Frequently Asked Questions

About Body Image Coaching

Below, you'll find answers to common questions about body image coaching — from what a body image coach does and who coaching is for, to how it differs from counselling or therapy and what you can expect when you work with me.

Explore the questions that matter most to you, or simply scroll through and learn more about how body image coaching can help you feel freer around food and more at home in your body.

What does a body image coach do, and how can they help me?

A body image coach helps you change the way you relate to your body, food and yourself — so that food and body anxiety, appearance worries, comparison, self-criticism and the constant “food noise” no longer take up so much space in your life.

Rather than telling you how you should eat, look or feel about your body, body image coaching for women gives you the space to really understand why you feel so controlled by thoughts about your appearance, food and your body and how you can begin to create distance from the thoughts, difficult feelings and often unhelpful behaviours that keep you stuck.

Through conversation, reflection and practical exercises that you can take into everyday life, you can begin to challenge unhelpful beliefs, build greater self-trust and develop a more accepting and supportive relationship with your body instead.

Body image coaching isn't about forcing yourself to love every part of your body. For many women, the goal is much more practical: to feel freer around food, spend less time worrying about their appearance, stop letting their body dictate what they wear or do, and finally feel more at home in themselves.

A body image coach can support you with concerns such as food and body anxiety, body dissatisfaction, comparison, body checking, negative self-talk and the impact of diet culture on the way you see yourself.

How is body image coaching different from counselling or therapy?

Body image coaching and counselling or therapy can both support you when you're struggling with how you feel about yourself, your body or your relationship with food. However, they have different purposes and approaches.

Therapy and counselling are generally focused on supporting mental health and emotional wellbeing, and may involve exploring past experiences, trauma, relationships or psychological distress. A therapist or psychologist may provide clinical assessment and treatment for mental health conditions and eating disorders.

Body image coaching for women is a specialised form of coaching focused specifically on helping you change the way you relate to your body, food and yourself. It's practical and future-focused, with an emphasis on helping you understand the thoughts, feelings and behaviours that keep you stuck and giving you practical tools you can actually use in everyday life.

For example, you might come to body image coaching because you're exhausted by food and body anxiety, constantly comparing yourself to other women, checking your body in the mirror, avoiding certain clothes or activities, or feeling that thoughts about food, weight and appearance are taking up far too much space in your life.

One of the most valuable parts of coaching is learning what to do in those moments when you're overwhelmed or consumed by body image thoughts. Rather than automatically falling into familiar patterns of checking, comparing, restricting, avoiding or criticising yourself, you'll learn practical tools that can help you step out of autopilot, create some distance from what's happening and choose how you want to respond.

A body image coach can help you explore where these patterns come from, without keeping you stuck in the past. The focus is on helping you understand what's happening, build greater self-trust and develop practical ways of responding differently that you can carry into your everyday life.

My approach is trauma-aware, practical and body-neutral. I'm not here to tell you to love your body, think positively or simply change your mindset. Instead, we'll work towards something much more meaningful: feeling freer around food, less consumed by appearance concerns and more at home in your body.

Coaching is a partnership. I bring the knowledge, questions, tools and practical exercises; you remain the person who decides what feels right for you and puts those insights into practice in your own life.

Body image coaching isn't therapy, and it isn't about diagnosing or treating mental health conditions. It is a form of coaching in its own right, and it can be particularly valuable for women who are ready to work on the patterns, beliefs and behaviours that keep them stuck in difficult relationships with their bodies and food. For women with a history of eating difficulties or eating disorders, body image coaching may also form a valuable part of their ongoing recovery and rebuilding of trust with their body and food.

How do I know if body image coaching is right for me?

Body image coaching is for women who are tired of how much mental and emotional energy their body, food or appearance are taking up — and are ready for things to feel different.

You might recognise yourself in some of these:

Do you think about your body, weight, food or appearance far more than you'd like?
Do you find yourself constantly checking, comparing, criticising or judging your body?
Have you tried to “fix” your body through diets, willpower or exercise, only to find that even when you achieve the goals you've set for yourself, you still don't feel better about your body?
Do you avoid certain clothes, photos, social situations, activities or foods because of how you feel about your body?
Do you feel caught in cycles of restricting, “being good” with food, overeating, guilt or starting over?
Do you find that your mood or confidence changes depending on how you feel about your body that day?
Do you long to feel freer around food, but don't know how to get there?
Do you feel like you've tried to change the way you think about your body, but keep falling back into the same patterns?
Do you want to stop letting your body dictate what you wear, eat, do or how you show up in your life?
Do you know you want something to change, but aren't sure how to get yourself out of the cycle?

