Pursuing Private Practice

Welcome to the Pursuing Private Practice podcast!

Join Jennifer McGurk, CEO of Pursuing Private Practice, and Kristen Fustos, board-certified pediatric dietitian, for a conversation about pediatric gut health, microbiome testing, and building a private practice around your clinical expertise.

Jennifer and Kristen dive deep into the science of the gut microbiome and the business of finding the offers and marketing strategies that work for your business. Kristen discusses how gut health begins developing early in life, and why nutrition during infancy and childhood can have an important impact on long-term health. She also shares how she brings this science into her work with families through individualized nutrition recommendations and a food-first approach to supporting gut health.

• Breaking Down Pediatric Gut Health (03:10) Kristen walks through just how much falls under pediatric gut health, from reflux and constipation to eczema, food reactions, feeding challenges, and the gut-brain connection.
• How Kristen Found Her Niche (06:38) Kristen shares how her work with WIC and at a children's hospital eventually led her to gut health—and why seeing frustrated families made her realize she wanted to offer something different.
• Why Gut Health Matters So Early in Life (11:14) Kristen explains what drew her to the gut microbiome and why supporting gut health during infancy and childhood can have an impact far beyond digestive symptoms.
• Giving Parents the Time and Support They're Looking For (13:07) Kristen talks about working with parents who know something isn't quite right but don't always feel heard, and how she helps them explore what could actually be going on.
• Trying Different Offers Until You Find What Works (14:41) Kristen shares what she learned from trying one-on-one sessions, a group program, and eventually a more personalized program model that better fits the families she works with.
• Why One Nutrition Session Usually Isn't Enough (19:13) Jennifer and Kristen discuss the value of ongoing nutrition counseling, follow-up, and collaboration, and why packaging services can help clients understand that meaningful change takes time.
• Finding the Marketing Strategies That Work for You (21:41) Kristen shares how her marketing has evolved from Instagram and online collaborations to local networking, workshops, provider referrals, and more in-person connections.
• Where Do You Start With Pediatric Gut Health? (24:10) Kristen breaks down what beginner, intermediate, and advanced pediatric gut health care can look like so that other dietitians can better understand where their own knowledge and scope fit.
• Getting More Personalized With Microbiome Testing (28:18) Kristen explains how she learned to interpret microbiome testing, what these tests can reveal, and how she uses the information to personalize nutrition recommendations while continuing to prioritize food first.
• Kristen's Advice for Dietitians Getting Into Pediatric Gut Health (37:01) Jennifer asks Kristen for her best tip for dietitians who want to explore pediatric gut health and microbiome testing.

Pediatric gut health is a specialized area, but Kristen's story is also a great example of what can happen when you build a private practice around your clinical expertise. From deepening her knowledge of the gut microbiome to experimenting with different offers and marketing strategies, she has created a business that gives families the time, support, and individualized care they are looking for.

This episode is a reminder that you don't need to have every part of your business figured out from the beginning—you can keep learning, refining, and finding the approach that works best for both you and your clients.

Sponsor:

✨ Business School is designed to guide you through every stage of building a private practice: getting set up, seeing your first clients, growing until you're fully booked, hiring a team, expanding your offers—and even learning how to coast when needed. Inside, you'll follow a step-by-step curriculum with the flexibility to choose the path that fits your current stage of business and life. You'll get access to advanced toolkits, templates, and systems for business topics like marketing and finances, but also for counseling skills and client support. Beyond the curriculum, you're supported by personalized 1:1 coaching, weekly office hours, and monthly themes that address the real challenges of private practice. The program keeps you moving forward with built-in accountability that builds resilience and confidence so you feel like a legit business owner.

Learn more and apply here: https://pursuingprivatepractice.com/businessschool/

Connect with Pursuing Private Practice:

🎉 Instagram: @pursuing.private.practice

📧 Email: Contact Us

Free Resources For Dietitians at Any Stage of Business:

🍎 The Ultimate Checklist to Start Your Private Practice

✨ Free Training: Get Clients Now 3-Day Challenge

👯 Free Workshop: Hire Your Next Team Member

💻 The Pursuing Private Practice Blog

🎙️The Pursuing Private Practice Podcast

About Krsiten:Kristen Fustos, MS, RDN, CSP, LD is a board-certified pediatric dietitian and founder of Happy Tummy Nutrition. She specializes in infant and early childhood gut health and nutrition, helping families navigate everything from starting solids to food sensitivities, eczema, reflux and complex feeding challenges. Kristen brings a collaborative, practical approach making pediatric nutrition and gut health feel simple and doable for everyone!

Connect with Kristen:

Website

Instagram: @happytummynutrition

Welcome to the Pursuing Private Practice podcast!

Join Jennifer McGurk, CEO of Pursuing Private Practice, and Marci Evans, Registered Dietitian and Food and Body Imager Healer®, for a conversation about developing confidence in your counseling skills, recognizing when overgiving can lead to burnout, and working through complex clinical topics like food addiction, GLP-1 medications, and weight-inclusive care.

Jennifer and Marci discuss why there are so many different "right ways" to do clinical work, what happens when new research challenges what you believe, and why social media rarely captures the complexity that exists inside the counseling room.

