Body Image and Disordered Eating
Reclaiming Peace With Your Body and Yourself
Your body has carried you through so much — yet the relationship with it might feel complicated, painful, or disconnected. Whether you’re struggling with food, control, or constant self-criticism, you don’t have to fight this battle alone. At Dragonfly, we help you understand where these struggles come from and begin rebuilding a kinder, more trusting connection with your body and your worth.
Available Therapists for Body Image and Disordered Eating
Offering In-Person or Virtually Counselling Services in the Calgary Area
Dani Spackman
Registered Psychologist
When Every Thought Feels Tied to Food or How You Look
Maybe it started subtly — skipping meals, tracking calories, or comparing yourself to others online. Or maybe it’s been part of your life for a long time: the pressure to “look better,” to earn worth through control, to feel okay only when your body meets impossible standards. You might swing between restriction and guilt, or between self-criticism and exhaustion.
Disordered eating often isn’t really about food. It’s about coping — trying to find a sense of control, safety, or identity in a world that sends mixed messages about what it means to be “enough.” For some, food becomes a source of comfort and shame at the same time. For others, it’s about perfectionism, anxiety, trauma, or a way to silence emotions that feel too big to hold.
You might be tired of counting, hiding, or constantly thinking about your body. You might want freedom but feel scared to let go. Therapy offers a place to understand these patterns — not with judgment, but with compassion. Healing starts when you stop fighting your body and start listening to what it’s trying to tell you.
You’re Not the Only One Who Feels This Way
So many women live with quiet body dissatisfaction — comparing, criticizing, and internalizing unrealistic standards they never chose. Social media filters, diet culture, and comments from others can plant seeds of self-doubt that grow over time. It’s common to feel like your body is something to fix, rather than something to live in.
These patterns are not personal flaws — they’re learned responses in a culture that equates worth with appearance. And when control over food or your body becomes the only thing that feels manageable, it’s a sign your mind and body are asking for care, not punishment. You deserve to live free from obsession, guilt, and fear. You deserve to feel at home in yourself again.
Learning to Feel at Home in Your Body Again
Our work together focuses on understanding the emotional, psychological, and cultural layers behind your struggles — helping you move from self-criticism toward compassion and body trust.
We Start by Listening — Not Labeling
Every story around food and body image is unique. We’ll explore your experiences gently, without judgment or pressure. You’ll never be reduced to a diagnosis or a meal plan. Instead, we’ll focus on understanding how these patterns began, what purpose they’ve served, and what you need now to feel safe, grounded, and in control in a new way.
We Reconnect You With Your Body’s Cues
When you’ve spent years ignoring hunger, fullness, or emotional signals, it can feel confusing to reconnect with your body. We’ll work on rebuilding body awareness through mindfulness, nervous-system regulation, and somatic tools that help you feel safe in your own skin. Over time, you’ll learn to trust your body’s wisdom instead of fearing it.
We Challenge the Inner Critic
The voice that tells you you’re not enough — not thin enough, disciplined enough, lovable enough — often comes from past experiences of shame or comparison. In therapy, we’ll identify where that voice came from, what it’s protecting you from, and how to quiet it. You’ll develop a new internal dialogue grounded in respect and care rather than criticism and fear.
We Rebuild Identity Beyond Appearance
So much energy goes into trying to “fix” your body that it can drown out who you are. Together, we’ll explore who you are beyond the mirror — your values, your relationships, your goals, and the parts of you that deserve attention and nourishment. Healing isn’t about loving your body every day; it’s about learning to treat it with kindness, even on the hard ones.
At Dragonfly, we help women untangle the deep emotional roots of body image and disordered eating. Our therapists bring compassion and specialized training in body-focused therapy, mindfulness, and trauma-informed care — creating a space that feels safe, steady, and nonjudgmental.
We believe recovery isn’t about perfection — it’s about coming home to yourself. Whether you’re struggling with disordered eating, obsessive thoughts, or body dissatisfaction, we’ll help you rebuild trust with your body and find relief from the constant mental noise.
Book a free 20-minute phone consultation today. There’s no pressure or expectation — just an opportunity to talk about what’s been hard and see how we can support you in finding a new way forward. You deserve peace in your mind, your body, and your life.
You May Be Interested in
Therapy for Body Image and Disordered Eating
But Have Some Questions...
Do I have to be diagnosed with an eating disorder to come to therapy?
Not at all. Many clients seek therapy for disordered eating patterns, chronic dieting, or negative body image long before an official diagnosis is made — and that’s often the best time to start. You don’t need a label to deserve support. Therapy can help you prevent patterns from deepening and build a healthier relationship with food and your body at any stage.
What if I don’t hate my body but can’t stop thinking about it?
This is incredibly common. Even when you’re not engaging in extreme behaviors, constantly thinking about your body or food can be exhausting. Therapy helps you unpack those obsessive thought loops, challenge comparison habits, and find mental space for other parts of your life. You deserve to live with more ease and less noise in your head.
Can therapy help if my body image struggles are connected to trauma?
Yes. For many women, body image and eating issues are linked to experiences of trauma, control, or disconnection from the body. Our therapists are trained in trauma-informed approaches (including EMDR and somatic work) that address these deeper roots gently and safely. We’ll focus on restoring a sense of safety in your body and rebuilding trust from the inside out.
How long does therapy usually take?
There’s no set timeline for healing. Some clients focus on short-term goals like reducing food-related anxiety or improving body awareness; others continue longer-term work around self-worth and trauma recovery. Together, we’ll find a pace that fits your comfort level and helps you build sustainable, lifelong change.
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Therapy for Body Image and Disordered Eating in Calgary, AB
In Person and Online Sessions Available
1407 10 St SW, Calgary, AB T2R 1E7