WHAT?
Introduction to nutrition therapy, learning the skills needed to be a provider who can effectively assess, refer and support eating disorder, disordered eating, substance use disorder, depression, anxiety and co-occurring conditions.
This includes improved initial assessment data collection, numerous professional and client specific activities and tools, working in a treatment center vs outpatient (private practice), and so much more.
WHO?
All registered dietitians (RDs) who work with humans require training in these areas. RDs receive little to no education on mental health, longer term nutrition therapy practices and the language that is essential to understand as clients with these struggles will come through your office.
Other healthcare professionals including therapists, nurses, physicians and health coaches will learn a great deal from this training, however CPEUS cannot be provided.
WHY?
It is about time RDs expand our scope of practice to include nutrition therapy which supports the critical, universal, and dynamic role that mental health plays in our connection to food, nutrition, and body image.
Malnourishment, poor nourishment and starvation impact body systems; so can trauma, genetics and other life circumstances. RDs can be included in the larger mental health and well-being journey, helping to improve potentially dangerous food behaviors.
DYP+ Training Highlights✨
- Online, self-paced training for registered dietitians (RD) and healthcare professionals
- 10+ hours of video learning (5 Modules) with closed caption
- 10+ activities for the professional and client
- 2 Case studies with video discussion
- 5 Handouts to share with clients
- Outline for running successful client groups
- Research articles
- Additional Recommendations continued learning list
Weight-inclusive, client-centered, evidence based-learning with considerations for the inclusion of all people, bodies, and identities.
✔ This Training Is For You If...
- You’re a Registered Dietitian or healthcare professional eager to expand your scope of practice into mental health and nutrition therapy.
- You’re passionate about providing weight-inclusive, client-centered care that addresses the whole person—not just their food intake.
- You’re tired of feeling unprepared when working with eating disorders, substance use disorders, and co-occurring mental health conditions.
- You want to improve your counseling skills, explore holistic approaches, and deepen your understanding of the connection between food, body image, and mental health.
- You’re looking for tools and strategies to confidently navigate complex cases and improve client outcomes.
- You’re committed to building long-term, meaningful relationships with your clients, providing ongoing support and guidance rather than just one-and-done sessions.
X This Training Is NOT For You If...
- You’re solely looking for traditional MNT-based education with a weight-centric approach.
- You’re not interested in exploring mental health or body image topics in your work with clients.
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You’re unwilling to challenge existing biases around body size, health, and food behaviors.
Module 1: Part 1
The Essential Role of the RD: A shift in perspective
Objectives:
1. Define and outline mental health prevalence, diagnosis and how it informs nutrition support/care.
2. Outline levels of care (LOC) and how each supports nutrition outcomes using progressive nutrition education and individualized behavior change approaches.
3. Explain the systems that often influence negative food and body attitudes, and how those can exacerbate mental health presentation.
Module 1: Part 2
What RDs Bring to the Table: Highlighting strengths and weaknesses
Objectives:
1. Define the role of the registered dietitian as it relates to the larger field of behavioral/mental health treatment and nutrition support via evidenced-based care, clinical-consensus, and lived-experience.
2. Summarize the 8-basic emotions along with the physical impacts that emotions can have on individual food and body experiences.
3. Recognize the limitations of the dietetic education which impact RDs abilities to provide quality, diverse and individualized nutrition support.
Module 2: Part 1
The Missing Pieces: Limitations in the RD training
Objectives:
1. Discuss the importance of hunger and fullness cues to improving individual connection to food and mood awareness.
2. Analyze the impacts of information and lived experience on making nourishing and emotionally satisfying food decisions.
3. Expand the RD assessment and scope of practice to include discussions related to body image, food and mood and connecting to body cues.
Module 2: Part 2
Reflecting & Embracing our Relationship with Food: Doing the work
Objectives:
1. Outline trauma and describe the role of the registered dietitian in providing nutrition support for mental health recovery.
2. Applying personal values to the individual treatment process and to help identify priorities and goals for client outcomes.
3. Outline nutrition assessment questions that can best inform client nutrition support needs based on holistic wellbeing.
Module 3: Part 1
Foundations for Care: A review of essential mental health research and putting it into action
Objectives:
1. Review the history of mental health research as it relates to malnutrition and external influences on body appearance/satisfaction.
2. Outline specific nutrition initial assessment screening questions for SUD and ED.
3. Summarize clinical consensus recommendations for session frequency and duration based on level of care and acuity of need.
Module 3: Part 2
The Physical & Mental Harms of Weight Centric Care: We are more than our bodies
Objectives:
1. Define weight centric care and identify how it contributes to mental health in negative ways.
2. Introduce the discussion of race, sex, gender as they relate to stigmas and ideals of being "healthy".
3. Outline the bias and stigmas surrounding body size, including weight, image, experience and movement.
Module 4: Part 1
Practical Approaches to Care: Best practices for nutrition support
Objectives:
1. Introduce new tools such as meal planning (exchanges, components, and plate method), mindful eating, Intuitive Eating, etc. all through a weight inclusive lens.
