Counseling in
Wichita, KS
BMSPA.biz
686-5195
Wichita, KS
BMSPA.biz
686-5195
Behavioral Medicine Specialists, P.A.
Article - Body Brilliance
Copyright © 2006, 2007 BMSPA All Rights Reserved
Mental Health Counseling IS our biz.
BMSPA
Wichita, KS
~
Clinic Hours
~
Mon - Thur
8:00 - 6:00
~
Friday
8:00 - 2:30
~
Evening
Appointments
Available
~
Phone:
316-686-5195
~
Fax:
316-686-8714
Wichita, KS
~
Clinic Hours
~
Mon - Thur
8:00 - 6:00
~
Friday
8:00 - 2:30
~
Evening
Appointments
Available
~
Phone:
316-686-5195
~
Fax:
316-686-8714
BMSPA
Counseling
Wichita, KS
~
Phone:
316-686-5195
~
Fax:
316-686-8714
Counseling
Wichita, KS
~
Phone:
316-686-5195
~
Fax:
316-686-8714
7829 East Rockhill
Building 100, Suite 101
Wichita, Ks. 67206
Building 100, Suite 101
Wichita, Ks. 67206
316-686-5195
Welcome to bmspa.biz
Counseling Wichita, KS
The following article was printed in the "Alive and Well" magazine, September/October issue, 2007. Reprined here with persmission from the magazine editor, Kathy Manweiler.
Wichita psychologist Courtney Johnson has never met a baby with bad self-esteem.
"We're born in the world to feel good about ourselves," she says. "Somehow as we grow up, things change." Many People don't like what they see in the mirror, and that can hold them back from happiness.
"Sometimes the concerns we have about our body can distract us from what we want in life." says Johnson, a body image specialist. "Changing your body doesn't bring you happiness. Working on happiness brings you happiness."
That's the message behind Body Brilliance, a series of workshops created by Johnson and art therapist Kayra Moloney to help people feel comfortable in their own skin.
Body image problems can affect people of all ages and all sizes. A body image survey of almost 60,000 people by Elle magazine and MSNBC.com found that almost two-thirds of the women who responded were either too thin or were at a healthy weight. But even those women weren't happy with their size. Almost half of the women who were at a healthy weight said they wanted to be thinner, while about 14 percent of the underweight women wanted to lose more pounds.
Other research indicates that 81 percent of girls ages 9 to 11 are fearful of becoming fat, Johnson says. Their fear of fat ranks higher than the fear of losing their parents or becoming disabled, she says.
Women don't want their daughters to struggle with body image problems, but many moms battle these issues themselves. You can try to teach your teenager to feel good about herself, but she won't learn that lesson if she also hears you criticizing yourself, Moloney says.
You'll get better results if you first work on accepting yourself and then tell your daughter, "I'm practicing what I preach and I'm coaching you to be nonjudgmental of yourself," Moloney says.
Often, when we attempt to change our body image, "we try to do it backwards," Johnson says. Many women tell themselves, "I'm not going to say nice things about my body until it looks the way I want it to look."
But one step toward improving your body image is to say positive, accepting things about yourself even if you don't totally buy into it yet. Doing that can help counteract the negative things you have thought and said about your body.
"We're born in the world to feel good about ourselves," she says. "Somehow as we grow up, things change." Many People don't like what they see in the mirror, and that can hold them back from happiness.
"Sometimes the concerns we have about our body can distract us from what we want in life." says Johnson, a body image specialist. "Changing your body doesn't bring you happiness. Working on happiness brings you happiness."
That's the message behind Body Brilliance, a series of workshops created by Johnson and art therapist Kayra Moloney to help people feel comfortable in their own skin.
Body image problems can affect people of all ages and all sizes. A body image survey of almost 60,000 people by Elle magazine and MSNBC.com found that almost two-thirds of the women who responded were either too thin or were at a healthy weight. But even those women weren't happy with their size. Almost half of the women who were at a healthy weight said they wanted to be thinner, while about 14 percent of the underweight women wanted to lose more pounds.
