Professional Background
Dr. Whynacht is an assistant professor of psychology at Dominican University of California, where she teaches undergraduate psychology courses including abnormal psychology, statistics, counseling and communication, addiction, and human sexuality. She leads the Body Image and Stigma (BIAS) research lab at Dominican and is also the author of the Body Image and Stigma Blog on the Psychology Today website. Her academic work centers on the psychological and sociocultural factors that drive body image issues, weight stigma, and disordered eating.
She is also a licensed psychologist and the founder of Embodied Psychotherapy & Counseling, a private practice specializing in the clinical treatment of eating disorders, body image concerns, and related mental health challenges. Her clinical experience spans a range of settings, including college counseling centers, VA hospitals, and community mental health clinics, where she has worked with adolescents and adults from diverse backgrounds. She completed her APA-accredited clinical internship at the Johns Hopkins University Counseling Center.
Philosophy and Approach
Dr. Whynacht’s clinical approach integrates psychodynamic theory, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and emotion-focused therapy (EFT). Her work is informed by a weight-neutral framework rooted in Health at Every Size (HAES), emphasizing that health and well-being cannot be determined by body size and that weight-focused approaches often contribute to harm.
Across her clinical practice, research, and writing, Dr. Whynacht examines the role of systemic forces — such as diet culture, healthism, and weight stigma — in shaping body image distress and disordered eating. By situating individual experiences within these broader social and cultural contexts, she aims to support personal healing and bring critical awareness of the systems that influence how people relate to their bodies.
Awards and Programs
Dr. Whynacht has been invited to present and consult on topics related to body image, eating disorders, and weight stigma in academic, community, and clinical settings. She has completed advanced training in eating disorder treatment and trauma-informed care and is actively involved in scholarly and professional organizations through research mentorship and interdisciplinary collaboration.
