Expert eating disorder dietitians
Important Information about Eating Disorder Expert Dietitians
Nutrition is too often confusing minefield of seemingly endless and contradictory advice for anyone trying to recover from an eating disorder. Professional advice or support can help you cut through the confusion and focus on your recovery goals. Finding a qualified and experienced nutrition professional can also be a challenge. This is because the title “nutritionist” is not regulated in the UK and thus anyone, without any qualifications, can legally set themselves up using the tile nutrition professional, nutritionist, nutritional therapist, clinical nutritionist, or a diet expert.!
Dietitians
Dietitians are the only health care professional who can legally prescribe a meal plan. Dietitians are trained in the medical aspects of nutritional care and receive specific training to work with malnutrition, weight rehabilitation, nutrition and the wider cultural aspects of food and diet. Dietitians specialising in eating disorders should undergo BDA or university training around the management of eating disorders including risks and the psychological aspects of behaviour change such as FT-AN, CBT or ACT.
Tip: Check your dietitian is experienced in eating disorders and has specialist eating disorders clinical supervision in place.
Nutritionists
Nutritionist can sign up to independent regulation regulated and can work alongside dietetics in eating disorders treatment but cannot legally prescribe meal plans. They are not trained to work with people with significant malnutrition or who are receiving medical management. Nutritionist cannot legally prescribe meal plans. Nutritionists who have signed up to independent regulation standards such as the Association for Nutrition (ANF) can only work with eating disorders or malnutrition if they 1) they receive specific BDA/NHS approved training and 2) are regularly supervised by an experienced eating disorders dietitian. Registrants found in breach of these standards may have registration withdrawn.
Tip: check your nutritionist is registered with the ANF and is BDA / NHS trained and is receiving supervision from an experienced dietitian.
Nutrition therapists
Are alternative health practitioners and are not independently regulated. They can be really helpful as coaches for people with eating difficulties that are not medically at risk and there are several such practitioners on our counsellor, recovery coaches and nutrition therapists page.
Tips: Doing a short course in eating disorders does not qualify anyone to work nutritionally with eating disorders. Check any qualification or training in nutrition is British Dietetic Association or ANF approved. Just because a course or qualification looks professional doesn’t mean it is!
https://www.bda.uk.com/about-dietetics/what-is-dietitian/dietitian-or-nutritionist.html
Angharad Banner
Contact:
angharad@abcdietitian.co.uk
www.abcdietitian.co.uk
Tel: 07779 654999
I am a Registered Dietitian and I work part-time in CAMHS as an eating disorder’s dietitian seeing patients primarily with ARFID and Anorexia Nervosa. I also run my own private practice and I support families from across the UK as well as locally for face-to-face appointments. My areas of expertise include eating disorders (including ARFID), paediatric allergies, fussy eating / highly selective eaters, autism and common infant feeding difficulties.
I also consult for the BBC, Vegan Society and for all the major nutrition companies producing recipes, information for their websites, training modules, webinars and I sit on an Advisory Board. I co-wrote the British Dietetic Association ARFID Position Statement and I am now involved in writing the ARFID Toolkit for Dietitian’s, an ARFID study day for Dietitian’s as well as writing a chapter on ARFID for two professional text books.
I have three children one who has a cow’s milk protein allergy, peanut and lentil allergy. Having first-hand experience of managing these allergies has definitely enhanced my practice. I love to cook, as do my children, and I am either in the kitchen or driving my kids to activities!
Talia Cecchele
Clinic Founder & Lead Specialist Dietitian
Contact:
www.taliacecchele.com
info@taliacecchele.com
Talia Cecchele is a registered dietitian specialising in eating disorders and disordered eating. She has over 12 years of clinical experience and is the principal dietitian and founder of Talia Cecchele Nutrition, a virtual nutrition clinic with a team of registered dietitians specialising in eating disorders and disordered eating. Talia and her team work by incorporating a compassion-led, non-diet approach and Health At Every Size (HAES) framework.
