Reducing Self Consciousness with Dr Rob Willson & Rachel Moore

Many people living with BDD spend much of their time focused on their appearance, monitoring any perceived changes, analysing their thoughts and feelings, and imagining how they look to other people. Unfortunately, this self-focused attention can make appearance concerns feel even more convincing, increase self-consciousness, and keep BDD going.

In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore why self-focused attention plays such a central role in BDD and, more importantly, how to begin shifting towards a more external focus. Together, we’ll look at the difference between being “on the outside looking in” and “on the inside looking out”, and why this change in perspective can reduce self-consciousness and help you reconnect with the world around you.

Speaker Bios:

Dr Rob Willson is a Cognitive Behaviour Therapist with a special interest in BDD and related disorders. He co-authored with David Veale and Alex Clarke the self-help book Overcoming BDD. He first became involved in research on BDD around 30 years ago. Currently, he divides his time between private practice and conducting research on improving the understanding and treatment of BDD. Rob is Chair of the BDD Foundation, and was indirectly involved in the original launch of the Foundation through his participation in a BBC TV documentary Too Ugly for Love. Rob hopes that the Foundation will help to raise a far greater level of awareness of BDD amongst people with the disorder, the general public, and healthcare professionals. He believes that there is a great deal to be done in terms of improving identification/diagnosis, understanding of how serious BDD can be, and that it can be successfully overcome.

Rachel Moore: Having lived experience of BDD, I have volunteered for the BDD Foundation and other body image charities for a few years. Being in recovery, my passion now is helping others change how they see themselves and spread a message of hope. I am also a coach, mentor and mental health first aid instructor. In my day-to-day life, I am a mum, a wife and a bass player in a rock band -something I never thought I’d say! My mission is to live life to the fullest and enjoy the journey it takes me on.