Rachel Millner, Psy.D.

Rachel Millner, Psy.D. Dr. Millner is a licensed psychologist and Certified Eating Disorder Specialist who works with people struggling with food and body issues.

I totally get that if you are someone who has binged or felt like you always had to finish all of your food whether you ...
11/16/2025

I totally get that if you are someone who has binged or felt like you always had to finish all of your food whether you were hungry or not or whether you wanted it or not, stopping and not finishing everything, can feel like a miracle.
And if you are someone who had certain foods that anytime you had in your living space or around you, you felt ‘out of control’ and ate all of it and felt like you couldn’t “have this food around me,” feeling free to have the food around you and not immediately eat all of it, may be something you never thought possible.
And it’s easy to think that that’s the reason that eating intuitively or not dieting or eating freely is a positive thing or that it’s “working” or you’re “getting it right.”
But ultimately valuing leaving food on your plate or not finishing everything above finishing everything is still a dieting mindset. Even if it’s not about weight loss, it’s still valuing eating less of something over eating more of it.
It’s ultimately not about what you leave behind or what you finish, it’s about having the choice to do either and not valuing one over the other.
It makes sense that when you are first healing your relationship with food, not finishing something you used to feel compelled to finish can feel freeing.
And having the choice to finish or not and not valuing one more than the other or seeing one as “better than” the other, will likely feel even more free.

Image description: there is a grey background with black lines on each side with text in the center that says: one of the positive things about not dieting or intuitive eating or eating freely is not that you can eat something and not finish all of it. it’s that the choice to finish it or not finish it are both available to you and one isn’t seen as a better, more valued, or more “successful” option than the other.

The menopause summit hosted by starts tomorrow! I have been so frustrated by there being so many more conversations abo...
11/11/2025

The menopause summit hosted by starts tomorrow! I have been so frustrated by there being so many more conversations about menopause only to follow someone and realize that nearly everything they are saying is rooted in stigma.
I have been so wanting to understand more about menopause without having to be subjected to weight stigma and pathologizing conversations about “belly fat,” and I know that I can trust this summit will have none of that.
If you’re interested, I put the link in my bio. I know it starts tomorrow which doesn’t give a lot of time for planning, but most of the sessions are recorded and can be watched later, which is definitely what I’ll be doing since I neglected to block my schedule for it 🤦🏻‍♀️
I hope that all of the so called menopause experts out there who are writing books and have millions of followers, but are pathologizing bodies, tune into this summit. There’s a lot they need to learn.
Image description: there is an image with head shots of each person speaking at the summit with text surrounding the pictures that says:
THE MENOPAUSE
SUMMIT
by Center for BODY TREST
FREE and ONLINE
November 12-14, 2025

There is so much more to say than this. Way too much for any instagram post, but here are some thoughts. Image descripti...
11/10/2025

There is so much more to say than this. Way too much for any instagram post, but here are some thoughts.

Image description: there are 6 slides. Each has a grey border with text that says:
T-rump has decided that fatness (among other things- all eugenics) is a reason someone’s visa application to the US can be denied.
It took no time for people to start pointing out that T-rump himself is fat and would be banned from entering the country based on his own policy. Using anti-fat bias to argue against an anti-fat policy, just reinforces the message that there is something wrong with being fat and supports the eugenics that T-rump is so readily implementing. There is a very long list of things that are wrong with T-rump. An endless list. And fatness isn’t on there.
What I do think is important to point out is that while I don’t think T-rump has insight, nor do I care, fat people in general do and it is common to have internalized weight stigma in which fat people believe they don’t deserve access or equal treatment or respect. There will be fat people denied visas, who think they deserve to be denied or that it’s their fault. And that is devastating.
As many of us in the fat liberation community have said, fat people’s lives are viewed as expendable. The culture and systems of anti-fat bias, are fine with fat people dying in attempts to get thin and see no harm in selling weight loss methods that put fat people’s lives in danger. If you are someone who thinks “it’s about health,” let what is happening be evidence that it is about violence and power and control and anti-blackness and it has never been about health. (Continued in comments)

