Nutrition Counseling
All Bodies are Worthy of Nourishment and Support
When you think about food, it might stir up a mix of feelings. Sometimes, food brings joy and pleasure, but it can also come with guilt or anxiety. With so much misinformation and judgment about food and body size in our culture, it can be tough to figure out what’s true. You might hesitate to nourish yourself because of these ideas or feel overwhelmed about where to start with nutrition. It’s a challenge to make sense of it all and know what’s best for your body.
Maybe you’re squeezing in workouts wherever you can or cutting back on what you eat because it feels like the “right” thing to do. Or perhaps a health scare or diagnosis has left you drowning in dietary advice. But that overwhelm can sour your relationship with not just food, but nourishment too. Nourishment is more than just what you put into your body. It’s about taking care of yourself in all aspects of life, including physical, emotional, and mental health. More importantly, it’s about the relationship you have with your body and how you choose to nourish it. But here is the most crucial point: nourishment may mean different things to different people, but one thing is for sure – all bodies are worthy of nourishment and support.
What is Nutrition Counseling?
Nutrition counseling in Asheville and Raleigh, NC is an individualized, dietary guidance from a healthcare professional that takes into account your unique needs, preferences, and goals. It focuses on building a healthy relationship with food and your body by promoting mindful eating and intuitive eating practices. Nutrition counseling also addresses any medical conditions, allergies, or intolerances you may have to create a personalized nutrition plan for your specific needs.
Nutrition counseling is like Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) because both start with a team effort to assess things. For instance, medical history, diet, and health habits. They give tailored, science-backed advice about nutrition-related actions. But here’s where nutrition counseling stands out: it uses a therapeutic relationship to empower people in making choices about nutrition, movement, and self-care. Unlike traditional medical nutrition therapy services.
How Does Nutritional Therapy Work?
Nutrition counseling offers you a supportive space to improve your relationship with food and how you nourish yourself. It helps you process your food experiences and beliefs while learning to understand your body’s nutritional needs, fostering healing and nourishment. Nutrition counseling in Asheville, NC utilizes a therapeutic relationship to form an authentic connection to empower you to have a better understanding of your unique needs and how to meet them. It strives to make you feel confident and supported in making informed decisions about your nutrition, movement, and self-care choices.
In the initial assessment, nutritional counseling involves a collaborative process. You and your nutritional therapist will look at your medical history, dietary intake, and health behaviors. However, instead of generic recommendations, nutritional counseling offers individualized and evidence-based suggestions regarding nutrition and self-care. This means your dietitian provider wants to know more about you than just the food. They want to know your hopes, habits, and challenges so that they can support you in achieving your health goals. After the initial assessment, this is when you and your dietitian provider will set your goals and intentions. This helps your nutritional therapist to provide more tailored education and support with food or health-related topics.
What is the Main Focus of Nutritional Therapy?
Nutritional counseling revolves around you and your nourishment. It helps create a safe space where you can share your thoughts, questions, and concerns about your overall well-being because your nourishment goes far beyond the food you eat. It includes your relationship with food and how you nurture yourself in all aspects of life. This process involves understanding your unique needs and learning how to honor them. It also means exploring your roots, culture, experiences, and beliefs about food and your body. Understanding these factors allows you to set goals to find the nourishment that best fits your lifestyle.
Because your nourishment is ever-evolving, nutritional counseling in Asheville, NC is an ongoing process. It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach but rather a collaborative and dynamic experience that adapts to your changing needs. Nutritional counseling embraces the idea of “all foods fit” and encourages variety and balance as well as fun in your diet. It also promotes self-compassion and body acceptance, recognizing that all bodies are worthy of nourishment and support.
Nourishment is More Than Just Food
Nutritional counseling also allows you to build a relationship with the nutritional therapist in Asheville, NC you are working with. This relationship is rooted in trust and collaboration, as you work together towards your goals. Your provider will not only offer education on nutrition but also help you to better understand how your roots, culture, experiences, and beliefs about food and your body may impact your relationship with food and self-care. This approach can be transformative in helping you improve your body image and build a positive relationship with food. Because once you better understand your unique needs, you can make informed choices to find your own version of nourishment and well-being.