If you're recognising yourself in these questions, body image coaching is most likely a great fit for you.

You don't need to have a specific diagnosis, be a particular body size or have a perfect goal before you begin. You simply need to be ready to work on your relationship with your body and yourself, so you can begin to shift the thoughts, feelings and behaviours that keep you stuck.

Coaching gives you a supportive, practical space to understand your patterns, build self-trust and learn tools you can use in those everyday moments when body image or food thoughts start taking over.

And you don't have to wait until things feel “bad enough” to ask for support. If your relationship with your body or food is taking up more space in your life than you want it to, that's enough reason to explore whether coaching could help.

What happens in a Body Image coaching session?

A body image coaching session is a confidential space that's all about you. You're invited to show up exactly as you are without judgement, pressure or having to pretend that you're further along than you are. Together, we create space to really understand what's going on for you and what you'd like to be different.

We might explore the thoughts, beliefs, feelings and behaviours that are keeping you stuck in old patterns around your body, food or appearance. Sometimes that means looking at where these patterns came from; other times, the most useful place to start is with what's happening right now.

Importantly, coaching isn't just about talking. You'll learn practical tools and exercises that you can use outside of our sessions, particularly in those moments when body image thoughts or food anxiety feel overwhelming. These tools can help you step out of autopilot, create some space between you and the thoughts or feelings you're experiencing, and respond in a way that feels more intentional.

Together, we'll identify what you want to change and work towards it in a way that feels meaningful and achievable for you. You might leave a session with:

Greater clarity and self-understanding
A different perspective on a body or food-related situation
Practical tools to use when you're feeling overwhelmed or triggered
Greater awareness of the patterns that keep you stuck
A renewed sense of self-trust and your capacity to change

Every session is different because the work is shaped around you. You don't need to arrive knowing exactly what you want to talk about or have a perfectly defined goal. We'll work it out together.

Find out what past clients have said about their experience →

Is online Body Image coaching effective?

Yes, online body image coaching can be just as effective as in-person coaching.

While I love welcoming clients into my space (and making you a cup of tea!), video coaching gives us the same opportunity for meaningful conversation, connection and practical work — from wherever you are.

In fact, online coaching can have some real advantages when we're working on body image. You don't have to leave your everyday environment to do the work. We can explore what's happening for you in your real life and develop practical tools and strategies that you can use between sessions, in the moments when body image thoughts, food anxiety or comparison show up.

Online sessions also make it possible for me to work with women beyond my local area. I'm based in New Zealand and work with women online across New Zealand, Australia, the UK and the US, so you can access specialist body image coaching wherever you are.

And if you're someone who feels more comfortable opening up from your own home, that's perfectly okay too. The most important thing is having a space where you feel comfortable, supported and able to do the work.

Do I need to have a specific goal to start Body Image coaching?

No — you don't need to arrive with a perfectly defined goal to start body image coaching.

You might simply know that you're tired of how much time and energy you're spending thinking about your body, food or appearance. You might feel stuck in patterns you've been trying to change for years, but not know exactly what needs to change — or even where to start.

What matters most is that you're ready to explore your relationship with your body and yourself, and willing to do the inner work involved in shifting the thoughts, feelings and patterns that keep you stuck. We can work together to understand what's happening for you and uncover what you want to feel or experience differently.

Your goals might become clearer as we work together. Perhaps you want to feel freer around food, stop avoiding things because of your body, quieten the constant body and food thoughts, or simply feel more at home in yourself.

Coaching doesn't have to begin with a perfectly defined destination. Sometimes the first step is simply recognising that you don't want to keep living with your body or food taking up so much space in your life.

What qualifications and experience should a body image coach have?

Choosing a coach is a personal decision, and qualifications and experience are important things to consider, particularly when you're looking for support with something as personal as your relationship with your body and food.

Coaching is not a regulated profession in the same way as psychology or some other healthcare professions, so it's worth taking the time to understand what training, professional accreditation and experience a coach has before working with them.

