Adolescent and Family Group: Maintaining Structure in Unstructured Times

Ryan understands the investment of time and the emotional vulnerability clients are making to face their current health status. She finds joy in helping her clients uncover the connections between food, feelings, and what’s going on in the body. Ryan listens to each person’s story with food, and works with them to re-write a new food story that is built on a solid understanding of nutrition facts rather than diet myths. She takes a compassionate approach to helping her clients build a healthy relationship with food and their bodies, with Health at Every Size and Intuitive Eating Principles infused into her counseling, speaking and teaching. Ryan graduated with a Masters of Public Health Nutrition in 2005 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In the early days of her career, she had the opportunity to work in areas of corporate wellness, sports nutrition and general health education. She entered into private practice in 2009, pursuing what started as an interest and developed into a deep seeded passion of working with those who struggle with eating disorders. Since that time, Ryan has dedicated her career to becoming an expert in the field by staying committed to growth and learning, staying abreast of current research, and bringing this information back to her counseling sessions as a resource to her clients. She is a certified eating disorder registered dietitian (CEDRD) through the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (IAEDP). She has carried her expertise to from college campuses to national conferences providing education on cutting edge research and effective counseling methods. Ryan also believes that eating disorders are best treated as part of a clinical team. She is a CEDRD Supervisor and acts as a mentor to both dietitians and students pursuing a career in the field. She maintains relationships with her professional colleagues as an active member of the local North Carolina IAEDP chapter.