Dr. Marianne-Land: An Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast

Healing Binge Eating Disorder: One Woman’s Journey Toward Body Trust & Food Freedom With Dr. Michelle Tubman, M.D. @wayzahealth

What happens when a physician, trained to prioritize science and performance, discovers that her own healing requires compassion, spirituality, and trust in her body?
In this powerful interview, we explore one woman’s story of recovering from binge eating disorder while navigating the pressures of medicine, diet culture, and systemic weight bias.
You’ll hear how early messages about food and scarcity shaped her relationship with eating, how medical training reinforced body shame, and how she ultimately reconnected to herself through self-compassion, intuitive eating, and body trust. This episode offers both a deeply personal narrative and a professional perspective on how healthcare can move toward weight-neutral, compassionate care.
Key Topics Covered
How childhood scarcity and fear can shape lifelong eating patterns
The pressures physicians face to conform to body ideals in medicine
How chronic stress and sleep deprivation in residency can trigger binge eating
Why self-compassion—not willpower—became the turning point in recovery
What it takes to unlearn diet culture within the healthcare system
The rise of GLP-1 medications and how they complicate conversations about body autonomy
Healing the disconnect between professional identity and personal recovery
Building a weight-neutral, compassionate approach to health and wellbeing
Who This Episode Is For
This episode is for anyone who has struggled with binge eating, body shame, or internalized weight stigma—especially those in helping professions. It’s also for clinicians, therapists, and healthcare providers seeking to understand how medical culture perpetuates harm and how to bring more compassion into patient care.
If you’ve ever felt like your professional role or perfectionism made recovery harder, this episode will remind you that you’re not alone—and that healing is possible, even in systems that don’t always make room for it.
Why This Conversation Matters
In a world where doctors are often seen as immune to body image struggles, this story reveals how deeply systemic fatphobia and diet culture reach—even into the halls of medicine. It challenges the myth that knowledge alone heals disordered eating and instead centers nervous system safety, self-compassion, and intuitive wisdom as the foundation for recovery.
Resources Mentioned
Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch
Reclaiming Body Trust by Hilary Kinavey and Dana Sturtevant
Wayza Health (wayzahealth.com)--Dr. Michelle's website
Research on GLP-1 medications and long-term outcomes
Center for Body Trust
Related Episodes 
When Doctors Harm: Medical Weight Stigma & Eating Disorders on Apple & Spotify.
Fat Vulnerability & Our Eating Disorder Recovery Stories on Apple & Spotify.
Challenges of Weight-Loss Surgery & Medical Anti-Fat Bias on Apple & Spotify.
Learn More and Get Support
If you or someone you love is navigating binge eating, emotional eating, or recovery after years of dieting, visit drmariannemiller.com to explore specialized support. You’ll find resources for binge eating recovery, ARFID support, and neurodivergent-affirming therapy and courses.

