Lauren Muhlheim, Psy.D., FAED, CEDS-C, is a clinical psychologist, eating disorder specialist, and author of When Your Teen Has an Eating Disorder and The Weight-Inclusive CBT Workbook for Eating Disorders. Reporters and producers turn to her for clear, evidence-based answers about eating disorders at every age and size.
New in 2026: The Weight-Inclusive CBT Workbook for Eating Disorders (New Harbinger), by Dr. Muhlheim with Jennifer Averyt, PhD, and Shannon Patterson, PhD. The workbook adapts cognitive behavioral therapy, the leading evidence-based treatment for eating disorders, so it works for people in all bodies. Readers are never asked to weigh themselves, count calories, or diet. Dr. Muhlheim is available to talk about weight-inclusive care, GLP-1 drugs, and why eating disorders affect people of all sizes.
For Journalists and Producers
Working on a story? Email Dr. Muhlheim directly. She is glad to answer questions by email, phone, or video.
Not a secure inbox. Please don’t send client information.
Bios and high-res photos: Media Kit
- ARFID and picky eating
- Teens, parents, and family-based treatment
- Eating disorders in boys and men
- Atypical anorexia
- GLP-1 drugs and eating disorders
- Weight stigma and diet culture
- Binge eating
- College students
- Fear of vomiting (emetophobia)
- Holidays and diet talk
- Insurance and access to care
- Social media and body image
- November–December: Holiday meals with someone in recovery · Handling diet talk and body comments at family gatherings · College students home for break: what parents should notice
- January: New Year’s diets and “fresh start” weight-loss messages, and why they backfire
- February: Eating Disorders Awareness Week · Eating disorders in boys and men
- Spring: “Summer body” pressure · Athletes and eating disorders
- August–September: Back to school · College students and eating disorders · Short school lunch periods and eating disorder recovery
- Any time: GLP-1 drugs and eating disorders · Weight stigma in health care · Parents’ role in treatment (FBT) · Weight-inclusive care · Families and eating disorders · Diet culture · Body image · Evidence-based treatments · College readiness and eating disorders
Recent Highlights
“The focus on quick renourishment is like a brain rescue for a malnourished teen.”
“Thinness does not equal health.”
“If people spend all this time and can’t find a qualified therapist … sometimes they just give up.”
“I encourage people to deliberately follow more diverse bodies.”
In the News
For Professionals
- 2026Today’s Dietitian · Family-Based Treatment in Pediatric Eating Disorder Care
- 2025MindSite News · ‘A Front Row Seat to Desperation’: Meet the Advocates Fighting to Remove Barriers to Eating Disorder Treatment
- 2024Monitor on Psychology · Working With Patients With Weight-Related Chronic Disease
- 2022Monitor on Psychology · The Burden of Weight Stigma
- 2017Social Work Today · Family-Based Treatment of Adolescents With Eating Disorders
Parents and Families
- 2025Equip · Eating Disorders in Boys: Signs Parents Shouldn’t Miss
- 2022Romper · Once and For All: Do Parents Cause Eating Disorders?
