FAQ's:
Why should I choose Caring Nutrition Therapy?
First and foremost- I truly have a passion for Eating Disorder treatment and Recovery.
I also have 9 years’ experience as a Master’s level Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and 6+ years' experience working with people with eating disorders.
In my practice, I combine the clinical skills I have gained from years of treatment experience with a high degree of compassion for what my patients are going through. This gives me the ability to authentically connect with people in order to help them heal.
I have a creative, friendly & fun nature. I show up as my real, authentic self in sessions- and invite you to do the same. I'm also a generally light-hearted person and believe in humor as part of the therapeutic process!
What's the best way to contact you?
Phone: (214) 713-3244
Email: thecaringrdn@gmail.com
What made you want to work with clients with Eating Disorders?
Eating Disorders can take so much from a person- personal identity, career, school, family & friends. It's amazing to see the difference an eating disorder-informed, compassionate professional can make in someone's life. Learning new, healthy ways to think about and approach Food & Nutrition is an integral piece of your Eating Disorder Recovery puzzle.
I feel honored to walk alongside those going through difficult/dark times in their eating disorder. I truly enjoy facilitating healing in the nutrition piece of their journey to help them find freedom and peace with food.
Who do you work with as clients?
I work with clients ages 12 and older (and their families) who have:
Diagnosed Eating Disorders (for example: Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder)
Disordered Eating Tendencies (emotional eating, stress eating, compulsive overeating, overall difficult or strained relationship with food and/or body image (ex. chronic diet-ers)
I can see anyone in the State of Texas virtually currently, or in-person if requested/able in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas area.
What does a typical Session look like?
Initial Session/Assessment: in-depth & 90 minutes long Nutrition Assessment
Initial Sessions include:
RD Coordination with your Primary Therapist (if applicable)
RD Coordination with your MD (if applicable)
Discuss of your Medical & Nutrition History
Discuss & Establish Goals of Care
Provide Recommended Reading/Resources list
Give foundational concept educational handouts
Establish Rapport
Follow-Up Sessions: up to 60 minutes in length each
In Follow-up Sessions include:
Review progress on decreasing eating disorder thoughts, urges, and behaviors
Cover new materials and concepts to help you in your recovery
Incorporate Meal Planning, Therapeutic Meal or Snack Outings, Cooking or grocery Store Sessions
Set progressive SMART goals each session- very tailored to each person's progress
Support goals you are working on with your primary therapist (if/as applicable) from a nutrition perspective
Discuss/Help monitor nutrition related labs ordered by your MD (if/as applicable)
Ongoing Coordination with your MD and Primary Therapist/MH Team if/as applicable
What are some of the other things we can do in Follow-Up Sessions?
Therapeutic Supported Meal or Snack Outing (ex. I can meet you at a restaurant or coffee shop)
Cooking Session or group (I can come to your home or via video)
Food Portioning Practice
Meal Planning
Nutrition education & counseling
Nutrition Myth Busting
Identify & Challenge Food Rules
Normalize Normal Eating
Practice our ‘All Foods Can Fit Philosophy’
Practice Intuitive Eating
Face Fear Foods in a safe environment
Facilitate Nutrition Education & Support groups
... And much more!
How Often Should we meet for Sessions?
Most of my eating disorder clients see me for 6 months to 12 months or longer.
Frequency of visits is highly individualized, depends on each client's preferences and needs.
As an example- in the beginning: sessions could be 1x/week or biweekly.
Frequency of sessions can decrease over time ( for example, once in maintenance phase, we could meet for follow ups 1x/month and eventually every 3 months, or as needed) depending on your progress and level of comfort on your journey to Recovery.
How much does it cost to work with you?
Please see the Pricing & Plans Page for current pricing details.
I often offer a New Client Special Package and a Follow-Up Bundle that can help decrease costs of care.
I also offer a limited number of reduced cost/sliding scale visits to clients in financial need. Contact me for details on current availability and specifics of sliding scale visits.
What do you like most about your job?
I value having the time to authentically connect with and support my patients on their journey to Recovery.
I like that private practice affords me the ability to be flexible and creative with my services & offerings (for example, 1:1 therapeutic restaurant outings with clients).
I aim to truly get to know my clients so I can understand who they are & their unique goals of care. Ultimately, I try to help each client have food takes on the appropriate role in their life and help them recover so food does not consume their lives. I want everyone to feel the joy of experiencing peace and freedom with food- so they can do & become everything they want to be in this life.
Tell me more about your experience in treating those with Eating Disorders.
I have worked with clients with eating disorders since 2016 (6+ years). I have eating disorder treatment experience with both Adolescents and Adults in the Residential, IOP, PHP and Outpatient levels of care.
I have extensive experience working as part of an interdisciplinary team to meet clients’ overall goals of care, including being a part of evaluations and the referral process for higher levels of care.
I also have specialized experience in providing individual & group eating disorder nutrition sessions, facilitating nutrition support groups, cooking groups, meal outings, meal planning, therapeutic supported meal/restaurant outing sessions, family psycho-social dynamic sessions & more!
I got my start in Eating Disorder treatment in 2016 at Monte Nido Portland's Clementine Residential Eating Disorder Treatment Facility for Adolescents and the affiliated Partial Hospitalization/Intensive Outpatient treatment facility for Adults. I'm very grateful for my time and training at Monte Nido as I feel it helped me build the foundation of my treatment philosophy for care. (Learn more about Monte Nido's field- leading founder, Carolyn Costin here.)
From 2018 to early 2021, I worked for a large health care system (VA North Texas) in the Dallas Texas Area, where I advocated for and helped create the first ever outpatient eating disorder treatment team in that health system's North Texas Region. I then served as Outpatient Eating Disorder Treatment Team lead RD for approximately 3yrs for that health system. I saw eating disorder patients on an individual and group basis, developed eating disorder educational presentations and trainings for staff, patient education handouts, and patient screening/assessment/reassessment forms & protocols. I also had the pleasure of mentoring my dietitian colleagues in developing specialized Eating Disorder treatment skills.
In addition to my private practice, I now work part-time with Center For Discovery PHP/IOP Eating Disorder Treatment program for teens and adults in Addison, TX.