FAQs

Intuitive Eating is an anti-diet approach to eating and well-being outside the diet mentality that helps you tune into your internal wisdom and heal your relationship with food. 

It is a weight-inclusive, evidence-based model with a validated assessment scale and over 200 studies to date. It is a framework that promotes sustainable healthy lifestyle habits and prioritizes internal cues rather than body weight and external factors. 

Intuitive Eating is NOT a diet. 

Instead of following rigid rules and labeling foods as "good" or "bad," Intuitive Eating encourages you to trust your hunger and fullness signals and develop a peaceful relationship with food, where you can enjoy all foods and honor your body's needs for nourishment and satisfaction.

The 10 principles of Intuitive Eating are: ditch the diet mentality, honor your hunger, make peace with food, challenge the food police, respect your fullness, discover the satisfaction factor, honor your feelings without using food, respect your body, movement – feel the difference, and honor your health - gentle nutrition.

HAES® is a weight-inclusive approach to health and a social justice framework trademarked by the Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH). HAES® does not mean that everyone at every size is healthy, but rather that everyone, no matter their size, has the right to pursue health in ways that are meaningful to them. The five principles of HAES® are: weight inclusivity, health enhancement, respectful care, eating for well-being and life-enhancing movement.

Intuitive Eating is NOT a diet. Diets don't work and yet you are often blamed - not the diet. In reality, it's the process of dieting that is the problem. 

Intuitive Eating is different. It helps you break free from the cycle of dieting, reconnect with your body and learn how to make peace with all foods (and movement) so you can nourish your body in a way that actually works for you.

Of course! It makes sense that you might have a desire to lose weight given the weight stigma in our culture. My approach is inclusive of everyone and we can explore your relationship to food and health, your body and weight concerns together.

I do ask that you consent to the weight-neutral approach and understand that I do not provide weight loss services meaning weight loss is not the focus or goal of our sessions and is not something we will use as an indicator of success or progress. 

If you are looking for a dietitian to put you on a weight-loss plan, that is not me. However, if you want to explore how you feel in and about your body and why you want to lose weight, and work on creating a more peaceful relationship with food, exercise, and your body, I can help you with that!

This is a very common concern. Especially if this has been your experience while on the diet-binge pendulum swinging from dieting and restriction to not dieting and possibly binging. 

It's important to recognize that this stems from the diet mentality and it is the diet mentality that causes overeating and binging. 

Once you learn to make peace with all foods - and your body knows you can have these foods whenever you want - you'll be able to truly listen to your body's feelings of hunger, satisfaction, and fullness.

I provide highly individualized nutrition counseling, meaning your sessions are tailored to you and we can work together to help you learn how to take care of yourself in many aspects of health – including food, movement, stress management, coping skills, sleep habits & more.

My approach includes intuitive eating, mindfulness, self-compassion, self-care, the principles of Health at Every Size (HAES), nutrition, and psychology including several therapeutic modalities such as ACT, CBT, IFS and somatic work. 

The initial session is where we’ll delve deeper into your unique story with food & body image. We'll review your health, eating, movement & body image history; discuss your current situation, your goals & your priorities. Together, we'll uncover your desires, define what "success" means to you & set goals to bring you closer to that vision.

Follow-up sessions are where we’ll continue digging deeper, addressing underlying factors, tackling challenges, & crafting a personalized plan that empowers you. This often takes some experimentation but, together, we’ll assess, monitor & evaluate what’s working & what’s not working so we can find a plan that truly works for you.

In my practice, you'll find a supportive & judgment-free space to explore your relationship with food, movement & your body.

Schedule a free discovery call with me to get started - We'll chat about your goals, answer any questions you have, explore my approach and see if we're a good fit to work together.

How long does this process take? Well, it depends (I know…such an annoying answer). Intuitive eating is the opposite of dieting so it’s often more challenging at first, but gets easier in the long term. It involves unlearning old habits, getting rid of the "food police" in your head & building new, sustainable ways of nourishing yourself.

Most of my clients start with weekly sessions and then space them out as we go along. 

I value building long-term relationships with my clients and often see clients on a long-term basis. 

Remember, healing is a personal journey that often requires a lot of time and introspection. It can be hard, but it doesn't have to be scary. I offer ongoing support with weekly or bi-weekly sessions to walk alongside you every step of the way.

All sessions are online via a secure telehealth program.

How often we meet depends on what level of support you need. I see the majority of my clients once a week at first, and then (usually after a few months) spread sessions out to every other week.

