Regardless of what they call themselves, any particular practitioner might have a unique approach that can not be completely categorized. However, Dietitians and Nutritionists are more likely to limit their focus to food intake as opposed to considering and helping you work on all the ways that you “feed” yourself (with relationships, work, exercise, a spiritual connection, and other lifestyle habits). My approach to health is more holistic in terms of looking at everything that impacts our ability to be well.

Nutritionists and Dietitians also may recommend diet plans based on something like the FDA Food Pyramid. The Pyramid is a tool that includes some good advice, but is, in my opinion, limited to the degree to which it does not recognize that one diet does not work for everyone and that some of the foods that have been part of our traditional diet are now known to be not health-promoting for some people (i.e., conventionally-produced cow’s milk dairy products).

My approach to health is more holistic in terms of looking at everything that impacts our ability to be well. My perspective on food tends to pull from many different traditions and some less mainstream perspectives, as I think we can learn from the ways in which other cultures have maintained their health for centuries, and I appreciate the variety provided by incorporating the different ingredients and flavors of these other kinds of cuisines. And as opposed to strictly following the advice of experts or responding to various food/health trends, I work with my clients to strengthen their ability to hear the body’s messages regarding what it needs at any given time.

People who want very personalized attention tailored to their particular issues and needs are best served by individual counseling. If you have a particular illness that you want to address through diet and lifestyle changes, or an eating disorder, you would be better served by this approach. Individual counseling also gives you an opportunity to talk freely and at length about personal issues that may be related to your ability to take good care of yourself; it is actually very common that people come to identify these kinds of connections in the course of our work together, and then want to spend time resolving these concerns over the course of the program.

Group counseling follows a set agenda. While there is some time to address individual issues and concerns, it is much more limited. Group counseling has the benefit of providing a network of health-minded people who can be a source of support and inspiration. It is also costs less than individual counseling.

The most common outcomes people experience include lost weight, improved sleep, increased energy, fewer pains and/or eliminated need for medications, an ability to maintain an exercise routine they enjoy, improved appearance, more stable moods, and a feeling of being more balanced and in control of their lives. Most people also greatly improve their ability to prepare healthy meals, incorporating all kinds of new ingredients and dishes into their repertoires and developing the habit of giving the whole process much more thought and attention.

The process of Health Counseling tends to evolve in ways that are hard to predict in the beginning. As my clients make progress and start accomplishing the initial goals I’ve helped them identify, new issues surface that they weren’t previously aware of as being connected to their ability to get healthy. Unrecognized obstacles that may have been thwarting their efforts for years can be addressed for the first time in ways that are very helpful to a person’s overall progress. As such, some people ultimately make major changes in their lives that represent important improvements related to jobs, relationships, or other lifestyle factors.

Additional perspectives on the process, in the words of my clients, can be read in Success Stories.

Anyone who is ready to experience greatly improved health and well-being will achieve benefits from Health Counseling, as long as they are willing to take responsibility for their health and make the process a priority. People who are motivated to learn, open to trying new things, and willing to make lifestyle changes will have the greatest success. I love to work with people who are excited to go beyond a “quick fix” and look more deeply at the habits and choices that have sabotaged them in the past. People who want to build their intuition and ability to understand their own needs better, as opposed to rely on me or any other experts to tell them how to eat or what to do, are best served by Health Counseling.

You can learn a lot about the health counseling process by doing a Health Consultation. This is your opportunity to get a sense of what it would be like to work with me, gain a better understanding of my health philosophy, and get all your questions answered about the approach and what’s included in the four-month program. If you decide that Health Counseling is right for you, committing to the process for an extended period of time is essential to achieving success. Implementing and integrating changes to diet and lifestyle that can be sustained takes some time. Each session builds on the last, allowing you to absorb new information and incorporate new approaches in a way that is reasonable and manageable. As we proceed, I’ll tailor the process based on your particular needs, so as long as you are willing to be honest with me and make an earnest effort to follow-through with your commitments, you are guaranteed to make progress and achieve successes.