• Why There Isn't One Right Way to Do Clinical Work (04:27) Marci reflects on why good clinical work can take many different paths, and why learning to trust the nuance can feel both freeing and uncomfortable for dietitians who were trained to look for the "right" answer.
• When New Research Challenges What You Believe (06:35) Marci reflects on revisiting the research around food addiction and intentionally leaning into information that challenged her existing perspective. Marci and Jennifer discuss staying open to evolving your thinking as new research and different perspectives emerge.
• Building Confidence in the Counseling Room (11:21) Marci explains how supervision, role play, and hearing the language another clinician uses can help dietitians develop more confidence in their own counseling skills, especially in eating disorder work.
• When Overgiving Leads to Burnout (15:49) Jennifer and Marci explore why newer clinicians often compensate for uncertainty by giving clients more: more handouts, more access, and more time between sessions. They discuss why your presence, curiosity, and relationship with a client may be far more valuable than everything you feel pressured to add.
• Teaching Clinicians How to Think, Not What to Think (19:36) Marci shares how feedback from course participants and her continued client work have shaped the way she teaches. Through real case studies, she helps clinicians see not just what she might do, but how she thinks through complex clinical situations.
• Finding Your Own Internal Clarity as a Clinician (24:06) Jennifer and Marci discuss why the same behavior can mean something completely different from one client to another, and why clinical work can't always follow a formula. They discuss how clinicians can work to develop their skills to make thoughtful, individualized decisions in the moment.
• Navigating the Gray Areas of Clinical Practice (27:02) From food addiction to GLP-1 medications and weight-inclusive care, Jennifer and Marci discuss why some clinical topics are especially difficult to navigate.
• When GLP-1s Change the Counseling Relationship (32:00) Jennifer and Marci discuss what can happen when a client you've worked with for months or years begins using a GLP-1 medication and the goals of your work start to shift. Marci shares why clinicians may need to revisit expectations, clarify their own boundaries, and have direct conversations about whether they are still the right provider.
• Building a Career That Multiplies Your Impact (38:00) Marci reflects on the many ways her career has expanded beyond individual client care, including courses, workshops, supervision, and her upcoming book.
• Let Your Heart Lead Your Professional Life (44:16) Marci closes with a reminder to pay attention to the work that genuinely lights you up instead of getting caught in comparison or someone else's definition of success.

There is so much pressure as a dietitian to know the "right" thing to say, make the right clinical decision, and feel confident that you're supporting your clients in the "right" way. But some of the most meaningful work we do with clients doesn't come with a clear answer.

This conversation reinforces that being a thoughtful clinician is about developing the skills and confidence to think critically, stay curious, and make decisions that reflect both your ethics and the individual client in front of you.

Marci's career shows us that expanding your impact doesn't require having everything figured out or giving up the parts of the work you love. You can continue seeing clients while teaching, supervising, creating, writing, or building something entirely different. There are many right ways to build a meaningful career, and part of the work is giving yourself permission to discover yours.

Sponsor:

I would love to invite you to a free business coaching Q&A session! Join me on Wednesday, September 16th at 12pm Eastern. This event is FREE and open to all stages of business: SET UP, START, GROW, LEAD, and COAST. You're welcome no matter what stage of business you're in. I expect questions about vision, operations, systems, money, team, boundaries, counseling skills, and so many other dietitian business topics.

Learn more and sign up here: https://pursuingprivatepractice.com/free-business-coaching/

Sponsor:

✨ Business School is designed to guide you through every stage of building a private practice: getting set up, seeing your first clients, growing until you're fully booked, hiring a team, expanding your offers—and even learning how to coast when needed. Inside, you'll follow a step-by-step curriculum with the flexibility to choose the path that fits your current stage of business and life. You'll get access to advanced toolkits, templates, and systems for business topics like marketing and finances, but also for counseling skills and client support. Beyond the curriculum, you're supported by personalized 1:1 coaching, weekly office hours, and monthly themes that address the real challenges of private practice. The program keeps you moving forward with built-in accountability that builds resilience and confidence so you feel like a legit business owner.

Learn more and apply here: https://pursuingprivatepractice.com/businessschool/

Connect with Pursuing Private Practice:

🎉 Instagram: @pursuing.private.practice

📧 Email: Contact Us

Free Resources For Dietitians at Any Stage of Business:

🍎 The Ultimate Checklist to Start Your Private Practice

✨ Free Training: Get Clients Now 3-Day Challenge

👯 Free Workshop: Hire Your Next Team Member

💻 The Pursuing Private Practice Blog

🎙️The Pursuing Private Practice Podcast

About Marci:

Marci Evans, MS, RDN, CEDS-C, is a weight-inclusive eating disorder dietitian, educator, author, and speaker. She has dedicated her career to counseling, supervising, and teaching in the field of eating disorders through a relational, anti-oppressive approach to nutritional care. Marci is a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist and Supervisor (CEDS-C) and a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor.

Since 2015, she has provided online eating disorders and body image training and education for clinicians through her Food and Body Imager Healers® Training Institute. In 2016, she joined the Simmons University nutrition department, where she co-developed a specialized eating disorder internship and continues to teach graduate-level nutrition counseling courses. In 2018, she received the Professional Integrity Award from the Behavioral Health Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Her forthcoming book, co-authored with Lisa Pearl, Nourishing Recovery: A New Integrated Approach to Nutritional Care for Eating Disorders, will be published in November 2026. Marci has presented nationally on eating disorder treatment and education. To learn more about her trainings, book and access her free resources for clinicians, visit www.marcird.com. She also maintains a professional presence on social media under @marciRD.

Welcome to the Pursuing Private Practice podcast!

Join Jennifer McGurk, CEO of Pursuing Private Practice, and Dr. Katie Smith, Registered Dietitian and certified exercise physiologist, for a conversation about functional nutrition, a holistic approach to health, and building a private practice that supports the season of life you're in.

Jennifer and Katie discuss what it really means to look for the root cause of a client's symptoms, why more testing isn't always better, and how gut health, stress, sleep, and nutrition connect to hormone health. They also discuss career transitions and how Katie's decision to leave her "dream job" to create a private practice gave her space for both meaningful work and the life she wants outside of it.

• What Functional Nutrition Really Means (03:12) Katie explains functional nutrition as individualized care that looks at the whole health picture. Jennifer and Katie discuss how food, sleep, stress, movement, and other lifestyle factors all work together.
• Getting to the Root Cause Without More Overwhelm (06:24) Katie discusses what it really means to get to the root cause of a health concern, and why replacing a long list of medications with an overwhelming list of supplements isn't necessarily the answer.
• From Academia to Private Practice (10:22) Katie shares how motherhood and a changing season of life led her to reconsider a career in academia that she once thought she'd have forever.
• The Story Behind 4Gen Wellness (17:19) Katie explains how her background in women's health, her four daughters, and the idea of generational wellness inspired her private practice. Jennifer adds another layer to the conversation: the impact our relationship with food can have on the next generation.
• Hormones Are the Messenger (22:20) Katie explains why hormones aren't always the problem, but can instead be the messenger of what's happening elsewhere in the body. Jennifer and Katie discuss the foundational role of gut health, sleep, stress, nutrition, and nervous system regulation.
• When Functional Labs Are Actually Useful (28:33) Katie shares why she doesn't automatically start with functional testing and how she considers cost, symptoms, and foundational nutrition first.
• Building a Practice Around How You Work Best (33:58) Katie shares how her background as a teacher shapes everything from her initial appointments to the education she provides clients. Jennifer and Katie also explore future offers that could expand her impact without creating burnout.
• Getting Started in Functional Nutrition (36:56) Katie offers advice for dietitians interested in functional nutrition, including why learning will always be part of the process.
• Private Practice Doesn't Have to Look One Way (41:30) Katie reflects on building a full practice through word of mouth while keeping social media lower on her priority list. Jennifer reinforces the freedom to choose a business model that works for you.

