What can you expect in our work together?
Hmm.. great question. I realize that there are a million different paths that people can take to get to the same place. And I realize that there are so many Registered Dietitians out there…
Rarely do RD’s incorporate spirituality, parts work, meditations, truth statements, or emotional and energy work into their sessions. We will include a mixture of traditional scientific dietetic disciplines as well as the energetic modalities that fit your energies and needs. The people who are meant to work with me will feel drawn to me and my energy. Working with me will be so much more than “just food”, because working on your relationship to food is one gateway into major aspects of healing.
What is your food philosophy?
There are many uncertain things in life, but this I know: We were not put on this earth to diet, to feel shame/guilt while eating, or to spend our years weight-focused. Life is too short to waste away like that.
I believe that there are no good/bad, healthy/unhealthy foods. All foods belong in a healthy and nutritious diet, from the broccoli to the chocolate chip cookies. Nutrition is just part of the picture when we’re talking about health. My definition of health includes physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health – they are interconnected. When you work on one area, all aspects are affected. I don’t believe that weight is a moral issue (neither are food choices). I believe that our bodies are brilliant and have divine wisdom.
I take a non-diet, body positive, weight-neutral, Intuitive Eating, and Health At Every Size (HAES) approach to counseling. To learn more about Intuitive Eating, go HERE. To learn more about HAES, go HERE.
What will our sessions look like?
In our first conversation together through call/text/email, we determine if we are a good fit. You can ask me any questions and we address any concerns that you may have about the process. In our first session, we will dig a little deeper into your Getting Started Packet (documents that you fill out before our first session). This packet includes information about family history, eating habits, food preferences, short term and long term goals, etc. We do a lot of getting-to-know-each-other in the first session as well as the couple of sessions following the initial.
Most sessions, we will collaborate and choose a focus for you to be thinking about and working on that week. I like to call these things experiments, challenges, or focuses- they are not mandatory, it is not homework. I do not expect you to be perfect, in fact, most people I work with have some perfectionist tendencies and it can be exhausting to have such a standard to live up to. This is something that we can talk about during session as we collaborate on an appropriate experiment/challenge/focus for you. As our counseling relationship progresses, we will continue to work on the things you need help with at a rate that you feel comfortable with. This work can be very slow and that can be frustrating for people, but it takes time to rewrite your thoughts and beliefs about food and body. The journey to food and body peace is an up and down one. It is not a linear path, and we will do our best to make those “down” moments feel more like learning experiences and not failures. In fact, those “down” moments are vital to growth.
What are your thoughts on weight and weight loss?
I do not believe in dieting (restriction, shame, and guilt) to lose weight, because it’s not sustainable. Hello #IntuitiveEating! That doesn’t mean that I think losing weight is automatically negative (or positive). Hello #HAES! If you are nourishing your body with foods that feel good to you, moving your body in joyful ways, getting enough sleep, managing your stress well, and you lose weight? Then it would seem that your body was ready to lose weight. Sometimes when we do those things, we gain weight or maintain our weight, and that’s okay too.
I have seen many clients find peace in their relationship with food (no more guilt and shame- wahoo!) and not see any weight loss, and it didn’t make sense to us. As a culture, we have been taught that weight equals calories in vs calories out, but I think we’re missing a part of the equation. Our emotions, mental health, and trauma can have huge affects on our body size. Why? Our bodies may stay at a certain size because that’s where they feel safest. They do not feel safe to let go of weight due to non-physical reasons. Which means- no matter how peaceful of relationship with food you have, no matter how much of a caloric deficit you create- your body will fight you to stay at the body size it feels safest at…. Until we find the reasons why your body feels safe at its’ current body size. I think muscle testing is such an amazing tool that we can use to get to the root of things more quickly than ever. I believe in nourishing our bodies the best way we can (all foods fit) and trusting our bodies to decide what weight they want to be. I also believe that therapy, shedding emotional weight, and healing trauma can be a game changer.
Regardless of where you are in the ‘weight game’, the shame and guilt that surrounds weight in our culture is heavy. We can explore your reasons why, what losing weight would mean for you, and talk about your grief. My highest priority in private practice is to be a safe place for you to voice some of these hard things.
Now if you are allergic, have ethical or religious beliefs, or have a medical condition that necessitates restriction of certain foods and/or food groups, that is an entirely different matter and I support the need to restrict those foods.
Do you talk about God/Universe/Source/Divine in your sessions?
Not typically! I will only talk about the Divine if you talk about it first. Some client’s find that a force outside of themselves play a significant role in their recovery and want to bring up what they are finding in session with me.
Do you accept my health insurance?
Be Nutrition does not accept insurance, and does not provide superbills (medical receipt for reimbursement).
What forms of payment does BE Nutrition take?
Payment is due at the time of our session. All major credit/debit cards/cash are accepted. Payments are processed through Square. BE Nutrition requires a credit card on file.
Where would we have our sessions?
BE Nutrition is a virtual private practice, which means that you don’t have to travel to come see us! We will meet over Google Meet. I find that this is helpful in having fewer missed appointments, because it is more convenient.
Would you consider a sliding scale?
Of course!! Please contact me and we can come up with a price that feels good for both of us.
What is your cancellation policy?
All cancellations must be completed 24 hours in advance. Failure to cancel within 24 hours will still require full payment for the cost of the scheduled appointment. However, I’m willing to discuss this if conditions require it.
I already know a lot about nutrition so why do I need to see you?
Many of my clients already know about the nutrients/calories/macronutrients of food. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t feel lost/confused/stuck/etc, and that’s what I’m here for. I will help you increase your awareness of your beliefs/thoughts/patterns around food, body, and nutrition and figure out where to go from there. I am your biggest cheerleader and a guide in this journey.
Do you provide meal plans?
I shy away from meal plans, because they are often not followed for long and therefore not very helpful. Instead of telling you exactly what to eat, let’s spend time working on your relationship with your food and body. Focusing on this will empower you to trust yourself and your wisdom to eat the foods/meals that nourish and satisfy you and your body. Having said that, there are times when a structured plan would be helpful, and in that case, we will work on it together.
How long should I expect to work with you?
I never want you to feel like you have to continue seeing me. As we work together, we can talk about appropriate time frames. Some clients need/want to see me weekly, others monthly, and some on an as-needed basis. That’s the beauty of this work, you get to choose. I’ve had clients that I’ve seen for 5 years and others that have ‘graduated’ in three months. It totally depends:) When we first start working together, I typically recommend a weekly schedule.
What is the difference between a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and a Nutritionist?
All RDN’s are Nutritionists, but not all Nutritionists are RDNs. A RDN must complete a bachelor’s degree (and soon to be a master’s degree), a 1200 hour dietetic internship, pass a national exam, and have continuing education requirements to keep their license. Nutritionist is not a protected term, meaning that a Nutritionist could have as little training as a weekend certification or they may have a PhD in nutrition.