11/06/2025

I have been thinking about this dress since I wore it the other day and enjoying fashion that breaks all of the “rules” we’ve been taught about what to wear when you’re fat.
There was a time when my body was the size that the culture deems acceptable to wear a dress like this. And during that time I never would have worn this dress.
I didn’t wear anything that was fitted, or showed skin or body parts. I hated my body then. I was constantly critiquing it and picking it apart. I was in constant shame.
My body was held up by the culture as desirable and a “success story” and a body worthy of being visible, but I hid more than I ever would today.
I was in the depths of anorexia during that time and was so focused on being as small as possible, there was nothing else in my life that mattered.
We are told that if we lose weight, we will find freedom. We will feel better. We will have access to any clothing we want. It will all come in our size.
And, yeah, I could have walked into any store and found my size back then, but what good are a bunch of clothes in your size if you have so much body shame and judgment, that you won’t wear them.
Now there aren’t as many clothes made in my size. There are a lot of stores that don’t carry my size. But, I have so much more freedom and will actually wear clothes I like.
Remember that the culture tells us a bunch of lies about what thinness brings. Dieting and restricting and obsessing over your body doesn’t bring freedom or mean you’ll suddenly start wearing clothing you like.
Freedom isn’t found in thinness. And it’s not found in knowing that more clothes exist in your size.

I had so much fun yesterday and loved getting to speak on a panel about weight stigma. Of course I neglected to take an...
11/02/2025

I had so much fun yesterday and loved getting to speak on a panel about weight stigma. Of course I neglected to take any pictures while I was there, but I did manage a pic before I left and I was loving the dress I wore, so I’m glad I have photo evidence.
Philly Fat Con is so powerful. It is a reminder that even with everything going on in the world, fat community is so full of hope.
With all of the assaults on fat bodies, fat community is more important than ever. Taking up space and speaking up, when possible, is even more important than ever.
Thanks for having me and for an amazing day. I’m already looking forward to next year.
Image description: there are two photos of me. In the first one, I am standing outside. I am wearing a dark green dress. The dress is long and has a cut out on the belly. In the second picture, I am wearing the same dress, but the picture is a close up of just my face with makeup on.

So grateful to for writing this article about my mission to become a instructor and to for publishing it.Link to the ...
10/30/2025

So grateful to for writing this article about my mission to become a instructor and to for publishing it.
Link to the full article is in my bio.

10/28/2025

Yesterday I posted the video from right before I did my first ride in several weeks after being sick.
I filmed this video after I finished that ride to talk about how it felt to get back to riding after time off.
I am so appreciative of being able to trust my body to tell me when it needed to rest and when it was ready to go back to riding my . And I also know how complicated this can be for many reasons.
I will be coming back gently and not pushing too hard. Just seeing how my body feels and making decisions from there.

It’s almost Halloween and there is so much rhetoric about Halloween candy and how to “manage” it.The best way to “manage...
10/26/2025

It’s almost Halloween and there is so much rhetoric about Halloween candy and how to “manage” it.
The best way to “manage” Halloween candy, is to not manage it at all. It’s just candy. Unless someone’s allergic, give kids of all body sizes full permission to eat the candy.
And Halloween isn’t just for kids. Make sure you are buying your favorites too. Buy extras if you can so that you have some for after Halloween as well. Personally, I’m stocking up on pumpkin peanut butter cups. The best PB cups of the year, IMO.
There is plenty to be afraid of right now. Halloween candy isn’t one of them.

Image description: there is a Halloween themed background with spider webs, pumpkins and bats with text that says: A few Halloween reminders:
• Candy is nothing to be afraid of Give fat kids the same access to candy that you give thin kids
• Adults need access to Halloween candy too
Let fat kids dress up however they want. If a costume doesn’t come in their size, blame the costume maker and not their body

10/24/2025

The hypocrisy drives me bananas. More weight is protective as we go through perimenopause. So they tell us to wear a weighted vest to build muscle. Instead of just letting our bodies do what they need to do to protect our bones and build muscle.
So, only more weight if it can be taken off? Because recognizing how protective actual weight gain is, requires confronting anti-fat bias and internalized weight stigma.
It’s all a mind f*ck. The rules of diet culture don’t make sense and are constantly changing. It’s not you. It’s diet culture.
I’m sure sales of weighted vests have increased. If you love a weighted vest, great. No judgment of weighted vests happening here.
But let’s a least name the hypocrisy of it all. And that none of it makes sense. And that if we weren’t so afraid of fat, we’d have way more perimenopausal people living their lives in their changing bodies; bodies that are built for this.

This is just educational. Not advice.

