Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Body Image Dissatisfaction: A Practitioner's Guide to Using Mindfulness, Acceptance, and Values-Based Behavior Change Strategies

by Adria N. Pearson, Michelle Heffner, Victoria M. Follette

ACT for Body Image Dissatisfaction is an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) manual practitioners can use to help clients overcome body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviors such as food restriction and binge eating.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology

216 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Candice · Rating 3 out of 5]

ACT protocols have been developed and are empirically supported for a variety of experiential avoidance disorders. I think that’s what didn’t appeal to me personally about this method. I know that my body image dissatisfaction isn’t hiding a deeper issue. There is a very specific set of circumstances that created it and I’m not using it to distract myself from something else.

I did benefit from learning the concepts of cognitive fusion and self-as-context.

“Bring yourself back to what your body needs, instead of what your mind says your body needs” is one of the best guides here.

[Selen Ozbek · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an ACT therapist, I find the experiential exercises and the structure of the book that was well written and strongly tailored with body image issues. Some parts are fairly repetitive though, if you are trained in ACT you might find yourself distracted/less interested as S. Hayes terms are used throughout. Nonetheless a great tool to apply ACT to this problem of modern world.

[Lucía Romero · Rating 4 out of 5]

ta mu bien 👍 ejercicios prácticos xulos

[Alison Raman · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a therapist that specializes in the treatment of individuals with eating disorders, body image concerns, and co-occurring mental health issues, I found this book to present a simple overview of ACT as well as useful experiential activities. The book also offers a more sophisticated understanding of the function of the myriad of "fixing" behaviors individuals employ to change or modify one's appearance or internal state based on the individual's cultural, historical, and emotional context. Pearson and her co-authors address body image problems in the context of eating disorders as well as those problems stemming from physical deformities, cosmetic appearance, medical causes, aging, etc. She makes a strong case for medical healthcare providers to be cognizant of how certain treatment regimes (such as medications) and disease processes may influence patient compliance and follow through, adding to the argument to improve the integration of medical and mental health services.

If you are familiar with ACT already, this book provides more tailored interventions to work with individuals struggling with body image disturbances. An experienced ACT practitioner can skip the review portions and focus on some of the more directly applicable exercises and visualizations. If you work in groups, you can easily tailor the exercises for application within a variety group settings or workshop interventions. Above all, the message conveyed throughout the book is one of empowerment. Take an active role in filtering cultural inputs and expectations; identify and act on what matters to you; explore underlying feelings connected to the body image (this can get messy and painful); begin to notice and respond to internal (thoughts, sensations, feelings) and external cues (media, comments, appearance) with more intention and in alignment with values (thoughts are not facts!); and expand your experience and understanding of yourself (you are not just how you look). Of course applying these statements in clinical practice is much more challenging.

In today's cultural milieu where body image dissatisfaction is pervasive on multiple levels and does not discriminate between age, gender, or culture, this is an excellent book for medical providers, mental health providers, nutritionists, and health coaches to read and reference. If the interventions discussed in this book pervaded the multi-billion dollar mainstream dieting, cosmetic, and appearance changing industries, consumers would hopefully think twice about starting the next diet, going to a cosmetic surgeon, or waiting for "life" to happen until reaching an acceptable or ideal image. Body image dissatisfaction unquestionably causes immense pain and suffering, and I am not minimizing this very personal and individualized experience. Internal change takes tremendous effort, courage, and patience and this book is a great place to start.

[Keri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Other than the misspelling of the word "dissatisfaction" along the spine, I really appreciated this book and therapy modality.