Other research indicates that 81 percent of girls ages 9 to 11 are fearful of becoming fat, Johnson says. Their fear of fat ranks higher than the fear of losing their parents or becoming disabled, she says.
Women don't want their daughters to struggle with body image problems, but many moms battle these issues themselves. You can try to teach your teenager to feel good about herself, but she won't learn that lesson if she also hears you criticizing yourself, Moloney says.
You'll get better results if you first work on accepting yourself and then tell your daughter, "I'm practicing what I preach and I'm coaching you to be nonjudgmental of yourself," Moloney says.
Often, when we attempt to change our body image, "we try to do it backwards," Johnson says. Many women tell themselves, "I'm not going to say nice things about my body until it looks the way I want it to look."
But one step toward improving your body image is to say positive, accepting things about yourself even if you don't totally buy into it yet. Doing that can help counteract the negative things you have thought and said about your body.
Art therapist Kayra Moloney speaks at a body brilliance seminar that was sponsored by radio station B98-FM.
"Our life is one big piece of artwork," she said.
"Our life is one big piece of artwork," she said.
Psychologist Courtney Johnson shares some insights about body image during B98-FM's (sponsor) Body Brilliance seminar at Chapel Hill Fellowship in Wichita, KS.
Photos by Kelly Glasscock
"You only get one body - that's it," Johnson says. "It's up to you how you want to treat it, how you take care of it and value it."
So think of the things about your body that you can be grateful for. Even if you're unhappy with the way you look, you can come up with a long gratitude list by considering the functions your body does for you.
Can you walk? Can you pick up a child? Can you dance? Can you play the piano? Can you smell flowers? Can you taste your favorite food? Can you write a note to someone you love? Can you listen to music? Can you hug a friend?
"Our body serves us," Johnson says. "It gives us purpose."
If you have a hard time speaking in a kind way about your body, doing a head-to-toe non-judgmental description of yourself can help, Johnson says.
Shift into neutral and just describe the facts without the judgment. "I have brown hair. I have a scar on my elbow from when I was 11. I have long fingers. I have size 8 feet..."
Body Brilliance incorporates art into its seminars because "we are creative beings," Maloney says. "Art is a wonderful way to try more things and explore new perspectives."
At a recent Body Brilliance workshop sponsored by Wichita radio station B98-FM, women's fingers twisted and molded multicolored pieces of clay into flowers, stars and happy faces - symbols of what their lives would be like if they had perfect bodies.
Moloney and Johnson then posed this question to the group: What do you think having a perfect body would give you? Maybe it's connections to others or peace or the feeling of success. "Think about what you can do right now or tomorrow or the next day to create that" instead of spending so much time focusing on your appearance, Johnson suggests.
Johnson and Moloney encourage people to practice radical acceptance: Accepting this moment as it is. Accepting your body as it is. Accepting your life as it is and accepting yourself as you are right now. That may mean pain or discomfort, they say. But there's a pay-off.
"To be in a place of radical acceptance frees you up from the past," Moloney says. "It opens you up to a brand new story."
Accepting how things are right now doesn't mean that you stop taking care of your body or release your responsibility to create the life you desire, they say.
The key is to accept that you're a work in progress. "That can shift our mood and our feelings and allow us to live in a more contented place," Johnson says.
Some people spend so much time, effort and energy trying to get the body they want that they don't have much time left to create the life that they want, Moloney says.
"What is your heart's desire? If you figure that out, you don't have to work so hard on the body image," Johnson says. "When you're more fulfilled in your life, the body image improves."
So think of the things about your body that you can be grateful for. Even if you're unhappy with the way you look, you can come up with a long gratitude list by considering the functions your body does for you.
Can you walk? Can you pick up a child? Can you dance? Can you play the piano? Can you smell flowers? Can you taste your favorite food? Can you write a note to someone you love? Can you listen to music? Can you hug a friend?
"Our body serves us," Johnson says. "It gives us purpose."
If you have a hard time speaking in a kind way about your body, doing a head-to-toe non-judgmental description of yourself can help, Johnson says.
Shift into neutral and just describe the facts without the judgment. "I have brown hair. I have a scar on my elbow from when I was 11. I have long fingers. I have size 8 feet..."
