Alsana Staff Spotlight: Registered Dietitians
Happy Registered Dietitian Day!
One of Alsana’s guiding principles, Let Your Light Shine, means we share our passions and bring positivity to everything we do. Today, we are letting our RD’s lights shine for National Registered Dietitian Day and National Nutrition Month!
Our dietitians partner with the client throughout their recovery journey to challenge the eating disorder beliefs and restore a trusting relationship with both food and body. They support culinary staff with menu development, kitchen management, and food preparation, plan for the client’s nutritional needs by adjusting menus for food allergies and intolerances, and provide a therapeutic approach to discussing food and the client’s relationship with food. Our dietitians plan and lead meal and snack exposures, grocery outings, and culinary experientials, as well as support the movement dimension of the client’s healing through psycho-education, leading movement groups, and individual and group movement exposures.
We love our dietitians and are so thankful for each one them being a part of our Alsana team and helping our clients every day.
Taylor-Rose Olea, RD, CEDS-S
Lead Dietitian, Westlake Village PHP/IOP
Favorite TV show
You and Lucifer
Favorite snack
Chocolate chip cookies
Advice for those in recovery
“No food will ever harm you more than your eating disorder will.”
Holley Moates, MS, RD, LDN
Lead Dietitian, St. Louis RTC
Favorite TV show:
Sex and the City
Favorite snack:
Hard boiled eggs and Cheez-It snack mix
Advice for those in recovery:
“Remember to hold grace for yourself. This is hard. Your team will extend it too.”
Laura Bradfield, RDN, LDN
Lead Dietitian, St. Louis PHP/IOP
Favorite TV show:
New Girl
Favorite snack:
Cheese & Grapes, Crackers & Nutella
Advice for those in recovery:
“From Brené Brown: dare greatly, show up and be seen, and ask for what you need.”
Sasha Gordon
Lead Dietitian, Westlake Village RTC
Favorite TV show:
The Office
Favorite snack:
Trail mix or string cheese and crackers
Advice for those in recovery:
“The beginning of being ‘in recovery’ isn’t always amazing, but I promise you if you give it time (time for you to enjoy having energy to spend with loved ones, time for you to build an identity outside of your ED), it will soon prove to you that it is more than worth it, and so much more rewarding than your ED!”
Anthony Hackworth
Lead Dietitian, Virtual PHP/IOP
Favorite TV show:
Breaking Bad
Favorite snack:
Mini PB cups
Advice for those in recovery:
“Continue to find/prioritize support for yourself. Life can be joyful, hectic, hard, and everything in between. We all need support going through it.”
Lisa McGlothlin, MS, RD
Lead Dietitian, Monterey RTC & PHP/IOP
Favorite TV show:
Schitt’s Creek, Gilmore Girls & Friends
Favorite snack:
Cereal
Advice for those in recovery:
- Be patient with yourself, give yourself grace.
- Recovery is a process.
- As hard as it is, it’s important to trust your RD and trust your meal plan—it’s important to work on prioritizing giving yourself permission to eat enough with support from your team.
- Everyone is on their own journey and every experience is unique, so you can’t compare your experience to others.
- It takes time.
Lauren Davis, MS, RDN, LDN
Lead Dietitian, Birmingham PHP/IOP
Favorite TV show:
Friday Night Lights
Favorite snack:
Chips and guacamole!
Advice for those in recovery:
“Remember to practice self-compassion in maintaining your recovery. The goal is not about perfection; it is about honoring and nourishing your body, one decision at a time.”
Jordan Pfeffle
Dietitian, Birmingham RTC
Favorite TV show:
Schitt’s Creek
Favorite snack:
Chips, Salsa and fresh guacamole
Advice for those in recovery:
“Remember that motivation is not constant and that is okay! There will be hard days but there will also better days and struggling does not mean that you are failing, but that you are doing hard things. Things often get worse right before they are about to get better.”
Elona Brando
Dietitian, Westlake Village RTC
Favorite TV show:
Game of Thrones
Favorite snack:
Popcorn and M&Ms
Advice for those in recovery:
“Focus on yourself now, and everything else later. It is not going to be easy, but your growth will be worth it. Mahatma Gandhi said ‘As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world as in being able to remake ourselves.'”
Kinsley Moss
Dietitian, Birmingham RTC
Favorite TV show:
No favorites but anything that makes me laugh!
Favorite snack:
Boiled peanuts or pickles
Advice for those in recovery:
“You CAN do hard things!”
Sam Kalb, MS, RD
Dietitian, Monterey RTC
Favorite TV show:
This week: Outer Banks Season 3. All time favorite: One Tree Hill
Favorite snack:
Grapes and cheese
Advice for those in recovery:
“Be gentle with yourself, one day at a time.”
