A Therapist's Guide to Treating Eating Disorders in a Social Media Age

Book excerpt: An innovative therapeutic approach for counteracting the impact of social media on eating disorders and identity formation. All humans need space to think, to be, and to process without constant distraction. This is especially true of adolescents and young adults, for whom identity formation is a consuming task. Social media has generated both a place for the creation of identity and an audience. But constant connection leaves little space without intrusion from others. For those with body dissatisfaction and/or eating disorders, living in today’s world can be especially challenging, and viewing images on social media and other online formats can be devastating. Shauna Frisbie utilizes phototherapy techniques to view client-selected images (whether they be of themselves or others) to help uncover underlying messages that are impacting their relationship to their bodies. Integrating concepts of healing narratives, neuroscience, and phototherapy, this book will help any therapist promote self-compassion, self-reflection, and healing in their clients.