Background
I hold a bachelors degree from the University of Rochester in Brain and Cognitive sciences, a field I was drawn to because it represents the intersection of human biology and psychology. I have always been curious about why humans think and act the way we do! After years of working in research labs – a role that was ultimately too socially isolating for this extrovert – I returned to school to become a Registered Dietitian. I was drawn to this field because our nutrition practices live at the intersection of human biology, psychology, emotion, culture, and community; how we eat is a window into our humanity. I found my studies endlessly fascinating. However, it was only after entering into practice as a licensed RD that I began to question some aspects of my education. As a traditionally trained RD, I had learned my job was to tell clients how and what to eat. Yet I found this approach was rarely effective in helping people actually feel better or become more nourished. Discovering non-diet frameworks such as Intuitive Eating and Health at Every Size® opened my eyes to a completely different way of supporting people in nourishing their bodies well, and I realized that my clients hold so much of the wisdom to support their own healing. It is amazingly rewarding work and I’m grateful every day to all of my clients who invite me to travel with them on their journeys. They are my greatest teachers.
Experience and Areas of Speciality
I became credentialed as a Registered Dietitian in 2013 and have had a variety of professional experiences that include clinical dietetics in a hospital setting, outpatient nutrition counseling, and eating disorders treatment at the partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient levels of care. I have received advanced training in evidence based counseling techniques, which allows me to utilize a more therapeutically oriented treatment style. My training with the Embodied Recovery Institute brings a lens of understanding that the body itself has a language we can learn to hear and interpret, and much of my current work is oriented around learning to communicate directly with the body to facilitate healing. I am level 2 certified in the Embodied Recovery paradigm.
I currently hold a faculty position with the Embodied Recovery Institute and am a professional member of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD). I have a particular passion for and advanced training in working with clients who have eating disorders that co-occur with C-PTSD and dissociative disorders.
Practice Philosophy
I offer a client-centered, collaborative approach to nutrition counseling. I am not the expert on your body with all of the answers; all bodies are unique and each client has an individualized set of needs. I believe in taking a “wide lens” approach – which means not only looking at what you are eating, but also your relationship to food and body within the greater context of your life. My work is trauma-informed, meaning I center the importance of the therapeutic relationship and believe that healing is found through the experience of safety. My hope is that healing your relationship with food and nourishing your body will translate into an increased capacity to live your life to its most vibrant fullest.
What to Expect in Session
During our first session I will conduct a comprehensive assessment to learn about what life looks like for you right now, as well as your past experiences with food and body that have informed your current relationship with food. From there we will work together to discuss your goals and start to create a roadmap for healing. What not to expect is a quick fix or a rigid meal plan! Re-learning to nourish your body is a process of re-connection. This takes time and is different for every body. It is my hope to partner with you and walk along side you on the journey, sometimes providing guidance but more often helping you look within to uncover the wisdom you already possess.