Nicole Schneckenberg "Imaginary Bodies, Real Entities"

Another conclusion of mine about the work that discusses overcoming identity conflicts with appearance and returning to the true Self.

"The book is written for everyone who has ever looked in the mirror and identified themselves with what they saw," it states as an epigraph. The cover illustration features a photograph of a doll. This handmade doll was gifted to Nicole. She was enchanted to see in it a metaphor for herself. Specifically, "the person that other people called Nicole," who strayed from her true Self, constructed from the patchwork of others' expectations.

The book consists of 3 parts:

- Mirrors and Myths;
- Spiritual Aspects of Psychological Disorder;
- Appendices.

Why Nicole? The author experienced nervous anorexia and describes her experience of starvation, living through the illness from the inside. I was fortunate to personally meet Nicole Schneckenberg during a visit to Kyiv. I was enchanted by the fragility and strength, tenderness and tact of this miniature woman.

What will be real in the book? Nicole analyzes how conflicts with appearance arise when the body is viewed as an object. She talks about the body modification industry (surgical changes to body and facial contours) and self-harm (tattoos, piercings, branding, and scarring). She shares a lot about emotional pain from the perspective of attachment theory.

Why is it important to read this book?

If you work with the topic of eating disorders and body image, this book is important to read, and even to process - with a pencil and notebook, in several approaches, it is worth it and will definitely provide a deeper understanding of the issue.

In the appendices, you will find breathing exercises, mantras, body scans, a letter to your body - tools well-known to many psychotherapists and indispensable in working with eating and body disorders.

Who might not like the book?

Someone who is distant from the topic of eating behavior disorders and body image. In my opinion, the style is quite heavy for an unprepared reader. The narrative is overloaded with terms, complex sentences, and references to research.

It might also not appeal to those who have a simplistic understanding of eating disorders and believe that anorexia = perfectionism, blaming parents or thinking one just needs to pull themselves together.

Do I recommend this book to my clients? More likely yes than no. But I recommend it to those who are not at the beginning of their journey.