EATING DISORDER DIETITIAN BALLARAT & ONLINE

I provide online eating disorder dietitian support for:


Our relationship with food, our bodies and ourselves can be impacted by not only our own personal experiences, but also the wider context we live in including the impacts of diet culture, fatphobia and systems of oppression.

Eating disorders can develop in response to these experiences, and can result in:
  • Feeling less present or able to connect with the people around you due to worries about food or your body
  • Feeling lost with food, and like you aren’t sure how to feed yourself anymore
  • Food and body concerns taking up most of your time and energy, and feeling disconnected from what you enjoy and what you value
  • Spending a lot of time researching about nutrition to try and ease your worries, but finding that this only adds to them
  • Experiencing impacts to your relationship with food and your body such as
    • Restrictive eating and fear of gaining weight
    • Binge eating followed by compensation
    • Binge eating and feeling out of control
    • Food restriction due to sensory food aversions, lack of interest in food or low appetite

​If you have ARFID, I understand that some of the above information might not resonate for you, so you are welcome to check out ARFID Nutrition Support for more of an idea of how I can support you.
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You don't have to figure this out on your own anymore.

Let's work on this together.

How I can help

Rather than following a step by step or manualised approach, our work together will always be fluid and specific to you and your circumstances.

Guided by you and at your pace, I can support you to
  • Let go of the idea of foods being ‘good’ or ‘bad’
  • Start including all foods without guilt or fear
  • Bring the pleasure and enjoyment back into your relationship with food
  • Feel more confident around food, so that you can be more present in your life and relationships, and reconnect with what you values 
  • Work towards eating regularly and enough throughout your day
  • Explore emotional eating if you are finding that this also impacts your eating patterns
  • Reconnect with your food, your body and yourself
  • Meet your nutrition needs whilst honouring your sensory food needs, capacity and lived experience
  • Reflect on the world around us, and challenge the impact that diet culture, fatphobia and oppressive systems have on your relationship with food and your body
  • Support with eating disorder recovery alongside help with nutrition impacts of neurodivergence, mental health and/or health conditions which may also be impacting how you relate to food and your body

Trauma Informed Eating Disorder Dietitian

I am trauma informed in how I work, which means that
  • Consent and choice form the foundations of how I practice
  • Our work together is a collaboration, and we explore and come up with things to focus on together.
    I can also provide suggestions and guide us along if you aren’t sure where to start.
  • We will move at your pace
  • Open communication is prioritised and feedback is always welcomed
  • I recognise the harms of diet culture, fatphobia and systems of oppression and how these can show up in your relationship with food and your body
 
Although trauma isn’t something we would directly address together as these concerns are best explored with a mental health professional, I do hold space for what many of my clients have been through.

Hi, I'm Melissa

I love supporting people to find a more peaceful relationship with food and their body, and get their brainspace back to be able to focus on what is important to them. 

I understand that reaching out can sometimes feel a little nerve wracking.  I can support you, whether you are feeling super ready to get started, nervous about trying again or a little scared to reach out.  Whether you are linked in with supports already, or this will be the first time you will be talking to someone about how you relate to food and your body, you are welcome here.

​I'd love to support you in finding your way back to yourself again.
Ready to get started?

​Not quite sure yet?
I understand that sometimes it can feel a little scary to take the leap.
I have lots of options for us to connect, and you have a choice every step of the way.
If you aren’t quite sure yet, you are welcome to try: You are always welcome to work with me as long as you are finding it supportive, whether that’s a one off to see how it feels, regular appointments for a long period of time or somewhere in between. ​