I am a registered dietitian/nutrition therapist who helps individuals explore and heal their relationship with food. I work with clients in all stages of life who are on a journey to recovery from eating and feeding-related disorders. I enjoy working with those who are interested in intuitive eating and learning to accept their bodies from a weight-neutral lens. I also have extensive experience in gentle pediatric nutrition.
In my 19+ year career as a registered dietitian, I have worked with individuals from all walks of life through both inpatient and outpatient levels of care. My current passion has led me to focus on helping those with feeding-related and eating disorders.
Early in my career, my initial focus was on inpatient critical care and nutrition support. After several years in inpatient care, I was driven to explore other areas of nutrition outside of the hospital walls. This shift of passion and focus was mainly facilitated by concerns about my own child’s feeding-related issues. My child was having difficulty advancing his food textures and suffering from severe reflux. This prompted me to take a deep dive into pediatric feeding and gastrointestinal health. I was able to learn from some amazing minds in the field and help my child with his challenges while also helping other families in the same situation. I took on positions in both an integrative feeding clinic and a gastrointestinal specialty clinic. While gaining experience and honing these skills, I started to experience a large number of physician referrals for pediatric weight counseling, which did not sit well with me. During my quest to learn how to help these kids, I started to learn more about Healthy at Every Size® and Intuitive Eating, which resonated deeply with me. I was also finding a lot of my clients were showing red flags for possible eating-related disorders. I continued to educate myself to add more knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to help support these clients.
I now feel that I’ve found my calling in life. I am very passionate about helping others along their path to health and wellness from a weight-neutral, non-diet, intuitive approach.
In my spare time, I enjoy cooking and developing recipes, reading, writing, rock climbing, hiking, snow skiing, yoga, and generally being active outdoors.
Approach & Philosophy
We are born with the ability to know what our bodies need, we just to learn to trust ourselves again, as we are our experts when it comes to well-being. I like to get the know the whole person and treat them from a values-based approach. I partner with individuals and families to work together to find the best nutritional and individualized approach for them. I utilize Health at Every Size ®, Intuitive Eating, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) principles during my sessions and all through a weight-neutral lens. I believe all individuals are deserving of nonjudgmental and respectful support independent of body size, gender identity, ability, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
Education and Training
I received a Bachelor of Science in Food Science, Food Service Management, and Dietetics from Dominican University in River Forrest Illinois, and went on to RUSH University to complete my dietetic internship and Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition. I am currently pursuing my certified eating disorder dietitian (CEDRD) through the International Association of Eating Disorders.
Memberships, Awards, and Certifications
- Academy of Eating Disorders
- International Federation of Eating Disorder Dietitians
- Eating Disorder Registered Dietitians and Professionals
- Association for Size Diversity and Health
Colene is located in Bend, Oregon. Priority is given to Bend clients to schedule with her.