Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a nutritionist/registered dietician/FNTP?
“Nutritionist” is a vague title for anyone working in the nutrition field. This could be someone with minimal training/self-taught to someone who has a bachelor’s degree in nutrition, or anything in between. Each state has different guidelines about who can use this title, so look into your state guidelines.
Registered Dietician (RD/RDN) on the other hand is a regulated title that is designated for anyone who has completed a bachelor’s or master’s degree in the field of nutrition and dietetics, a one-year internship in the field of nutrition and the national exam. Most RDs, work in hospitals, research centers, private practice, or other health care facilities.
FNTPs or Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioners have completed their nutrition training through the Nutritional Therapy Association. FNTPs believe in a bio-individual approach to support the individual and optimize health. Many FNTPs have continued functional training, so inquire about their individualized education/training.
When seeking support from someone in the field of nutrition, do your research and find the right person to fit your needs.
Where did you receive your nutrition education training?
I received my initial training through the Nutritional Therapy Association. That is where I received a strong foundation in basic nutrition, lifestyle, and supplements. I continued my education through the Restorative Wellness Solutions to take a deep dive into functional testing. I completed all 4 levels of the Restorative Wellness Solutions program to become a Master Restorative Wellness Practitioner. Basic assessments and symptom interpretation can provide a lot of valuable information into one’s health, but functional testing can give increase accuracy and speed up the work we do together. In addition to my training from the NTA and RWS, I completed both levels of the Supplement Academy. Supplements play a key role in the work I do with clients, but the supplement world is ever growing. My training through the Supplement Academy allows me to make sure I am recommending the highest quality of supplements to my clients to fit their needs. I am not associated with any one supplement company and therefore share unbiased and honest recommendations to meet their individual needs.
What types of functional testing do you use in your practice?
I am not a medical physician. I don’t diagnose or treat disease. I use functional testing in my practice to help identify potential imbalances in the body that are contributing to client symptoms. Some of the testing I utilize in my practice to help optimize a client’s health include functional testing for digestion/GI health, food sensitivities, blood chemistry, female cycling hormones, male hormones, menopausal hormones and bone health, adrenal testing, Autoimmune testing, biotoxins (mold, heavy metals), genomics and neurological health. I am partnered with various labs including, but not limited to, Oxford Biomedical, LapCorp + Now Leap Laboratories, Evexia, Great Plains Laboratory and LabCorp.
I had testing done somewhere else, can I use those results when working with you?
That really depends and is something we evaluate on a case-by-case basis. Some clients bring recent testing they completed with their primary care physician, or another practitioner that we can use as part of our initial work together. However, depending on the type of testing completed or how long ago it was completed, it might not be reliable information for the work we are doing together now. I do recommend that the clients share any and all recent labs and testing with me during our initial consultation as this is valuable background information. Then if needed, I might recommend updated functional testing moving forward.
How long do you typically work with a client?
This work is very bio-individual. I often recommend a minimum of 3 months to address client concerns, because it can take that long to start seeing significant progress. However, it is not uncommon for some clients to see improvement in symptoms within the first week! But there is really no time limit to our work together.
There are many factors that can impact the work we do. Some of the factors that can affect your healing journey are how long you have had symptoms, how severe your symptoms are, and your commitment to the protocol we put together for your goals. Life happens and we understand how that goes, but consistency and follow through is an important aspect of the work we do together.
Do all your clients have to take supplements?
This work is very bio-individual. I often recommend a minimum of 3 months to address client concerns, because it can take that long to start seeing significant progress. However, it is not uncommon for some clients to see improvement in symptoms within the first week! But there is really no time limit to our work together.
There are many factors that can impact the work we do. Some of the factors that can affect your healing journey are how long you have had symptoms, how severe your symptoms are, and your commitment to the protocol we put together for your goals. Life happens and we understand how that goes, but consistency and follow through is an important aspect of the work we do together.
I am ready to start! What is the next step?
Please complete this client application and I will be in touch within the next 2 business days with the next steps.