Your clients may come to you wanting their hormones "fixed" or looking for the one test that will finally give them an answer, but this conversation is a reminder of how much deeper nutrition care can go.

You have the opportunity to help clients understand the bigger picture, prioritize what matters, and make changes that are actually realistic for their lives.

This bigger-picture thinking matters in your business, too. You don't need to do everything, follow someone else's business model, or have your entire career figured out. You can keep learning, lean into the work you do best, and build a business that supports both the clients you want to serve and the life you want to live.

Your private practice doesn't have to look like anyone else's to be meaningful, impactful, or successful.

Sponsor:

✨ Business School is designed to guide you through every stage of building a private practice: getting set up, seeing your first clients, growing until you're fully booked, hiring a team, expanding your offers—and even learning how to coast when needed. Inside, you'll follow a step-by-step curriculum with the flexibility to choose the path that fits your current stage of business and life. You'll get access to advanced toolkits, templates, and systems for business topics like marketing and finances, but also for counseling skills and client support. Beyond the curriculum, you're supported by personalized 1:1 coaching, weekly office hours, and monthly themes that address the real challenges of private practice. The program keeps you moving forward with built-in accountability that builds resilience and confidence so you feel like a legit business owner.

Learn more and apply here: https://pursuingprivatepractice.com/businessschool/

Connect with Pursuing Private Practice:

🎉 Instagram: @pursuing.private.practice

📧 Email: Contact Us

Free Resources For Dietitians at Any Stage of Business:

🍎 The Ultimate Checklist to Start Your Private Practice

✨ Free Training: Get Clients Now 3-Day Challenge

👯 Free Workshop: Hire Your Next Team Member

💻 The Pursuing Private Practice Blog

🎙️The Pursuing Private Practice Podcast

About Katie:

Dr. Smith is a Registered & Licensed Dietitian and Certified Exercise Physiologist with nearly 20 years as a health & fitness practitioner and researcher. She received her Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Nutritional Sciences and her B.A. in Athletic Training. She is a published author in several scientific journals and has presented throughout the United States and internationally. Her research background encompasses several facets of women's health, particularly prenatal lifestyle interventions to prevent maternal and fetal chronic disease. This work sparked her interest in generational health across the lifespan. She's also a wife and mom to 4 young girls, further inspiring her professional pursuits to optimize hormonal health & function for all ages. Outside of work, she loves to be active, be in the kitchen with her family, travel, and all things Disney!

Connect with Katie:

Website

Instagram: @fourgenwellness

Welcome to the Pursuing Private Practice podcast!

Join Jennifer McGurk, CEO of Pursuing Private Practice, and Lindsay Stenovec, Registered Dietitian and Clinical Supervisor, for a conversation about the clinical complexities of endometriosis, how dietitians can best support their clients, and what it looks like to navigate burnout, career pivots, and build a sustainable private practice.

In this episode, Lindsay shares what she has learned through her own diagnosis and treatment, and how dietitians can bring more informed, compassionate care to clients with endometriosis. Jennifer and Lindsay also have a real conversation about burnout, honoring your capacity, transferring your existing skills into a new niche, and building a business differently the next time around.

• When a Diagnosis Changes Your Career (03:55) Lindsay shares how her endometriosis diagnosis led her to close her private practice, step away from dietetics, and give herself time before deciding what came next.
• Understanding Endometriosis as a Full-Body Chronic Disease (06:20) Lindsay explains what endometriosis is, the wide range of symptoms it can cause, and why a diagnosis often takes years.
• Why Community Care Matters in Endometriosis (13:11) Lindsay reflects on how sharing experiences can help people recognize symptoms, advocate for themselves, and find better care.
• Nutrition Considerations for Endometriosis (20:19) Lindsay discusses nutrition considerations for endometriosis, commonly co-occurring conditions, and why recommendations need to be individualized.
• When Food Fear and Symptom Management Overlap (24:40) Jennifer and Lindsay unpack low FODMAP diets, gluten fears, and the nuance of supporting clients whose food restrictions may be rooted in very real symptoms.
• Endometriosis, Eating Disorders, and Grief Around Food (27:31) Jennifer and Lindsay explore how chronic illness can alter someone's relationship with food and why eating disorder counseling skills can be especially valuable when supporting clients with endometriosis.
• Supporting Clients Before and After Endometriosis Surgery (31:57) Lindsay explains excision surgery and how dietitians can support nourishment, GI symptoms, and healing before and after surgery.
• Taking Burnout Seriously Enough to Let Your Career Change (40:16) Lindsay describes the burnout that followed after closing her longtime practice and why she gave herself permission not to rush her return to work.
• Building a Practice Around Client Care and Your Capacity (43:25) Lindsay shares how she is designing her next chapter around what best serves her clients while also creating a sustainable way to work with chronic illness.

Lindsay reminds us how powerful it can be to listen closely, believe what clients are telling you about their bodies, recognize patterns that deserve further exploration, and know when to connect someone with additional support.

Sometimes excellent care isn't about having every answer. It's about being curious, staying within your scope, and helping clients feel less alone while they navigate something incredibly complex.

Lindsay's story is also a reminder that your business and career can and should evolve alongside your life, and that the experience and skills you've built don't disappear simply because you choose a different direction.

