Why Finding an Eating Disorder Nutritionist Near You is Key to Long-Term Recovery
Those who are recovering from eating disorders often report that working with a full treatment team, including an eating disorder dietitian, is significant for their recovery. An eating disorder nutritionist can help support one’s recovery journey through providing not only nutrition education but also nutrition counseling. A dietitian will provide guidance on setting individual, realistic, and achievable goals to develop a healthy relationship with food, body, and movement. Eating disorder dietitians will provide this nutrition education and counseling, as well as meal support, through a weight and food neutral lens. Eating disorder nutritionists understand that our thoughts and relationship with food play a strong role in our physical, emotional, and mental health. If you’re searching for a disordered eating nutritionist near you, finding the right professional can be a life-changing step in your recovery journey.
The Importance of Specialized Care
While general nutrition advice is important and helpful, we at Nourishing NY understand that nutrition education alone is not sufficient for eating disorder recovery. An eating disorder nutritionist can help provide evidence-based nutrition psycho-education while also dispelling nutrition myths that we often hear in the media. A dietitian that specializes in disordered eating will provide this education and counseling with a weight neutral approach while integrating therapeutic modalities such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and motivational interviewing. By doing this, your dietitian can help you heal your relationship with both food and body while ensuring you are getting adequate nutrition with foods that both nourish and satisfy you. A disordered eating nutritionist can also help you explore relationship with movement and guide you in finding movement that feels good in your body with intentions of improving physical health and internal motivation rather than focusing on external motivators (i.e. changing your appearance).
Benefits of Working with a Local Nutritionist
Working with a disordered eating nutritionist near you has several benefits, including but not limited to:
Option for in-person appointments. We understand that some folks prefer appointments in the office and our dietitians at Nourishing NY can offer this along with virtual options.
Familiarity with local resources. A dietitian in NYC will be familiar with local restaurants and grocery stores which can be helpful when planning meals, creating grocery lists, and identifying food challenges. An eating disorder dietitian in NYC will also be familiar with nearby treatment options and programs to support your recovery.
Availability for ongoing support. Eating disorder dietitians will support you throughout your recovery journey and will tailor your treatment plan to your individual needs. In-person or virtual sessions and meal support, guidance in meal planning, and team collaboration are just a few of the many ways a local dietitian will support you through your eating disorder recovery.
How a Nutritionist Supports Long-Term Recovery
An eating disorder nutritionist plays an integral role in one’s recovery journey. Alongside providing significant support, an eating disorder nutritionist can provide individualized nutrition care, discuss meal planning strategies, guide you in setting realistic and attainable goals, and help you build a healthier relationship with food, body, and movement. With integration of therapeutic modalities, your dietitian can offer strategies to help you challenge disordered thoughts around food and provide you with fact checking skills. An eating disorder dietitian can support your eating disorder recovery by not only addressing the physical aspects of eating, but also the emotional and psychological aspects. A dietitian that specializes in disordered eating and eating disorders understands that food is much more than just nutrition and fuel for your body.
Tips for Finding the Right Nutritionist Near You
If you’re looking for an eating disorder nutritionist, look for the following alongside their RD (Registered Dietitian) credential:
CEDS/CEDS-C (Certified Eating Disorders Specialist): This indicates that this dietitian has been recognized from the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals as a specialist in eating disorders and disordered eating
Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor: This certification indicates that this dietitian has been through training on intuitive eating
Weight-neutral/weight-inclusive framework
All foods fit philosophy
HAES® (Health at Every Size) aligned
Why NYC Is an Ideal Place to Find an Eating Disorder Nutritionist
New York City is highly recognized for its impressive healthcare providers, including dietitians. NYC has an abundance of eating disorder treatment and recovery resources. Besides availability of eating disorder specialists, NYC has several eating disorder treatment programs and non-profits that can complement dietitian care. Finding an eating disorder nutritionist near you is a critical step in building a sustainable path to recovery. They will not only provide you with immense support, individualized nutrition counseling, and evidence-based information, but an eating disorder nutritionist can also support you in finding a collaborative treatment team or supplemental programs to ensure a long-lasting recovery.
Ready to start your healing journey with an eating disorder nutritionist near you?
Bray, M., Heruc, G., Evans, L., & Wright, O. R. L. (2024). The imperative of collaboration: Lived experience perspectives on team approaches in outpatient eating disorder treatment. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 57(1), 116–123. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.24084
