truth bomb:
dieting, weight loss, and hours at the gym don't lead to lasting body confidence and comfort (even if it seems that way.)
Maybe you're the biggest in your friend group and worry that other people are judging you. Maybe you're convinced no one will date you at your current size. Maybe you feel anxious or ashamed at the sight of certain body parts or a number on the scale regardless of what you do. Maybe you have health issues and you're concerned about your wellbeing. Maybe you're afraid your body will hold you back from the career of your dreams...what will people think?
After working with hundreds of people of various sizes, shapes, and backgrounds, I know that no body size guarantees a pain-free life. Navigating the world in a thinner or smaller body is undoubtedly easier, but people of all body sizes are afraid of being criticized, rejected, and judged based on what they look like. This tells me that there's more to feeling confident and comfortable than getting to the "right" body size or having the "right" look.
Why is this? Negative body image has less to do with your appearance and more to do with the thoughts, beliefs, sensations, emotions, and other content that lives inside of you and within the culture. And while you & I alone can't change the culture, you can shift your internal experience to feel more confident and comfortable in your body and actively unlearn what you've been taught to believe about yourself.
Because I have lived experience and extensive training, I won't tell you that loving your body can be done in five easy steps. While you need different beliefs to have a different relationship with your body, I'm also not going to tell you that it's all about mindset, either.
To build comfort and confidence in your body and live with way, way less distress regardless of your situation or size, you need a comprehensive approach...one that truly honours the complexity of your experience.
Rooted
introducing
A live, online group program that provides you with the skills, strategies, knowledge, and group support to feel more comfortable and confident in your body from the ground up.
Rooted
size affirming
sustainable
sweet & salty
“I felt so afraid to see my body change that no amount of more information about Intuitive Eating could change things. Sarah brought tools that helped me not just change the way I thought, but the way I felt in my body.“
You don't have to do it alone.
This is howrooted will build comfort and confidence this fall
With 6 bi-weekly, intimate live coaching calls and lots of space for discussion and processing, this program is designed to get to the root of your body image concerns.
weekly breakdown:
1 | playing in the dirt:
- Uncover your body image story and understand how your thoughts, beliefs, feelings, behaviours, and perceptions of your body have been poisoned by your environment (you weren't born hating your body.)
- Discover how your self-berating thoughts and beliefs are actually *working* for you (surprised?) so that you can flip the script and develop more compassion and care toward your body.
- The three to five foundational things you need to move away from our culture's obsession with thinness, self-judgment, and criticism.
- If you were comfortable and confident in your body, how would you know? Get clear on your "ideal embodied self" and what you'd like to work toward during our time together.
- Decode "gross" and "uncomfortable" body image thoughts and feelings so you can feel more comfortable in your today body
- Unpack and challenge the associations and beliefs you have about your size and weight so you can feel more at peace in your body
- Apply a critical lens to beauty standards so that you can develop a more expansive view of beauty.
- Learn tools and skills to manage bad body image days and have fewer of them
- Thanksgiving prep
2 | DAILY roots: Thoughts, feelings, Beliefs
3 | defensive & Protective roots: Parts
- Have you ever said, "I believe people of all sizes can be beautiful and valuable, but I don't believe it's possible for me"? Learn what's behind this using an attachment-informed lens so that it can be possible for you.
- The modern body positive movement is wonderful, but it often doesn't go far enough. Get to the heart of your body acceptance fears, whether they're related to attraction, achievement, health, or general coping.
- Learn the difference between body pride and confidence (and what shame has to do with it) so you can lower your distress
- End the compare-and-despair game and bring compassion to negative self-talk.
4 | body roots: attending to activation
- Map your nervous system and know how to identify your nervous system states so that you can choose tools that will actually be effective when struggling with tough body days.
- Discover how your nervous system state impacts your relationship with your body image (it's not all about weight and size!)
- Work through your discomfort with certain body parts in real time so these parts feel less charged.
- Develop a 'toolbox' of things you can do alone and with other people to help you to come into regulation and foster a peaceful relationship with your body.
5 | GLOBAL ROOTS: SYSTEMS & STRUCTURES
- Discover how beauty ideals are shaped, the oppressive systems and structures that drive them, and why the BMI is flawed.
- Uncover how objectification, self-objectification, and the male gaze shape your body experience so you can stop viewing your body as a project.
- Explore the OG body positivity movement, the evidence behind weight and health, and how to support wellbeing without weight loss.
6 | NEW ROOTS: STANDING OUR GROUND
- Understand the connection between healthy boundaries and positive body image.
- Learn how to set and enforce boundaries in a way that feels "just right" to your system.
- Know what a boundary sounds like and feels like using a live somatic exercise.
- Struggle with photos? Learn how to view photos of yourself through a neutral lens so that you can stop feeling so activated by how you look.
- Where do we go from here? Next steps.
"Sarah is a warm and grounding presence for any woman looking to re-write the relationship she has with her body. She is a beautiful blend of practical tools and knowledge, and the gentlest compassion for the self. Even in my most activated moments, I felt safe with her, and she helped me learn to rebuild my relationship with my body so I could feel safe there, too."