Sponsor:

✨ Business School is designed to guide you through every stage of building a private practice: getting set up, seeing your first clients, growing until you're fully booked, hiring a team, expanding your offers—and even learning how to coast when needed. Inside, you'll follow a step-by-step curriculum with the flexibility to choose the path that fits your current stage of business and life. You'll get access to advanced toolkits, templates, and systems for business topics like marketing and finances, but also for counseling skills and client support. Beyond the curriculum, you're supported by personalized 1:1 coaching, weekly office hours, and monthly themes that address the real challenges of private practice. The program keeps you moving forward with built-in accountability that builds resilience and confidence so you feel like a legit business owner.

Learn more and apply here: https://pursuingprivatepractice.com/businessschool/

Connect with Pursuing Private Practice:

🎉 Instagram: @pursuing.private.practice

📧 Email: Contact Us

Free Resources For Dietitians at Any Stage of Business:

🍎 The Ultimate Checklist to Start Your Private Practice

✨ Free Training: Get Clients Now 3-Day Challenge

👯 Free Workshop: Hire Your Next Team Member

💻 The Pursuing Private Practice Blog

🎙️The Pursuing Private Practice Podcast

About Lindsay:Lindsay Stenovec has spent nearly two decades in rooms where people finally say the thing they've never said out loud. As a Registered Dietitian specializing in eating disorders, women's health, and now endometriosis, she's learned that feeling seen and heard isn't a soft add-on to good care — it's where healing actually begins. She's built a group practice, led teams, supervised clinicians, and navigated her own complicated health journey along the way. These days, she works at the intersection of endometriosis, gut health, and whole-person nutrition — for patients who are tired of being dismissed, and for the clinicians who want to do better by them.

Connect with Lindsay:WebsiteInstagram: @lindsaystenovec_rd

Resources from Lindsay: Substack

Welcome to the Pursuing Private Practice podcast! Join Jennifer McGurk, CEO of Pursuing Private Practice, and Serena Stewart, Registered Dietitian, running coach, and running nutrition expert, for a conversation about what dietitians need to know about running nutrition, sports nutrition, and building a private practice that evolves alongside your life. Jennifer and Serena explore why so many runners unknowingly underfuel, how proper nutrition impacts everything from performance to GI symptoms and recovery, and why working with a sports dietitian is about so much more than carb loading. They also discuss creating offers beyond one-to-one counseling, finding mentorship within your specialty, and designing a business that supports both your clients and your personal life.

• Why Running Nutrition Is More Than Just Eating More (04:41) Serena explains why fueling runners requires far more nuance than simply increasing calories. She walks through the many pieces that come together in an individualized running nutrition plan, from glycogen replenishment to GI tolerance and recovery.
• How Serena Accidentally Found Her Niche (07:32) Serena shares how her clinical background unexpectedly led her into running nutrition, and how what started as a hobby became a thriving private practice.
• Helping Clients Connect the Dots Between Nutrition and Performance (13:24) Jennifer and Serena discuss why dietitians need to translate nutrition science into meaningful, real-life outcomes so clients understand how proper fueling supports both their running goals and everyday life.
• Building a Practice Beyond One-to-One Sessions (15:56) Serena shares how her services evolved from individual counseling into memberships, masterclasses, and her Eat Like an Athlete Bootcamp, creating more flexibility for both her clients and herself.
• Why Group Programs Can Create Incredible Client Results (21:14) Jennifer and Serena reflect on the unexpected benefits of group coaching, including peer support, shared learning, and creating a client experience that goes beyond traditional individual sessions.
• Growing Into Sports Nutrition With Confidence (24:52) Serena shares why supervision, continuing education, and asking for help have been essential to her growth as a sports dietitian.
• The Overlap Between Sports Nutrition and Eating Disorder Care (26:57) Jennifer and Serena explore the important relationship between running nutrition and eating disorders, along with the ethical considerations, boundaries, and referrals that help dietitians practice within their scope.
• Marketing That Speaks to Real Client Pain Points (31:14) Serena explains how identifying the specific symptoms clients experience has transformed her marketing and helped attract the right people to her practice.
• Building a Business That Fits Your Season of Life (34:06) Jennifer and Serena close with an honest conversation about motherhood, entrepreneurship, and giving yourself permission to build a business that supports your family, your values, and your long-term goals.

Whether you're a sports dietitian or simply want to feel more confident supporting active clients, this conversation will help you better understand the important role nutrition plays in performance, recovery, GI health, and overall well-being. Beyond the clinical conversation, this episode is also a reminder that there isn't just one way to build a successful private practice. As your expertise grows and your life changes, your business can evolve with you. The most sustainable practices are often built by staying curious, continuing to learn, and creating offers that allow you to care deeply for your clients while honoring your own priorities, too. This episode is a reminder that some of the best opportunities come from being willing to ask questions, seek mentorship, and trust that your business is allowed to grow right alongside you.

Sponsor:

✨ Business School is designed to guide you through every stage of building a private practice: getting set up, seeing your first clients, growing until you're fully booked, hiring a team, expanding your offers—and even learning how to coast when needed. Inside, you'll follow a step-by-step curriculum with the flexibility to choose the path that fits your current stage of business and life. You'll get access to advanced toolkits, templates, and systems for business topics like marketing and finances, but also for counseling skills and client support. Beyond the curriculum, you're supported by personalized 1:1 coaching, weekly office hours, and monthly themes that address the real challenges of private practice. The program keeps you moving forward with built-in accountability that builds resilience and confidence so you feel like a legit business owner.

Learn more and apply here: https://pursuingprivatepractice.com/businessschool/

Connect with Pursuing Private Practice:

🎉 Instagram: @pursuing.private.practice

📧 Email: Contact Us

Free Resources For Dietitians at Any Stage of Business:

🍎 The Ultimate Checklist to Start Your Private Practice

✨ Free Training: Get Clients Now 3-Day Challenge

👯 Free Workshop: Hire Your Next Team Member

💻 The Pursuing Private Practice Blog

🎙️The Pursuing Private Practice Podcast

About Serena:Serena Stewart is a Registered Dietitian and running coach specializing in helping female runners shift their focus from shrinking to fueling for BIG dreams! Serena uses a unique blend of somatic counseling techniques and running nutrition to help female runners embrace eating like an athlete while learning to finally feel more comfortable in their skin. She is a runner herself and has run 4 BQs, 33 half marathons, and 7 marathons. When not running, she enjoys cooking, hiking, or playing in the park with her son.