Understanding Night Eating Syndrome: Executive-Function Tools for Real Recovery

What if your nighttime eating isn’t a failure of willpower but your body’s way of asking for safety, nourishment, and rest?
In this solo episode of Dr. Marianne-Land: An Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast, Dr. Marianne Miller explores the misunderstood world of Night Eating Syndrome (NES)—a condition that often hides behind shame and silence. Rather than framing night eating as a “bad habit,” Dr. Marianne offers a compassionate, neurodivergent-affirming lens that reveals what your body and brain are truly communicating when nighttime hunger takes over.
She unpacks how executive-function challenges, sensory processing differences, and disrupted circadian rhythmscan contribute to Night Eating Syndrome. You’ll learn how to distinguish between waking up at night to eat versus staying up late and bingeing, and why that difference matters for healing.
Dr. Marianne also shares practical ways to support your body’s natural rhythms using executive-function tools—like creating transition meals, supporting sensory needs, and building low-lift nourishment systems that actually work with your brain. Finally, she offers self-compassion strategies that help calm shame, regulate the nervous system, and restore trust in your body’s signals.
Key Topics Covered
What Night Eating Syndrome really is—and why it’s not a moral failure
The role of executive-function fatigue in late-night eating cycles
How neurodivergent people may have different hunger and sleep patterns than neurotypicals
Practical, low-lift tools to support nighttime regulation and nourishment
How to distinguish between Night Eating Syndrome and binge eating
The importance of self-compassion and curiosity in healing the shame cycle
Who This Episode Is For
This episode is for anyone who finds themselves eating late into the night and feeling stuck in shame or confusion afterward. It’s especially for neurodivergent adults, trauma survivors, and anyone who struggles with inconsistent eating or sleep patterns. Clinicians who work with eating disorders, ARFID, or binge eating may also find this episode helpful for supporting clients with neuroaffirming and compassion-based approaches.
Content Caution
This episode discusses eating disorder behaviors related to Night Eating Syndrome and binge eating. Listener discretion is advised. Please take care of yourself and pause if you need to.
Related Episode on Night Eating Syndrome
Night Eating Syndrome on Apple & Spotify (my most popular podcast episode of all time!)
Why Am I Eating at Night? Understanding Night Eating Syndrome in Your 30s, 40s, & 50s on Apple & Spotify.
Learn More and Get Support
If Night Eating Syndrome or binge eating feels familiar to you, support and recovery are possible. Inside my virtual Binge Eating Recovery Membership, you’ll find a self-paced, compassionate space to explore the roots of your eating behaviors while building executive-function skills, sensory supports, and self-trust.
Learn more at drmariannemiller.com.

Relapse in Long-Term Eating Disorders

Why does recovery from an eating disorder feel so fragile, even after years of hard work? In this episode of Dr. Marianne Land, Dr. Marianne Miller unpacks the realities of relapse in long-term eating disorder recovery—what causes it, how to navigate it, and why recovery doesn’t stick in a culture that constantly reinforces shame, anti-fat bias, and unrealistic expectations of healing.
Episode Overview
This eating disorder relapse podcast episode explores the complexity of staying recovered after years or decades of healing. Dr. Marianne explains how relapse is not a personal failure but rather an opportunity to understand what your body and nervous system are communicating. Through a neurodivergent-affirming and body-liberation lens, she breaks down why recovery ebbs and flows and how you can rebuild stability with compassion instead of judgment.
Listeners will learn what it really takes to sustain long-term eating disorder recovery, how trauma and stress can reignite old coping mechanisms, and how to approach relapse as part of the process—not the end of it.
Key Topics Covered
The real meaning of recovery and why “staying recovered” forever is an unrealistic expectation.
How the nervous system and trauma memory create vulnerability to relapse.
Why life transitions, burnout, and chronic stress often trigger eating disorder relapse.
How anti-fat bias, weight stigma, and cultural messaging undermine sustainable recovery.
The unique challenges of neurodivergent eating disorder recovery and how to meet sensory and executive-function needs.
How to rebuild body trust after relapse through curiosity, safety, and self-compassion.
Practical tools for sustainable recovery strategies that evolve as your life changes.
Who This Episode Is For
This episode is for anyone living with a long-term eating disorder who feels discouraged by relapse or fears they are “backsliding.” It’s also for therapists, dietitians, and family members who want to understand why recovery doesn’t stickfor everyone—and how to provide affirming, compassionate support.
Why This Episode Matters
In a world where recovery is often portrayed as a linear journey, this episode challenges that myth. Relapse in long-term eating disorder recovery is common, but few people talk about it without shame. Dr. Marianne brings honesty, education, and hope to a topic that deserves care.
Relapse is not failure, it’s feedback. And when you learn to listen to what your body needs, you can rebuild a recovery that truly fits your life.
Related Episodes on Long-Term Eating Disorders
Orthorexia, Quasi-Recovery, & Lifelong Eating Disorder Struggles with Dr. Lara Zibarras @drlarazib on Apple & Spotify.
Navigating a Long-Term Eating Disorder on Apple & Spotify.
Why Eating Disorder Recovery Feels Unsafe: Facing Ambivalence in Long-Term Struggles on Apple & Spotify.
Perfectionism, People-Pleasing, & Body Image: Self-Compassion Tools for Long-Term Eating Disorder Recovery With Carrie Pollard, MSW @compassionate_counsellor on Apple & Spotify.
Learn More and Get Support
For more on long-term eating disorder recovery, ARFID, binge eating, body trust, and sustainable recovery strategies, visit drmariannemiller.com/blog. There you’ll find articles on trauma, neurodivergence, and the sensory experience of eating—all designed to help you deepen your understanding of recovery that lasts.
Explore more podcast episodes and learn about Dr. Marianne's therapy and online courses at drmariannemiller.com.

