Thankyou so much for opening up this space for meaningful conversations like this, they are so important to talk about, especially in the age of social media and beauty heavily related to this. I think just being able to personally reflect on how you perceive others is an amazing first step so well done!!
I have also had body image issues since hitting puberty and also find it hard not to focus on 'looks'. I guess because my brain is so focused on how I look, I often perceive people the way I perceive myself, something I think it normal when feeling this way. I think your therapist's advice about focusing on non-physical qualities is super helpful and I would suggest looking at yourself the same way. If you focus on your non-physical qualities more, this may translate into how you perceive others. This may also help you improve your confidence and self-esteem.
Best of luck moving forward as self image is often a really hard thing to deal with. I encourage you to be kind and forgive yourself in the process.
