Lindsay Helton Nutrition: A Private Practice in Charlotte, NC
Creators: name: Helton, Lindsay
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2018

description: Writing this business plan has been a challenging and rewarding experience, and I am proud to have a blueprint to use to launch my own private practice. This process has also been eye opening to the lack of resources available to dietitians and nutrition students alike who want to become entrepreneurs. It was not surprising to discover that only 3% of the 6,461 surveyed dietitians in 2017 identified as a private practice dietitian (Rogers, 2018). Similarly, a 2015 survey of entry-level dietetics professionals found that only 3% of the 1,048 individuals surveyed held a primary position in private practice (Griswold, Rogers, Sauer, Leibovitz, and Finn, 2016).  In light of the lack of resources for entrepreneurial dietitians, there have been a number of resources developed for this niche in recent years. A handful of successful private practice dietitians have released courses and online communities to help the newer generation of dietitians interested in the same career path. One such example is INSPIRD to SEEK, a Facebook group of almost 1,700 dietitians, dietitians in training, and other allied health professionals interested in entrepreneurship. In this group, professionals exchange advice about building a business and support one another. The dietitian at the helm of this group, Haley Goodrich, also offers one-on-one coaching and membership options to provide mentorship and guidance (“Mentor Program”). Jennifer McGurk, RD, has authored two affordable books about starting and growing your private practice, and offers supervision and mentorship as well (“Pursuing Private Practice”). These are just two examples of dietitians helping others pursue their private practice dreams as they have. Especially growing in number are private practice dietitians whose work is informed by Intuitive Eating and Health at Every Size. This is often referred to as the non-diet approach. Dietitians who identify this way often pursue private practice in order to practice in alignment with their values, rather than working in an environment where they may have to prescribe diets and weight loss. These movements are growing in momentum and traction, as evidenced by many articles in mainstream publications about them (Miller, 2018). There seems to be confusion about what it truly means to be a non-diet practitioner, and I would like to add my voice to those advocating for a weight neutral approach. My goal is to help clients connect with their inner wisdom about eating, empower them to discover a healthy relationship with food, provide nutrition recommendations, and hold a space to process weight and body image concerns. The weight neutral part comes from working on all of these aspects with clients without promising weight loss or focusing on the scale. Having my own practice will allow me to dive into these topics with clients and support their health journey in a way that is evidence-based and compassionate. I look forward to opening my doors in early 2019 as a part-time endeavor, and building towards a full-time practice in the coming years.