Health Professional Portal

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to our exclusive Health Professional Portal—a dedicated space created for our esteemed colleagues across Australia who are committed to supporting women in developing a positive relationship with food, eating, and body. This portal is designed to keep you well-informed about our services, treatment approaches, support options, expectations for both you and your clients/patients, and the seamless referral process.

Our portal is open to a range of health professionals, including but not limited to:

  • General Practitioners (GPs)

  • Practice Nurses

  • Psychiatrists

  • Psychologists

  • Psychotherapists

  • Other Health Professionals actively engaged in providing comprehensive care for women

This exclusive resource is designed to provide valuable insights and support for health professionals from various disciplines who play a crucial role in the holistic health and wellbeing of women. We appreciate your dedication to collaborative and comprehensive care, and we look forward to supporting you in your efforts.

We trust that this specialised resource will prove invaluable in assisting you in supporting your female clients/patients dealing with food, eating, and body concerns.

Sincerely,

Carlia Lozo
Clinic Director | Accredited Practising Dietitian & Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician

Carlia Lozo

FOUNDER, ACCREDITED PRACTISING DIETITIAN & CREDENTIAL EATING DISORDER CLINICIAN

About Us:

Welcome to Wellbeing is a well-established nutrition and dietetic clinic committed to providing respectful and compassionate weight-neutral healthcare for women navigating food, eating, and body image concerns. Established in 2012 by Carlia Lozo, an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician, our clinic has proudly served the Upper North Shore of Sydney for over 11 years, extending our reach with Australia-wide Telehealth services for the past 4 years.

Our dedicated team comprises Accredited Practising Dietitians, each holding credentials as trained Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinicians. With a collective wealth of experience, our dietitians provide weight-neutral and body-inclusive nutrition counselling for women living with food, eating, and body image concerns. We take pride in our evidence-based practices, ensuring that every facet of our nutrition and dietetic services is grounded in the latest research and tailored to the unique needs of our clients.

Welcome to Wellbeing differentiates itself through a distinctive combination of Weight-Neutral, Body-Inclusive, Trauma-Informed, and Non-Diet methodologies. This approach cultivates a holistic perspective on health and wellbeing, surpassing weight-centric practices. Our approaches places a priority on overall health outcomes, nurturing positive body image, and advocating for sustainable health practices. This not only diminishes stigma but also aligns seamlessly with evolving healthcare paradigms, playing a vital role in preventing eating disorders.

Who We Help:

We offer compassionate and inclusive nutrition counselling specifically tailored for women navigating the following concerns:

  • We provide excellence in identifying and managing Clinical Eating Disorders, including but not limited to Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, ARFID, Orthorexia and OSFED (Other Specified Feeding). Our team employs a compassionate and evidence-based approach to guide patients through their recovery journey.

  • We provide support in addressing a spectrum of disordered behaviours, including restricting intake, overeating, binge eating, night-time eating (waking up to eat), self-induced vomiting, self-compensatory exercise, rumination (regurgitate partially digested food), chewing and spitting, laxative use, diuretic use, diet pills.

  • We guide individuals through weight and body image concerns within the framework of weight-neutral healthcare. Our commitment is to nurture a positive and healthy perspective on body image while supporting individuals in achieving their health goals, addressing concerns such as chronic dieting, body checking, body avoiding, and weight cycling.

  • We offer support to women experiencing an array of food and eating concerns including overeating, emotional eating, comfort eating, chronic dieting, poor dietary quality. Our team employs tailored interventions to help patients cultivate a positive relationship with food and develop sustainable eating habits. We also provide support for various eating preferences such as vegetarianism and veganism.

  • We provide compassionate support for women seeking support for: enhancing fertility, pregnancy nutrition, gestational diabetes, prenatal supplements, polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis, hypothalamic amenorrhoea and menopause.

  • Our commitment to holistic care extends to addressing various medical conditions such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), Amenorrhea, Pre-Diabetes & Diabetes, Hypertension, High Cholesterol/Triglycerides, Gastrointestinal Concerns (IBS, Coeliac Disease), and Nutritional Deficiencies.

Our Treatment Approaches

Our treatment approaches are grounded in Weight-Neutral, Body-Inclusive, Trauma-Informed, and Non-Diet methodologies. which include:

  • The RAVES Eating Model, crafted by Shane Jeffrey, serves as a concise and effective guide for cultivating positive food relationships, particularly beneficial for individuals navigating eating disorders. The RAVES Eating Model comprises five integral components, each playing a distinct role in fostering positive food relationships.

