Navigating Dietitian Care
Navigating nutrition care can feel overwhelming, but working with a registered dietitian offers clear, evidence-based guidance tailored to your unique recovery goals.
Developed in collaboration with Healthier Tomorrows, this page provides practical answers whether you are seeking outpatient support for an eating disorder, exploring care for your child, or looking for tools to build confidence with food. Below, you will find key insights on what to expect during sessions, how care teams collaborate, and actionable pre- and post-session questions to help you get the most out of your appointments.
How Can We Help?
Getting Started
The first questions most people have before they ever pick up the phone.
Nutrition impacts our holistic wellbeing, including physical health, mental wellbeing, energy levels and quality of life. There is an overwhelming amount of information available online as it relates to nutrition and health. A dietitian is a licensed nutrition professional trained to provide individualized, evidence-based care. A dietitian can help you make sense of all the noise and translate the science of nutrition into practical recommendations that fit your individual lifestyle needs, goals and food preferences.
Whether you wish to address an existing health concern, or desire to learn how nutrition is part of a holistic wellness plan, a dietitian can individualize care to meet you where you are.
Not at all! You deserve support regardless of a diagnosis, weight status or severity of symptoms! If food and eating are causing any amount of stress, discomfort or confusion in your life, you most definitely should feel welcome to seek support.
Get started by asking trusted healthcare professionals, like your therapist, psychiatrist or primary care provider, for dietitian or nutrition practice recommendations. If recommendations aren’t available to you, search online for a dietitian who practices in your area. Many dietitians offer free discovery calls for prospective clients to learn more about their approach.
Insurance often covers dietitian services, but this will vary, and not all nutrition practices accept insurance. Be sure to check if the dietitian or practice is in network with your insurance plan before your first appointment.
Need help finding a dietitian that meets your needs? Check out the ANAD Treatment Directory now.
Depending on the dietitian or practice, you might have the opportunity to reach out via phone call, email or by submitting an online form. When you reach out, you will likely discuss your reason for seeking care, insurance and paperwork, and scheduling.
Reaching out can feel like a big step. You don’t have to have the “right” answers or know exactly what you need before reaching out. The dietitian or practice staff can help guide you through the process.
You deserve a dietitian who is a great fit for you! You might consider:
- Does the dietitian specialize in areas that are important to me?
- Does the dietitian’s nutrition philosophy align with my values and needs?
- Do I feel safe, heard and understood in sessions?
- Do I feel comfortable asking questions in sessions?
- Does the dietitian listen and save space for me in sessions?
- Does the dietitian explain recommendations and collaborate on next steps?
It’s normal if it takes a couple of sessions to determine if a dietitian is a good fit for you. You have the right to give feedback or request adjustments that would help you feel more comfortable during sessions.
Here are a few questions you might ask before you schedule your first appointment:
- Does the dietitian have experience working with __________ (health conditions, lived experiences, populations, etc.)?
- If you are seeking specific support, does the dietitian have experience and/or an advanced credential in this area?
- What is the dietitian’s approach or philosophy?
- Does the dietitian collaborate with other healthcare providers, like therapists and primary care providers?
- What should I expect during my first visit?
The first visit, or initial assessment, can vary depending on the dietitian. Nutrition counseling sessions are intended to be conversations, not tests or performances. The goal is for your dietitian to get to know you and understand what matters most to you. A dietitian will likely want to know about your health history, lifestyle, daily routines, typical eating patterns, relationship with food, and long-term goals. Not every question will be asked or needs to be answered during your first appointment. Many dietitians gather information over the course of the first several sessions as your therapeutic relationship develops.
You have the right to let your dietitian know if certain topics feel difficult to discuss, if you’d prefer to revisit a topic later, or if there is important information you would like your dietitian to know.
Includes all three handouts: Pre-Session Questions (page 1), Post-Session Questions (page 2), and Navigating Weigh-Ins at the Doctor’s Office (page 3).
Fillable version — complete the handout below:
Eating Disorder Support
What outpatient nutrition care looks like week to week when an eating disorder is part of the picture.
Oftentimes, outpatient nutrition counseling occurs on a weekly basis, though this is individualized, and the frequency of sessions might vary. Over time, session structure may shift depending on what is most important. Some visits might focus on learning and education, while others focus on problem-solving challenges or reflecting on progress.
Nutrition counseling is a collaborative process. Your dietitian will work alongside you to develop realistic strategies that fit your goals, preferences and daily life.
Eating disorders are psychiatric conditions with physical implications, which means that nutrition counseling for eating disorders involves both focus on nutrition and fueling the body, as well as thoughts and beliefs related to food and body. Dietitian sessions might address behaviors, thoughts and emotions as they relate to nutrition.
Though provider collaboration is normal across all areas of nutrition care, dietitians supporting clients with eating disorders or disordered eating, need to work even more closely with therapists and medical providers.
Many aspects of nutrition care remain the same. Regardless of focus area, you can expect to receive respect and compassion. You can expect to build confidence in ways that matter to you. You can expect a space where you feel safe, heard and understood.
