06/30/2025
100% The Mindful Dietitian 👊🫶
I swear that I will die on the hill that uplifts the incredible skills of my colleagues, honestly many of which are completely invisible and not well recognised outside the profession. I will very happily say AND 20 years on in this field, I still am stunned regularly by the very limited way that our role is viewed.
We are very very far from perfect and much harm has been done by our profession both within ED Care and in general healthcare. I am not intending to paint a picture that ignores or overlooks these facts. What I am aiming to do to paint a more expansive view of our incredible depth of skill.
So, for anyone wondering, here’s a list of 10 things many Eating Disorder (ED) Dietitians do, reflecting the depth and complexity of the role beyond food alone:
💡Supports nourishment in the presence of fear, shame, or distress
– Not just “what to eat,” but how to eat when it feels unsafe or overwhelming.
💡Explores beliefs about food, body, and identity
– Supports the unpacking of messages that are often grounded in trauma, culture, family, and systems of oppression.
💡Collaborates with a multidisciplinary team
– Works closely with therapists, GPs, psychiatrists, carers, and more to provide integrated care.
💡Navigates risk, safety, and ethical grey zones
– Balances autonomy and duty of care
💡Provides nutrition education that’s thoughtful and indivualised
– Tailors information to meet the person’s needs, nervous system, and context.
💡Holds hope - especially when our clients can’t
– Offers a steady, compassionate presence in the face of fear, ambivalence, or stuckness.
💡Engages in ongoing reflection & supervision
– Reviews practice critically, unpacks challenges, and grows through feedback and support.
💡Challenges diet culture & weight stigma
– Advocates for care that respects body diversity and dismantles harmful narratives.
💡Makes space for grief & identity shifts
– Acknowledges what recovery may mean letting go of — not just what it brings.
💡Brings their whole, imperfect human self to the work
– Shows up with authenticity, humility, and a willingness to learn