Wanting to Know More About Nutrition Counseling?
If you are curious about nutritional counseling in Asheville and Raleigh, NC and how it can support your health and well-being, you probably have some questions. Here are the most common questions people ask about nutritional counseling:
Absolutely, but it does take time! Nutrition Therapy in Raleigh, NC (otherwise known as nutrition counseling) can be highly effective in improving your relationship with food and overall well-being! We focus on a relational care approach, really getting to know all aspects of your care routine—from your reason for scheduling a session to your medical history and your aspirations for the next phase of your journey. It’s not about quick fixes or one-size-fits-all solutions; it’s about you, your unique experience, your relationship with food, and your health goals.
Finding a nutritional therapist who fits well with you and your journey is crucial to the success of nutrition therapy. Being open to exploring your food habits, experiences, and daily nourishment choices is also key. Embracing these authentic vulnerabilities can make the process more effective. The goal is to enhance the chances of successful nutrition therapy when both the client and clinician are engaged, connected, and comfortable.
In your first session, known as the initial assessment, your nutritional therapist will (with your consent) dive deep into various aspects of your life. From your medication and supplement routines to any body image concerns you might have. This session can last between 55 to 85 minutes. In the following sessions, called follow-up sessions, your nutritional therapist in Asheville, NC may provide education, discuss your health goals, or engage in activities to support those goals. Or, they can just simply hold space for you to process, grieve, brainstorm, or think if needed. Our approach combines nutrition counseling, education, support, and relational care, with each session tailored to your concerns for that week.
Sessions typically begin with a check-in, and then transition into discussions about food behaviors, nutrition topics, or creating achievable food and self-care plans. As you build a relationship with your dietitian, it becomes easier to progress toward your desired changes. Feel free to take breaks if needed during any session. If you’re visiting in-office, restrooms and refreshments are always accessible. For virtual visits, we encourage you to interact with your space for maximum comfort.
Nutrition counseling is about collaboration, brainstorming, individualized recommendations, and myth-busting. You’ll share relevant updates in your life and how these changes affect your nourishment. For example, a job or relationship change may affect your stress level, your meal planning routine, your access to a kitchen, your meal prep goals, etc. Nutritional therapists will provide personalized guidance, recommendations, education, or tools to assist in achieving your nutrition, lifestyle, or food relationship goals. Through relationship development, education, exploration, experimentation, and adjustment, we support your nutritional needs.
Nutritional counseling for eating disorders is a holistic form of eating disorder therapy. It combines nutrition guidance, education, support, and relational care, addressing both the medical and psychological aspects of eating disorders and disordered eating patterns and body image counseling. This collaboration between the dietitian and client focuses on achieving nutritional rehabilitation by reducing or eliminating disordered eating behaviors. The process offers personalized advice and tools to develop a healthy relationship with food and body, ensuring balanced and varied nutrition. Ultimately, eating disorder therapy aims to enhance individuals’ well-being and quality of life by incorporating nutrition, hydration, movement, behaviors, and habits that serve us.
Nutrition counseling in Asheville, NC for eating disorders is an integral part of eating disorder treatment. The dietitian, therapist, doctor, and other team members support the individual from a bio-psycho-social-soma approach. Nutrition counseling can be extremely effective and supportive during someone’s eating disorder journey. Finding a nutritional therapist that feels like a good fit and being open to navigating food behaviors can increase the likelihood of the treatment feeling effective. It can be challenging, but we are here to support anyone going through this process. We will walk one step at a time and provide support throughout the journey. This approach is very effective, especially when done in conjunction with other necessary medical care like mental health therapy.
Who Needs Nutritional Therapy?
Everyone needs nourishment. But our culture often bombards you with misinformation and conflicting details about nutrition. Our individualized approach helps clear up any confusion and addresses your personal questions, desires, and needs surrounding nutrition care. If you’re curious about nutrition, looking to improve your relationship with food, wanting to change food behaviors, or dealing with restrictive or binge-eating patterns, you would benefit from nutrition counseling. This includes if you’re aiming to manage a specific medical or mental health condition or wanting to transform your connection with food. It’s also beneficial if you have an eating disorder, are interested in a deeper understanding of nutrition science, or have chronic and acute health conditions where nutrition plays a role.
