Accredited Practising Dietitians (APDs) are university-qualified health professionals that specialise in nutrition for general health as well as for those living with nutrition related disease. APD’s must undertake ongoing training to ensure they are providing up-to-date and evidence based nutrition information. They are trained to deliver health and nutrition information in practical terms and adhere to the Professional Standards set by Dietitians Australia (DA).

The main difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist is their qualifications and roles. Dietitians are highly trained healthcare professionals with a university degree specialising in dietetics. They are accredited by the Dietitians Australia (DA) and are recognized by Medicare and private health insurance. They are qualified to provide clinical nutrition therapy for medical conditions like diabetes or heart disease and specialized treatment for complex health issues such as eating disorders.

Nutritionists may have completed a degree or a course in nutrition but the profession is not as heavily regulated. Nutritionists are often not trained in medical nutrition therapy and hence mainly focus on general advice for healthy eating and wellness.

Size inclusive healthcare is an approach to healthcare that focuses on health promoting behaviours rather than focusing on reducing a persons body size. It accepts all people as they are today and helps them to find compassionate ways to take care of their health. For a dietitian this involves healping people eat well not focusing on eating less for weight loss.

For individuals and health professionals wanting to learn about the evidence for size include care please see this article from Lindo Bacon or visit https://www.sizeinclusivehealth.org.au.

Intuitive eating is a set of principles that help people move away from diet mentality and learn to eat for enjoyment and health. It focuses on eating mainly according to internal body cues of hunger and fullness, explores satisfaction from meals, eating due to emotions and our relationship with movement. The process works towards gentle nutrition which focuses on eating foods to promote health that you enjoy and also feel good in your body.

I have trained with Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, specialist Dietitians and authors of the original book Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program that Works.

First appointments can be daunting so I work to provide a warm, non-judgemental space so you can feel comfortable to share your concerns and receive the help you need.

We start with me asking about what you need help with and getting to know more about you. I am interested in your general physical and mental health, your lifestyle, eating habits and what is important to you.

You do not need to answer any questions you do not want to and specific things I ask about will depend on the reason for your visit. Some topics we cover include your physical and mental health, your past medical history and family history. I am also interested in your hormonal and menstrual health and any medication or supplements you take. I also ask about your lifestyle including eating and exercise habits as well as your experience with dieting and your food preferences and other factors such as stress and sleep. 

We discuss weight if you are comfortable doing so. This might include your current weight and height and any recent weight changes as well as a longer weight history over life. We also discuss how you feel about your weight and body image however this does not need to happen in our first appointment.

An initial appointment is 75-90 minutes and follows p session re 60 minutes. A thorough assessment can take multiple sessions depending on complexity. The goal is to provide me with the information needed so together we can discuss your nutritional status, identify any issues with food and eating and together work out together what help you want going forward.

Please bring any recent blood test results and a copy of your GP referral if you have one.

This is very individual and will depend on what you are wanting help with and what your goals are. It can be as few as 1-2 sessions if you are just wanting an initial assessment to discuss a possible diagnosis, your health priorities or treatment options. You also may just want to meet to discuss whether my approach is a good fit for you. Alternatively for some people with complex eating behaviours treatment can be many months or years.

After completing an initial assessment which usually takes 1 or 2 sessions I can give you a better understanding of how many sessions are likely required to achieve your goals. I understand that often time and finances are limited and we can take this into consideration and together work out a way forward.

I understand that being weighed can be very stressful and confronting for some people and for many of my clients weights are not helpful. If I feel that weighing you would be useful to your care I will always ask permission first and provide an opportunity to discuss how you feel about it and provide options such as doing a blind weight. For some clients weight monitoring can be helpful but it is only 1 of the many pieces of information we might use and is not necessary for all clients. We can discuss this further during your session if necessary.Item description

Initial consultation (75-90 minutes) $250

Standard follow-up consultation (50-60 minutes) $190.

Short follow-up consultation (30 minutes) $120.

After an initial session our review appointments are generally standard consultations depending on the nature of the visit. Fees are payable at the completion of each session. Regarding refunds and rebates please refer to the Medicare and health fund rebates section below. Be aware that there will be a gap to pay with eligible Medicare claims.

No. A referral from your GP is only needed if you plan to access Medicare rebates. Others clients do not require a GP referral.

You may be eligible for a care plan which provides a rebate for visits to Accredited Practising Dietitians. The current Medicare rebate is $60.35 or higher if you have passed the Medicare safety net. Please note that there is an out of pocket cost on session fees. Your GP can assess if you are eligible for either a chronic disease care plan or an eating disorder plan.

Visits to an Accredited Practising Dietitians (APD) are covered by most private health funds but these rates vary depending on your level of cover. Please contact your private health fund for further information about rebates.