- 2022Insider · 7 Expert-Recommended Tips to Teach Your Kids Healthy Eating Habits Without Judgment or Shame
- 2018SheKnows · Body Neutrality Is the New Body Positivity — Here’s Why It Matters for Your Kid
National News and Culture
- 2026Vox · How to Feel Okay About Your Body in the Age of Ozempic
- 2023CNN · Eating Disorders Run Rampant on University Campuses. How to Protect Your College-Bound Kid
- 2023i newspaper (London) · I Didn’t Believe I Could Be a Man With an Eating Disorder. Like Ed Sheeran, I Was Ashamed
- 2022HuffPost · Here’s Exactly How to Respond to Food-Shaming Comments During the Holidays
- 2021The New York Times · Trapped in the House With an Eating Disorder
- 2021The Washington Post · Thanksgiving Means Family, Food — and Plenty of Harmful Diet Talk
- 2021BuzzFeed News · Here’s How Instagram Fails to Protect People at Risk for Eating Disorders
- 2021U.S. News & World Report · Fitness Gear as a Holiday Gift? Don’t Do It
- 2021HuffPost · Why ‘What I Eat in a Day’ Videos Can Be Bad for Your Mental Health
- 2020USA Today · Eating Disorders ‘Thrive in Isolation’
- 2020HuffPost · ‘Let’s Eat Together’ Videos on TikTok Help Teens Struggling With Eating Disorders
- 2020Forbes · 4 Topics to Avoid at Work
- 2020Paste · Shrill Season 2 Gets to the Mother of All Food Stigmas
- 2019KQED · For Those With Eating Disorders, Holiday Meals Can Trigger Panic
- 2019Vice · How to Head Off an Eating Disorder Relapse During the Holidays
- 2019MEL Magazine · YouTube’s Failure to Address “Restricted Eating” Videos
- 2018The Washington Post · Kim Kardashian West’s Reaction to Comments That She Looks ‘Anorexic’ Sends a Message
- 2017The Daily Beast · How America’s Diet Culture Hinders Those With Eating Disorders
- 2017Quartz · Is Wellness Culture Creating a New Kind of Eating Disorder?
- 2017The Cut · Can an Actress Who’s Struggled With an Eating Disorder Safely Lose Weight for a Role?
- 2017The Week · Is There a Responsible Way to Make a Movie About Eating Disorders?
- 2017ATTN: · People Are Calling Out This Netflix Film for Glamorizing Anorexia
- 2017HuffPost · Things to Focus on Instead of Weight Loss or Dieting This New Year
- 2016People · Keanu Reeves and Lily Collins Bring Attention to Eating Disorders in New PSA
- 2016HuffPost · Keanu Reeves and Other Stars Make Powerful PSA Supporting World Eating Disorders Action Day
- 2016HuffPost · 3 Ways to Support Someone in Recovery From an Eating Disorder
- 2014San Antonio Express-News · Social Media May Hurt Body Image
Health and Wellness
- 2026Everyday Health · Can GLP-1s Treat Emotional Eating and Binge Eating?
- 2024Well+Good · What It’s Like Rebuilding a Movement Practice in Eating Disorder Recovery
- 2023Wondermind · ARFID Isn’t Just Picky Eating — Let’s Talk About It
- 2023Beachbody · How the Body Positivity Movement Can Change How We See Ourselves
- 2021Burnt Toast · The Strange Mythology of Noom
- 2021Bustle · The Dieter’s Diet
- 2021Shape · TikTok’s Viral “Weight Loss Dance” Sparks Controversy Among Health Pros
- 2021InStyle · The Second Pandemic: Eating Disorders Are Surging
- 2020Women’s Health · “Doctors Dismissed My Anorexia Because I Wasn’t Underweight”
- 2020Shape · Demi Lovato Says This Technique Helped Her Relinquish Control Over Her Eating Habits
- 2020InStyle · For Many People With Eating Disorders, Quarantine Is an Unexpected Trigger
- 2020Bustle · What Are the Symptoms of OSFED?
- 2020Aaptiv · Is It Ever Okay to Comment on Someone’s Weight?
- 2019SheKnows · Why I’ve Stopped Congratulating People on Their Weight Loss
- 2019HealthiNation · The Dangers of Dieting Apps for Kids
- 2018Shape · What to Do When Intuitive Eating Just Isn’t Sticking
- 2018Shape · Where the Body-Positivity Movement Stands and Where It Needs to Go
- 2018The Healthy (Reader’s Digest) · Subtle Signs You’re a Hypochondriac
- 2018Thriveworks · Improve Your Body Image With These 8 Steps
- 2017Healthline · Was Google Maps’ “Calorie Counter” App a Bad Idea?