A qualified coach should have recognised training in coaching, ideally alongside ongoing professional development and a commitment to professional and ethical standards. You may also want to look for:

Recognised coaching qualifications from a reputable training provider
Professional accreditation with a coaching organisation
Relevant experience working with the particular area you need support with
Clear information about their approach, qualifications and professional boundaries
Client testimonials or experiences that help you understand what working with them is actually like

I'm a professionally accredited coach with ANZCAL (Australian and New Zealand Coaching Association), and my training includes a Diploma in Life Coaching with Excellence and a Diploma in Inner Child Healing with Distinction.

I also bring more than five years of coaching experience, with a particular focus on body image, food and the relationship women have with their bodies and themselves.

My approach is trauma-aware, practical and body-neutral. Alongside coaching conversation and reflection, I work with subconscious patterns, nervous system regulation and practical tools that help women recognise what is happening beneath their automatic responses and create new ways of responding. I believe good body image coaching requires more than generic mindset or confidence coaching, it requires an understanding of the complex beliefs, behaviours and social conditioning that can shape the way we experience our bodies and food.

When you're choosing a body image coach, don't be afraid to ask questions. You deserve to know who you're working with, what training they have and whether their approach feels right for you.

How long does Body Image Coaching take?

There isn't a set number of sessions that everyone needs. Changing your relationship with your body, food and yourself isn't usually about finding one quick fix, it's about understanding the patterns that have developed over time and having the space and support to practise responding differently.

Some women may benefit from a shorter period of focused coaching, while others want longer-term support as they work through deeper or more established patterns.

My main body image coaching programme is designed as a six-month 1:1 coaching experience because meaningful change takes more than understanding something intellectually. It takes time to notice your patterns, practise new ways of responding and build trust in yourself.

Over the course of the programme, we combine coaching, reflection, practical exercises and tools you can use in everyday life, alongside support between sessions. The aim isn't simply to feel better during a coaching session, it's to help you develop skills and ways of responding that you can continue using long after our work together ends.

The right length of coaching ultimately depends on where you're starting, what you want to change and the level of support that feels right for you.

What does your body image coaching programme include?

At Kokon Coaching, I offer a six-month 1:1 body image coaching programme for women who are ready to change their relationship with their bodies, food and themselves in a way that can create lasting change.

The programme follows my Body Peace Method, a practical framework I developed to help women understand and shift the patterns that keep them stuck in difficult relationships with their bodies, food and themselves.

Over six months, we'll work together through 11 private 75-minute coaching sessions, giving us the time and space to understand the patterns that keep you stuck and gradually develop new ways of responding.

The programme combines coaching, reflection and practical exercises with tools you can use in your everyday life. Depending on what you need, our work may include exploring your body image relationship and history, food anxiety, disordered eating behaviours, comparison, body checking, self-criticism, diet culture, subconscious patterns and the ways your nervous system responds when you feel overwhelmed or triggered.

You'll also receive:

The Body Peace Workbook — a comprehensive resource to support and deepen the work between sessions
Practical tools, exercises and meditations you can return to whenever you need them
Access to my private resource library, with additional resources to support you throughout the programme
Between-session WhatsApp support, so you don't have to wait for our next session when something comes up that you'd like support with

The programme isn't a one-size-fits-all course that tells you how you should eat, look or feel about your body. The work is tailored to you, your experiences and the patterns you want to change.

The goal isn't to force yourself to love your body or never have a difficult thought about your appearance again. It's to help you step out of autopilot, build greater self-trust and feel freer around food, your body and your life.

Explore the Body Image Coaching Programme →

What can body image coaching help with?

Body image coaching can help you change the way you relate to your body, food, exercise and yourself, particularly when thoughts and worries about these things are taking up too much space in your life.

You might seek body image coaching if you're experiencing:

Food and body anxiety or feeling constantly preoccupied with what, when or how much you eat
Body dissatisfaction or feeling uncomfortable, critical or disconnected from your body
Comparison with other women, whether online or in everyday life
Body checking or frequently looking at, touching or assessing your body and finding “flaws that need fixing”
Negative self-talk and appearance-based self-criticism
Feeling that how you feel about your body dictates what you wear, eat, do or avoid
Anxiety around photographs, mirrors, clothing, social situations or being seen
Feeling trapped in dieting, restriction, overeating or “starting again” cycles
The lingering impact of diet culture and beliefs about what your body should look like
Feeling that you've tried to change or “fix” your body through diets, exercise or willpower, but still don't feel better about yourself
Disordered eating behaviours or a difficult relationship with food that are closely connected to the way you feel about your body

The aim isn't to teach you how to control your body or give you another set of rules to follow. Instead, we work on the relationship underneath the struggle. We begin by understanding the thoughts, beliefs, emotions and patterns that keep you stuck, and learning new ways to respond.

