Care for Body Image Concerns
Body image is about more than how you look. It can influence how you think about yourself, how comfortable you feel in social situations, how you relate to your body, and whether you believe you are worthy of care, affection, and connection.
At Afterglow Behavioral & Sexual Health, LLC, we provide compassionate mental health support for people experiencing body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, shame, anxiety, depression, social withdrawal, or difficulty adjusting to physical changes. These concerns may be connected to weight stigma, aging, scarring, chronic illness, disability, surgery, injury, or the natural evolution of the body over time.
Negative body image can also affect relationships and sexual wellness. It may create discomfort with being seen or touched, reduce confidence during intimacy, or lead to avoidance of emotional and physical closeness. When these concerns are important to you, our specialized sexual wellness services provide a respectful space to explore them without pressure or judgment.
Using The Wabi-Sabi Body, a compassionate framework developed by Dr. Kent, we help clients move away from the belief that their bodies must be flawless, unchanged, or culturally ideal to be worthy. Together, we work toward greater self-understanding, body respect, confidence, and meaningful connection—with yourself and with others.
Every body changes. Every body carries a story. Every body remains worthy of care and connection.
Your Relationship With Your Body Matters
Body image is about more than appearance. It includes the thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and behaviors connected to how you experience your body. Concerns may develop in response to weight stigma, aging, scarring, disability, chronic illness, surgery, injury, skin changes, hair loss, mobility changes, or pressure to meet cultural standards of attractiveness.
At Afterglow Behavioral & Sexual Health, LLC, we provide mental health support for people who feel ashamed, disconnected, anxious, or overly critical of their bodies. When body image also affects intimacy, relationships, or sexual confidence, our specialty sexual wellness services provide a respectful place to explore those concerns.
You do not have to change your body before you are worthy of care, connection, or support.
How Body Image Can Affect Mental Health
Negative body image can influence self-esteem, mood, social confidence, eating behaviors, and overall quality of life. It may lead to repeated comparison, harsh self-criticism, avoidance of photographs or social situations, discomfort being seen, or difficulty adjusting to changes in appearance or physical ability. Research consistently connects positive body image with better psychological well-being. A systematic review and meta-analysis found that greater body appreciation was associated with lower levels of depression, anxiety, and general psychological distress, as well as greater self-esteem and self-compassion.
Body image concerns may contribute to:
Anxiety, depression, shame, or low self-esteem
Persistent comparison with other people
Social withdrawal or fear of judgment
Perfectionism and appearance-based self-worth
Difficulty adapting to illness, injury, aging, or disability
Distress related to eating, movement, clothing, or photographs
Feeling disconnected from the body or unable to trust it
Having body image concerns does not automatically mean that someone has an eating disorder or body dysmorphic disorder. However, professional support may be helpful when these thoughts cause ongoing distress, interfere with daily life, or affect relationships and health behaviors.
When Body Image Affects Sexual Wellness
Body image can also shape how comfortable someone feels with affection, physical closeness, nudity, and sexual expression. During intimacy, attention may shift away from physical sensation and emotional connection toward monitoring how the body looks or worrying about a partner’s judgment. A review of research on body image and sexual well-being found that greater body satisfaction and body appreciation were generally associated with more positive sexual experiences. Negative body image was associated with increased self-consciousness and difficulties involving desire, satisfaction, sexual confidence, and communication. The researchers also noted that much of the available evidence has focused on women and younger adults, so universal percentages across every gender, age, and population are not currently supported.
Body image concerns during intimacy may include:
Avoiding undressing, touch, or sexual activity
Fear of being judged, rejected, or compared
Difficulty remaining emotionally or physically present
Reduced desire or arousal related to anxiety and distraction
Discomfort expressing needs, boundaries, or preferences
Feeling undeserving of affection, pleasure, or attention
Relationship misunderstandings when avoidance is perceived as rejection
Not everyone experiencing body dissatisfaction has sexual concerns. At Afterglow, sexual wellness is discussed only when it is relevant to your goals, relationships, mental health, or quality of life.
The Wabi-Sabi Body Approach
The Wabi-Sabi Body is a compassionate framework developed by Dr. Kent to help people reconsider the belief that bodies must remain flawless, unchanged, or culturally ideal to have value. This approach does not require you to love every part of your body or pretend that difficult feelings do not exist. Instead, it encourages you to develop greater body respect, self-compassion, curiosity, and appreciation for the life your body has carried.
The framework can help you:
Separate your worth from appearance
Reduce shame and harsh self-criticism
Adjust to natural or medically related body changes
Appreciate what your body does, not only how it looks
Become more emotionally present within your body
Build confidence in relationships and intimacy
Replace perfectionism with flexibility and self-respect
These principles are consistent with broader research on positive body image. A meta-analysis of 59 studies found that greater self-compassion was associated with fewer body image concerns, less eating-related distress, and stronger positive body image. Research on functionality appreciation also supports helping people respect and value what their bodies are capable of doing.
How Afterglow Can Help
Our primary focus is supporting your mental and emotional health. Depending on your needs, care may address:
Anxiety, depression, shame, or low self-esteem
Body dissatisfaction and appearance-related distress
Adjustment to aging, illness, injury, disability, or medical treatment
Social comparison and perfectionism
Relationship and communication concerns
Sexual confidence and discomfort during intimacy
Fear of being seen, touched, or emotionally vulnerable
Rebuilding connection with your body and with others
We do not offer a one-size-fits-all definition of body confidence. Together, we work toward a relationship with your body that feels more compassionate, realistic, and sustainable.
Your Body Does Not Have to Be Perfect to Be Worthy
You may have spent years trying to hide, criticize, shrink, change, or disconnect from your body. Therapy offers an opportunity to develop something different—not forced positivity, but greater understanding, respect, and freedom from constant self-judgment. You can learn to experience your body rather than only evaluate it. You can build confidence without waiting for your appearance to change. And when intimacy matters to you, you can explore connection in ways that feel comfortable, meaningful, and authentically yours.
Every body changes. Every body carries a story. Every body remains worthy of care and connection.
Get More Informatin or Schedule Today
Connect with us
© 2026. All rights reserved.
Address: 5294 Madison Pike, Suite 202 Independence, KY 41051
Email: dr.kent@afterglowhealth.org
Phone: (859) 955-8852 (secure text or talk)
