Are you avoiding being intimate with someone (or yourself) because of how you feel about your body?

Daunted by dating apps? Struggling to connect with people?

Societal pressures getting the better of you now you're in your thirties, feeling forced to 'settle down'?

It's safe to say that the dating scene really is a minefield! With lots of hidden 'rules' on what you should and shouldn't say, endless dating apps to use, and wanting to find a genuine compatible connection. Dating can be super fun and a great time to explore what you like in a partner, but it can also be extremely overwhelming and complex to navigate!

Whilst we also live in a world where we are encouraged to be our authentic selves, we are also subject to more criticism for the way that we look with growing social media platforms and reality TV shows. With a continuing rise in edited photos, filters, and AI generated pictures; social media is dangerously portraying a very false image of what people really look like and it is becoming increasingly more difficult to keep up with these superficial standards in the real world.

I regularly hear phrases like “I’m too *insert descriptive word*” (skinny, fat, tall, short, feminine, masculine, bony, lumpy, flat chested, large breasted, small, big, hairy, bald…the list goes on) and it's heart breaking to see the affect these beauty standards have on people's daily lives.

Societal pressures and pornography have also set extremely unrealistic expectations on what sex 'should look like', forcing people to feel 'performative', and even down to what vulvas / breasts / penises should look like! All of these very thoughts can have a huge impact on your relationships and sex life, as well as your own mental and physical wellbeing.

Whether you have concerns about dating, what sex 'should look like', or worries about your own body image - don't let it get in the way of you having a happy life and fulfilling relationship.

Whatever your dating story, talking about it can really help to uncover parts of yourself that could be transformational to your relationship with yourself and others. Please feel free to reach out to me and we can have a chat about how therapy might be beneficial for you.