Is Nutritional Counseling Worth It?
It’s understandable to have questions about whether nutritional counseling is worth the investment. Will it really make a difference in your life? Is it worth the time and effort? The short answer is that it depends on your individual needs and goals. If you’re prepared to explore your food behaviors and relationship with food to achieve freedom, healing, and nourishment then it’s definitely worth it! Nutritional counseling in Asheville, NC can help you form a positive relationship with food and understand your unique needs. It’s also worth considering if you have any specific health concerns or conditions that may benefit from personalized nutrition guidance. Ultimately, investing in your health and well-being is always worth it.
As nutritional therapists, our aim is to empower you to find autonomy in your journey, reducing shame and building confidence. The focus is on understanding your relationship with food and its impact on overall health. In a positive, non-judgmental environment, you’re encouraged to freely explore thoughts about food, fostering improved health outcomes and balance in wellness areas. The goal is to enhance nourishment and knowledge, reduce anxiety and stress around food and exercise, and increase body acceptance and confidence. Skills for tough times are built, reducing shame and guilt, finding peace with food and your body, and discovering your voice while challenging diet culture. You always have a place here if support is needed.
Our Approach to Nutrition Counseling
At Nutritious Thoughts, we believe in listening to individuals as experts on their own bodies and experiences. Our nutritional therapists gather all information clients are willing to share and always seek consent before offering education or suggestions. The way we approach nutrition counseling is rooted in trauma-informed care. It focuses on building relationships, creating safety, and fostering autonomy and choice. Our goal is to create a collaborative space where clients feel supported, validated, and heard. We believe that this approach leads to more sustainable and positive changes in eating habits and overall well-being.
We work from a weight-inclusive perspective, embracing the Health at Every Size philosophy. We believe every body deserves nourishment, regardless of race, sex, size, or shape. Our goal is to create a welcoming and inclusive space where everyone feels respected and valued. That’s why we prioritize evidence-based practices while also honoring personal stories. Our language is weight-inclusive, and we always ask for permission before discussing weight and body image. We also use various health measures, like lab work and vitals. And only weigh clients when it’s medically necessary, using blind weigh-ins and a neutral approach.
We Challenge Assumptions and Diet Culture
Our team of nutritional therapists is trained to acknowledge diet culture’s negative impact on how you might view nourishment. They’re here to challenge the idea that health is tied to body size and instead focus on changing behaviors for better preventative care. Instead of making weight loss the focus of your health, they’ll work with you to create a sustainable plan that prioritizes self-care and body respect. For instance, they will emphasize joyful movement without focusing on weight loss. They will likely encourage an attuned eating approach rather than a specific food diet. Our practice and the spaces within it have one goal: to be accessible and comfortable for you and your healing. We welcome everyone and are always here to support you in your journey towards nourishment and well-being. When you begin nutrition counseling at Nutritious Thoughts, we will always listen deeply, ask for permission, and hold space when you need it. We do this by building an honest and trustworthy relationship through person-centered assessments and allowing you to give us feedback and set the pace.
With our goal of challenging diet culture and addressing chronic dieting, we do not prescribe diets for weight loss. Instead, we offer immediate and practical options without unrealistic promises. By coordinating your care with other professionals on your care team, we support you at any level while maintaining your safety, trust, and autonomy. Our approach emphasizes cultural humility and continuous self-reflection, focusing on identifying disordered eating behaviors, including chronic dieting, and intervening appropriately, all while prioritizing safety and harm reduction. This approach acknowledges cultural disordered eating patterns while focusing on your well-being and respecting your individual autonomy and choice. Each person has unique needs and preferences when it comes to food, and our goal is to help you find a way of eating that feels nourishing, enjoyable, and sustainable for you.
