Meet Marianne Miller | Eating Disorder Therapist and Binge Eating Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marianne Miller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marianne, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
I was a full-time professor for 12 years before beginning my full-time private practice in 2018. There are a lot of pressures in academia, and the demands are staggering. When I was a junior, assistant professor, I would often work on weekends and long into the night. I would answer emails at all hours and teach many extra classes in the summer. Then I became extremely burnt out. After thinking long and hard about it, I decided to set multiple firm boundaries to protect my personal time and my sanity: (a) No working on weekends–ever, (b) After I get home from work, I turn off my phone and keep it out of the bedroom, (c) I deleted the email app on my phone so I never check emails, even when I turn on my phone. Since I started my own business, I have kept these boundaries and added one new one–I take mandatory time off, at least one week each quarter, regardless of what is going on in my business.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I am an eating disorder therapist and binge eating educator. I have been a psychotherapist for 25 years, and I have treated eating disorders for 10 years. I had a part-time private practice while I was a full-time professor at Alliant International University in San Diego. Over time, I found myself enjoying the practice more than I did my academic pursuits, and so I decided to leave academia in 2018 and be a full-time therapist. It was more of a transition than I anticipated; however, I was working with business coaches who specialize in therapists, and it helped me get to the successful place I am today. There was a steep learning curve, as I didn’t know a lot about marketing and business. I made mistakes along the way, and I learned from them, which made me stronger and more resilient. One big lesson was to change the way I look at money and charge what I’m worth. Another lesson is to stick to my work/life balance boundaries, like not working on weekends, even though some of my colleagues aren’t doing similar things.

I want the world to know that I am a very intuitive, sensitive, experienced clinician with a great sense of humor, with a surprising knowledge of popular culture, and a shrewd understanding of what makes people tick. I provide a caring, compassionate, supportive environment that helps teens and adults recover from eating disorders. I use my academic background to integrate cutting-edge treatments to ensure people get the quality care they deserve.

I have just launched a new virtual class, entitled “Freedom from Binge Eating.” It begins Tuesday, April 19th, and it is a weekly, 90-minute, interactive class over zoom. It lasts for four weeks, People will learn evidence-based techniques and strategies that help reduce the urge to binge, respond to urges with more ease, and manage what is really driving the urges–their emotions. Deadline to register for the first round is April 12th. The second round begins Tuesday, July 12th, and the deadline to register is July 5th.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would go to Casa Guadalajara in Old Town–it’s my favorite restaurant in all of San Diego. It has amazing, affordable food, and the atmosphere is really fun. I would drive to La Jolla Shores and first eat at the restaurant at La Jolla Shores hotel that has perfect views of the beach. They do excellent brunches on Sundays. I’d then walk on the beach out to the pier. I’d also visit Chart House restaurant in Cardiff and hang out on Cardiff State Beach. There’s also the Torrey Pines hike that gives spectacular views.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I first want to dedicate my shoutout to my husband, as he has given me unwavering support in my business ventures. The second shoutout goes to Miranda Palmer and Kelly Higdon of Zynneme. I began their Business School Bootcamp for Therapists prior to leaving the university and going into full-time private practice, and it gave me the knowledge and confidence to build a thriving, very successful practice.

Website: https://www.drmariannemiller.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmariannemiller/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-marianne-miller-lmft-eating-disorder-therapy-73b88045/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drmariannemiller

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/marianne-miller-phd-lmft-san-diego-2

Other: Freedom from Binge Eating class link for more info: https://freedomfrombingeeating.paperform.co

Image Credits
My logo (heart; & heart + Dr Marianne Miller) = Abbieshares Social Media Services @abbieshares