Food Allergy Anxiety & ARFID: When Safety Fears Shape Eating & Family Life With Tamara Hubbard @foodallergycounselor

Can anxiety about food safety quietly shape the way an entire family eats, lives, and loves?
In this episode of Dr. Marianne-Land: An Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast, Dr. Marianne Miller, LMFT, talks with Tamara Hubbard, LCPC, founder of The Food Allergy Counselor and The Academy of Food Allergy Counseling. Together, they explore how food allergy anxiety can affect both children and parents, sometimes leading to ARFID-like eating patterns and significant emotional distress.
Tamara shares her journey from being a parent of a child with a peanut allergy to becoming a national leader in the field of food allergy mental health. She discusses how chronic fear and misinformation can cause families to become trapped in cycles of hypervigilance and restriction. She and Dr. Marianne also examine how therapy can help families move toward flexibility, autonomy, and connection at the table.
Listeners will hear how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and values-based approaches support parents in balancing safety with freedom, and how addressing anxiety can improve both emotional well-being and quality of life.
Key Topics Covered
The difference between food allergies and food intolerances and why accurate understanding matters
How food allergy anxiety can spread through families and mimic ARFID symptoms
The role of parental fear in shaping a child’s own food relationship and daily life
The risks of restriction-based medical advice, including some functional medicine practices
How ACT and mindfulness tools can help parents tolerate fear and stay connected to their values
Ways to calm the fight-or-flight response and reduce hypervigilance around food and safety
Why collaboration between therapists and allergists creates stronger, safer support for families
Who This Episode Is For
This episode is for parents and caregivers who want to understand how food allergies, anxiety, and ARFID intersect in family life. It is also for therapists, dietitians, and healthcare providers who want to learn how to support families with evidence-based, trauma-informed, and values-driven care.
Food Allergy Resources Mentioned
Book: May Contain Anxiety: Managing the Overwhelm of Parenting Children With Food Allergies by Tamara Hubbard, LCPC (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2025)
Website: The Food Allergy Counselor for educational articles, therapeutic resources, and directories of food allergy-informed therapists
Organization: The Academy of Food Allergy Counseling for clinician training and professional community
Article: Allergic Living Magazine Airline Allergy Travel Guide for details on how major airlines handle food allergy policies
Advocacy Resource: No Nut Traveler by Leanne Mandelbaum, advocating for safer air travel for people with food allergies
Therapeutic Framework: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for managing anxiety and values alignment
Cultural Reference: We Can Do Hard Things by Glennon Doyle as a reminder of resilience and self-compassion
Content Caution
This episode includes discussions of allergic reactions, anaphylaxis, and eating challenges. Please take care while listening if these topics may feel activating or distressing.
Learn More and Get ARFID and Selective Eating Support
Visit drmariannemiller.com to explore Dr. Marianne’s work as a fat, neurodivergent, eating disorder therapistwho specializes in ARFID, binge eating disorder, and body liberation-focused recovery.
If you want more guidance on supporting sensory and anxiety-related eating challenges, explore her self-paced ARFID and Selective Eating Course. This virtual program provides a compassionate, neurodivergent-affirming framework that helps families and clinicians create safety, flexibility, and understanding around food.