Connect with Serena: Instagram: @runnergirldietitian

Resources from Serena: Free Race Week Checklist Offseason Reset

Welcome to the Pursuing Private Practice podcast! Join Jennifer McGurk, CEO of Pursuing Private Practice, and Chelsea Levy, Registered Dietitian and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, for a thoughtful conversation about caring for clients with diabetes, PCOS, and endocrine disorders through a weight-inclusive approach. Jennifer and Chelsea unpack what weight-inclusive medical nutrition therapy really looks like in practice. They discuss supporting clients with diabetes and PCOS, navigating conversations about weight loss with compassion instead of judgment, and building a private practice that allows you to practice in a way that truly aligns with your values.

• Why Weight-Inclusive Care Is More Nuanced Than People Think (04:41) Chelsea introduces her approach to weight-inclusive nutrition counseling, explaining how she combines evidence-based medical nutrition therapy with trauma-informed, fat-positive care for clients.
• Looking Beyond Weight in Nutrition Counseling (06:21) Jennifer and Chelsea discuss weight stigma, social determinants of health, client autonomy, and the many ways dietitians can build practices around this work.
• Chelsea's Journey Into Weight-Inclusive Practice (09:58) Chelsea shares how her own experience with chronic dieting and working with an intuitive eating dietitian ultimately shaped both her career and the way she cares for clients today.
• The Role of Lived Experience in Client Care (13:01) Jennifer and Chelsea discuss representation within dietetics, the importance of lived experience, and why clients deserve the autonomy to choose providers who feel like the right fit for their care.
• When Clients Say, "I Want to Lose Weight" (17:41) One of the biggest questions weight-inclusive dietitians face is how to respond when clients want weight loss. Chelsea explains why curiosity, consent, and exploring the deeper goal often lead to more meaningful conversations than simply shutting the topic down.
• Building a Practice That Supports the Whole Person (24:03) Chelsea shares how she has grown a private practice that includes individual counseling, supervision, meal support groups, body image work, and collaborative medical care, centered around meeting clients where they are.
• The Healing Power of Eating in Community (28:30) Chelsea describes the monthly community dinners she co-hosts in New York City and why creating weight-inclusive spaces around food can be deeply healing for clients working on their relationship with eating.
• Expanding Your Scope as a Weight-Inclusive Dietitian (33:00) From clinical supervision to diabetes education and business mentorship, Chelsea explains how dietitians can continue growing their skills while staying grounded in ethical, individualized care.
• What Weight-Inclusive Medical Nutrition Therapy Really Looks Like (37:37) Chelsea breaks down how weight-inclusive diabetes and endocrine care focuses on behaviors, labs, medications, and long-term health. Jennifer and Chelsea also discuss why curiosity and continued learning are essential throughout a dietitian's career.
• Taking Up Space in Your Specialty (44:08) Chelsea closes the conversation with encouragement for dietitians to confidently share their expertise, embrace their niche, and let people know how they can help.

Weight-inclusive care is often misunderstood. From the outside, it can seem like it's simply about rejecting diet culture or avoiding conversations about weight. But as Chelsea shares, the work is so much more nuanced than that. Dietitians balance evidence-based recommendations, client autonomy, lived experiences, and the realities of practicing within a healthcare system that often focuses on weight loss. This episode is an honest conversation about counseling, clinical care, and creating space for more curiosity and autonomy. Chelsea's story is such a great example of what can happen when you continue learning, stay connected to your clients' needs, and allow your practice to evolve over time.

Sponsor:

✨ Business School is designed to guide you through every stage of building a private practice: getting set up, seeing your first clients, growing until you're fully booked, hiring a team, expanding your offers—and even learning how to coast when needed. Inside, you'll follow a step-by-step curriculum with the flexibility to choose the path that fits your current stage of business and life. You'll get access to advanced toolkits, templates, and systems for business topics like marketing and finances, but also for counseling skills and client support. Beyond the curriculum, you're supported by personalized 1:1 coaching, weekly office hours, and monthly themes that address the real challenges of private practice. The program keeps you moving forward with built-in accountability that builds resilience and confidence so you feel like a legit business owner.

Learn more and apply here: https://pursuingprivatepractice.com/businessschool/

Connect with Pursuing Private Practice:

🎉 Instagram: @pursuing.private.practice

📧 Email: Contact Us

Free Resources For Dietitians at Any Stage of Business:

🍎 The Ultimate Checklist to Start Your Private Practice

✨ Free Training: Get Clients Now 3-Day Challenge

👯 Free Workshop: Hire Your Next Team Member

💻 The Pursuing Private Practice Blog

🎙️The Pursuing Private Practice Podcast

About Chelsea:Chelsea Levy, MS, RD, CDN, Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and the founder of Chelsea Levy Nutrition, a virtual private practice based in New York City. She specializes in eating disorders, disordered eating, and size-inclusive approaches to managing endocrine-related conditions such as diabetes and PCOS. A self-identified fat woman, Chelsea is committed to a weight-inclusive medical model. Her work is rooted in evidence-based nutrition therapy, intuitive eating principles, and trauma-informed care.

Connect with Chelsea: Website: Chelsea Levy Nutrition Instagram: @chelsealevynutrition

Welcome to the Pursuing Private Practice podcast! Join Jennifer McGurk, CEO of Pursuing Private Practice, and Jessica Ward, registered dietitian and eating disorder specialist, for a conversation about faith-based nutrition counseling and what it can look like to bring a client's faith, spirituality, and values into the counseling process. Jennifer and Jessica discuss the nuances of faith-based nutrition counseling, especially when food, shame, morality, prayer, religious practices, and diet culture all intersect. Jessica shares how this work became part of her practice, and how she learned to incorporate faith in a way that feels supportive, ethical, and deeply human.