At TCN, the team supports people of any age through 1:1 consultations, group meal support and the 12 week Rule Breaker Program to bring balance back to nutrition, break free from food rules and find food freedom.
1:1 Consultations
We have experience and specialise supporting people with:
- Clinical eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, OSFED and ARFID
- Disordered eating
- Intuitive eating
- Neurodiversity and eating difficulties (ADHD & Autism Spectrum Condition)
- Weight restoration support
Overcoming compulsive exercise/physical activity
Hypothalamic Amenorrhea & RED-S
Group Meal Support
The TCN team created the meal support service to close the gap between where meal support is currently offered (mostly in inpatient or day patient settings) and where it also needs to be (outpatient services). The group meal support is open to both TCN clients and external referrals (you don’t need to be supported by a dietitian in the TCN Clinic) and is held online at various times across the week. The purpose of these group meal support sessions is to connect with people who understand your eating difficulties in a safe environment where you can be supported and held through food challenges or accountability to your meal plan.
Rule Breaker Program
Rule Breaker is a unique 12 week course built on almost 10 years of learnings from working as an eating disorder and disordered eating specialist dietitian across community and inpatient settings. It combines online learning, meal support (live and pre recorded sessions), weekly group coaching calls, weekly reflective activities and individual guidance to give people the skills and support to start breaking food rules and heal their relationship with food.
Check out our website for more details about consultations and free resources, webinars, workshops and our clinic services. We look forward to supporting you!
Sarah Elder
hello@saraheldernutrition.co.uk
Tel: 07840999899
Sarah Elder is a Registered Dietitian with the HCPC. She has a degree in Food Studies and Nutrition from Leeds University and completed a post graduate Degree at Leeds Beckett University in Nutrition and Dietetics and a Master’s degree in Nutrition.
Most recently she has completed a Masters in Advance Clinical Practice at York University. Sarah specialises in eating disorders and disordered eating and has contributed to national training and guidance in this area. Sarah is trained in the Nice approved therapies; MANTRA, SSCM and guided self-help.
Clare Ellison
insighthealth.contact@gmail.com
I’m a registered dietitian with over 12 years of specialist eating disorders experience across inpatient and community settings, and all ages. My experience over the last 6 years has predominantly focused on supporting children and young people with eating disorders and their families, including establishing and managing an award-winning community eating disorder service. I hold a BSc(hons) degree in dietetics with a PG-Cert in Eating Disorders, a PG-Dip in nutrition, and an MSc in healthcare leadership. I also have additional therapeutic training in CBT-e, FT-AN, FBT, Guided Self Help and CFT-ed, amongst others. Most recently I have been working as an ARFID project lead for the North East and North Cumbria. This includes offering specialist supervision and clinical guidance across a range of disciplines, developing and sharing practice guidance, delivering training and working on projects with NHS-England and with the British Dietetic Association. These focus on both ARFID and improving the health experience of those neuro-diversity. I’m very passionate about supporting others to improve their relationship with food and work in a tailored and individualised way.
I also created designed and developed the ARFID website for patients and parents/carers which contains a lot of resources and information and can be found here: Support for Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) – Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (cntw.nhs.uk)
Paola Falcoski
Contact:
contact@paolafalcoskidietitian.co.uk
https://www.paolafalcoskidietitian.co.uk
With over 10 years of experience in clinical settings, I am an Advanced Specialist Eating Disorder Dietitian and a Somatic Experiencing therapist, holding a Masters degree in Public Health and getting a diploma in Autism and Mental Health.
My expertise lies in delivering high-quality care for both groups and individuals (all ages) for Eating Disorders. I am also highly experienced in working with Sport Nutrition, especially related to disordered eating.
My extensive training includes SOS, CBT-t, CBT-e, FT-AN, Unified Protocol, Safe and Sound protocol.
As an active member of the healthcare community, I am committed to contributing to research, teaching, and event speaking. I also provide supervision for dietitians, helping to support the development of the next generation of practitioners.