If You Want to Know More About Nutritional Therapists…
Understanding the importance of nutrition counseling and how it can benefit you is a great first step. But perhaps you still have questions or concerns about what to expect from working with a nutritional therapist in Raleigh and Asheville, NC. Here are some questions that may be on your mind, along with our answers:
The role of a nutrition counselor (otherwise known as a nutritional therapist) is to show up authentically and build genuine connections with those they work with. By building relationships, we foster trust, and with trust, we can truly support someone on their nutrition journey. As counselors, we aim to understand who you are, why you chose us, and how we can best assist you. Our goal is to work towards solutions, but only after establishing a trusting foundation for change. Change takes time, and throughout our journey together, we offer education, guidance, and tools to assist in your nutrition journey.
A nutritional therapist in Asheville, NC is a professional who understands the intersections between food intake and life experiences. We help uncover the roots of food behaviors and support self-care through nutrition in daily life. We provide education, support, encouragement, accountability, and a safe space for discussing nutrition and health-related concerns. Our role is to meet personalized nutrition needs and goals. As experts in evidence-based nutrition, we assist clients in exploring their well-being, setting appropriate nutrition goals, and providing education and support. We leverage both empirical evidence and clients’ lived experiences to develop meaningful and safe relationships.
Understanding the difference between a nutrition counselor (or nutritionist) and a dietitian is important, especially when looking for the right support on your nutrition journey. While both can offer guidance around food and wellness, dietitians have more extensive education and training, allowing them to provide a wider range of services. Registered Dietitians (RDs) go through a comprehensive process that includes completing an accredited bachelor’s degree, a Master’s or Doctorate in Dietetics, and a dietetic internship, along with passing a national exam. This in-depth training allows dietitians to offer Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT), which means they can help you manage conditions like diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, or eating disorders.
They can create personalized meal plans, prescribe supplements, and work with you on specialized nutrition needs. The profession is regulated, so you can trust that dietitians are held to high standards of care. On the other hand, nutrition counselors—while still knowledgeable—typically have less formal education. They often hold a degree in nutrition and may complete internships, but they focus more on general guidance. While nutrition counselors can help you explore your relationship with food and offer support, they aren’t able to diagnose or treat medical conditions or prescribe specific diets.
At Nutritious Thoughts, our team of Registered Dietitians goes beyond providing nutrition counseling. We take the time to truly get to know you—your history, your hopes, your relationship with food—and combine this with evidence-based nutrition therapy to create a plan that’s tailored just for you. We believe in compassionate, relational care that honors your unique journey, helping you take meaningful, sustainable steps toward your health goals.
For the best outcomes, weekly sessions are recommended, though some individuals may choose more or fewer visits. Finances can influence accessibility, so we’re here to help guide the way. As an insurance-based practice, we conduct benefit checks before your sessions to ensure you’re fully aware of any financial responsibilities. Most insurances cover nutrition counseling, and for those clients without insurance, we offer private pay options.
Typically, weekly or every other week sessions are beneficial until you’re content with your food habits. Once you maintain sustainable eating behaviors that align with your goals and values, consider checking in monthly or a few times annually. The frequency of visits depends on your personalized goals and needs, with weekly to monthly appointments being the most common.
During your first session, you’ll go through an initial assessment, which includes information about your status and your goals. Your nutritional therapist will ask a range of questions about you. They’ll gather information along with specific details about you. This can include your health and medical history, personal goals, beliefs, preferences, and your current relationship with food. The information you provide helps them get to know you so they can design a Nutrition-focused Treatment Plan just for you. Once the intake part is over, they’ll also explain what future sessions might look like, sharing their philosophy and ideas for your care.
Learn What Nourishment Means For Your Body with Nutrition Counseling in Asheville, NC
Nutrition counseling in Asheville and Raleigh, NC is a collaborative process, and our goal is to empower you with knowledge and tools that will allow you to make informed decisions for your well-being. We understand that everyone’s relationship with food is unique, and we approach each individual with empathy, compassion, and respect. At Nutritious Thoughts, we believe that true nourishment encompasses not just the food we eat but also our mental, emotional, and social well-being. Our team of experienced and compassionate nutritional therapists is here to listen, support, and guide you on your journey to understand and nourish your body. Whether you prefer in-person sessions or online consultations, we are ready to meet you where you’re most comfortable. So let’s start this journey toward a more nourished self:
- Contact us at (828) 333-0096 or email us at info@nutritious-thoughts.com
- Tell us more about yourself
- Learn what true nourishment means for your unique body!