2. Differentiate the positive and negative impacts of each nutrition support intervention with consideration for presentation of unique struggles, triggers and understanding.
3. Identify the need for tube feeding support along with general supplements best indicated.
Module 4: Part 2
Fueling the Gut and Metabolism: Foundations for healing food and body dynamics
Objectives:
1. Evaluate gastrointestinal impacts of insufficient and inconsistent fueling behaviors and how best to correct through nutrition support.
2. Interpret food rituals and food behaviors along with medical evaluation to offer individual nutrition care.
3. Examine the components of MNT that contribute to physical and behavioral health (gut function, liver, macro and micronutrient deficiencies, metabolic changes, etc.)
Module 5: Part 1
Centering Substance Use Disorder: Enhancing the traditional recovery model with new perspectives
Objectives:
1. Define how primary and secondary malnutrition presents with substance use disorder.
2. Recognize the macro and micronutrient concerns specific to substance use type, frequency, and history.
3. Compose individual nutrition support recommendations that support healing body systems and expanding food adequacy and variety.
Module 5: Part 2
Continue Filling Your Toolbox: Breaking free of linear MNT thinking, expanding scope of practice
Objectives:
1. Apply evidence-based therapeutic modalities such as MI, ACT, CBT and DBT to improve nutrition intake and reduce food driven anxieties.
2. Identify a plan and essential approaches to navigating client reports of suicidal ideation which will present when working with mental health.
3. Developing and composing an effective nutrition support and education group.
🤩With This Training, You’ll Be Able To...
- Confidently assess and support clients struggling with eating disorders, disordered eating, substance use, anxiety, depression, and other co-occurring mental health conditions.
- Build a weight-inclusive, client-centered approach to nutrition therapy that honors the unique lived experiences of every individual.
- Improve rapport with clients through tools like initial assessment questions, group outlines, and professional activities tailored to their needs.
- Expand your toolbox with evidence-based strategies, case studies, and client handouts to provide holistic care.
- Integrate advanced counseling techniques, such as ACT and DBT, into your sessions to address food-driven anxieties and support behavior change.
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Set yourself apart in the field as a practitioner with expertise in the dynamic intersection of nutrition and mental health.
Author: Megan A. Kniskern
MS, RD, LD/N, CEDS-C
Megan is the owner of MAK Nutrition Services, LLC working with clients, providing professional consulting, and precepting future registered dietitians. She is also a Associate Teaching Professor at Arizona State University (since 2014) teaching management, leadership, professional preparation, and basic nutrition courses along with a graduate eating disorders and substance use disorder course which she developed.
Megan’s strengths are working with complex eating disorder clients, providing RDs supervision in the areas of eating disorders, substance use and mental health nutrition support; educating through a non-diet, weight inclusive, client-centered lens to help improve food dynamics and body connection.
As co-author of the Revised 2020 Eating Disorder Standards of Practice and Standards of Professional Practice (Nov 2020), Megan has loved serving in past leadership roles with the Behavioral Health Nutrition (BHN) DPG and continues to be involved with the International Federation of Eating Disorder Dietitians (IFEDD).
Your Next Steps:
This isn’t just another training; it’s a chance to step into a new level of practice and make a greater impact. Ready to join a growing community of professionals dedicated to inclusive, holistic care? Don’t wait—your transformation starts here!
Customer Testimonial:
“I found the course to be valuable in many ways but probably most in that it connected different life experiences as well as some medical and psychiatric diagnoses that might contribute to a client's experiences with food and nutrition. Additionally it was the most comprehensive training on eating disorders that I have had thus far in my career.”
Customer Testimonial:
“The variety of topics and the order in which they were presented. As someone new to the field of eating disorders, I appreciated starting with the basics and going from there.”
Customer Testimonial:
“Megan is a fantastic presenter and is very thorough in the information she provides. She has so much experience to draw on, and to have so much of it documented here is gold. She does a great job outlining how to implement the information included rather than just presenting it in a matter of fact way.”
Policies & Questions
How long is the training available to me?
This training does not have an expiration date. It is available to you as many times and for as long as...forever!
Who is this training for?
This training was created specifically for registered dietitians (RD, RDN), dietitian technician registered (DTR, NDTR), certified nutrition specialists (CNS), therapists, coaches, and students completing their healthcare informed education. Therapists, nurses, behavioral health techs, case managers will all find value in better understanding the role of the RD in the mental health care process along with the dynamic role that food behaviors and body impact have on short and long term recovery.
Can I start the training today?
Yes! As soon as you purchase the training you will have access to all of the course details.
Are CPEUs offered with this training?
No CPEUS are offered at this time.
Do you offer a refund?
No refunds will be considered unless it is within 3 days of the purchase date. It is my sincere hope that you will find strong value in this training, with that said refund will be considered and a $75 administration fee will be retained.
Please contact [email protected] with questions.
Policies: Each course purchased is available only to 1 professional. Login, videos and documents are NOT to be shared with anyone other than the individual who purchased the course. Failure to follow these copyright policies will result in being immediately terminated from access to the course and course materials.
