Hiiiiieeeeyyy! I am Dr. Dany (she/her) — I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and have been working in the field of eating disorders for over 20 years (oof, I feel old!) — Gen X baby. I was born in Oklahoma and had a rather blue-collar upbringing (first college graduate in my entire extended family – whoopty woop!). I attended the University of Oklahoma for undergrad, which is when I first became interested in disordered eating. I was in a sorority (Pi Bitcha Phi, baby!) and it seemed like eating disorders were everywhere. This was fascinating to me. Restricting food was completely foreign to me. Many people in my family lived in larger bodies. While diet culture was strong (Hi 1990s, I see you), food was a source of comfort and celebration, not fear. During my senior year of college, I got a weekend psych tech position at Laureate Eating Disorders Program (an inpatient and residential program) and loved the population. I then went on to receive my PhD at the University of Kansas (Rock Chalk!), followed by an internship at UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience, and then a postdoctoral fellowship at UCSD Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research. I loved doing research pertaining to the biological underpinnings of disordered eating, but being the ADHD extravert that I am, realized research was not my jam. I returned to UCLA’s Eating Disorders Program and also started a part-time private practice. No longer at UCLA, I now have a thriving group practice in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles – Dr. McCurdy-McKinnon & Associates: Eating Disorders & Wellness Clinic. Our practice is sex positive, fat positive, neuroinclusive, anti-racist, and LGBTQIA+ affirming. I am actively involved in the Academy for Eating Disorders and serve on the editorial board for Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention. 

Outside of my professional life, I am married to Matt, who makes movies here in Hollywoodland. We have two kiddos, Wilder – age 9 and Lively – age 4. We have two pups (Ingrid/”Iggy” and Franklin) and ~50 tropical fish, but I want a menagerie! I am obsessed with golden retrievers (RIP Humphrey) and plan to adopt another in due time. Future zoo goals: a tarantula named her Marie Tarantunette, a savannah cat named Josephine Baker, and a white macaw named Joan Clawford. I am a nail artist (only on myself). I love maximalist and Victorian interior design. I am learning Mandarin. I love singing. I love mechanical endeavors – I have been learning to restore antique typewriters as well as becoming quite the horologist (not that! Look it up). I practice calligraphy and enjoy making up my own text styles. I love makeup and fashion. I want to learn to play the cello (will someone send me one, pleeease?!). I am viscerally disturbed when someone neglects an Oxford comma. I curse like a sailor. I enjoy practicing yoga and can almost do the splits again. When I am not doing all of these things, I enjoy sitting on my arse, drinking sparkling rosé, watching Disney movies and historical documentaries with my kids, and watching the news or “The Bear” with my man.