Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a Dietitian and a Nutritionist?
In Australia, all dietitians are nutritionists, but not all nutritionists are dietitians - the difference comes down to the level of regulation and qualification underlying each role.
Accredited Practicing Dietitians (APDs) have completed a minimum of 3-4 years of full-time study (including supervised practical experience) at an Australian university offering an approved dietetics degree. APDs provide a range of evidence-based nutrition services, including nutrition counselling and medical nutrition therapy (ie. chronic disease-specific care). APDs are regulated by a governing body (Dietitians Australia), which requires them to maintain a commitment to regular professional development, uphold a set of national competency standards and follow a code of conduct. Only APDs are registered with Medicare and all health funds, meaning that eligible people can receive a rebate from Dietitian visits.
Nutritionists can also provide evidence-based nutrition services. However, nutritionists can be required to complete anywhere from a short online course to a tertiary degree to obtain their qualification - it is always best to do your research first.
Do I need a referral to book an appointment?
No - A referral is not needed. Anybody can book an appointment.
Alternatively, if you are eligible for a Medicare Chronic Disease Management plan or Eating Disorder Plan, you can receive a rebate on up to 5 or 20 allied health sessions in a calendar year. You can chat to your GP about whether you are eligible for this, as there are a number of criteria, and this can only be put together by your GP.
What is the Medicare rebate if I have a GP Care Plan (Chronic disease management plan (CDMp/EPC) or Eating Disorder PLan (EDP)?
If you have a care plan from your GP (a Chronic Disease Management Plan or Eating Disorder Plan), Medicare will cover $55.10 of each visit allocated to Dietitian appointments. While this does not cover the cost of the entire appointment, it can be helpful if you are eligible and require ongoing care.
Can I claim my appointment through my private health fund?
As Accredited Practicing Dietitians, we are registered with all private health funds. If your private health cover includes Dietitian appointments, you can certainly claim your appointments through this avenue. Just be sure to let us know so that we can include the correct code on your invoice!
How much will I get back from Medicare for each appointment?
Medicare will give back $56.00 for each visit allocated to Dietitian appointments under a Chronic Disease Management Plan or Eating Disorder Plan.
What is the private health rebate for appointments?
The private health rebate for appointments depends entirely on your level of cover. Be sure to get in touch with your private health fund in advance to make sure that your cover includes Dietitian appointments, and to chat about how much you get back on each appointment.
How many appointments will I need with the Dietitian?
Our approach is highly personalised. The frequency and duration of care are very individual, depending on a number of factors, including motivation for change, individual goals, current stage of change, level of knowledge and complexity of the condition. Current research on behaviour change shows that motivation to make change is highest in the first week of making changes, and begins to swiftly decline after that. Regularly touching base with a Dietitian at the start of your journey can help you build momentum and continue to make gradual, sustained progress (without the pressure to do it all by yourself in one go!). Often appointments are more frequent at the start and are gradually spaced out further as you build confidence in your knowledge, skills and ability to sustain change.
What can I expect from my first appointment with the Dietitian?
In your first appointment, you can expect a judgement-free, compassionate and safe environment, where you will be supported to share your story. The Dietitian will ask questions, including what led you to book your appointment with us and what is important for you to get out of working with a Dietitian. We are here to listen and to be guided by you, so this is a fantastic opportunity for us to get on the same page.
From here, we will often spend a great deal of the session getting to know as much as we can about the most important person in the room (you!). The more we get to know about you, the more able we will be to shape our intervention around your lifestyle, including your goals, drivers/barriers, medical history, cooking skills, living situation, and current diet/eating patterns/movement. It might feel like a lot, but we will take you through every step of the way.
Toward the end of the session, we may start collaboratively taking some first steps together, based on your personal goals, and tackling the ‘lowest hanging fruit’. You can expect an open discussion about why we make the changes that we make, including how this ties in with your overarching goals, and strategies to make this not only achievable but also sustainable. In this process, you are the expert on you, and we are here to guide you to where you want to be in a structured, yet flexible way. Everything will be put in writing for you during the session so that you don’t feel the pressure to remember it all.
