Social Anxiety and Body Image

Body dysmorphic disorder is characterized by a preoccupation with a defect in appearance which is either imagined or a slight physical anomaly.  I recently read an interesting article about this subject. I must admit that I have noticed anxiety symptoms (although sometimes subclinical) in my clients with eating disorders or body image issue. The authors of this article address the treatment of social anxiety symptoms in the successful treatment of body dysmorphic issues.

Parenting styles and adolescent anxiety

When a parent contacts me to arrange counseling for their adolescent, I explain that there will be times that the parents will be a part of the counseling session. It’s always difficult to talk with the parents about parenting styles. There’s plenty of guilt when it comes to parenting in general; therefore, guilt and a little defensiveness is understandable when your child’s counselor says, “we need to talk about parenting.”