Through coaching, reflection and practical tools, you can begin to step out of autopilot, build greater self-trust and feel freer around food and your body. We can also work on developing a more enjoyable and supportive relationship with exercise, rather than one driven by guilt, punishment or changing your body.

And perhaps most importantly, the goal is to stop waiting until your body changes before you start living your life. Your life is happening now.
Body image coaching can be the catapult that helps you step out of the waiting, feel more free in your body and actually go and live it.

Is body image coaching about learning to love my body?

No, you don't have to love your body to have a better relationship with it.

Body image coaching isn't about convincing yourself that you love every part of your body, repeating positive affirmations you don't believe, or forcing yourself to feel confident every time you look in the mirror.

For many women, a much more realistic and meaningful goal is body acceptance and freedom. Being able to live your life without constantly thinking about how your body looks, comparing yourself to other women or feeling that your body needs to change before you can feel good.

We work on changing the relationship you have with your body, rather than trying to change the body itself. That can mean learning to recognise critical or anxious thoughts without automatically believing them, understanding where your body beliefs have come from, and developing more self-trust around food, movement and your choices.

You might still have days when you don't like how your body looks. That's okay. Body peace doesn't mean feeling positive about your body all the time. It means your body doesn't get to dictate your worth, what you wear, where you go, what you eat or how fully you participate in your life.

The goal is ultimately more freedom: less body and food noise, less self-criticism and less time spent trying to fix yourself, so you can put your energy back into the things that actually matter to you.

You don't need to love your body before you're allowed to live your life.

Can I improve my relationship with food without following another diet?

Yes. In fact, for many women, improving their relationship with food starts with stepping away from diets and the belief that they need to constantly control what they eat.

If you've spent years dieting, restricting food, exercising to compensate for what you've eaten, counting calories or constantly trying to “get back on track”, it can be difficult to imagine another way. You may know that these patterns aren't making you feel better, but still feel afraid of letting go of the rules.

You might even worry that if you stop dieting or trying to control your body, your body image will get worse. If dieting has been the thing you've relied on to feel safe, in control or “good enough”, letting go of those rules can feel frightening, even when you know they aren't working for you.

Body image coaching gives you space to explore that fear rather than simply telling you to stop dieting and expect everything to feel fine. We can work on the beliefs underneath the need to control your body, while building the self-trust and practical tools you need to respond differently when those fears show up.

Body image coaching doesn't give you another diet or tell you what, when or how much you should eat. Instead, we explore the thoughts, beliefs and fears underneath your relationship with food and how these are connected to the way you feel about your body.

Together, we can work on things like food anxiety, fear of certain foods, guilt after eating, restriction and overeating cycles, all-or-nothing thinking, exercise as punishment or compensation, and the constant mental “food noise” that can make eating feel exhausting.

The aim isn't to replace one set of food rules with another. It's to help you develop greater self-trust and flexibility around food, so that eating can become something you experience with less fear, guilt and mental effort.

And this isn't about waiting until you feel completely comfortable with your body before you give yourself permission to eat freely or enjoy your life.

You don't have to change your body before you can start changing your relationship with food.

What makes your approach to body image coaching different?

At Kokon Coaching my approach to body image coaching is practical, body-neutral and trauma-aware, combining coaching, nervous system work, subconscious pattern work, including inner child work, and practical tools that you can use in everyday life.

I don't believe changing your body, thinking more positively or simply telling yourself to “love your body” is the answer. The goal is to change the relationship you have with your body, food, exercise and yourself, so that thoughts about your body no longer take up so much mental and emotional space in your life.

A big part of our work is understanding why certain thoughts, beliefs and behaviours have become so automatic in the first place. We look beneath the surface of body criticism, food anxiety, comparison and the urge to control your body, including the experiences, beliefs and subconscious patterns that may be keeping these cycles going.