    1. Regularity (R):

    This component emphasises structured eating patterns, promoting stability by reducing binge episodes. By incorporating regular meals and snacks, individuals can stimulate metabolic efficiency, enhance digestive functioning, and maintain stable blood sugar levels. The focus on consistency lays a foundation for nutritional adequacy and medical stability.

    2. Adequacy (A):

    Serving as the foundation, Adequacy guarantees nutritional completeness, medical stability, and rehabilitation. It navigates clients through balanced food choices, considering quality, quantity, and macronutrient distribution. Initially accommodating safer food choices, the component evolves to embrace all food groups.

    3. Variety (V):

    This phase propels individuals to expand their food repertoire, a vital aspect of fostering a positive relationship with food. Embracing a belief in the equality of all foods, it challenges the notion of categorising them as "good" or "bad." This step also encourages the development of a trusting relationship with food, granting permission to enjoy a variety of tastes and textures, setting the stage for a richer, more socially connected experience around food.

    4. Eating Socially (E):

    This component focuses on establishing confidence in social eating situations, facilitating social reconnection with friends and family. It supports the development of values-based social networks, emphasising the importance of meaningful connections and positive interactions around food.

    5. Spontaneity (S):

    Embracing flexibility in both thought and practice, spontaneity encourages a more adaptable and natural approach to food. This phase supports sustainable and intuitive eating practices, reducing cognitive engagement in the eating process. This step is integral for maintaining long-term recovery, fostering increased confidence and trust in your body's natural signals.

    Together, these components form a cohesive framework that addresses nutritional needs, social connections, and psychological aspects of eating. The RAVES model provides individuals with a comprehensive guide to developing healthier, more intuitive relationships with food.

  • The Non-Diet Approach, developed by Dr. Fiona Willer and rooted in the Health At Every Size (HAES®) Principles, is a comprehensive framework that transcends traditional diet-focused approaches. This clinical methodology focuses on fostering healthy behaviours to enhance overall health and wellbeing. The 5 key concepts from The Non-Diet Approach Guidebook for Dietitians (2013) serve as pillars for cultivating a holistic approach to health:

    1) Accepting and Embracing Body Cues:

    • Cultivating Hunger/Fullness Awareness

    • Practicing Mindful Eating

    2) Accepting and Embracing All Foods:

    • Debunking Diets

    • Normalising Eating Habits

    • Addressing Binge Foods

    3) Accepting and Embracing Non-Diet Nutrition:

    • Fostering Enjoyment of Food Variety

    4) Accepting and Embracing Movement:

    • Discovering Enjoyable Forms of Physical Activity

    5) Accepting and Embracing Body Shape:

    • Recognising Size Diversity

    • Encouraging Dressing with Pride

    • Shifting Focus from Body Weight Goals

  • Developed by Dietitians, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, Intuitive Eating emerges as a groundbreaking paradigm that liberates individuals from the confines of diet culture. This approach fosters a mindful, compassionate, and enjoyable relationship with food, aligning with principles that can significantly impact patient health.

    Key Principles of Intuitive Eating:

    1. Reject the Diet Mentality:

      Encourage individuals to break free from restrictive diets, calorie counting, and the pursuit of an idealised body.

    2. Honour Your Hunger:

      Advocate for acknowledging and responding to physical hunger with nourishing meals, signifying a commitment to holistic care.

    3. Make Peace with Food:

      Promote an unconditional permission to eat, dispelling the labelling of foods as "good" or "bad." Empower patients to relish freedom in enjoying a diverse array of foods without shame.

    4. Challenge the Food Police:

      Encourage the identification and challenge of negative thoughts about food, fostering a shift towards self-compassion and positive self-talk.

    5. Feel Your Fullness:

      Cultivate awareness of fullness signals, honouring satiety, and building a trusting relationship with the body's cues.

    6. Discover the Satisfaction Factor:

      Emphasise the enjoyment of food, urging patients to savour flavours, find pleasure in eating, and discard the notion that constant deprivation is essential for health.

    7. Cope with Your Emotions Without Using Food:

      Address emotional eating through alternative coping mechanisms like journaling, mindfulness, social support, or professional guidance.

    8. Respect Your Body:

      Promote body acceptance and advocate for treating the body with kindness and respect, fostering a positive body image.

    9. Exercise - Feel the Difference:

      Encourage a shift in perspective on exercise from calorie burning to joyful movement and self-care.