At the end of our session, we wrap up by discussing the best frequency for touching base over the next few weeks and may book in our next session together.
What can I expect from subsequent appointments?
Follow up sessions are incredibly important for maintaining momentum, breaking down barriers to change and allowing us to keep chipping away at your goal. In the same way we wouldn’t sprint a marathon, we could never expect you to meet your goal in one session!
We love to start the session by celebrating your wins from between sessions and discussing any challenges or questions that have come up for you. This is a fantastic opportunity for reflecting on how/where we have progressed between sessions and building us up to a discussion about the next most important steps for helping you work toward your goals. You may have some burning questions you want to share, and this is also a great time to prioritise these. Follow up sessions are also a great time to set new/revised goals, provide structure and accountability between sessions and create the best possible environment for growth.
What is a non-diet approach?
Research shows that a whopping 95% of people who diet regain the weight they lost (and more!). Dieting also increases the risk of disordered eating behaviours and eating disorders.
The non-diet approach discredits the blanket recommendation that weight loss will solve all health problems and celebrates that there is a diverse range of healthy weights, shapes and sizes. It honours body diversity and understands that all people are experts on themselves. The non-diet approach is flexible, intuitive and welcomes all foods without judgement. It encourages us to trust and respond to our body’s natural hunger-fullness cues so that we can eat in the most satisfying way possible. The non-diet approach involves striking a balance between enjoying nourishing foods and eating ‘soul foods’ so that we can eat in a way that is most satisfying and enjoyable for us.
If I can't make my appointment, what is the cancellation policy?
If you are unable to attend your scheduled appointment, we kindly ask that you provide a minimum of 48-hours notice for any changes or cancellations to appointments. Contacting our admin team on 07 3447 6404 will help to arrange another date and time for your appointment. As our team have limited appointments available and are in high demand, often with a waiting list. If you do not give a minimum of 48-hours notice, a cancellation fee will be charged to the amount of the full consultation fee.
Who do I contact if I need to change my appointment?
If you need to change your appointment, we ask that you contact us on 0475 253 062.
Will the dietitian give me a meal plan?
While we are very open to providing meal and snack suggestions, recipes and specific advice based on your own dietary needs and challenges, we tend to steer away from the rigidity that a meal plan provides. While a meal plan may be tempting, it does not allow the flexibility or variety that we need to maintain a positive relationship with food or meet our goals in a sustainable way. Individualised ‘Lifestyle Plans’ may be provided to capture personalised recommendations including meal and snack suggestions and additional health behaviour goals (sleep, hydration, movement, mindfulness ect)
Who will be the best dietitian to book in with?
Our team are all qualified Accredited Practicing Dietitians and Nutritionists with additional training in counselling. To read more about our team and understand the special interest areas of each dietitian please click here to learn more.
I’m having trouble booking an appointment, who can I speak to?
We have a dedicated admin support coordinator who can assist you with your booking needs. Please call 07 3447 6404 for support.
I would prefer an earlier appointment time, can I be put on a wait-list if something comes up sooner?
Yes, after you have booked your appointment you can email us at admin@thelifestyledietitian.com.au to also request to be put on the waiting list if an appointment becomes available sooner.
Can you work with and support clients through a HAES and non-diet approach?
Yes - all of our Dietitians are qualified and trained to support clients through a HAES and non-diet approach.
Do you accept Eating Disorder Plan referrals and specialise in supporting individuals in recovery?
Yes - we accept Eating Disorder Plans and specialise in supporting individuals in recovering from Eating Disorders and/or disordered eating patterns.
Do you work with Children?
Yes, we work with children from 12 months of age.
My GP gave me a referral/care plan, who do I send this to?
If you have a referral/care plan from your GP, please send this to admin@thelifestyledietitian.com.au so that we can save this in our records.