The Truth About "High-Functioning" People With Lifelong Eating Disorders

Do people praise your discipline while ignoring your struggle with a long-term eating disorder?
In this solo episode of Dr. Marianne-Land: An Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast, Dr. Marianne Miller, LMFT, unpacks the cultural myth of the “high-functioning” eating disorder and explores why so many lifelong eating disorders go unnoticed, untreated, or mislabeled as willpower or success.
Episode Overview
So many people live for decades with an eating disorder that never fully goes away—because the world keeps rewarding them for being productive, disciplined, or “healthy.” Dr. Marianne explains how functioning can become a form of masking, how trauma and safety patterns reinforce chronic disordered eating, and why recovery often requires dismantling the very systems that taught us to perform instead of rest.
This episode brings honesty and compassion to those who have felt unseen by treatment models that only recognize crisis, and validation to those who have carried invisible pain behind competence and control.
Key Topics Covered
What “high-functioning” really means and why it’s a harmful label
How lifelong eating disorders become normalized and overlooked
The hidden costs of functioning and perfectionism
Trauma, safety, and why control feels protective
How privilege shapes who gets labeled “high-functioning”
Recovery pathways for long-term and late-stage eating disorders
The difference between surviving and actually living
Who This Episode Is For
This episode is for anyone who has lived with chronic disordered eating, for those who have been told they “don’t look sick,” and for clinicians seeking to better understand the quiet suffering that hides behind high performance. It’s also for neurodivergent listeners and those in larger bodies who have felt unseen in traditional eating disorder spaces.
Related Episodes
Orthorexia, Quasi-Recovery, & Lifelong Eating Disorder Struggles with Dr. Lara Zibarras @drlarazib on Apple & Spotify.
Navigating a Long-Term Eating Disorder on Apple & Spotify.
Why Eating Disorder Recovery Feels Unsafe: Facing Ambivalence in Long-Term Struggles on Apple & Spotify.
Perfectionism, People-Pleasing, & Body Image: Self-Compassion Tools for Long-Term Eating Disorder Recovery With Carrie Pollard, MSW @compassionate_counsellor on Apple & Spotify.
Learn More and Get Support for Lifelong Eating Disorders
You can explore therapy, coaching, and recovery resources at drmariannemiller.com.
If you’re ready to deepen your healing, check out Dr. Marianne’s virtual, self-paced ARFID and Selective Eating Course, designed to support autonomy, sensory needs, and manageable recovery.
You can also follow Dr. Marianne on Instagram @drmariannemiller.

Why I’m Done Saying “Atypical Anorexia” (It’s All Anorexia, Period.)