    10. Honour Your Health with Gentle Nutrition:

      Advocate for balanced food choices considering both nutrition and pleasure. Emphasise the importance of dietary variety, trusting the body's wisdom to guide choices supporting health.

  • Mindful eating, is a transformative approach grounded in mindfulness principles. It emphasises a present-focused, non-judgmental awareness of mental, emotional, and physical states during meals, fostering balance, choice, and wisdom in food decisions.

    Key elements include:

    • Becoming aware of eating behaviours

    • Becoming aware of physical hunger and satiety cues to guide decisions on when, what and how much to eat.

    • Utilising all your senses to choose food that is both satisfying and nourishing.

    • Acknowledging responses to food (likes, dislikes, or neutral) without judgment.

  • Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a collaborative counselling approach designed to enhance an individual's motivation and commitment to change. It involves expressing empathy, developing awareness of discrepancies between current behaviour and goals, avoiding argumentation, rolling with resistance, supporting self-efficacy, and utilising open-ended questions, affirmations, and reflective listening.

  • Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) is a personalised and therapeutic approach designed to address and manage medical conditions, including diabetes, PCOS, cholesterol management, gut issues, allergies, and intolerances.

  • Health at Every Size® (HAES) is a holistic health approach, defined by The Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH), that challenges the notion of weight as a primary determinant of health. It promotes wellbeing, inclusivity, and equitable access to healthcare irrespective of body size.

    The Health At Every Size® Principles are:

    1. Weight Inclusivity:
      Accept and respect the inherent diversity of body shapes and sizes and reject the idealizing or pathologizing of specific weights.

    2. Health Enhancement:

      Support health policies that improve and equalize access to information and services, and personal practices that improve human well-being, including attention to individual physical, economic, social, spiritual, emotional, and other needs.

    3. Respectful Care:

      Acknowledge our biases, and work to end weight discrimination, weight stigma, and weight bias. Provide information and services from an understanding that socio-economic status, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, and other identities impact weight stigma, and support environments that address these inequities.

    4. Eating for Well-being:

      Promote flexible, individualized eating based on hunger, satiety, nutritional needs, and pleasure, rather than any externally regulated eating plan focused on weight control.

    5. Life-Enhancing Movement:

      Support physical activities that allow people of all sizes, abilities, and interests to engage in enjoyable movement, to the degree that they choose.

Referral Process

Thank you for choosing Welcome to Wellbeing for your patients/clients’ nutrition care. Below are simplified steps to ensure a smooth and effortless referral experience:

For GP’s & Psychiatrists:

What Type of Referrals Do You Accept?

We accept the following referrals:

  • Private Patients

  • Valid CDMP and EDP Referrals

  • NDIS Patients (Plan & Self-Managed)

Who Do I Address the Referral to?

Please address all referrals to 'Welcome to Wellbeing' and our trained front desk will triage appropriately.

Where Should I Send Referrals?

Referrals can be faxed to 02 9475 0398 or patients can bring referrals to their appointment.

For Psychologists, Psychotherapists & Other Professionals:

How Do I Refer My Clients to Welcome to Wellbeing?

You may refer your clients by:

  1. Providing a verbal recomendation.

  2. Providing a verbal or written handover, and for your convenience, access the Authority to Release Information Consent Form here.

  3. Scheduling your client directly in the diary during their appointment for added convenience.

  4. Sending an enquiry via the form below.

  5. Guiding your clients to visit our website or distribute our client flyer.

Have Questions or Assistance?

Are you a healthcare professional seeking information or looking to explore how we can support both you and your clients/patients? You're in the right place! Kindly share your details below, and our approachable Practice Manager, Arleisa, will contact you at a time that suits you best.

Thank you for entrusting your patients/clients to Welcome to Wellbeing. We look forward to a collaborative approach to their health and wellbeing.

For comprehensive information on weight-neutral and body inclusive healthcare and eating disorder treatment, we encourage health professionals to explore the recommended resources.

Resource Section:

 FAQs

  • Welcome to Wellbeing's approach differentiates itself from traditional dietitians through its unique combination of Body-Inclusive, Trauma-Informed, and Non-Diet methodologies, cultivating a holistic perspective on health and well-being that surpasses weight-centric practices. Our Body-Inclusive Approach prioritises overall health outcomes by nurturing a positive body image and advocating for sustainable health practices. This not only diminishes stigma but also aligns seamlessly with evolving healthcare paradigms, playing a vital role in preventing eating disorders.

