Wait, what?! Yep, you read that right. Working with a Registered Dietitian is a one-of-a-kind experience, and becoming one is just as unique.
What is a Registered Dietitian?
A Registered Dietitian (RD; also known as registered dietitian nutritionist, RDN), is a unique food and nutrition practitioner accredited through the Commission on Dietetic Registration, the credentialing agency for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (the Academy). The Academy states that for the RD/RDN, “scope of practice focuses on food, nutrition, and dietetics practice, as well as related services developed, directed, and provided by the RD to: protect the public, community, and populations; enhance health and well-being of patients/clients and communities; and deliver quality products, programs, and services”. You can read more about RD scope of practice here and here.
Education and Training
The education process to become a Registered Dietitian is rigorous to say the least! I completed a specifically accredited bachelors degree, a masters degree, a 1200+ hour dietetic internship, a national credentialing exam, and I earn at least 75 hours of continuing education credits every five years. I am licensed to practice dietetics in the states of Maryland and West Virginia. If you're in another state, please contact me to see if we can work together!
My training is concentrated in nutrition education and my professional history is rooted in public health, so I am well versed in counseling to groups and individuals with diverse backgrounds.
I have a unique certification which provides me the benefit of being able to call myself a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. I use specific counseling techniques that focus on you and supporting your relationship with food, body, and mind.
During sessions, we will come up with a plan that is specific and attainable to your nutrition goal, and follow up at each subsequent session to see how it’s going -- how we can move forward with it or how we can tone it down.
What makes working with me different?
I know how disheartening it feels when the only compliment you get is how “thin and pretty!” you look. That when you are at a more comfortable and happy weight, those compliments abruptly stop, as if you’re only pretty if you’re a certain size. I remember when I would exhaust myself with over-exercising because I thought it was the key to happiness and the balance to eating what I wanted… I had to learn the hard way that it’s not.
And now I’m here to help you so you don’t have to go through the same things that I did. I want to be your dietitian, and I especially want to be a fun dietitian. Life is nothing without a bit of fun. When we get together we’ll obviously talk all things nutrition, goal setting and what’s working for you… but I also love to chat about your favorite recipes, strategies for getting in movement, and how to make sustainable nutrition choices that will last a lifetime. As I specialize in Intuitive Eating, I love to use the principles to support my clients toward a healthy relationship with food, body, and mind.
Nutrition is a science and you can rest assured that in working with me you will be provided with nutrition education and counseling practices that are backed by research and scientific evidence, with a Health at Every Size® approach, in an environment that you can feel comfortable in.