Nutrition Counseling

Nutrition education is important, and we do weave that into our work with clients; however, we recognize that educating someone about food and nutrition is not what creates change. We have also learned along the way (the practice is 22 years old this year!) that forcing someone to make change, as well as begging, pleading or guitling them into it doesn’t help, and can even make the situation worse. We approach our clients from a place of curiosity, and learn why they eat what they eat, why they choose what they do and what benefits they get out of their current relationship with food. We also work to identify the barriers to making change within their style of eating and what distorted beliefs they may have about the changes we and others have asked them to make. We explore several “what if” scenarios and ask our clients to set up small experiments to see what really would happen if you ate a slice of pizza with salad and a breadstick for dinner? Step by step, together, we work toward making changes in their eating that will support a more balanced and comfortable relationship with food. This is where the art of counseling and our training goes beyond what we know as nutrition experts. 

We do not directly participate in any insurance plans. There are two main reasons why this is. 1) In the state of Michigan, most insurance companies do not regard eating disorders as medically necessary to require MNT (Medical Nutritional Therapy). Mind you - this is the language and philosophy of the insurance companies and not ours!! And 2) When you contract with an insurance company you are bound to play by their rules, which means treatment is set by them and not the professional who is treating the client themselves. So for example, if weight reaches a certain place, insurance no longer will cover, if labs hit a certain value within normal limits, insurance will no longer cover, and on and on. Because eating disorders encompass more than just laboratory values and anthropometrics, many people who are in need of treatment get abruptly cut off from their insurance before they have reached an optimal place in their recovery. We never want this to happen to our clients.  

Instead, we have chosen to keep our practice private pay. We have priced our services within community standards and have also been able to offer many options for reduced cost such as sliding scales, payment plans, shorter sessions and less frequent visits. We can also accept all major credit cards and HSA (Health Savings Account) cards. Additionally, we have found some clients do receive reimbursement from their insurance companies when they submit a paid receipt provided by us and manage some of the paperwork with their insurance. 

Because we are not a one size fits all model, this answer can vary from person to person. Much depends on what is discussed in the initial assessment and evaluation in terms of the severity of the situation and the level of support the client requires at the start of treatment. There are also other variables that come into play such as cost for the client and scheduling conflicts. Ideally, we prefer to work once a week until we have established some foundational groundwork with the meal plan and built a comfortable rapport. Thereafter, we can meet every other week or monthly. We always make it clear with our clients that this is not a one or two session treatment. We will likely, at the very least, be working together somewhat regularly for the next 6-8 months. 
Instead, we have chosen to keep our practice private pay. We have priced our services within community standards and have also been able to offer many options for reduced cost such as sliding scales, payment plans, shorter sessions and less frequent visits. We can also accept all major credit cards and HSA (Health Savings Account) cards. Additionally, we have found some clients do receive reimbursement from their insurance companies when they submit a paid receipt provided by us and manage some of the paperwork with their insurance. 

We want you to feel comfortable working with us! If you have additional questions, you can email us and we'll get back to you shortly.
Instead, we have chosen to keep our practice private pay. We have priced our services within community standards and have also been able to offer many options for reduced cost such as sliding scales, payment plans, shorter sessions and less frequent visits. We can also accept all major credit cards and HSA (Health Savings Account) cards. Additionally, we have found some clients do receive reimbursement from their insurance companies when they submit a paid receipt provided by us and manage some of the paperwork with their insurance.