Bariatric Psychology and Weight Management in Richmond, VA
Weight management is tough, and you didn’t fail.
If you’ve tried unsuccessfully to lose weight before, chances are you are familiar with feeling:
⟡ Frustrated and angry at yourself, like you just don’t have the ‘will power’
⟡ Like you’ve tried everything and nothing works or sticks
⟡ You can lose weight, but it keeps coming back
⟡ Unsure about the options for medications or surgeries
⟡ Your genetics and biology are a large (likely the largest) contributor to your weight
⟡ Your BMI is not an accurate reflection of your health
⟡ Healthy habits will benefit your health whether you lose weight or not
⟡ Working on consistent and sustainable lifestyle changes can result in weight loss
⟡ We must always start from a place of self-love and compassion
Your weight says nothing about you as a person. At VAHMP, we believe:
We prefer to look at your overall health rather than just a number on a scale.
Weight loss is only one piece of the puzzle. In therapy, we’ll also explore the deeper factors that may be getting in the way of a healthy relationship with food, movement, and everyday habits—so you can build lasting change from the inside out.
Weight and Bariatric Services
01 |
Therapy for lifestyle changes and eating behaviors
We want to support you in understanding the emotional, behavioral, and mental factors that affect your ability to establish healthy habits. We may explore topics like:
⟡ Body image
⟡ Emotional eating or binging
⟡ “All or nothing” mindsets
⟡ Trauma
Together, we can determine what affects your relationship with food and weight. Our goal is to help you proceed in a healthy way that promotes mental and physical wellbeing simultaneously.
02 |
Therapy for body image and acceptance
Therapy to help you explore and improve how you see and feel about your body. We often address:
⟡ Negative self-talk
⟡ Comparison and self-criticism
⟡ Building self-compassion and confidence.
Over time, you can develop a healthier, more accepting relationship with your body, which supports overall well-being and emotional resilience.
Pursuing weight loss is not healthy for many people. Prior to starting therapy, your provider will complete an assessment to determine appropriateness of weight loss and make recommendations to improve your overall health.