Information for Mental Health Providers and Patients
Who I Work With
I work with individuals who struggle with anxiety and depression, as well as those without a formal diagnosis who may still benefit from mental health-sensitive nutrition counseling. This may include individuals who struggle with stress-related overeating or undereating, which can further exacerbate stress. I am happy to discuss the appropriate fit of any potential clients with their Mental Health Provider.
Please note that Addiction, Eating Disorders, and Severe Psychiatric Conditions are not within my scope of practice.
Nutrition as an Adjunct Therapy
In my client policy form, I emphasize that nutrition therapy is to be used in conjunction with medication and talk therapy. Clients should never discontinue either modality without discussing this with their provider.
Clients will sign a medical release form to authorize communication between myself and their Mental Health Provider, if needed.
While I do take a food-first approach, the nutrients that are most important for brain health are often the hardest to obtain in high enough quantities from food alone (e.g., omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D). I recommend professional-grade supplement brands and always cross-reference with the client’s current medications and medical history to prevent drug-nutrient interactions or adverse effects.
Given that the gut-brain connection is a two-way street, I like to provide my clients with science-backed tools (e.g., breathing techniques and heat therapy products) to help them reduce stress and boost their mood. Doing so gives my clients a greater chance of sustaining healthier eating habits by further helping to mitigate factors that can greatly impact hunger cues and cravings.
To ensure that these tools align with and support the work being done with their Mental Health Provider, I ask clients to share with me the techniques they already use or have tried in the past. Depending on the client, I may choose to focus only on nutrition during our work together.
Insurance Coverage
Anxiety, depression, and stress are not yet considered diet-related conditions by health insurance companies. As such, my services are frequently ineligible for insurance coverage as medical nutrition therapy, so I am not an in-network provider at this time.
However, I am happy to provide a Superbill (medical invoice) upon request for clients to submit to their insurance for potential reimbursement. Clients can find out if they may be eligible for this reimbursement by calling the number on the back of their insurance card and asking if they have coverage for out-of-network preventative nutrition counseling with CPT codes 97802 + 97803 and ICD-10 code Z71.3
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or schedule an informational phone call by clicking here.