Body Image Beyond Diet Culture with Dr Mel

This week, we sit down with Ottawa clinical psychologist Dr. Mel Arias-Valenzuela, founder and clinical director of Uprise Psychology & Wellness, whose work focuses extensively on eating disorders, body image, and helping people heal their relationship with their bodies and food. Together, we explore how body image develops, why so many people struggle with shame and self-criticism, and how our relationship with our bodies is shaped by culture, expectations, and lived experience. Dr. Mel shares how these patterns show up clinically—and more importantly, how they can change.We talk about perfectionism, control, and the quiet ways body image can affect mental health, relationships, and daily life. This conversation offers a compassionate, evidence-based perspective on how to move toward greater self-acceptance without toxic positivity or oversimplification.This episode is not about loving your body all the time. It’s about understanding it—and learning to treat yourself with the same kindness you offer others.