• Making Faith Part of the Assessment (03:56) Jessica explains how faith and spirituality can connect to a client's values, food choices, recovery, and overall counseling experience. Jennifer and Jessica further discuss why asking about faith or spirituality during an assessment can help clients feel more fully seen and understood in nutrition counseling.
• Jessica's Path Into Faith-Based Counseling (06:21) Jessica shares how working in a faith-based organization helped her learn how to incorporate faith into eating disorder counseling, even without a formal roadmap.
• Seeing the Body Through a Faith-Based Lens (09:23) Jessica reflects on the human body as a miraculous creation and how this perspective can bring awe, compassion, and purpose into nutrition counseling.
• When Faith, Shame, and Food Intersect (11:47) Jennifer and Jessica explore the pain points that clients may bring into sessions, including questions about why they are struggling, how prayer fits into healing, and how shame can become connected to food or health.
• Bringing Grace Into Conversations About Food (14:16) Jessica explains how faith-based counseling can help clients move away from shame around eating and toward a more compassionate, neutral relationship with food.
• Navigating Fasting, Religious Practices, and Scope of Practice (17:45) Jennifer and Jessica discuss the nuances of supporting clients through religious practices, including when to involve spiritual leaders and other members of the client's care team.
• Helping Dietitians Start This Work (25:27) Jessica shares guidance for dietitians who want to incorporate faith into their counseling, starting with curiosity, assessment questions, prayer when appropriate, supervision, and staying within scope.

Clients bring their whole selves into the room, including their values, beliefs, communities, fears, questions, and lived experiences. When faith is an important part of a client's life, leaving it out of the conversation can sometimes mean missing a key part of who they are and what supports their healing. This episode is an invitation to think about what it means to take up space in your work, and gives you permission to start learning, asking questions, and finding support if this is an area of work you feel called to explore.

Sponsor:

✨ Business School is designed to guide you through every stage of building a private practice: getting set up, seeing your first clients, growing until you're fully booked, hiring a team, expanding your offers—and even learning how to coast when needed. Inside, you'll follow a step-by-step curriculum with the flexibility to choose the path that fits your current stage of business and life. You'll get access to advanced toolkits, templates, and systems for business topics like marketing and finances, but also for counseling skills and client support. Beyond the curriculum, you're supported by personalized 1:1 coaching, weekly office hours, and monthly themes that address the real challenges of private practice. The program keeps you moving forward with built-in accountability that builds resilience and confidence so you feel like a legit business owner.

Learn more and apply here: https://pursuingprivatepractice.com/businessschool/

Connect with Pursuing Private Practice:

🎉 Instagram: @pursuing.private.practice

📧 Email: Contact Us

Free Resources For Dietitians at Any Stage of Business:

🍎 The Ultimate Checklist to Start Your Private Practice

✨ Free Training: Get Clients Now 3-Day Challenge

👯 Free Workshop: Hire Your Next Team Member

💻 The Pursuing Private Practice Blog

🎙️The Pursuing Private Practice Podcast

About Jessica:Jessica Ward is the founder of Abundant Grace Nutrition. She received her Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from Gannon University and Master of Science in Wellness Management from Ball State University. She's been a Registered Dietitian for more than 25 years, with more than 17 years working in eating disorders. She's had numerous years in leadership in a variety of roles. Jessica enjoys providing one-on-one counseling, group facilitation, teaching, presenting, and mentoring other dietitians. Her passion is helping others achieve their goals and thrive. In 2024, she opened her own nutrition private practice. She's excited expand opportunities to connect with other dietitians through supervision, coaching, and creating new connection groups. Her faith is a cornerstone of her work, and she loves to help clients include their faith in their recovery process or their career. Jessica is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the Indiana Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Nutrition Entrepreneurs and Behavioral Health Nutrition Dietetics Practice Groups, the International Federation of Eating Disorder Dietitians, the Eating Disorder Task Force of Indiana, and the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals. Jessica is also a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist Consultant. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, yoga and being outside, even in winter. She enjoys spending time with her family and being in the forest.

Supervision Resources From Jessica:Jessica's next project is launching The Thoughtful Practice Circle, a small professional growth and consultation group for eating disorder dietitians who want a steady, reflective space for connection, accountability, and thoughtful conversation about the realities of this work. Designed especially for clinicians navigating increased complexity, responsibility, or professional growth, the Circle will begin soon with limited spots available. If you're interested in learning more, connect through her website.

Welcome to the Pursuing Private Practice podcast! Join Jennifer McGurk, CEO of Pursuing Private Practice, and Amanda Mittman, founder of Happy Valley Nutrition, for a conversation about perimenopause, hormone health, body image, and the role dietitians can play in helping clients navigate midlife with more support, context, and compassion. In this episode, Amanda shares how her own experience with perimenopause shaped her business, her niche, and the way she shows up for clients who are trying to make sense of symptoms, body changes, and all the noise in the wellness world. Jennifer also shares her own personal experience navigating perimenopause, including what it felt like to search for answers in a healthcare system that did not fully listen to her story.

• Amanda's Path Into Hormone Health (05:07) Amanda explains how her own experience with perimenopause, including sleep struggles, joint pain, and anxiety, shaped her niche and helped her connect more deeply with midlife clients navigating similar changes.
• Being Dismissed in the Healthcare System (10:54) Jennifer opens up about her own health journey after having her third baby, including being told her symptoms were likely mental health-related rather than hormonal.
• Why Private Practice Care Matters (14:50) Jennifer reflects on how her experience in the traditional healthcare system deepened her appreciation for dietitians, private practice providers, and the time needed to truly understand someone's story.
• Cutting Through the Noise in Midlife Wellness (18:23) Amanda recognizes how diet culture shows up in perimenopause messaging and explains why simple, foundational support often matters more than trendy interventions.
• The Supplement Pressure in Perimenopause (21:26) Jennifer and Amanda discuss how vulnerable women are targeted with expensive supplements and products, and why individualized care matters more than generic recommendations.
• The Dietitian's Role Beyond HRT (26:08) Jennifer and Amanda cover how dietitians can support clients with food, body image, labs, referrals, sleep, stress, and day-to-day decision-making, even when they cannot prescribe hormones.
• Identity, Capacity, and Career Pivots in Midlife (30:39) Jennifer and Amanda explore how midlife can bring new confidence, fewer worries about outside opinions, and a clearer sense of what needs to change in life and business.
• Getting Started in Perimenopause Work (40:49) Amanda encourages dietitians interested in this space to seek supervision, learn from diverse perspectives, and trust that they do not need to know everything before beginning this work.