Body Brilliance incorporates art into its seminars because "we are creative beings," Maloney says. "Art is a wonderful way to try more things and explore new perspectives."
At a recent Body Brilliance workshop sponsored by Wichita radio station B98-FM, women's fingers twisted and molded multicolored pieces of clay into flowers, stars and happy faces - symbols of what their lives would be like if they had perfect bodies.
Moloney and Johnson then posed this question to the group: What do you think having a perfect body would give you? Maybe it's connections to others or peace or the feeling of success. "Think about what you can do right now or tomorrow or the next day to create that" instead of spending so much time focusing on your appearance, Johnson suggests.
Johnson and Moloney encourage people to practice radical acceptance: Accepting this moment as it is. Accepting your body as it is. Accepting your life as it is and accepting yourself as you are right now. That may mean pain or discomfort, they say. But there's a pay-off.
"To be in a place of radical acceptance frees you up from the past," Moloney says. "It opens you up to a brand new story."
Accepting how things are right now doesn't mean that you stop taking care of your body or release your responsibility to create the life you desire, they say.
The key is to accept that you're a work in progress. "That can shift our mood and our feelings and allow us to live in a more contented place," Johnson says.
Some people spend so much time, effort and energy trying to get the body they want that they don't have much time left to create the life that they want, Moloney says.
"What is your heart's desire? If you figure that out, you don't have to work so hard on the body image," Johnson says. "When you're more fulfilled in your life, the body image improves."
Special Thanks to Kathy Manweiler, "Alive and Well " editor for allowing us to re-print the article.
As promised Kathy, here is a link to "Alive and Well."
As promised Kathy, here is a link to "Alive and Well."
BMSPA
Counseling
Wichita, KS
~
Body Brilliance
~
Changing Attitudes About
Weight Loss
and Weight Management
~
Phone:
316-686-5195
~
Fax:
316-686-8714
Counseling
Wichita, KS
~
Body Brilliance
~
Changing Attitudes About
Weight Loss
and Weight Management
~
Phone:
316-686-5195
~
Fax:
316-686-8714
Feel Better About Your Body
Body Brilliance seminars teach you how to make peace with what you see in the mirror.
By Kathy Manweiler
About Body Brilliance
If you'd like more information about Body Brilliance workshops, seminars and cruises, go to the Body Brilliance web site at
For individual weight management counseling or other life issues,
call BMSPA at 686-5195 to make an appointment with Dr. Johnson or one of the many counselors who can help with your weight loss issues or weight management program.
call BMSPA at 686-5195 to make an appointment with Dr. Johnson or one of the many counselors who can help with your weight loss issues or weight management program.
Weight loss programs and serious weight management should be undertaken with permission and advice from your family doctor or life coach/counselor. Eat nutritious foods, exercise regularly and begin to see a new, happier, healthier you. Striving to have a healthy body can help clear your mind of cobwebs that pull you down. Stay positive about your weight loss and weight management. Taking steps to a healthy body should be your goal. Being thinner is a sideline benefit.
Surround yourself with postitive thoughts and positive thinking people. Attitudes that wear a smile are more than just helpful - they are healthful too. Anxiety and depression while trying to maintain your weight loss program are common issues that can be battled with the help of a licensed counselor.
If you think you need counseling help with your weight loss or weight management program call BMSPA today. Secure one person who will help keep you positive in your endeavor to be happy and healthy in mind, body and spirit.
Surround yourself with postitive thoughts and positive thinking people. Attitudes that wear a smile are more than just helpful - they are healthful too. Anxiety and depression while trying to maintain your weight loss program are common issues that can be battled with the help of a licensed counselor.
If you think you need counseling help with your weight loss or weight management program call BMSPA today. Secure one person who will help keep you positive in your endeavor to be happy and healthy in mind, body and spirit.
Weight Loss and Weight Management Notes
BMSPA
Counseling
Wichita, KS
~
Phone:
316-686-5195
~
Fax:
316-686-8714
Counseling
Wichita, KS
~
Phone:
316-686-5195
~
Fax:
316-686-8714