In this solo episode of Dr. Marianne-Land: An Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast, fat-positive therapist and eating disorder specialist Dr. Marianne Miller, LMFT explains why she no longer uses the label “Atypical Anorexia.” She discusses how anti-fat bias, weight stigma, and systemic discrimination in eating disorder treatment have shaped the diagnostic criteria for anorexia and harmed people in larger bodies.
Listeners will learn how the term “atypical” upholds thinness as the standard for illness, why that belief leads to delayed diagnoses, and how shifting our language can expand access to inclusive, weight-neutral, and neurodivergent-affirming eating disorder care.
Through clinical insight, real-world examples, and liberation-focused analysis, Dr. Marianne reframes what anorexia recovery truly means: healing one’s relationship with food, body, and self without hierarchy, shame, or size bias.
Key SEO Topics Covered
What Is “Atypical Anorexia”? Understanding the origins of the term and how it reinforces weight stigma and anti-fat bias.
Why Thinness Shouldn’t Define Anorexia: How body diversity challenges outdated diagnostic models.
The Role of Weight Stigma in Anorexia Recovery: How medical bias limits access to eating disorder therapyand treatment coverage.
Cultural and Systemic Bias in Eating Disorder Diagnosis: How fatphobia, whiteness, and ableism distort who gets diagnosed.
Intersectionality and Neurodivergence: How autism, ADHD, race, and gender identity affect the experience and recognition of anorexia.
What Inclusive Eating Disorder Treatment Looks Like: How clinicians can provide weight-inclusive, trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming care.
Body Liberation and Recovery: Why reclaiming the word “anorexia” for all bodies fosters belonging and healing.
Who This Episode Is For
This episode is for anyone interested in inclusive anorexia recovery and liberation-centered eating disorder treatment. It’s especially for:
People in larger bodies who have experienced restriction or medical dismissal.
Clinicians seeking to decolonize their approach to eating disorder therapy.
Neurodivergent listeners navigating food restriction or sensory challenges.
Individuals recovering from anorexia who were told they are “not sick enough.”
Advocates, parents, and students learning about anti-fat bias and weight-inclusive recovery models.
Why This Conversation Matters
The label “Atypical Anorexia” perpetuates harmful myths about body size, illness, and worthiness. It tells people in larger bodies that their pain is less valid and their recovery less urgent. In reality, anorexia occurs in every body size, race, gender, and neurotype.
By challenging the term “atypical,” Dr. Marianne advocates for body-liberation-aligned, anti-bias eating disorder therapy that validates all lived experiences. This conversation helps listeners unlearn weight stigma and invites the eating disorder field to adopt inclusive, evidence-based, fat-positive practices that honor every body’s right to care and nourishment.
Other Episodes on "Atypical Anorexia"
Atypical Anorexia Explained: Why Restriction Happens at Every Body Size on Apple or Spotify.
Atypical Anorexia with Amy Ornelas, RD on Apple or Spotify.
Atypical Anorexia: Mental & Physical Health Risks, Plus How the Term is Controversial on Apple or Spotify.
What Is Atypical Anorexia? Challenging Weight Bias in Eating Disorder Treatment with Emma Townsin, RD @food.life.freedom on Apple or Spotify.
Learn More and Get Support
Visit drmariannemiller.com to learn more about Dr. Marianne Miller’s eating disorder therapy, coaching, and educational resources. Her website offers blog posts, podcast transcripts, and tools for people seeking anorexia recovery support, ARFID education, and neurodivergent-affirming treatment.

Unmasking, Embodiment, & Trust: A Neurodivergent Approach to Eating Disorder Recovery With Dr. Emma Offord @divergentlives

