Condition guide
Body Image
Body image refers to how a person perceives, thinks, and feels about their own body. A difficult relationship with body image is extremely common and can affect self-esteem, mood, relationships, and daily life — from the way someone dresses or socialises, to more persistent distress and preoccupation.
Body image difficulties exist on a spectrum, and they’re worth taking seriously at any point on that spectrum, not just when they become severe. This page covers what difficult body image tends to look like, what contributes to it, and how psychological support can help.
Recognising it
What does difficult body image look like?
How it shows up
- Persistent dissatisfaction with your appearance or body
- Frequent comparison of your body to others, including on social media
- Significant time or emotional energy spent thinking about your appearance
Impact & behaviours
- Avoiding situations — social events, swimming, photos, certain clothing — because of how you feel about your body
- Body image significantly affecting mood, self-esteem, or confidence
- Checking behaviours, such as frequently checking your appearance in mirrors or reflective surfaces, or the opposite — avoiding mirrors altogether
Difficult body image can affect people of any body size, gender, or age, and it doesn’t require an eating disorder to be present to be worth addressing.
Understanding why
What contributes to difficult body image?
- Social & cultural messaging
- Cultural ideals around appearance, and comparison, including via social and traditional media.
- Life experiences
- Comments from others, bullying, or significant life changes affecting the body (such as illness, pregnancy, or ageing).
- Psychological factors
- Perfectionism, low self-esteem, or using appearance as a primary measure of self-worth.
- Co-occurring conditions
- Body image difficulties frequently accompany anxiety, depression, or disordered eating.
Body image is shaped by a wide mix of internal and external influences, which also means it’s genuinely responsive to psychological work that addresses those underlying patterns.
Getting better
How can therapy help with body image?
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
Addressing the thoughts and beliefs that drive body dissatisfaction and the behaviours (avoidance, checking) that maintain it.
Acceptance & commitment therapy (ACT)
Building a different relationship with body-related thoughts, rather than needing to eliminate them, and reconnecting with valued activities that avoidance may have limited.
Self-compassion approaches
Building a kinder internal relationship with your body and appearance.
Media literacy & social comparison work
Understanding and reducing the impact of comparison, particularly via social media.
Where body image difficulties are connected to disordered eating, treatment is typically integrated with that broader care, rather than addressed as a separate issue.
Next step
When should I see a psychologist about body image?
It’s worth reaching out if you’ve noticed:
- Body image significantly affecting your mood, confidence, or daily choices
- Avoiding activities, relationships, or opportunities because of how you feel about your body
- A lot of time or mental energy spent on appearance-related thoughts
- Body image concerns alongside changes in eating patterns or disordered eating
If body image concerns are connected to disordered eating, dedicated support is available in addition to the crisis contacts at the top of this page:
- Butterfly Foundation National Helpline 1800 33 4673 — Support for eating disorders and body image concerns, for anyone affected.
A GP can help you access a Mental Health Care Plan under Medicare's Better Access initiative, which provides rebates for a set number of psychology sessions per year.
How Pair helps
Matched with someone who's the right fit — not just available
Pair matches you with an AHPRA-registered psychologist based on your specific situation. Our matching process considers clinical fit, practical factors like session format and cost, and — optionally — identity-based preferences.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Is difficult body image the same as having an eating disorder?
No, though they frequently overlap. Difficult body image can exist without an eating disorder, and addressing it is worthwhile regardless. If body image concerns are connected to changes in eating, support for disordered eating is worth seeking alongside this.
Can body image issues affect people who aren’t underweight or overweight?
Yes. Body image difficulties can affect people across the full range of body sizes and appearances — they’re about a person’s relationship with their body, not an objective measure of how they look.
Does social media make body image worse?
For many people, social media comparison contributes meaningfully to body image difficulties, though it’s rarely the sole cause. Reducing exposure to comparison-heavy content and building media literacy is often a useful part of addressing body image, alongside broader therapeutic work.
How long does therapy for body image take?
This varies by individual and how long-standing the difficulty is. Some people notice meaningful shifts within a number of sessions, particularly with structured CBT approaches; deeper, longer-standing patterns often benefit from more sustained work.
Do I need a GP referral to see a psychologist about body image?
No — you can see a psychologist directly. A GP referral is only required if you want to access a Medicare rebate through a Mental Health Care Plan.
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