Nutrition Counseling

Weight inclusive nutrition counseling in San Luis Obispo County for those struggling with eating disorders, disordered eating, chronic dieting, & body image issues.

By providing a compassionate, non-judgmental space for you to explore your struggles with food, exercise & your body, you’ll feel motivated to start making the changes you’ve been waiting for.

How we will work together

INITIAL SESSION

$175 / 60 minutes

Our first meeting will be the place for us to get to know each other. As your dietitian nutritionist, I’ll offer space for you to share about your past and what has brought you to this place in your life. We’ll explore your medical history, disordered eating behaviors, relationship with exercise, and body image struggles providing a solid foundation for our work moving forward.

FOLLOW UP SESSION

$140 / 50 minutes

Our follow up visits are where the bulk of our work happens. We’ll dive into your relationship with food, exercise and body while helping you develop the skills and confidence to navigate challenges in “the real world.” Body attunement, permission to eat, & joyful movement are just a few tools you’ll cultivate helping you reach your goals. 

How will you benefit from nutrition counseling?

Attunement to your body’s hunger and fullness cues

Trust in your body to tell you what, when & how much to eat

More flexibility, rather than shame and guilt around food choices

Acceptance of your here & now body

Skills to navigate and cope with food anxiety & body image triggers

Freedom to enjoy food and find pleasure in your eating experiences

Confidence to decide how you want to engage in movement without it feeling like an obligation or chore

Health and wellness are SO much more than what you eat and your exercise routine.

Our culture’s hyperfocus on calories, “macros”, and cleanses, can make you feel obsessed with your bodies and out of control around food ultimately creating disordered eating. *Cue the guilt & shame*

But this preoccupation is actually the very thing that is keeping you from living as your happiest and healthiest self. 

My approach to nutrition counseling

I’m not your average dietitian!

You won’t get unrealistic weight loss goals, labels of good and bad foods, rigid diet plans, or someone telling you how to eat. Which may feel confusing based on the everything you’ve been told about food and your body.

But trust me when I say, your body knows best. And once you get back to trusting it’s inner wisdom you’ll feel empowered, trusting & confident.

If you’re struggling with emotional eating, body image issues, exercise resistance, over exercise behaviors, binge eating, disordered eating, eating disorders, or chronic dieting, let’s talk.

Here’s what clients are saying…

  • “The safe environment Kelly created made me feel comfortable to truly share the thoughts and emotions I was feeling surrounding my body. After our sessions together, I finally feel comfortable in my own skin and I do not feel negative emotions surrounding food. I think Kelly is an incredible Intuitive Eating Counselor for anyone who is looking for a holistic method to loving yourself.”

    -Former client, AM

  • “Kelly is not only a thoughtful listener who asks inquisitive questions, but she is truly inclusive in her approach. I am able to be myself and explore the ways that my personal history and identity as a queer and gender-nonconforming person come into my feelings about my body and food.”

    -Former client, SM

  • “I cannot recommend Kelly enough! If you are struggling with food and body image issues, her approach is extremely fitting and relevant. She is incredibly knowledgeable and I looked forward to our sessions every single time. Our work together has truly been life-changing and has allowed me to embrace food and body with love and acceptance, rather than fear or negativity. I also loved her flexibility with in person and virtual sessions, which allowed me to receive care even when I was away.”

    -Former client, BK

  • “Working with Kelly has been one of the best decisions I've made. I had no idea how much of my energy was wrapped up in planning, worrying, and feeling guilty about nourishing myself until I worked with her. Thank you Kelly for helping me reach food freedom. It feels amazing!"

    -Former client, VB

  • “I felt so understood with Kelly when sharing my pain around food/body image. She was always so validating and it meant so much to me knowing she could hold whatever I brought to the session each week. I never felt judged by her or like I was the mess I sometimes felt like while navigating the pain I was processing. Our work together truly changed my life and I've found a freedom not just in my relationship with food and my body, but in the way I operate as a whole. I feel unconditional love and acceptance for myself for the first time in my life and Kelly helped me get there.”

    -Former client, MM

  • “Working with Kelly was a pleasure and changed my life in many ways. I appreciated her as a nutritionist and the intuitive eating approach was so helpful for me in my health journey. She is caring, compassionate, knowledgeable, and professional. The work we did together truly helped to heal my relationship with food and I am forever grateful! I highly recommend Kelly for all your nutrition needs!”

    -Former client, DS

Interested in using insurance to pay for nutrition counseling services?

In-Network Benefits

I am currently an in-network provider with United Healthcare & Blue Shield of California. I offer a free eligibility check to determine what your plan will cover for nutrition counseling.

Out-of-Network Benefits

For all other medical insurances, I am considered an Out-of-Network provider. If you’re interested in utilizing your insurance for services, please call your insurance to determine your coverage for out of network benefits.

Please reach out if you have questions about insurance, I’m happy to assist!

FAQ’s: Frequently Asked Questions

  • I currently provide individual nutrition counseling sessions. In the future, I’m hoping to expand and provide more services to clients.

