Set Your Body Free Program is an eight-week therapy intervention program for women aged 30 to 60 that offers free group therapy for body image dissatisfaction and related concerns such as eating problems and lifestyle issues. A Program Outline [pdf 68k] is available with a summary of the program content.

The program is part of a research project being undertaken by Professor Susan Paxton and Professor Eleanor Wertheim at the School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University, and supported by an Australian Rotary Health Research Fund Grant.

Set Your Body Free has previously been offered for women aged between 18 and 35 years with highly successful outcomes, and the current program has been extended to specifically meet the often unrecognised needs of women aged 30 years and over.

The program was developed to assist women to challenge their beliefs about the importance of body shape and weight and to address issues that are relevant for women in mid-life.

The ultimate aim of the Set Your Body Free program is for women to feel happier with their bodies and to free them of the overwhelming concerns about appearance and food that many feel burdened by everyday.

Many women are affected by concerns about their body image. They may be preoccupied with worries about their shape and weight and may feel that they are not good enough unless they attain the “perfect” body. For some women, the way they feel about their body shape and weight can also influence their mood; they may feel depressed or anxious or find that a lack of confidence and low self-esteem can lead to social isolation and loneliness.

Body dissatisfaction can also lead women to start developing unhealthy eating behaviours in an attempt to control their body shape and weight. Unfortunately, these behaviours can become problematic as women can find themselves trapped in cycles of restrictive dieting, alternating with episodes of overeating or binge eating and sometimes engaging in drastic compensatory behaviours.

Set Your Body Free: Body Image Therapy for Women 30 to 60 aims to assist women with body image and related distress. If any of the above seems familiar to you, you may benefit from becoming involved in the program.

For further details about the Set Your Body Free Program and information about how to become involved in the program please go to Program Details.