Hi there! My name is Sydney and I am a Registered Dietitian at Sunrise Nutrition. A common curiosity I hear is: “I would love to explore nutrition counseling! But I’m not sure exactly what it is, or if I even need it.” In this article, I will walk you through the ins and outs of personalized nutrition support including; how to know when it might be time to seek out professional support, how to choose a provider, and what to expect from working with a dietitian or nutritionist. My hope is that this guide helps demystify nutrition counseling, and provides you an idea of what to expect should you decide to seek out help.

How do I know if nutrition counseling is for me?

You’ve been thinking about reaching out for professional nutrition support, but aren’t quite sure if it’s for you. Let’s take a look at some signs that professional support might be a helpful next step in your food and body journey.

Take one look online and you will find no shortage of nutrition information. While having an abundance of articles and research at your fingertips can be empowering, it can also be overwhelming. Beyond assessing the validity of the information, it can be hard to understand what is applicable to your day to day life. The first indicator that you might benefit from professional support is that you feel overwhelmed about food and body. Despite taking in a lot of information about nutrition, you feel unsure of what it all means for you day to day. You have a logical understanding, but emotionally food and body stuff still feels chaotic. It’s like what you know in your head isn't grounded into your body or your day to day experience.
Another sign that nutrition support may be beneficial is the experience of distress with any aspect of food or body image. A question I hear often is, “Do I really need help? Am I sick enough? Am I doing badly enough? Do I deserve support? Am I taking away resources from people who need help more than me?” If your experience with food and body affects your mental, emotional, physical or social wellbeing in any capacity, you are deserving of help and support. You deserve to have a space to address areas of your life that do not feel ok, and nutrition counseling can be a helpful part of this process.
Perhaps your relationship with food and body doesn’t feel that chaotic right now, but you have always wanted to have your own personalized space to learn more about nutrition in a guided and bite size manner. Whether the focus is on a recent health diagnosis, building up practical skills with food, or learning more about nutrition and the human body, having professional, one on one support might be right for you.

I think I want to seek help. How do I find the right person for me?

Making the decision to seek support is a big deal! Trying anything new can be scary, and it can feel daunting to sift through the logistics of getting things started. Let’s take a look at some factors to consider when choosing a dietitian or nutritionist to work with. I encourage you to shop around to find a provider that best meets your needs.

A great place to start is identifying your needs from nutrition counseling. Getting clear on your needs creates greater clarity as you begin your search.

Do you have a specific area you want to focus on? Eating disorder recovery? Diabetes? Body image? Eating and ADHD? How to start intuitive eating? Stepping away from chronic dieting?
Do you prefer to meet in person or virtually?
Do you prefer to work with someone who shares any or all of your identities?
What is your budget for nutrition counseling? Do you hope to use your insurance?
How soon would you like to start? How frequently would you like to meet?

After taking an inventory of your needs, you are ready to start your search! Some places to begin your search include;

If you receive care from a trusted healthcare provider such as a therapist, you can ask them if they have any recommendations of providers who match your area(s) of focus. They may be able to provide a recommendation.
Try a web search of the following: the area of focus you are seeking + dietitian or nutritionist + the place you would like to receive care. For example, “eating disorder dietitian or nutritionist Seattle”
Depending on your needs, the nutrition providers at Sunrise Nutrition may be a good fit! You can read more by clicking here.

Once you have a few leads, you can begin reading through the providers’ profiles. Some questions to keep in mind include;

Does this provider or practice specialize in the area I need support with? What is this provider’s educational background?
Does this provider or practice meet my needs around insurance? Level and frequency of care?
Will this provider be able to accommodate my preference for in person or virtual sessions?
Does the provider or practice have openings? If not, is there a wait list?
If part of your preferences, does this provider share my identities?
How do I feel as I read the bio?
What is their communication style like?

Some green flags to keep an eye out for include;

The provider emphasizes client centered care. This means that they acknowledge your agency and autonomy, and the fact that nutrition counseling is your own journey. They will work with you to understand your goals rather than dictating or assuming what your needs are.
The provider seeks your consent and input often. They value your comfort, and strive to build a relationship of trust with you.

Once you’ve found your top pick, reach out to the provider or practice to learn more or to get your first session scheduled. This will look a little different provider to provider, but will often involve filling out a web form, or making an inquiry via email or phone.

What can I expect from nutrition counseling?

You've set up your initial session with a dietitian or nutritionist… What's next? Let’s take a look at what to expect leading up to the initial session, as well as what the first session might be like.

Logistically speaking, you will likely be asked to fill out paperwork leading up to your initial session. The forms may include; release of information, informed consent, credit card information, and insurance information. Additionally, it is common to fill out an intake form where you can share about your experiences with food and body. Filling out the intake form is a great time to take stock of where you are at with food and body, and it gives your provider a chance to learn more about you before your first session. Once your paperwork is complete, you may want to review directions to the physical or virtual office so that you are ready on the day of.

Let’s now take a look at what a first session might be like. Above all else, your provider will want to get to know you. They may go over the paperwork you filled out, and orient you to your meeting space. From there, you and your provider will begin to explore topics you have shared on your intake form, and you may establish goals for the work together. The areas you focus on will depend largely on your intentions for the work, and you may not get to every topic on the first session. Some examples of topics you might explore in the first and follow up sessions include;

Exploring your relationship to food and any fears about eating.
Creating greater neutrality about food.
Identifying barriers to food and eating.
Learn how to meet your body’s nutritional needs.
Building your confidence and contextual skills with food and eating.
Investigating your internal experiences of hunger and fullness.
Exploring what your food and body experience was like as a kid.
Examining your food and health beliefs.
Learning and unlearning with targeted nutrition education.
Identifying and challenging diet culture and fatphobia.
Learning about the effects of chronic dieting.
Building up intuitive eating principles, if this is in alignment with your goals.
The way that your body image affects you.
How you experience physical activity, if applicable.

At the end of the session, your provider may check in with you about how your session felt. This is a great time to share your thoughts and feedback. For example, perhaps there’s a topic you didn’t get to that feels more important to you than what you discussed, or maybe a different communication style would work better for you. Your sessions are for you, and therefore sharing your preferences and exactly what you need is important. You’ll work together to create a treatment plan and then decide what to work on first.

And there you have it! Nutrition support 101. If you have any questions about nutrition support Sunrise Nutrition is here to help! You can reach out to Sunrise Nutrition here, or begin the process of getting care here.

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