Lauren Muhlheim, Psy.D., FAED, CEDS-C, Owner

Licensed in California, Indiana, and New York (and telehealth license for Florida)

PSY#15045 (CA), 20043428A (IN),012827-01 (NY)

In-person and telehealth

Who I Am

I’m Lauren Muhlheim (she/her). I’m a psychologist, certified eating disorder specialist, "Diet Culture Deprogrammer," and the owner of Eating Disorder Therapy LA. At EDTLA, I help people with food and body image issues, anxiety, and depression.

What I Do

My primary work is with people who are stuck in a cycle of dieting, bingeing, purging, or over-exercising and can't figure out how to stop. I help adults with eating and body image issues to break the binge cycle, stop purging and over-exercising, achieve peace with food and their bodies, and reclaim their lives. My expertise includes working with people of all ages and all eating disorders including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder (BED), and other specified feeding and eating disorder (OSFED, formerly known as EDNOS). I have also worked with other lesser-known eating disorders and behaviors including Night Eating Syndrome, Purging Disorder, Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), Chewing and Spitting, Orthorexia, and Muscle Dysmorphia, and Male Eating Disorders.

In addition, a significant part of my work is with families who have a teen who has lost weight or is not eating enough. Many parents can’t figure out how to get their teens to eat. Perhaps your teen is receiving an eating disorder treatment that excludes you and you want to play a more active role. Maybe other treatments haven't helped. I can empower you to help heal your teen with an eating disorder and enable you to do this work at home, together. With time and hard work, your teen can resume their development into a healthy, independent young adult who can continue with the business of building their life.

What Else I Do

I am one of the few therapists in Los Angeles certified in Family-Based Treatment (FBT) for adolescent eating disorders. My book for parents based on this approach, When Your Teen Has an Eating Disorder: Practical Strategies to Help Your Teen Recover from Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge Eating was published by New Harbinger in September 2018. I do not believe that parents cause eating disorders and I know they can be an important part of the solution. Hence, I am an advocate for the inclusion of parents in the treatment of their children.

I also help adults with depression and anxiety. I have extensive experience treating panic disorder, self-esteem issues, and perfectionism. Emetophobia (specific fear of vomiting) is a specialty niche and I also work with other phobias. In particular, I love to do exposure work, which involves supporting my patients in facing scary situations but opening up new worlds for them.

I am passionate about making evidence-based therapy accessible to more people. This is the reason behind the establishment of Eating Disorder Therapy LA, where I select, hire, and help train all the other eating disorder therapists. I love working with clients of diverse cultural backgrounds. I recognize and celebrate that bodies come in all sizes and shapes. Consequently, I am active as an advocate for the acceptance of all body sizes and shapes. I am also a Certified Body Trust® Specialist.

You can read more about my qualifications.

More About Me

I lived in China from 2008 to 2010 and love to travel and meet people from different cultural backgrounds. In my spare time, I like to spin, hike, cook, and spend time with my family. I have three young adult children and several pets.

How I Help

I believe that change involves hard work and the courage to face difficult situations. It is my honor to walk alongside patients doing this brave work. I help provide you with the tools you need to change behavior patterns and develop new coping skills. Patients find me supportive but firm.

Contact Me

If you are ready to begin the process of changing your (or your teen’s) problematic behaviors, reach out to schedule an appointment today.