Perimenopause and midlife can bring up so much vulnerability for clients, especially when their bodies feel unfamiliar or their old routines no longer work the same way. It's important to recognize that hormone health is not just about hormones. It's about sleep, stress, food, body image, energy, identity, capacity, medical care, and the lived experience of being in a body that is changing. Dietitians are uniquely positioned to help clients in this season of life, when people are often being sold more supplements, stricter rules, and one-size-fits-all solutions.

This conversation is a reminder that dietitians do not need to have every answer in order to be helpful. Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is listen well, validate someone's experience, provide evidence-based support, and help them figure out the next right step.

Sponsor:

✨ Business School is designed to guide you through every stage of building a private practice: getting set up, seeing your first clients, growing until you're fully booked, hiring a team, expanding your offers—and even learning how to coast when needed. Inside, you'll follow a step-by-step curriculum with the flexibility to choose the path that fits your current stage of business and life. You'll get access to advanced toolkits, templates, and systems for business topics like marketing and finances, but also for counseling skills and client support. Beyond the curriculum, you're supported by personalized 1:1 coaching, weekly office hours, and monthly themes that address the real challenges of private practice. The program keeps you moving forward with built-in accountability that builds resilience and confidence so you feel like a legit business owner.

Learn more and apply here: https://pursuingprivatepractice.com/businessschool/

Connect with Pursuing Private Practice:

🎉 Instagram: @pursuing.private.practice

📧 Email: Contact Us

Free Resources For Dietitians at Any Stage of Business:

🍎 The Ultimate Checklist to Start Your Private Practice

✨ Free Training: Get Clients Now 3-Day Challenge

👯 Free Workshop: Hire Your Next Team Member

💻 The Pursuing Private Practice Blog

🎙️The Pursuing Private Practice Podcast

About Amanda: Amanda Mittman, MS, RDN, LDN (she/her), is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, body image coach, and adjunct professor at the University of Massachusetts and CT State. She is the founder of Happy Valley Nutrition, a group practice of Registered Dietitians specializing in eating disorders, disordered eating, and other health issues from a weight-inclusive lens. Her current clinical work focuses on supporting individuals in midlife with an emphasis on body image, relationship with food, and sustainable, health-promoting behaviors. And giving the middle finger to diet culture, of course! Find Amanda on Instagram at @happyvalleynutrition.

Welcome to the Pursuing Private Practice podcast!

Join Jennifer McGurk, CEO of Pursuing Private Practice, and Megan Hadley, nutritionist and owner of Simple Nutrition, for a conversation about midlife nutrition, body changes, identity shifts, and what dietitians need to understand when supporting clients in this season of life.

This conversation is both personal and professional, as both Jennifer and Megan reflect on their own experiences in mid-life. Megan shares her expertise from working with clients navigating food, body image, hormones, health concerns, and the overwhelming influence of diet culture.

• Defining Midlife Beyond Age (03:37) Megan explains what midlife means from her perspective, including body changes, shifting labs, movement changes, menstrual cycle changes, and vision changes.
• Why Midlife Nutrition Became Personal (07:33) Megan shares how her passion for working with midlife clients evolved as she experienced this season herself. Jennifer connects this to the vulnerability of clients in midlife and the constant pressure they receive from diet culture and influencer messaging.
• The Problem With "Feel Like Yourself Again" Messaging (09:17) Jennifer and Megan unpack why the pressure to return to a younger body is so harmful. Jennifer reflects on the importance of embracing each new version of ourselves.
• Supporting Clients Who Want Sustainable Health (14:15) Jennifer goes through the many challenges midlife clients may be navigating, including body changes, hormones, caregiving, and life circumstances.
• Reconnecting With Values, Health, and Boundaries (17:30) Jennifer reflects on how working with a dietitian can help clients reconnect their nutrition to their values, lifestyle, and health goals. Megan shares how this work can help clients as they learn to trust themselves more deeply.
• Inside Megan's Group Practice and Client Offers (23:13) Megan shares more about her group practice and how she supports her ideal clients.
• The Power of Group Work and Community (26:24) Megan reflects on why group support can be so meaningful for clients. Jennifer highlights how powerful it is for business owners to create offers that serve both their clients and themselves.
• What Dietitians Need to Know About Midlife Clients (28:10) Megan offers dietitians guidance on understanding scope of practice when working with midlife clients. Megan encourages professionals to start by having conversations and paying attention to client language.
• Body Image, Intuitive Eating, and Changing Needs (34:13) Jennifer and Megan discuss the importance of body image work, supervision, and continuing education for dietitians supporting midlife clients.

Midlife nutrition is not about trying to get back to a younger version of yourself or becoming vulnerable to every message that promises to "fix" this season of transition. It is about helping clients understand what their bodies need now, reconnect with themselves, and make choices that support their health, energy, values, and quality of life. It is also about learning a new identity, protecting boundaries, and stepping into the version of yourself you want to become in this next chapter. Throughout this episode, Jennifer and Megan remind dietitians that supporting clients in midlife requires curiosity, strong nutrition assessment skills, body image support, and a commitment to understanding the full context of a client's life.

Sponsor:

✨ Business School is designed to guide you through every stage of building a private practice: getting set up, seeing your first clients, growing until you're fully booked, hiring a team, expanding your offers—and even learning how to coast when needed. Inside, you'll follow a step-by-step curriculum with the flexibility to choose the path that fits your current stage of business and life. You'll get access to advanced toolkits, templates, and systems for business topics like marketing and finances, but also for counseling skills and client support. Beyond the curriculum, you're supported by personalized 1:1 coaching, weekly office hours, and monthly themes that address the real challenges of private practice. The program keeps you moving forward with built-in accountability that builds resilience and confidence so you feel like a legit business owner.