Paolo has also also created the ARFID module for the Bebodypositive – https://bebodypositive.org.uk/
Jennifer Low
Contact:
www.jlnutritionclinic.com jen@jlnutritionclinic.com
Instagram: @dietitian_jen
Based in a cosy clinic room in Sevenoaks, I work face to face or online with my clients.
I have worked in eating disorders since 2008 and have worked with both adults and children in specialist NHS services as well as privately. I am a Registered Dietitian with a degree in Psychology, an MSc in Nutrition & a Post-Graduate Diploma in Dietetics from King’s College.
Extensive qualifications in dietetics and nutrition, along with additional training in psychology, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT-E), motivational interviewing, Guided Self-Help and body image training, equip us to offer you the highest standard of care.
Recovery is not just about changing what you eat — it’s about understanding and supporting you whilst you heal the underlying issues. That’s why our treatment integrates nutritional guidance, trauma-informed care and behavioural change therapies. We work with the “healthy part” of you to make sustainable changes, while always respecting your boundaries and readiness for change.
When you work with us, our membership site, “Small Steps to Freedom”, gives you 24/7 access to a wealth of resources & our package of care also includes optional online meal support sessions.
For healthcare professionals: We have a training course available for instant download – to help you have a better understanding of eating disorders. This can be found here (please note: this is only for healthcare professionals, not patients or carers).
Ursula Philpot
www.insighteating.co.uk
uphilpot@insighteating.co.uk
I am a Registered Dietitian and senior lecturer, and clinical lead for CYP eating disorders in North -East and Yorkshire NHS England , working alongside psychologist and other therapists in NHS and private practice. I have specialised in eating disorders since 2003, working with both adults and children in NHS services, both inpatients and outpatients. I have a wealth of expertise and I regularly contribute to national guidance around eating disorders, including the NICE guidelines, the Clinical Reference Group for all age eating disorders at NHS England. I run a training programme for Guided Self Help for eating disorders (www.mytransitions.co.uk). My specialist areas of interest are complex presentations, ARFID, autism and addressing persistent physical symptoms alongside eating disorders. I love food and really enjoy helping people to improve their relationship with food. I work on an individualised strengths based approach, incorporating aspects of ACT/DBT and compassionate based models into care, working at a pace of change that suits the person.
Priya Tew
Contact:
priya@dietitianuk.co.uk
07747466911
www.dietitianuk.co.uk
www.PriyaTew.com
@Priya_Tew (instagram)
I’m a eating disorder specialist dietitian with over 15 years of experience in helping those with eating disorders move forward in recovery. I have worked in the NHS, in day care settings, in private hospitals and am now in private practice. I love to work collaboratively with your team, as a team approach is so important to help you feel safe and to make sure everyone is providing the same messages. I’ve a degree in Nutrition, a post graduate diploma and Masters in Dietetics.
Food is more complex than just what we eat, it is woven into our society and culture, with diet culture messages being everywhere. As a dietitian I can come alongside you and support with your meal plans but more than that I can help you work on your food beliefs and rules too. I am trained in a variety of psychological methods too (including CBT, GSH, MANTRA) so I weave these strategies in alongside the all important nutrition education.
I can work with you in 1-1 sessions and I also run a 12 week recovery course and community called the Recovery Tribe. Here we meet once a week for group coaching, nervous system work and set goals, there is weekly education and homework to complete with downloadable resources to help you move forward. The community group helps everyone be accountable and support one another through the week so you get daily support.
Mala Watts
Mala Watts, Charvil, England | British Dietetic Association (BDA)
https://helpfinder.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/mala-watts/
Hello, I am passionate about helping those who have an eating disorder, and their loved ones. I have 20 years of experience and still remain compassionate and caring.
I work in the NHS part time and privately. I have experience working with adults and young people.
I have a special interest in exercise and eating disorders. I have accumulated a great deal of experience working with those where autism and eating disorders overlap. More recently, I have volunteered my time raising awareness of ARFID amongst dietitians and other professionals. I sit on the ARFID committee of the British Dietetic Association. I am also involved in delivering ARFID training for dietitians via the BDA.
I am very familiar with the SEND system and EHCPs.