In this powerful and affirming conversation, Dr. Marianne Miller welcomes Dr. Emma from Divergent Life, a UK-based neuroaffirming clinical psychologist and thought leader. Together, they explore the intersections of neurodivergence, eating disorders, masking, trauma, and embodiment, examining what true safety and self-trust look like in recovery.
Dr. Emma shares her journey toward becoming an eating disorder specialist, her resistance to standardized and compliance-based treatment models, and how her activist, trauma-informed, and social justice-oriented approachshapes her work.
Listeners will hear both clinicians reflect on their lived experiences, discuss the harm of medicalized narratives, and explore how therapy can become a form of activism, embodiment, and reclamation.
Who This Episode Is For
This episode is for anyone who has ever felt unseen or invalidated by traditional eating disorder treatment systems. It is especially meaningful for:
Neurodivergent individuals who have struggled with masking, sensory sensitivities, or feelings of disconnection from their bodies
People in eating disorder recovery who have not found healing in standardized or compliance-based programs
Clinicians and therapists who want to practice from a neurodivergent-affirming, trauma-informed, and social justice lens
Parents and caregivers of neurodivergent loved ones seeking compassionate, autonomy-honoring approaches
Anyone interested in embodiment, body trust, and authentic recovery
Key Topics Covered
Why standardized and compliance-based eating disorder treatments can be retraumatizing
The effects of masking and self-abandonment in neurodivergent people
How embodiment and sensory awareness support authentic healing
Understanding neurodivergent trauma and nervous system responses
Reclaiming autonomy and agency in recovery
How therapy can serve as a tool for social justice and liberation
The importance of lived experience in guiding compassionate care
About the Guest
Dr. Emma (she/her) is a neuroaffirming clinical psychologist, coach, and founder of Divergent Life, a UK-based service that challenges outdated mental health systems and centers neurodivergent and trauma-informed care. Through her work, she helps clients move from masking and compliance toward embodiment, agency, and trust in their own inner wisdom.
Instagram: @divergentlivesWebsite: divergentlife.co.uk
Why This Episode Matters
This conversation redefines what healing can look like for neurodivergent people with eating disorders, particularly those who have felt unseen or misunderstood by traditional models. Dr. Marianne and Dr. Emma discuss how masking and system-based approaches can lead to disembodiment and how safety, trust, and agency can guide recovery instead.
If you have ever questioned why “one-size-fits-all” therapy has not worked for you, or if you are a clinician seeking to practice in a way that honors autonomy and lived experience, this episode offers deep insight, compassion, and hope.
Related Episodes on Neurodivergent Needs & Experiences
Recovering Again: Navigating Eating Disorders After a Late Neurodivergent Diagnosis (Part 1) With Stacie Fanelli, LCSW @edadhd_therapist via Apple & Spotify.
Stuck on Empty: Autistic Inertia, ARFID & the Struggle to Eat via Apple & Spotify
Minding the Gap: The Intersection Between AuDHD & Eating Disorders With Stacie Fanelli, LCSW @edadhd_therapist via Apple & Spotify
Our Personal Neurodivergent Stories via Apple & Spotify.
Learn More and Get Support
Check out  drmariannemiller.com for blog posts, therapy services, more podcast episodes, and other offerings.
To learn about Dr. Marianne’s ARFID and Selective Eating Course, visit drmariannemiller.com/arfid.

