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There is more to the story than diet and exercise.
The emotional and metabolic side of weight loss matters too.
I educate and help patients process the metabolic, emotional, physical, and identity changes that often come with transformation.
You’re worried surgery may change how you see yourself.
You feel pressure from people who don’t understand obesity and metabolic health.
Family and friends may not fully understand your decision.
You may be carrying emotional weight that no one else can see.
The emotional side of bariatric surgery is rarely talked about.
You don’t have to navigate it alone.
I’m here to help.
I believe weight loss brings many transformations beyond physical change. Family and friends may begin to see you differently, while your own self-image, expectations, and emotional wellbeing may shift in unexpected ways.
I provide a supportive space to process the thoughts and emotions that often come with bariatric surgery, including identity changes, relationships, self-image, and the pressure many patients feel after surgery with a focus on helping patients feel emotionally prepared before surgery and emotionally supported afterward.
Many people are using different methods to lose weight, including GLP-1 medications and bariatric surgery. What I have found is that even after significant weight loss, many of the same thoughts, emotions, and struggles that existed before are still there.
My passion for this work began through my own personal journey with weight loss and weight regain. As I sought to better understand myself, I realized that understanding my relationship with weight, identity, and self-worth could also help others better understand their own experiences and begin to break the stigma surrounding obesity.
I believe weight loss is not always about self-control or simply “eating the wrong things.” Metabolic imbalance, along with the emotional and psychological impact of weight stigma, often runs much deeper than people realize.
My goal is to help individuals give themselves more grace, challenge harmful beliefs about weight, and feel worthy at every stage of their journey and at every size.
Candice Milligan, LPC/MHSP, NCC, BCBC
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor,Mental Health Service Provider and
Board Certified Bariatric Counselor with specialized training in Bariatric Counseling and Evaluations
Reach out when you’re ready.
Call me at 423-299-1533 or email me at youmatter@candicemilligan.com for your free 15 min consultation.