- 2015Health · The Neuroscience of Anorexia Reveals Why It’s So Hard to Treat
- 2014Everyday Health · How to Spot Eating Disorders in Men
Podcasts
- 20264 Peaks Parents · Episode with Thomas Miller, coming soon
- 2026Burnt Toast with Virginia Sole-Smith · When Your Teen Has an Eating Disorder
- 2026Real Health Radio, Ep. 353 · Weight-Inclusive CBT for Eating Disorders
- 2024The Hamilton Review · Author of “When Your Teen Has an Eating Disorder”
- 2021ED Matters, Ep. 235 · Family-Based Treatment Phase 2
- 2021Real Health Radio, Ep. 232 · CBT for Eating Disorders and ARFID
- 2020Diva Behavior · Disordered Eating, Celeb Culture and RHOBH
- 2020Talking to Teens, Ep. 93 · How to Spot and Treat Eating Disorders
- 2019Life with ED · When Your Teen Has an Eating Disorder
- 2019National Register Clinical Consult · Atypical Anorexia Treatment Considerations (with Alli Spotts-De Lazzer)
- 2019ED Matters, Ep. 105 · FBT, Parents, and Teens
- 2019Food Psych, Ep. 198 · Preventing Disordered Eating in the Next Generation
- 2019Full Bloom, Ep. 16 · Why Do My Child’s Caregivers Need to Present a United Front?
- 2018Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast · Dr. Muhlheim’s New Book
- 2018New Plates, Ep. 29 · Meet Lauren Muhlheim
- 2018ED Matters, Ep. 77 · Determining College Readiness
- 2016Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast · Exercise in Eating Disorders
- 2016Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast · Adults With Eating Disorders
- 2015RadioMD · 9 Truths About Eating Disorders
Written by Dr. Muhlheim
- 2026New Harbinger blog · Understanding Weight Stigma in Eating Disorder Care (with Jennifer Averyt and Shannon Patterson)
- 2024EDTLA blog · Private Equity and Eating Disorders: What You Need to Know
- 2015–21Verywell Mind · Eating Disorders Expert: six years of articles
- 2014–19Mirror-Mirror · Clinical Director of the eating disorder information site
Film Consultation: To the Bone
Dr. Muhlheim consulted on the 2017 Netflix film To the Bone, starring Lily Collins and Keanu Reeves, and met with Reeves to help him prepare for his role. She also asked the cast and crew to make a PSA about the Nine Truths About Eating Disorders.
Media Kit
Journalists, producers, and event organizers are welcome to use the bios and photos below.
Name pronunciation: Muhlheim is pronounced “MULL-hime.”
Short Bio
Lauren Muhlheim, Psy.D., FAED, CEDS-C, is a Los Angeles psychologist and eating disorder specialist. She directs Eating Disorder Therapy LA and is the author of When Your Teen Has an Eating Disorder and co-author of The Weight-Inclusive CBT Workbook for Eating Disorders. She has been quoted in The New York Times, CNN, and Vox.
Full Bio
Lauren Muhlheim, Psy.D., FAED, CEDS-C, CBTP®, is a clinical psychologist and eating disorder specialist in Los Angeles. She directs Eating Disorder Therapy LA, a group practice that treats eating disorders across the lifespan. She is a Fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED), an iaedp Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and Approved Consultant, a Certified Body Trust® Provider, and certified in Family-Based Treatment (FBT).
Dr. Muhlheim is the author of When Your Teen Has an Eating Disorder (New Harbinger, 2018) and co-author of The Weight-Inclusive CBT Workbook for Eating Disorders: Tools to Reject Diet Culture, Heal Body Shame, and Promote Recovery (New Harbinger, 2026). Her work adapts evidence-based treatments, CBT and FBT, to be weight-inclusive.
She is past president of the Los Angeles County Psychological Association. As an AED board director, she spearheaded the Nine Truths About Eating Disorders, and she received AED’s 2020 Award in Clinical, Administrative, or Education Service. She trains clinicians and parents internationally and has been quoted in The New York Times, CNN, Vox, and The Washington Post.
Headshots
JPG, 1536 × 2304
JPG, 1536 × 2304
JPG, 1536 × 864 (horizontal)
Booking a Speaker or Working on a Story?
Email drmuhlheim@gmail.com. For trainings, workshops, and keynotes, see Speaking and Training.
Not a secure inbox. Please don’t send client information.