What to expect

Once you have made a booking for an initial consultation, my health questionnaire will be sent to you. I would really like you to complete this before the consultation and return it to me, as this will help me prepare for our chat and for us to be able to explore your concerns in greater detail. If you have any current blood tests, stool tests or any other test results that could be useful for us to look at, please send them in with the health questionnaire. All information collected, whether collected prior to, during or even post the consultation will be stored securely, and will of course remain private and confidential.

You don’t have to be sick to see a nutritionist, as nutritionists are also great for preventative care or if you want advice on a health/nutrition related issue, e.g. how to transition to a healthy vegetarian or vegan diet.

Nutritionists can help with a wide range of health conditions, including:

• Digestive issues and gut health (IBS, IBD, SIBO, constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, heartburn/reflux, etc.)
•  Male and female reproductive issues
• Women’s health issues (endometriosis/adenomyosis, PCOS, heavy or painful periods etc)
• Stress, ‘burn out’
• Skin issues
• Thyroid conditions and other endocrine disorders (diabetes)
• Anxiety, depression and other mental health issues
• Glandular fever/Epstein-Barr virus, chronic fatigue
•  Allergies, food intolerances
• Autoimmune diseases
• Weight management

• And others

If you want to see, if a nutritionist can help you with your concerns, book in for a 15-minute consultation.

In Australia, a clinical nutritionist will have a degree qualification (Bachelor and/or Masters) in clinical nutrition from a reputable university/college in Australia. This allows them to be accredited by the Australian Natural Therapies Association (ANTA) or by The Australasian Association & Register of Practicing Nutritionists (AARPN). It is important to check someone’s credentials as the term ‘nutritionist’ is not protected in Australia, which means that anyone can call themselves a nutritionist, regardless of how long for or what they have studied. The easiest way to clarify whether someone is indeed a clinical nutritionist is by checking whether they are a member of either ANTA or AARPN.

A Bachelor degree in clinical nutrition is a 3 year, full-time agreement and covers areas including human physiology & anatomy, chemistry & biochemistry, nutritional biochemistry, pharmacology, pathology, nutritional medicine, sports nutrition, public health, basic psychology, nutritional research and others. We are also required to work 300 hours in a supervised student clinic, where we see members of the public.

This can be a bit of a grey area. In Australia, both clinical nutritionists and dietitians hold a bachelor degree from a reputable university or college (refer to the question about the studies a nutritionist undertakes). A dietitian generally also holds an additional qualification in dietetics that allows them to practice dietetic medicine in hospital settings and make nutritional diagnoses. Their approach is generally food-focused alone and does not have a holistic nature to it. As they are part of the biomedical system, dietitians are covered by Medicare.

Clinical nutritionists have a holistic perspective, that is they take the whole body into consideration when working with clients. Their aim is to find the root cause of your symptoms and they do so by assessing the various body systems, your symptoms, diet, mental health, environmental factors and lifestyle. Their approach is evidence-based (as would be a dietitian’s), but they also bring in some traditional medicine strategies to help support their treatments.

Yes, we are trained to look at a great variety of pathology tests, including functional testing, and how to interpret them. We can’t order tests refundable by Medicare, but we can order all blood tests, stool tests and many functional tests through various laboratories. You will, however, have to pay for these out of your own pocket.

For basic blood tests, we would provide you with a referral letter to your doctor, so that the tests can be covered by Medicare.

This depends on why you have come to see us! If it’s just for a general check and you don’t have any specific concerns, 1-2 visits a year are great.

If however, you have come to see us for a specific condition, it is likely that you would need to see us for at least 3 months, but ideally 6-12 months as it might take some time to make changes.

Go to the ‘MAKE A BOOKING’ button on the Home page or on the What We Do page that allow you to book a consultation with us. It will be a zoom consultation.

If you have any questions regarding a booking send me a message via the Contact Us page

At the top of the page is a ‘MAKE A BOOKING’ button that allows you to book this consultation with us. It will be a phone or zoom consultation.

If you decide to work with me, contact me directly by phone or email and I will book you in.

Yes, we currently offer Zoom appointments. Contact me for some available times. We also offer in-person appointments at the MADE. salon in Hawthorn on Wednesdays.

Yes, we do have some availability for evening or Saturday appointments. Send me an email to discuss. 

 You can pay by direct bank transfer or credit card (we use the Square payment system). 

No, Medicare does not cover nutritionists.

Yes, many private health insurers cover nutrition services. Check with your health fund if they cover a nutritionist.