What is a nutrition therapist? Maybe not what you think! | Nutrition By Carrie

If you’ve been following me for a while, or even if you’ve just found me and happened to land on this article, you may have noticed that I often identify myself as a nutrition therapist. But what does that mean? What is a nutrition therapist, exactly? And is nutrition therapy something you would benefit from?

First, “nutrition therapist” isn’t a credential. I’m a registered dietitian nutritionist, which is a credential. For that, I earned a master’s degree in nutrition, did a 9+ months of supervised practice, then passed a challenging national exam.

Registered dietitians do a lot of different things. It’s a myth that we all work in hospitals (although some do). If a dietitian does recipe development, they are a recipe developer and a dietitian. I do nutrition therapy, so I am a nutrition therapist and a dietitian.

Therapy — what’s in a word?

The word “therapy” itself means two different things in the context of nutrition. 

Many dietitians (including those working in hospitals) offer medical nutrition therapy, or MNT. This could mean providing tube feeding or intravenous nutrition in a hospital or other facility. It could also mean helping someone learn to eat to manage their high blood pressure (by reducing sodium) or celiac disease (by sleuthing out sources of gluten and finding gluten-free alternatives). And so on. It’s literally helping someone manage a health issue with nutrition.

When I help my clients with irritable bowel syndrome sleuth out which foods are making their symptoms worse, that’s MNT. When I help my eating disorder clients learn new eating habits, that’s MNT.

But nutrition therapy can also feel similar to mental health or psychological counseling. That’s because what you eat isn’t just about the food. It’s also about why you eat, how you eat, where you eat, and so on. It’s about your history of food and eating, and whether it’s been…complicated.

It’s about whether you’ve used food to cope with stress or trauma or big emotions in the past, and whether you still do that now.

It’s about the habits you’re trying to form and the habits you’re trying to break, and what obstacles — real or “in your head”— you need to overcome. It’s about how you feel about your body, and how that influences your eating, or not eating.

I always have my nutrition therapist hat on when I’m working with clients who are:

• Grappling with a long history of chronic yo-yo dieting (and trying to get off that particular hamster wheel)
• Trying to heal from disordered eating behaviors, whether in the form of a diagnosed eating disorder or what’s often referred to as a “subclinical” eating disorder. (It doesn’t meet the criteria to be diagnosed, but the eating behaviors and mindset are still quite disordered and distressing).

Treating an eating disorder uses both types of “nutrition therapy.”

How is a nutrition therapist different from a therapist?

While I practice nutrition therapy, I am not a therapist, mental health counselor, psychologist, etc. I have sought out a lot of continuing education on different psychological health topics, but how I approach them in my work is different than how a mental health professional would.

For example, I have quite a bit of training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). While I might use specific tools from ACT or DBT, as appropriate, I don’t “do” ACT or DBT with clients. I don’t take them through that whole process. 

Similarly, I am trained in trauma-informed care, and may talk with clients about how their past/current trauma affects their relationship with food and their body, but don’t directly help them heal trauma. That’s not my lane, and that’s not within my scope of practice as a registered dietitian.

If a client has anxiety about food choices, or their anxiety gets in the way of eating, I’ll help them deal with that. But I’m not treating their anxiety, and I’m not helping them deal with anxiety in aspects of their lives that don’t intersect in some way with eating, exercise or self-care. 

To look at the other side, if a mental health professional is treating a client for generalized anxiety disorder, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, trauma or something else, food may come up in those conversations. However, it would be outside their scope of practice to make specific nutrition recommendations.

How a nutrition therapist can help

I know (sadly) that many people think that their dietitian is going to judge them for their current eating habits, hand them a meal plan, then judge them again if they don’t “comply.” I’d be lying if I said there aren’t some dietitians like that, but that’s not how I operate, and that’s not how most dietitians operate. 

I don’t judge my clients, because I know that how we relate to food and eating — and our bodies — is complicated. And if you’re also dealing with a psychological or neurological difference such as ADHD, depression, anxiety, or PTSD, that makes things harder. 

I approach my work as a nutrition therapist with compassion, curiosity and acceptance of my clients for who they are and what life experiences brought them to where they are today. I know that the reason they reached out to me is because they’re struggling in some way and experiencing physical, mental, or emotional distress (or all of the above). 

I don’t try to “fix” people, but I do try to guide and support them in a way that helps ease their distress and resolve their struggles. Sometimes that means suggesting that they take something to their mental health therapist (if they already have one), or that they seek mental health counseling for issues that are broader and affecting all areas of their life.

I have some clients who have been in therapy for years. I have others who realize they need to resume therapy after working on the “food part” reveals that they have deeper unresolved issues that need tending to. Just as many people think they should be able to figure out the “food stuff” on their own, they think they should be able to figure out the “anxiety stuff” on their own. The reality is that we all have our own “stuff,” and there’s zero shame in seeking professional help and support.

Are you looking for nutrition therapy for yourself? Book a free 20-minute Discovery Call so we can chat.

Disclaimer: All information provided here is of a general nature and is furnished only for educational purposes. This information is not to be taken as medical or other health advice pertaining to an individual’s specific health or medical condition. You agree that the use of this information is at your own risk.

Hi, I’m Carrie Dennett, MPH, RDN, a weight-inclusive registered dietitian, nutrition therapist and body image counselor. I offer compassionate, individualized care for adults of all ages, shapes, sizes and genders who want to break free from eating disorders, disordered eating or chronic dieting. If you need to learn how to manage IBS symptoms with food, or improve your nutrition and lifestyle habits to help manage a current health concern or simply support your overall health and well-being, I help people with that, too.

Need 1-on-1 help for your nutrition, eating, or body image concerns? Schedule a free 20-minute Discovery Call to talk about how I can help you and explore if we’re a good fit! I’m in-network with Regence BCBS, FirstChoice Health and Providence Health Plan, and can bill Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield insurances in many states. If I don’t take your insurance, I can help you seek reimbursement on your own. To learn more, explore my insurance and services areas page.

Want exclusive content on nutrition, health, diet culture and more, plus critiques of nutrition and health journalism? Subscribe to my Food Noise newsletter! 📣

 Print This Post