Yes, a dietitian can still help you if you have food allergies, intolerances or strong aversions to certain foods. Nutrition care is individualized, and your dietitian will work with you to ensure your nutrition needs are met, while honoring your dietary restrictions, preferences and personal goals.
Yes, a dietitian can support sports nutrition goals. Nutrition and athletic performance go hand-in-hand, and your dietitian can help you understand how to fuel your body, based on the best available evidence, your sport or activity, and your own personal experience.
If you are in eating disorder recovery, or have a history of an eating disorder, healing your relationship with movement might be an important part of your journey. A well-nourished body is foundational when it comes to both recovery and sports performance. Your dietitian will understand your unique history, your current experience and your long-term goals, as they relate to both eating disorder recovery and sports performance.
Meal support is an opportunity to eat alongside a trusted professional or support person. A dietitian can facilitate meal support and help you practice coping skills, apply mindset shifts and/or redirect disordered eating behaviors in real time during supported meals or snacks. Meal support is intended to help build individual confidence and apply recovery skills in real-life situations.
Dietitians, therapists and primary care providers each bring unique expertise to a healthcare team. While there is often overlap, in brief, dietitians focus on nourishing the body and brain, therapists support mental and emotional wellbeing, and primary care providers monitor physical health and medical status.
During nutrition sessions, share what feels safe and most important for you. Your dietitian can help you understand how nutrition relates to your priorities and values; when appropriate and with your permission, they will work collaboratively with the rest of your healthcare team to support your goals.
If your dietitian leaves the organization or practice, you can expect the practice to support transitioning to another provider. If your provider changes, remember that your progress and growth remain. If you establish care with a new provider, you have the opportunity to share what has worked well and what you’d like to be different moving forward.
It’s normal and expected to have questions about the process of transitioning providers. Be empowered to ask them! It’s also normal for a new therapeutic relationship with a dietitian to take time to build.
Includes all three handouts: Pre-Session Questions (page 1), Post-Session Questions (page 2), and Navigating Weigh-Ins at the Doctor’s Office (page 3).
Fillable version — complete the handout below:
Includes all three handouts: Pre-Session Questions (page 1), Post-Session Questions (page 2), and Navigating Weigh-Ins at the Doctor’s Office (page 3).
Fillable version — complete the handout below:
For Parents & Caregivers
Be empowered to seek support as soon as you have a concern about your child’s eating patterns or growth. Being proactive can help your child or teen receive support early and cultivate a strong foundation for growth, development and wellbeing.
Be empowered to seek support as soon as you have a concern about your child’s eating patterns or growth. Being proactive can help your child or teen receive support early and cultivate a strong foundation for growth, development and wellbeing.
Your child or teen might benefit from dietitian support if:
- They are experiencing changes in appetite or eating habits.
- Meals and snacks are becoming more stressful.
- They have a medical condition that impacts their nutrition or growth.
- They participate in sports and would benefit from guidance on how to eat to improve their performance.
- They are experiencing unexpected changes in body weight or deviations from typical growth chart trends.
- They are voicing questions or confusion around food, or a desire to learn more about food and their body.
What should I look for when seeking a dietitian for my child?
- Does the dietitian have experience working with my child’s condition and age group?
- Does the dietitian have experience and/or advanced credentials?
- If the dietitian is newer to the field, are they receiving professional clinical supervision?
- What is the dietitian’s approach or philosophy?
- Does the dietitian collaborate with other healthcare providers, like therapists, psychiatrists and primary care providers?
- Do they offer family sessions where you can join for all or part of the session?
- Will they provide support to you as an individual, to support your child generally, or at mealtimes?
When a child or adolescent begins working with a dietitian, the initial focus will likely be on building rapport and establishing trust. This might involve age-appropriate ice-breakers, games and activities. While these activities may seem simple, they play an important role in helping the child or adolescent become increasingly comfortable and ready to engage with their dietitian. This relationship is very important as a foundation.
As rapport and trust are built, the dietitian will meet the child or adolescent where they are, providing age-appropriate education and working together to identify behavioral goals that feel meaningful. Similar to nutrition care for adults, the dietitian will want to understand the child or adolescent’s lived experience, habits, lifestyle and goals.
Parents and caregivers are an important part of a child’s care team. Parental involvement will vary, depending on your child’s age, goals and the reason they are seeking nutrition care. You may be invited to join sessions for the entire duration, or for a portion. Alternatively, you may be invited to have individual time with your child or adolescent’s dietitian. Please always ask questions and ask for what feels most supportive for your family.
Your child’s care team will provide individualized recommendations on the best ways to support your child. In general, be compassionate, be a listener, be an ally and an advocate.
The first step is to share what you are noticing and why you think meeting with a dietitian would be helpful. Keep the conversation focused on support, rather than blame. Explain that the dietitian’s role is to help support your child’s health and eating habits, answer questions, and navigate challenges as they relate to food. Ask your child how they are feeling about the appointment and what might make their visit with a dietitian feel more comfortable. Help your child think ahead about any questions they have or anything they’d like the dietitian to know.