    Our approach enhances treatment engagement by creating a supportive environment for patients to actively participate, encouraging a lifelong commitment to health management with a focus on well-being rather than external appearance. This represents a progressive and patient-centric shift in healthcare, emphasising sustained health and happiness.

    Beyond treatment, our commitment extends to ongoing support and follow-up care. We provide additional sessions as needed, regular check-ins, and access to relevant support materials, ensuring our patients have the resources and encouragement for sustained health and well-being. Welcome to Wellbeing is dedicated to empowering individuals on their journey to a healthier and happier life.

    Research demonstrates that a weight neutral approach yields widespread benefits, including improvements in intuitive eating, dietary quality, physical activity levels, fitness, decreased LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, body dissatisfaction, and depression, along with long-term weight stability.

    References:

    Clifford, Dawn, et al. "Impact of non-diet approaches on attitudes, behaviors, and health outcomes: a systematic review." Journal of nutrition education and behavior 47.2 (2015): 143-155.

    Tylka, Tracy L., et al. "The weight-inclusive versus weight-normative approach to health: Evaluating the evidence for prioritizing well-being over weight loss." Journal of Obesity (2014).

  • Pursuing weight loss can have significant and wide-ranging negative effects on both physical and mental wellbeing including increased risk of eating disorders.

    Welcome to Wellbeing prioritises a holistic and evidence-based approach to health, focusing on overall wellbeing and sustainable health practices. Our services are rooted in a Body Inclusive and Non-Diet Approach, aligning with the principles of Health at Every Size®.

  • Our nutrition counselling services prioritise a body-inclusive perspective, promoting health and wellbeing irrespective of body size or shape. Patients/clients can expect personalised nutrition care plans, client-centred care, coordinated care with the healthcare team, abundance of resources, a welcoming space, flexible scheduling options, referrals to other health providers as required, and requests for pathology/scans as required.

  • When you refer your patient/client to Welcome to Wellbeing, expect a seamless and collaborative experience. Receive comprehensive and timely reports, engage in regular multidisciplinary case conferences, and get assistance in creating a valid eating disorder plan tailored to your patient's needs.

  • Absolutely. We actively seek like-minded health providers for meaningful collaboration and referrals. Our close partnerships include GPs, Psychiatrists, and Psychologists who share a commitment to body-inclusive or weight-neutral healthcare, addressing eating disorders, mental health, and women's health. If you're interested in exploring further collaboration with Welcome to Wellbeing, please reach out to our Clinic Director, Carlia Lozo, at carlia@welcometowellbeing.com.au.

  • Absolutely. Our approach is deeply rooted in multidisciplinary care, and we actively collaborate with Psychiatrists and Psychologists. Many of our patients are currently undergoing psychological treatment either before attending our clinic or through referrals to our esteemed psychologist colleagues. This integrated approach ensures comprehensive and holistic care for our patients' health and wellbeing.

  • Certainly! Recognising the significance of accessibility, we provide appointments beyond standard hours, including evenings and weekends. Our clinic operates Monday to Thursday from 8am-8pm, Friday 8am-6pm and on Saturdays from 8am-3:30pm AEST. We are committed to accommodating diverse schedules to ensure our services are accessible and convenient for all.

  • If you're interested in having our team provide a presentation or training session, please contact Carlia at carlia@welcometowellbeing.com.au. We are happy to discuss your needs and tailor a session to address specific topics related to our expertise.

  • Yes, we provide information on our website that patients/clients can explore to learn more about our philosophy and approach. Feel free to direct them to our website for more information.

  • We extend a warm welcome to clients at our clinic. Although our branding primarily addresses females due to the majority of our clients being women, our services are fully inclusive. If you have specific questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out. Our dedicated team is here to assist you with enthusiasm and expertise.

  • Our Dietitians are integral to the treatment of eating disorders, collaborating closely with psychologists and medical professionals. They develop structured meal plans, address nutritional imbalances, guide weight restoration, and assist in fostering a healthier relationship with food. Providing nutrition support and counselling, dietitians actively guide individuals to address their relationship with food, promoting learning to eat well and renourishing the body. Tailoring their approach to each person's needs, dietitians significantly contribute to the holistic recovery process.

    Additionally, our dietitians play a vital role in cultivating healthier connections with food and bodies. They offer guidance on intuitive eating, self-care practices, and body-positive approaches, contributing to enhanced self-esteem. This holistic approach positively impacts the mental and emotional wellbeing of individuals.