  • I currently accept UnitedHealthcare & Blue Shield of California. For all other insurance companies, I’m considered an out-of-network provider. If you’re interested in using your benefits to pay for nutrition counseling, I would encourage you to check your plans out-of-network benefits and I am happy to provide a superbill upon request.

  • I'm only see clients virtually at this time.

  • I’m located in San Luis Obispo County and see clients throughout California. I can also work with out of state clients, but there are exceptions based on state licensing regulations. If you live outside of California, please reach out to ask me and I will let you know if we can work together.

  • Both depend on a variety of factors including your goals and current challenges, your schedule, financial situation, readiness/motivation, history, support system and more. Typically, we would meet once per week to start and throughout treatment may decrease the frequency of sessions to every other week then monthly as needed. The lengths of time we will work together varies, typically ranging from several months up to a few years. The frequency of our sessions and length of treatment will be individualized to your needs, preferences, and situation.

  • Yes. Communication outside of session typically includes discussing scheduling changes or issues and/or asking brief questions. I cannot provide counseling outside of session times. If you need to get a hold of me outside of our session times, email is typically my best form of communication. I will also provide you my phone number if you need to call or text. Please note that while I utilize my private computer and phone to communicate, confidentiality cannot be guaranteed through these portals. The best way to communicate to ensure confidentiality is to email, fax or text me via Kalix, which is a HIPAA compliant electronic medical record system which you will have access to as my client.

  • I ask that clients provide 24 hours notice if they need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. Clients who cancel within less than 24 hours of their scheduled appointment time will be charged a $50 cancellation fee. Clients who do not show up to their scheduled appointment will be charged the full cost of the session.

  • I offer a complimentary 15 minute phone call to new clients for us to get to know each other and see if we are a good fit. We’ll discuss what you’re struggling with and what you’re hoping to achieve. I’ll share my approach/philosophy, the services I offer and answer any questions you may have. You’ll have time to think about your decision or schedule an appointment at the end of the call!

SERVICES FAQ’s

  • A Registered Dietitian is a trained healthcare professional who has expertise in food and nutrition. Their training includes a Bachelor’s and Master's degrees, completion of a dietetic internship including 1,200 supervised practice hours, passing of an exam, and continuing education hours. They typically can work in a variety of settings including healthcare, foodservice, community organizations, etc. Registered dietitians (RD’s) are also known as Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN’s).

  • Anyone struggling in their relationship with food, their body and/or exercise. Clients I work with typically experience one or some of the following behaviors or symptoms that impact their daily functioning- a long history of dieting, weight cycling, restricting food intake, making food choices based on food rules, obsessive thoughts about food and body, body dissatisfaction, compensatory exercise, exercise resistance, binging, purging, or a diagnosed eating disorder.

  • Disordered eating is a spectrum of behaviors that include a range of problematic eating patterns and distorted beliefs regarding weight. Examples include dieting, skipping meals, fasting, restricting food intake, eliminating specific foods or food groups, binge eating, excessive use of diuretics, laxatives, and weight loss medications, compensatory behaviors such as purging or excessive exercising. While disordered eating and eating disorders sound similar in name and are similar in characteristics, disordered eating behaviors typically don’t meet criteria for an eating disorder diagnosis based on frequency, severity and duration of behaviors.

    Eating disorders are complex and serious mental illnesses characterized by persistent disturbances in eating behaviors, medical complications and impairment in psychological functioning. An eating disorder is diagnosed using the criteria outlined in the DSM V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). Despite these differences, people struggling with either disordered eating behaviors or a diagnosed eating disorder deserve treatment and can make a full recovery.

    Wherever you are at on the spectrum of disordered eating, you are not alone and I'm here to support you on your recovery journey! Book a free discovery call if you want to chat more.

  • The majority of the clients I work with start our sessions wanting to lose weight. In a world that values thinness and praises weight loss, I totally understand and empathize with this desire. However, based on research and what I’ve seen from clients, intentional weight loss is not sustainable and can be harmful. For those reasons, we won't set weight loss goals in sessions. Instead I'll help you explore and better understand the underlying motivations and beliefs around your weight loss pursuits, and ultimately support you toward improved health and wellbeing without focusing on your weight.

  • Intuitive eating is a framework used to help heal our relationship with food, body and exercise, from a lens of self care and compassion. It consists of 10 principles that are meant to guide you on a path to feeling at peace in your body and around food. This philosophy will be the framework used in our work together.

  • Weight inclusive care is an approach to healthcare that acknowledges the factors that influence an individual’s health status (including socioeconomic status, access to care, education level, sense of community) and works to reduce weight stigma or discrimination based on an individual’s weight. I believe everyone deserves compassionate, evidence based care no matter what size, weight or shape they are. That’s why I utilize a weight inclusive approach in my work with clients.

GENERAL FAQ’s

You’re ready to do the work to heal, but don’t know where to start…

Schedule your FREE 15 minute discovery call today and get the support you’ve been waiting for!