10/22/2025

Earlier I saw a conversation in which someone was asking for research to support the statement that weight and health are not the same thing and talking about the difference between causation and correlation.
A lot of people responded with research and data and information to be used with someone who was pushing back on these topics and not believing them.
And the research is so important. And understanding the impact of weight stigma is so important. And knowing that intentional weight loss is not sustainable for the vast majority of people is so important.
And sometimes I want to say stop it! Forget all of it! Because fat people deserve compassionate and ethical care no matter what. Whether fatness causes an illness or not. Whether weight loss is sustainable or not.
And sometimes I think when we get into these conversations and are seeking data to give to people who are still swimming in their own weight stigma, it’s like we are trying to justify our right to exist as fat people.
But we don’t owe anyone an explanation or justification. We exist. Always have. Always will. And we don’t owe anyone anything when it comes to our right to live, and be treated well, in our fat bodies.

I was at a local urgent care recently and pleasantly surprised at the care that I received. So many simple things that m...
10/22/2025

I was at a local urgent care recently and pleasantly surprised at the care that I received. So many simple things that made my experience much more positive than most of my interactions with the healthcare system.
It wasn’t perfect, but nothing is. And I am happy to call out someplace that got it right because, so often (especially in healthcare), they get it wrong.
Thanks to for such a positive experience. I hope all of your locations do as good a job as this one did.
Image description: there are a series slides with a blue background and text that reads: I recently went to a local urgent care and had a positive experience. The things that made it positive are so simple to implement.
If you are a medical provider here are things you can do
*right now* .
that will benefit
all of your patients:
They asked if I was ok with being weighed. When I declined, they said “ok” and moved on. They didn’t ask me to estimate my weight or tell me they needed a number for their EMR. They just moved on to the next thing. One medical tech even said “way to advocate for yourself!”
They asked for consent each time they wanted to do something. Super simple. “Is it ok if we take your
temperature?” instead of “we are going to take your temperature now.” Same amount of time for them. A big difference for the patient.
They had an electronic blood pressure cuff in their intake area. When it read high, they didn’t assume I must have high blood pressure because I’m fat. They asked if it was ok to take it manually and used the correct cuff size.
They gave me a gown that fit my body. I didn’t have to ask for it. They just handed me a gown that worked for my body. They also had a range of chair sizes and types available. When I walked into the waiting room, I just sat in the chair that worked best for me.
If you are a medical provider, start now by:
1. Getting consent. Not just to weigh someone, but for everything you do
2. Don’t make assumptions about people based on body size
3. Have furniture, gowns, equipment, etc. that work for fat bodies

10/17/2025

So infuriating. So violent. So opportunistic. So many lies. So manipulative. So not surprising.
This ad about their new “weight watchers for menopause” showed up on my social media feed yesterday and I am so angry about the whole thing.
Weight watchers (and a long list of other people and companies) are preying on people at a time where there can already be confusion about what’s going on with our bodies and are pathologizing the necessary weight gain that happens during this time.
I’ve said many times how glad I am that more conversations are happening about perimenopause and menopause. They have been ignored for far too long.
What I’m not happy about is how many of these conversations are being held by people and companies selling weight loss.
Weight watchers has claimed they are “innovative.” They claim they are “different” than other weight loss programs. This new program is a reminder of what has always been true, they are about convincing us that our bodies are the problem and that they have the “solution” so that they can profit.
If you want to be a part of conversations about perimenopause and menopause from a weight inclusive lens that will not pathologize your body, check out upcoming menopause summit. It’s the only conversation about these topics that I can confidently recommend.

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Rachel Millner, Psy.D., CEDS-S, CBTP is a psychologist in PA and NJ, Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and Supervisor, and Certified Body Trust® provider. Dr. Millner has been in practice since 2005, working with people struggling with all forms of eating disorders and disordered eating as well as those working to break free from diet culture and work toward body liberation. Since 2014, Dr. Millner has worked in the Eating Disorder Assessment and Treatment Program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where she treats children and adolescents struggling with eating disorders using a family-based approach.

Dr. Millner is a trauma-informed, Health at Every Size®, fat-positive provider who works from a weight-inclusive lens. She works with people across the weight spectrum from a non-diet perspective. Dr. Millner believes in body autonomy and recognizes that weight stigma and diet culture impact all of us and the decisions we make about how to care for our bodies.

In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Millner serves on the board of the local International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals chapter. She is the co-chair of the Weight Stigma and Social Justice special interest group in the Academy of Eating Disorders, where she also serves as a member of the Awards and Scientific Review committee. Dr. Millner speaks nationally about weight stigma, weight-inclusive care, anorexia in higher-weight bodies, and her own eating disorder recovery. Dr. Millner has shared her expertise on popular podcasts such as the Food Psych podcast and the Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast. She has taught at the University of Pennsylvania, Mercer County Community College and Gwynedd Mercy College.

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