Therapeutic Photography: Regaining enjoyment and appreciation for your body

Therapeutic photography uses photography and a personal journaling process to help women heal from somatic (bodily) disorders. These disorders can include negative body image brought about by disordered eating, traumatic childbirth, assault, and medical conditions including cancer. Women seeking this work wish to regain enjoyment and appreciation of their bodies, leading to a more positive relationship with one's mind and body.

This form of photography opens a way for women to change how they see themselves and how they feel about their bodies from an outside, undistorted perspective. Therapeutic photography helps women see past who they think they are.

Women are photographed from clothed to nude as they feel most comfortable. Black and white images are returned to them as contact sheets - 24 or 36 images on a single sheet of photographic paper. Women are urged to keep a personal journal, recording their reactions to the photography as well as seeing themselves on the contact sheet. 

Sharona Jacobs trained with Ellen Fisher Turk, the leading pioneer in the field. In addition, Sharona trained and published in the field of counseling psychology, and worked at Tufts University and MIT in that capacity. One of the greatest rewards of this work is changing women's lives through the combination of psychology and art.

Clients are accepted on a sliding-scale fee. Therapist inquiries are welcome.