weight loss bergen county nj

Diet Culture

GalleryJudy Gurfein Leave a comment

Diet Culture

By Asha Shetler

                Diets have a 98% failure rate, yet “diet culture” has taken over our world. Diet and weight loss culture in a nutshell? Thinness is beauty, health, and success. Body positivity in a nutshell? The truth: that any body can represent beauty, health, and success. This diet culture, in addition to undermining the body positivity movement, can destroy one’s mental health and/or self-esteem. It tells us that no matter what we look like, we are too fat and we should lose weight; that our bodies are not beautiful and not healthy. Diet culture is reflected in our daily language, in Barbie’s tiny waist, in social media filters, in who’s popular and who’s not. The U.S. weight loss market was an astounding  $72.7 billion in 2018, and is predicted to only grow. Clearly, being fed these lies that spawn from diet culture can make us very self-conscious and sometimes even self-loathing. It sets us up to feel like a failure, as well as normalizes and even encourages disordered eating, such as anorexia or bulimia. So, what can we do to reject this culture? Some of the best approaches are practicing self-compassion and intuitive eating (asking yourself what you need to help you feel best in your body.) If you or someone you know is struggling with diet culture or body image, therapy could be a helpful option for you.   

Sources:

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a35036808/what-is-diet-culture/

https://www.health.com/mind-body/body-positivity/escaping-diet-culture

If you or someone you know is seeking therapy, please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201)-368-3700 or (212)-722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/

Hypnosis: What is it and how is it beneficial?

GalleryJudy Gurfein 1 Comment

Alice Cordero

Hypnosis has almost always been portrayed in movies and books as an individual entering a sleep-like trance. Once the individual enters this state of “unconsciousness” he/ she unravels their truth, and shortly after awaken completely unaware that a session took place. It’s important for the general public to understand that this connotation of hypnosis is inaccurate.

Hypnosis by definition is a trance like state where you have heightened suggestibility and are fully conscious and alert. During a session the individual is fully focused, responsive, and less skeptical. The goal of hypnosis is to get the individual into a state of relaxation where the worrisome thoughts and experiences have subsided.

Hypnosis can be helpful for conditions including: chronic pain, stress, anxiety, sleep disorders, depression, grief, symptoms of dementia, ADHD, skin conditions, and behavior disorders like smoking, and nail-biting. It’s important to remember that during hypnosis the individual is always in control throughout the process. Although the therapist provides the patient with guidance throughout the session, the patient is always the main one in charge.

Some of the major benefits of hypnosis over the years include: losing weight, leaving bad habits, overcoming negative emotions, overcoming insomnia, and even improving daily life activities.

If you or someone you know is suffering from any of the conditions listed above or think they could generally benefit from hypnosis, please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201) 368-3700 or (212) 722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/.