DR MARIANNE MILLER
CARING EATING DISORDER TREATMENT IN SAN DIEGO AND THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA, TEXAS, AND WASHINGTON D.C. FOR ADULTS & TEENS
How Childhood Trauma Shapes Eating Disorders & Body Shame
Eating disorders are not about willpower. They are not rooted in personal weakness or vanity. They are protective strategies that emerge when a person’s environment feels unsafe, invalidating, or oppressive—especially during childhood. If you have ever struggled with disordered eating, body image distress, or rigid food patterns, it may be worth asking not what is wrong with you, but what happened to you.
In this post, I explore how childhood trauma and eating disorders are deeply connected. I will also look at how shame, systemic oppression, and nervous system responses shape our relationship with food and body.
How Family Therapy Can Help Your Child With ARFID: Working From a Neurodivergent-Affirming, Sensory-Attuned, Trauma-Informed Model
When a child has Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), family mealtimes can quickly shift into stress and worry. Parents may wonder whether to push their child to try new foods, follow their lead completely, or attempt structured strategies like food chaining. The truth is that ARFID does not look like other eating disorders. It is not rooted in body image concerns. Instead, it often comes from sensory sensitivities, distressing experiences with food, or neurodevelopmental differences.
Family therapy that is neurodivergent-affirming, sensory-attuned, and trauma-informed offers a path forward. It helps children feel safer with food and safer in their bodies, strengthens parent-child bonds, and moves toward making eating opportunities into moments of connection rather than conflict.
Why ARFID Isn’t Picky Eating: Signs, Symptoms, and Misconceptions
When people hear about ARFID, or Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, they often brush it off as picky eating. At first glance, it can look similar: limited foods, refusals at mealtimes, resistance to trying new things. But this assumption is not only inaccurate, it can also be harmful. ARFID is a serious eating disorder that deserves recognition, understanding, and treatment. In this post, we will look closely at what ARFID is, how it differs from picky eating, the signs and symptoms to watch for, and why this distinction is essential for recovery and support.
The Complexities of Treating ARFID: How a Neurodivergent-Affirming, Sensory-Attuned Approach Works
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is one of the most misunderstood and often mischaracterized eating disorders, particularly when it presents in neurodivergent individuals. As a neurodivergent therapist specializing in ARFID treatment for both teens and adults in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and elsewhere, I’ve seen firsthand how standard treatment approaches often fall short. Models that rely on compliance, exposure, and fixed food goals frequently miss the root causes of food avoidance.