Emily Rotenberg, RDN
Dietitian, Westlake Village PHP/IOP
Favorite TV show:
New Amsterdam
Favorite snack:
Avocado toast!
Advice for those in recovery:
“Actively lean into your values and practice your coping skills!”
Phoebe Waller, MS, RD
Dietitian, Santa Barbara RTC
Favorite TV show:
How I Met Your Mother
Favorite snack:
Apple nachos with peanut butter, chocolate chips, and lots of honey!
Advice for those in recovery:
“No one is meant to suffer in silence. Engaging in a community of people who know and love you without conditions will give you permission to see yourself for the amazing human that you are.”
Morgan Peach
Dietitian, Birmingham PHP/IOP
Favorite TV show:
Avatar the Last Airbender
Favorite snack:
Whatever I am fixated on at the moment which would be dried mangoes and nuts for today
Advice for those in recovery:
“Don’t do it alone – even when you think you got this. Remember we were made for connection with others. Allow yourself to healthily depend on others even as you allow others to healthily depend on you. A field full of flowers will last far longer and make a more lasting impact than a singular flower on its own.”
JoJo Buckley, MS, RD, LD, CPT
Dietitian, St. Louis RTC
Favorite TV show:
Ted Lasso
Favorite snack:
M&Ms and peanuts
Advice for those in recovery:
“When things are difficult, remember your why. Remember your long-term goals that motivated you to pursue recovery and how fueling and hydrating yourself as well as being self-accountable helps you reach those goals.”
Chloe Wiggins
Dietitian, Monterey PHP/IOP
Favorite TV show:
Sopranos
Favorite snack:
Chef Jose’s hummus and pita chips
Advice for those in recovery:
“At the end of the day, you give the power to the food, and you can take it back for yourself.”
Abigail Frech, MS, RDN, LD, CPT
Dietitian, St. Louis PHP/IOP
Favorite TV show:
How I Met Your Mother or New Girl
Favorite snack:
Greek yogurt with chocolate chips, sour gummy worms, and pink starbursts
Advice for those in recovery:
“You are your own advocate for recovery; believe in yourself and I promise you are worth it :)”
Devin King
Dietitian, Birmingham PHP/IOP
Favorite TV show:
Law & Order SVU
Favorite snack:
A charcuterie board
Advice for those in recovery:
“Perfection is not our goal. Embrace the imperfection.”
Briana Becherer
Dietitian, St. Louis PHP/IOP
Favorite TV show:
Friday Night Lights
Favorite snack:
Popcorn
Advice for those in recovery:
“Keep showing up for yourself. Some days are going to be harder than others, and you can do hard things!”
Danika Vielma, RDN
Dietitian, Monterey PHP/IOP
Favorite TV show:
Schitt’s Creek
Favorite snack:
Yogurt and berries or apple with peanut butter
Advice for those in recovery:
“Be gentle with yourself as recovery is not a linear process. Challenge the negative self-talk and celebrate every little win!”
Hannah Fried, MS, RDN
Dietitian, Westlake Village PHP/IOP
Favorite TV show:
Friends or The Office
Favorite snack:
Peanut butter banana toast
Advice for those in recovery:
“Lean into your support system, trust your team, and remember that recovery is not linear…but it’s worth it!”
Bonnie Broek
Dietitian, Westlake Village RTC
Favorite TV show:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Favorite snack:
Chocolate covered pretzels and dried apricots
Advice for those in recovery:
“All foods fit! No food makes you good or bad. Increasing variety in your meals and snacks can greatly benefit you in recovery!!”
Jessica Kaliher, RDN
Dietitian, Westlake Village PHP/IOP
Favorite TV show:
New Girl
Favorite snack:
Chips and guacamole
Advice for those in recovery:
“Food is so much more than the nutrition it provides. Food freedom happens when we see food as also pleasure, connection, memories, tradition, etc!”
All Foods Can Fit
With our “All-Inclusive Nutrition” approach, we believe in the flexibility and enjoyment of foods without shame or judgment. Our All-Inclusive Nutrition approach embraces the usefulness of all foods, including those foods that are compact, innovative, and nutrient-rich to aid in the restoration and healing of the brain, body, and gut microbiome. This approach broadens nutrition healing to our clients from diverse cultural backgrounds.
At Alsana, our goal is to create food neutrality by taking the moral judgment out of food and focusing on nourishment, flexibility, and pleasure in the nutritional healing process. Contact our admissions team 24/7 if you have questions about eating disorder care.
Start the road to recovery with Alsana.