Learn more and apply here: https://pursuingprivatepractice.com/businessschool/

Connect with Pursuing Private Practice:

🎉 Instagram: @pursuing.private.practice

📧 Email: Contact Us

Free Resources For Dietitians at Any Stage of Business:

🍎 The Ultimate Checklist to Start Your Private Practice

✨ Free Training: Get Clients Now 3-Day Challenge

👯 Free Workshop: Hire Your Next Team Member

💻 The Pursuing Private Practice Blog

🎙️The Pursuing Private Practice Podcast

About Megan:

Megan Hadley, MS, RDN, LDN is a nutritionist and owner of Simple Nutrition, a nutrition counseling practice in Greensboro, NC that specializes in supporting people with eating disorders and disordered eating. She believes that all bodies are good and that from cake to kale, all foods are important. She is on mission to help people stress and obsess less about food and their bodies because when this happens, people not only improve their nutritional health but they begin to thrive in all areas of their life.

When she's not working, Megan enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters. She loves reading, traveling, long naps, good wine, and french fries.

Find Megan on Instagram at @meg.hadley and @simplenutritiongso.

Welcome to the Pursuing Private Practice podcast!

Join Jennifer McGurk, CEO of Pursuing Private Practice, and Rachelle Mallik, reproductive dietitian and founder of The Food Therapist, for a conversation about building a private practice within the reproductive health space, supporting clients through vulnerable seasons of life, and using clinical expertise to create new opportunities in business.

In this episode, Rachelle shares the story behind her 20‑year journey from an IVF patient coordinator at Weill Cornell to a reproductive dietitian who now supports clients through every stage of their reproductive lifespan. Jennifer and Rachelle discuss how dietitians can provide thoughtful, ethical support while knowing when to bring in other providers, and how dietitians can grow their specialty beyond one-on-one care.

• Defining Reproductive Health as a Private Practice Niche (04:19) Rachelle explains why she calls herself a reproductive dietitian and how this specialty can include much more than helping clients who are actively trying to conceive.
• Rachelle's Path Into Fertility Nutrition (06:44) Rachelle shares how working as an IVF patient coordinator at Weill Cornell helped her understand the emotional weight of infertility and planted the seed for the work she does today.
• The Gap in Pregnancy Nutrition Care (09:12) Rachelle and Jennifer reflect on how little nutrition support many people receive during pregnancy and why dietitians are so needed before, during, and after pregnancy.
• Supporting Clients Through Infertility (11:32) Rachelle talks about the overwhelm, misinformation, guilt, and desire for control that many clients experience when navigating infertility, and how dietitians can support them with compassion and scope-aware care.
• Pregnancy Nutrition, Food Aversions, and Guilt (14:39) Rachelle shares common pregnancy nutrition challenges, including nausea, fatigue, food aversions, constipation, reflux, and the pressure clients feel to "eat healthy" even when eating feels hard. Jennifer reflects on her own pregnancy experience as a dietitian.
• Postpartum Nutrition and Whole-Person Support (17:08) Rachelle and Jennifer discuss the realities of postpartum life, including recovery, sleep deprivation, feeding a baby, body image concerns, and the lack of consistent support after birth.
• The Power of Multidisciplinary Care (20:15) Rachelle and Jennifer talk about why dietitians are often uniquely positioned to recognize when clients need additional support from pelvic floor physical therapists, mental health professionals, physicians, and other providers.
• How Rachelle Structures Her Private Practice (21:06) Rachelle explains why her practice is primarily one-on-one, how she shifted away from packages, and why pay-as-you-go sessions created more flexibility for her clients and her business.
• Creating Professional Resources From Clinical Experience (27:11) Rachelle talks about expanding her business beyond client care through courses, speaking opportunities, continuing education, and resources for other healthcare professionals.
• Scope of Practice in Reproductive Health Nutrition (31:52) Rachelle breaks down how beginner, mid-level, and advanced dietitians can approach reproductive health work while continuing to learn, refer out, and seek support when needed.
• Getting Started in Fertility Nutrition (36:38) Rachelle offers advice for dietitians who want to enter the fertility space, including starting with preconception clients before moving into more complex infertility care.

This conversation is a reminder that reproductive health is not a narrow niche. Rachelle shows how fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, PCOS, endometriosis, lactation, and perimenopause can all live under one specialty when you understand the deeper needs of your clients. Strong private practice work is not just about knowing the science. It is also about understanding the client's lived experience, knowing when to collaborate with other providers, and continuing to grow your expertise over time.

Rachelle's story is also a powerful reminder that you can expand beyond client care and into areas like supervision and professional development within your area of expertise.

Sponsor:

✨ Business School is designed to guide you through every stage of building a private practice: getting set up, seeing your first clients, growing until you're fully booked, hiring a team, expanding your offers—and even learning how to coast when needed. Inside, you'll follow a step-by-step curriculum with the flexibility to choose the path that fits your current stage of business and life. You'll get access to advanced toolkits, templates, and systems for business topics like marketing and finances, but also for counseling skills and client support. Beyond the curriculum, you're supported by personalized 1:1 coaching, weekly office hours, and monthly themes that address the real challenges of private practice. The program keeps you moving forward with built-in accountability that builds resilience and confidence so you feel like a legit business owner.

Learn more and apply here: https://pursuingprivatepractice.com/businessschool/

Connect with Pursuing Private Practice:

🎉 Instagram: @pursuing.private.practice

📧 Email: Contact Us

Free Resources For Dietitians at Any Stage of Business:

🍎 The Ultimate Checklist to Start Your Private Practice

✨ Free Training: Get Clients Now 3-Day Challenge

👯 Free Workshop: Hire Your Next Team Member

💻 The Pursuing Private Practice Blog

🎙️The Pursuing Private Practice Podcast

About Rachelle:

Rachelle LaCroix Mallik, MA, RDN is a dietitian and founder of The Food Therapist, a private practice specializing in fertility and women's health nutrition. With nearly 20 years of experience in reproductive health and almost a decade in private practice, Rachelle helps individuals navigate fertility, pregnancy, and other women's health concerns with evidence-based, weight-inclusive care. Rachelle is also a frequent speaker and received the Women's Health Dietetic Practice Group Excellence in Practice Award for her contributions to the field.

Find Rachelle on Instagram at @rachellemallik

Resources: Supervision & Case Consultation Fertility Foundations Course GLP-1s & Fertility Webinar Recording