Here’s what’s possible for you through the training:
- Get at the root of your physical discomfort
- Cope with tough emotions without weight loss
- Discover effective strategies and tools to deal with tough body image moments
- Speak to yourself with kindness & compassion
- Feel more confident and comfortable
- Experience less stress and overwhelm when trying or putting on clothes
how it works
Sign up for the program
Receive the call details on september 20, 2024
Join us for our kick-off call on september 22, 204
6 mini lessons
live discussion & processing.
Each call will weave in opportunities for discussion and processing. There is no pressure to contribute if you're not ready. That said, there's all kinds of ways you can contribute without divulging private information.
small, intimate calls.
I understand body image can be a difficult topic for many people to speak openly about. The group is limited to 6 participants to foster an intimate, relatively safe space for honest and meaningful conversation.
Ongoing support.
Worried you'll need more than the time we have together? Once we complete this round, you'll have the opportunity join me for alumni support on a month-by-month basis (4 participants minimum required). You may also schedule private sessions with me at an additional cost.
This program is for you if you see yourself in the following:
you think about your body non-stop.
From the time you wake up until the time you go to bed, you think about your body. You struggle to get dressed in the morning and worry about what others are thinking about your appearance.
you want tools to manage your distress.
You know diets aren't a long-term "fix" for the discomfort you feel, but you don't know what else to do. You're open and interested in learning new tools to manage your discomfort outside of weight loss.
you want to move forward with your life.
Food and negative body image can take up so much mental real estate. They can also prevent you from taking action toward your goals, whether they involve your health, relationships, career, or another area. You don't want your feelings about your body to hold you back.
you're game to get at the root of your discomfort.
You love diving deep into concepts and learning more about yourself and your behaviour(s). You want to learn more about what's gotten you here...and how to get out.
As someone who spent 15+ years struggling with disordered eating, over-exercise, and negative body image, I know what it takes to stop the restrict-binge cycle — and what most programs leave out or get flat-out wrong about our relationship to food and our bodies.
I created the Rooted body image training to give you the education, tools, space, and support to have a different relationship with your body by going to the roots.
A few of my credentials:
- Registered Holistic Nutritionist® (2014)
- Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor (2017)
- Somatic Experiencing® Student (Advanced)
- Trained in nutrition counselling for eating disorders/disordered eating, digestive disorders, body image, and non-diet counselling
- Trained in various therapy models (e.g. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Motivational Interviewing) and in certain models through a nutrition/body image lens (e.g. Internal Family Systems/Parts Work)
- 100+ hours of therapy, 100+ hours of individual supervision
- Presented for audiences at Starbucks, eOne, League, Mars, RioCan, BMO Women's College Hospital, and more
- Featured in Canadian Living and Best Health Magazines
- Nominated for the Trailblazer Award at the CSNN Holistic Nutrition Awards
- Author of Enjoy It All: Improve Your Health and Happiness with Intuitive Eating (Fremont Press, 2020)
questions?
I’ve got answers.
- Is this program for me?
This program is a great fit if want to feel more confident and comfortable in your current body.
You do not have to be 100% ready for Intuitive Eating or a non-diet approach to get a lot from this program, but please know this is not a weight loss program and it does not celebrate weight loss. Mention of numbers (e.g. weight), weight loss/diet talk, pathologizing language, and weight-based discrimination are not permitted. You will get the most from this program if you are open to body neutrality or want to feel better in your body regardless of what happens to your weight.
- Who is not a good fit for Rooted:
This program isn't a good fit if you: have an active eating disorder (e.g. strong restriction, purging, over-exercise, laxative use, binge eating more than once per week), aren't open to feeling better in your current body, are experiencing significant or acute body image stress, or feel totally comfortable in your body! Please email sarah@sarahberneche.com if you have questions about this.
- Tell me about the coaching calls.
The coaching calls take place on the following Sundays from 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM ET:
September 22, October 6, October 20, November 3, November 17, and December 1.
Calls run for 90 minutes and will involve a combination of education, discussion, and processing. Coaching calls are hosted on the Zoom platform. Feel free to bring snacks and cozy beverages!
- What's the time commitment?
Apart from the live 90-minute calls, I may send out materials (such as reflection questions) for you to look at in advance of the calls. I always recommend thinking about the work in between calls to get the most out of your time.
- Do you offer a payment plan?
I offer three payment options to suit a variety of needs. If you need a different payment structure, please e-mail sarah@sarahberneche.com.
- What if I still want to lose weight?
Given the culture we live in, it's entirely understandable to want to lose weight or to change your body. That said, this program is not a weight loss program. I ask that you come with an open mind and a willingness to learn additional ways of managing your discomfort. This training can be a good entry point into non-diet living. I truly believe these tools and strategies are for everyone.
- What is your refund policy?
Due to the nature of this program and limited space, all sales are final and there are no refunds. That said, I want you to be satisfied with your purchase and to get the most from our time together. If you are unsatisfied with the training in any way, please let me know how I can support you and I will do my best to accommodate your request.
Here's what you get when you sign up:
6 x 90 minute live coaching calls facilitated by sarah
6 x lessons on body image you won't get from google
practical tools and strategies to feel more comfortable in your body this fall & beyond
intimate group support
1 payment of $350 CAD
payment plan
(3 x $120 or 6 x $60)
The program is subject to provincial sales tax.