I have some clients I’ve been seeing for years and have less frequent check-ins. I am happy to provide recommendations for the frequency of appointments to help you get started.

If you’re currently struggling with eating disorder behaviors (purging, restriction, or bingeing once a week or more), my services might not be appropriate for you at this time. I would recommend contacting an Eating Disorder therapist and an Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian so you can receive adequate support and treatment. 

I do work with those who are further along in recovery.

We can determine during the discovery call and initial session if we’re a good fit.

Yes! Many of my clients are looking for help covering their nutrient needs or managing a health condition with a weight inclusive approach and may not need help with body image.

I work with many different clients including those who are vegan, vegetarian, and who value eco-conscious eating and/or who are navigating medical conditions or health concerns.

Absolutely! I can help you learn ways to incorporate more plant foods into your day in delicious, easy ways without dieting or food rules.

Yes! Many of my clients are looking for help covering their nutrient needs or managing a health condition with a weight inclusive approach.

I work with many different clients including those who are vegan, vegetarian, and who value eco-conscious eating and/or who are navigating medical conditions or health concerns.

Email me at [email protected]

Initial sessions are 60 minutes and cost $130.

Follow-up sessions are 45 minutes and cost $100.

Effective January 1, 2022, a law was passed called the “No Surprises Act,” which requires health practitioners to provide a “Good Faith Estimate” (GFE) about out-of-network care to any patient who is uninsured or who is insured but does not plan to use their insurance benefits to pay for healthcare services.

If we decide to work together, you will receive a Good Faith Estimate. 

Visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises/consumers for more information about your rights under federal law.

I take payment by credit card or debit card and processed through our secure online platform. Payment must be received prior to scheduling your session.

While we have the ability to take HSA cards, that doesn’t always mean your HSA card issuer will approve the charge. We recommend calling your HSA card issuer and asking if they cover nutrition services.

My practice is out-of-network with insurance providers and payment is due prior to your appointment.

If you have out-of-network insurance benefits, these may apply to nutrition services.

If so, you would pay us directly and then we provide you with a Superbill receipt that you can submit to your insurance company. Depending on your benefits, you may be able to receive full or partial reimbursement for your nutrition counseling sessions.

These benefits vary considerably between insurance companies and plans. However, many of our clients with out-of-network benefits have had success in receiving partial or full reimbursement. Others have had the cost of nutrition counseling applied towards their deductible, helping them to reduce medical spending across the course of the year.

We recommend calling your insurance company to ask about your specific coverage. They can inform you of whether you will receive any reimbursement for our services, or whether the cost can be applied towards any deductible. We have included the instructions on how to do this below.

Step 1: Call Your Insurance Customer Service Line

The phone number for customer service is generally located on the back of your insurance card. Call and ask to speak to the benefits department. If your employer provides your plan, your HR department may be able to call on your behalf.

Step 2: Ask The Following Questions About Your Benefits

1. Are Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT)/Nutrition Counseling covered by my out-of-network benefits? [Note: The procedure codes we use for MNT are: 97802 (initial assessment) and 97803 (follow-up visit).]
2. Is coverage dependent on my diagnosis (ICD-10 diagnosis code)? Are there certain diagnosis codes that are covered or are not covered?
3. Are there any out-of-network benefits for preventative care (Z codes)? If so, which Z codes and what are the requirements?
4. Are out-of-network telehealth visits covered? If yes, what place of service code should my provider use?

Step 3: If There is an MNT/Nutrition Counseling Benefit - Ask About Restrictions 

1. Are there a certain number of nutrition visits per calendar year?
2. Is there a deductible that I need to meet?
3. What is my percentage of coverage? Is there a co-pay?
4. Do I need a referral from my primary care provider?
5. Do I need pre-authorization?
6. Is there a maximum reimbursement allowed per unit? How long is each allowed visit?

Important Tips:

1. Be sure to document everything. Write down the date, a reference number, who you spoke with, and every detail from the call.
2. Ask them to send you the information in writing.

Other Notes:

You may be able to have the MNT benefits applied to the “in-network” benefit side of your insurance plan if they do not have a registered dietitian in their network. When insurance companies agree to cover an out-of-network practitioner under the “in-network” benefits, this is often called Gap coverage.

You may also be able to request a single case agreement for MNT depending upon your plan and diagnosis. Should you obtain a single case agreement or GAP coverage, we will require written documentation and information on copay, deductibles and how the insurance company would like to be billed for services.

Information You May Need:

• Business name: AdventureBlooms, LLC DBA The Crooked Carrot
• EIN: 82-3136393
• NPI: 1063806156