Binge Eating & Shame: Why Willpower Isn’t the Problem

In this episode of Dr. Marianne-Land, Dr. Marianne Miller explores one of the most misunderstood experiences in eating disorder recovery: binge eating and shame.
She explains why binge eating is not caused by lack of willpower. It develops from deprivation, unmet emotional needs, and internalized shame. You will learn how restriction fuels binge urges, how shame keeps you stuck, and how compassion-based recovery helps you rebuild trust with food and your body.
Why Binge Eating Isn’t About Willpower
Many people believe binge eating happens because they lack control. In truth, binge eating is a biological and emotional response to restriction. When your body senses scarcity, it does what it was designed to do: it pushes you to eat.
Dr. Marianne discusses how diet culture and fear-based food rules create deprivation and shame. The body responds to this deprivation by seeking safety through eating, sometimes in large quantities. The solution is not to control yourself more, but to give your body the consistent nourishment and compassion it needs.
How Shame Fuels the Binge Cycle
Shame is one of the strongest emotional drivers of binge eating. After a binge, thoughts like “I failed again” or “I’ll start over tomorrow” appear. Those thoughts lead to more restriction, which triggers another binge.
Dr. Marianne explains how shame disconnects you from your body and keeps you in a cycle of punishment and control. The shift begins when you replace blame with curiosity. Asking “What does my body need right now?” helps you reconnect to your needs instead of silencing them.
The Biology Behind Binge Eating
Binge eating is a predictable response to restriction. When your body does not receive enough food, hunger hormones increase, reward pathways in the brain intensify, and cravings become urgent. Binge eating is your body’s attempt to restore balance.
Mental restriction has the same effect. When you label foods as bad or forbidden, your body perceives danger and increases urgency around those foods. Regular meals, adequate nutrition, and permission to eat satisfying foods restore body trust and calm the nervous system.
Emotional Safety and Recovery
Binge eating is often a way to self-soothe when emotions feel too big or overwhelming. If you have been taught that sadness, anger, or fear are unsafe, food may have become your most accessible form of comfort.
Dr. Marianne talks about creating emotional safety through self-soothing, sensory grounding, and compassion. When your nervous system feels supported, the intensity of binge urges begins to soften.
From Control to Compassion
Recovery is not about fighting yourself into change. It begins when you stop using control as protection and start practicing compassion.
Dr. Marianne shares ways to replace critical self-talk with kind, curious reflection. Instead of saying “I have no willpower,” try “My body is asking for care.” That language shift helps rewire your nervous system to expect gentleness instead of punishment.
Reclaiming Pleasure and Satisfaction
Food is meant to be enjoyable, not a test of discipline. When you allow yourself to experience satisfaction without guilt, eating becomes calmer and more connected.
Dr. Marianne encourages listeners to practice mindful eating, notice textures and flavors, and reconnect with the sensory experience of food. Pleasure is not indulgence; it is information that helps you understand what your body needs.
Content Caution
This episode includes open discussion about binge eating and emotional distress related to food and body image. Please listen with care and take breaks as needed.
Who This Episode Helps
This episode is for anyone who feels stuck in binge-restrict cycles or wants to understand the emotional roots of binge eating. It is also helpful for clinicians supporting clients with binge eating disorder, and for neurodivergent listeners who need a sensory-attuned and trauma-informed approach to recovery.
Related Episodes on Binge Eating
Binge Eating in Midlife: Why It Starts (or Resurfaces) in Your 30s, 40s, 50s on Apple & Spotify.
Binge Eating Urges: Why They Happen & How to Manage Them Without Shame on Apple & Spotify.
How to Manage Triggers & Cravings During Recovery From Binge Eating & Bulimia on Apple & Spotify.
Join the Binge Eating Recovery Membership
If you are ready to heal your relationship with food, Dr. Marianne invites you to join her Binge Eating Recovery Membership at drmariannemiller.com.
This membership offers accessible lessons, community support, and practical tools to help you move beyond shame, regulate emotions, and create consistency with food without dieting or control.
Inside, you will learn how to rebuild body trust, reduce binge frequency, and practice compassionate recovery at your own pace.

ARFID Help for Parents: How to Support Your Child’s Eating With Compassion

Parenting a child with ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) can feel confusing and overwhelming. In this episode, Dr. Marianne Miller shares practical and compassionate strategies for parents who want to help their children eat with less fear and more confidence.
You will learn why pressure and negotiation tend to backfire, how to create low-stress mealtimes that build safety, and how to attune to your child’s sensory needs through a neurodivergent-affirming approach. Whether your child experiences food texture issues, fear of choking, or intense sensory overwhelm, this episode provides grounded, actionable steps for supporting eating with care and collaboration.
Key Topics Covered
Understanding ARFID beyond “picky eating” and recognizing it as a real eating disorder rooted in fear, sensory distress, or trauma
Why pressure and negotiation can increase distress and decrease trust
How sensory context affects eating and what small environmental changes can help
Transitioning from authoritative to consent-based parenting that prioritizes autonomy and emotional safety
Building trust through predictable, transparent, and compassionate mealtime practices
Knowing when to seek professional ARFID-informed, trauma-aware, and neurodivergent-affirming support
Who This Episode Is For
This episode is for parents, caregivers, and family members who are trying to understand and support a child living with ARFID or selective eating. It is also helpful for therapists, dietitians, educators, and healthcare providers who want to better understand the family dynamics that shape mealtime stress and recovery.
Why This Episode Matters
Many families are told to use pressure or rewards to encourage eating. While this advice may seem helpful, it often increases distress for children with ARFID. In this episode, Dr. Marianne explains why traditional approaches like “one more bite” or “if you eat your veggies, you can have dessert” can erode trust and worsen fear.
Instead, you will hear how shifting toward collaboration, sensory awareness, and emotional safety supports genuine progress. Learning to trust your child’s signals and prioritize consent around food can transform your home and restore connection at the table.
Content Caution
This episode includes discussion of children’s eating distress, food avoidance, and anxiety around eating. Please listen with care if these topics may be sensitive for you or your family.
Related Episodes
ARFID Explained: What It Feels Like, Why It’s Misunderstood, & What Helps on Apple & Spotify.
Why Sensory-Attuned Care Matters More Than Exposure in ARFID Treatment on Apple & Spotify.
ARFID, PDA, and Autonomy: Why Pressure Makes Eating Harder on Apple & Spotify.
Complexities of Treating ARFID: How a Neurodivergent-Affirming, Sensory-Attuned Approach Works on Apple & Spotify.
Get Additional ARFID Help
To learn more about supporting your child’s eating with compassion, visit drmariannemiller.com/arfid to explore Dr. Marianne’s ARFID & Selective Eating Course.
This self-paced, online course provides practical tools, scripts, and real-world examples to help parents reduce mealtime stress, build trust, and approach food in a supportive, neurodivergent-affirming way.