We also pay attention to what happens in your nervous system. When you're triggered by a photograph, a mirror, clothing, food or comparison, knowing intellectually that you “shouldn't think this way” doesn't necessarily stop the reaction. That's why I teach practical tools that can help you step out of autopilot in those moments, regulate what is happening in your body and create space to choose a different response.

My approach isn't about giving you another list of rules to follow or simply giving you more information about body image. You may already have read the books, listened to the podcasts and know intellectually what you're “supposed” to do, but still find yourself caught in the same patterns when you're triggered.

That's where the practical work begins. Together, we work on turning that awareness into something you can actually use in the moments when body image, food anxiety or self-criticism takes over. The aim is to help you develop the awareness, skills and self-trust to navigate real life differently.

That might mean eating a food you've previously labelled “bad” without spiralling afterwards, putting on an outfit without changing three times because you don't feel good enough in your body, going to the beach without spending the day worrying about how you look, or moving your body because it feels good rather than because you need to earn or compensate for food.

At the heart of my work is the Body Peace Method, my own framework for helping women understand and shift the patterns that keep them stuck, so they can move towards greater body peace, freedom and self-trust.

You don't need more information about why you struggle with your body. You need support and practical tools to help you create something different.

Can body image coaching help if I've struggled with an eating disorder?

Absolutely. For women who have moved through the most immediate and consuming stages of an eating disorder and are ready to work on what comes next, body image coaching can be a powerful next step.

Recovery is an ongoing process. You may have moved away from the behaviours that once consumed you, but still find that food, exercise, your body or your appearance take up far more mental and emotional space than you'd like. You might understand that your eating disorder is no longer running your life, yet still struggle with body dissatisfaction, comparison, body checking, food anxiety or the fear that your body needs to change.

This is where deeper body image work can become incredibly valuable.

Body image coaching gives you space to explore the beliefs, experiences and patterns underneath the struggle, including body shame, perfectionism, self-criticism, subconscious patterns and the ways your nervous system responds when you feel triggered or uncomfortable in your body.

We can look at the things that may still be keeping you stuck and begin to build new ways of responding, using practical tools that you can take into everyday life. The focus is on moving forward, helping you turn the insight you've already gained into practical changes that allow you to feel freer around food, your body, exercise and your life.

If you are currently experiencing an active eating disorder that requires medical, nutritional or psychological treatment, body image coaching is not a replacement for that specialist care. But if you've reached a point in your recovery where you're ready to take another step forward, coaching can provide the forward-focused, practical support to help you do that.

How do I know if Marisa is the right body image coach for me?

Choosing a body image coach is a personal decision, and I firmly believe that finding the right coach for you matters just as much as finding the right approach. This work asks you to be open, honest and vulnerable, so you need to feel comfortable with the person you're doing it with.

At Kokon Coaching, my approach is practical, warm and down to earth. I bring together my professional training in life coaching and inner child healing, my accreditation with ANZCAL, and my own lived experience of the complicated relationship we can have with our bodies, food and ourselves.

My own experience with an eating disorder gives me a deep understanding of how consuming these struggles can become. I know what it's like to have food, exercise and your body take up far too much space in your mind, and I also know what life can feel like on the other side of those struggles.

That's a big part of why I do this work. I'm passionate about helping women step out of that cycle and experience the freedom that becomes possible when your body and food no longer dictate so much of your life. I want that for every woman who is ready to move towards it.

I don't believe in sitting on the sidelines and simply giving you advice. I'll meet you where you are, ask the questions that help you understand what's really going on, and give you practical tools to help you navigate the moments when old patterns take over. I'll also challenge you when I think something is keeping you stuck, always with the intention of helping you move forward.

But ultimately, you need to feel that I'm the right person for you. You might love my approach and still feel that someone else is a better fit, and that's completely okay.

That's why I offer a free 15-minute consultation before you commit to anything. It's a chance for you to tell me a little about what you're experiencing, ask any questions you have, get a feel for how I work and decide whether you can see yourself working with me.

There is no pressure to book. The conversation is simply an opportunity for us both to see whether we're a good fit.

How do I book a free 15-minute Consultation with Marisa?

If you'd like to explore whether body image coaching is right for you, you can book a free 15-minute consultation with me.

This is a relaxed, no-pressure conversation where you can tell me a little about what's bringing you here, ask any questions you have and get a feel for how I work. It's also an opportunity for us to see whether we're the right fit to work together.

Choose a time that works for you below: