make-up for the first time, and you feel excited when a stranger holds the door for you in public. You got asked to be a bridesmaid in your friends wedding, and you’re thrilled that you get to partake in this aspect of womanhood.
However, looking in the mirror is still hard sometimes. Certain clothes still feel awkward, and you feel restless and on edge. You keep comparing yourself to your cis girlfriends, and feel jealous at how effortless it seems for them. The trans women you see in the media like Alex Consani and Laverne Cox seem to be killing it, and a part of you wishes you could pass.
Perhaps you finally got top surgery and while the results are great, you still find yourself picking apart your flaws. You spend hours reading Reddit posts and watching Youtube videos, while wishing you could be one of the trans people who seem comfortable in their expression. You keep hoping that after the next surgery, you’ll finally feel okay with your body.
Maybe you…
Spend hours scrolling social media and compare yourself to the trans people who look thin and 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 days when you were feeling good about how you looked.
Cringe when you see pictures of yourself while picking apart how you look.
Feel triggered by your friends’ disordered eating and diet talk, and don’t know what to do about it.
Body check everyone you see no matter what space you’re in.
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 be in your life. However, I am committed to creating the safest place possible where you can be yourself. I offer a calm presence where you can talk openly about all of the complicated feelings around your body.
I know I can’t cure systemic oppression, nor fix gender dysphoria. I know body acceptance narratives might not work for you, especially if you’re dealing with gender discomfort. We’ll explore gender affirming options to address your dysphoria while working on body image simaltaneously.
In our work together, we’ll call out the systems that have harmed you and your relationship with your body. We’ll explore how these cis-het expectations have impacted how you see yourself and move through the world. We’ll use mind-body approaches like art therapy and IFS to rewrite the parts of your self-narrative that don’t serve you.
Body positivity can feel like another binary system where the only options are to either love or hate your body. My approach to body image counseling is rooted in body liberation, where we work on breaking free from society and other peoples’ expectations. That means we’ll work on building compassion towards yourself, regardless of how you feel about your body.
Together we’ll explore how you experience gender beyond your body size. I’ll help you identify the physical and non-physical aspects that help you feel good in your gender.
Can you help me get documentation for hormones or surgery and do you understand that process?
I provide gender-affirming letters for hormones and surgery according to the WPATH Standards of Care. Gender letters only require 1-2 sessions and have a 72-hour turn around time. During the session, I’ll ask you to share about your gender journey and how surgery will help you with your goals.
I work from an informed consent model, which means we’ll focus on the risks and benefits of surgery, and create a solid after-care plan. The letter will include my recommendations for gender affirming care and any mental health support, if needed.
I believe that everyone should have access to the care that they need and I do my best to reduce the level of gatekeeping that our current healthcare system demands.
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. You don’t need to be good at art to experience the benfits of art therapy.
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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.
Do you understand the difference between gender dysphoria and body image issues?
Gender dysphoria is the stress you feel when your gender identity doesn’t match the sex you were assigned at birth. Gender dysphoria can be triggered by physical aspects of your body, social roles, your name, and pronouns to name a few. Your internal sense of gender goes beyond your body, and it can feel upsetting when the world sees you as someone you’re not.
Body image issues relate specifcally to your physical body, and can be related or unrelated to gender identity. Someone may struggle with body image related to the shape of their body but may not have gender dysphoria. A trans person may have body image distress because aspects of their body don’t feel congruent with their gender. Body image and gender dysphoria are separate concepts but often overlap.
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…
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Cisnormative ideas of attractiveness are always going to be there. You’ll gain the tools to shift your focus onto what makes you feel good in your gender, instead of what makes you more acceptable to others. Imagine feeling excited to pick out your bridesmaids dress and go to your first bridal shower. You might have body thoughts, but they will take up less space.
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Harmful systems will still have their impact, but your worth won’t be defined by them. In therapy, we’ll focus on building confidence in your gender identity as part of your core self. Gender will serve as a foundation you can rely on when you’re having hard body image days. You’ll be able to recognize your inner qualities and rely on your chosen family for positive support.
You’ll unlearn some of the transphobic narratives that got stuck in your head and see them as separate from you. Instead of thinking, “what's wrong with me?” you’ll direct your anger towards the oppressive systems that have harmed you.
Imagine truly trusting those warm, glowy feelings you experience when you get your hair done at the salon, or when you geek out over Magic cards with your friends. Rigid gender expectations will always exist, but you’ll feel a sense of peace knowing who you are and what brings your life joy.
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I’ll help you develop compassion towards the parts of you that judge your body and the parts that have internalized harmful messaging from our society. Ending the internal struggle with your parts will help you feel more balanced, because your emotions will have a chance to breathe. You’ll be able to accept all of the complicated feelings about your body without feeling like you “failed” body acceptance.
Once you can give yourself grace, you’ll be better equiped to take care of yourself when you hear diet talk from your friends. You might even feel some compassion for them, while also not getting sucked into their head space.
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We’ll explore gender affirming options that are accessible to help with gender discomfort. The focus will be on what is within your control to alleviate gender dysphoria while also finding ways to cope with aspects of your body that you can’t change. We might explore hair, clothes, makeup, voice lessons, and surgeries (if accessible) as ways to boost gender euphoria. You’ll learn when to tend to your feelings around body image, and when to take a break from them through distraction.
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Therapy will help you take care of your physical needs like sleeping and eating consistently. We’ll work on identifying the ways you can take care of your body that feel right for you. Maybe it’s a queer yoga class, a spa facial, or hitting up your favorite coffee shop. Perhaps it’s engaging in hobbies that bring you joy like playing D & D, making art, and going to shows.
You’ll discover the healing practices that will help you cope with the negative messaging you might see in the media. If you’re having a rough body image day, creating a trans-positive music playlist or listening to a body image podcast can counter those inner critical thoughts.
You’ll know when you need to take a bathroom break when you hear negative body talk from other people or when to speak up if that feels right for you. You’ll know the people who boost positive feelings in your life and help you feel like your best self.
you are worthy of love and deserve happiness
Discover your own inner peace and live your best life.
Questions?
FAQs
Can you help me feel more comfortable in my body without changing my gender identity?
Gender-affirming care is necessary for body image therapy. My approach helps you explore what makes you feel affirmed in your gender while addressing other factors that might impact your relationship with your body. Your gender identity is crucial to the healing process because it is a part of your true self.
Will you push me towards a specific transition timeline or support me where I am?
I meet you where you’re at in your journey, and truly believe that gender transition needs to be on your timeline. Your identity is allowed to evolve, and you don’t need to have absolute certainty of your gender to be valid.
Do you work specifically with transgender and non-binary individuals?
Yes. Supporting transgender and non-binary individuals is one of my primary specialties. As a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist, 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.
Why doesn’t traditional eating disorder treatment work for transgender and non-binary people?
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.
How does gender dysphoria impact eating disorders?
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.
What types of therapy do you do?
I utilize art therapy, internal family systems (IFS), and psychodynamic therapy. I’m a board-certified art therapist and level 1 trained IFS therapist. I use creative and experiential approaches to help you connect to your feelings in a deeper way than traditional talk therapy.
Art Therapy can be especially powerful when feelings about your body or gender feel too overwhelming or difficult to put into words. Art-making can hold conflicting feelings and thoughts simaltaneously and can be a tool to build confidence in yourself.
Do you provide trauma therapy for LGBTQ individuals?
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
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.
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.