What Your Therapist Needs to Know About Eating Disorders With Edie Stark, LCSW @ediestarktherapy

What should every therapist truly understand before working with clients who have eating disorders? In this insightful interview, Dr. Marianne Miller talks with Edie Stark, LCSW (@ediestarktherapy) about what ethical, inclusive care really means.
Together, they explore why “gold standard” approaches like Family-Based Treatment (FBT) often miss the mark for neurodivergent, fat, queer, and BIPOC clients. The conversation highlights the importance of cultural humility, anti-fat bias awareness, trauma-informed care, and intersectional understanding in every therapeutic setting.
Whether you are a clinician, a student, or someone in recovery who wants to understand what quality treatment should look like, this episode offers a thoughtful look at how therapists can grow, unlearn, and create safe, collaborative spaces for healing.
Key Topics Covered
Why “gold standard” models like Family-Based Treatment (FBT) do not fit everyone
How anti-fat bias and wellness culture shape eating disorder care
The importance of cultural humility and intersectionality in therapy
Ways to create trauma-informed, consent-based, and collaborative care
What ethical practice looks like when working with neurodivergent and marginalized clients
How therapists can identify and challenge their own internalized biases
Why eating disorder work requires humility, continual learning, and self-reflection
Who This Episode Is For
Therapists and dietitians who want to provide ethical and inclusive eating disorder care
Students and early-career clinicians who are beginning to work with eating disorders
Supervisors and consultants who guide others in complex clinical cases
People in recovery who want to understand what to expect from truly affirming treatment
Anyone curious about how bias, culture, and power dynamics affect eating disorder recovery
Other Episodes With Edie
The Hidden Risks of Non-Specialized Eating Disorder Treatment on Apple & Spotify.
The Diet/Wellness Industry, Accessibility, & Diet Culture on Apple & Spotify.
Anti-Fat Bias & the Importance of Advocacy on Apple & Spotify.
About My Guest
Edie Stark, LCSW, is the founder of Stark Therapy Group in California and Edie Stark Consulting, where she supports therapists through business consulting, case consultation, and supervision. She’s also a feature writer for Psychology Today and advocates for ethical, media-accurate portrayals of eating disorders.
Connect with Edie on Instagram at @ediestarktherapy and @edies_edits, or visit ediestark.com.
About Dr. Marianne Miller
Dr. Marianne Miller is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist specializing in eating disorders, ARFID, and binge eating disorder. She practices in California, Texas, and Washington D.C., and teaches self-paced, virtual courses through her binge eating recovery membership and her course ARFID and Selective Eating.
Learn more at drmariannemiller.com or follow her on Instagram @drmariannemiller.