FAQs
+ I’d like to set up an appointment, what do I need to do next?
At this time Laura is not accepting new patients. If you'd like to join the waitlist, the fastest way is to fill out the appointment request form, whenever you feel ready. Please know that the waitlist may be >4-6 months. If Laura is not able to meet with you sooner, and you are looking for a BIPOC, weight-inclusive, ED-informed and/or trauma-informed provider, please specify this in the comments section and our team and we will do our best to provide referral(s) that meet your needs.
+ Where are you located?
Our New York offices are located in Chelsea at 275 7th Avenue and Union Square at 33 West 15th Street.
The buildings are ADA compliant and offer gender neutral restrooms.
+ How long will I need to see you?
It depends. The length of treatment really depends on the individual - reason for visit, length of your dieting history, current food rules/struggles, your goals. your readiness to change, the support systems you have in place, and many other factors. We see the majority of our patients once a week at first, and may then spread sessions out.
In our experience, patients who have a shorter dieting history may need only a few sessions, while those who want and need greater support might meet weekly. We have some patients we've been seeing for years and some who have less frequent check-ins. The decision to continue meeting will be a shared one but ultimately you will decide what is most helpful for you.
+ What are the sessions like?
- Initial Session:
We take the first few sessions to really get to know you. The initial session will consist of a review of your medical, eating and movement history as well as to talk through your current relationship with food, movement and body image. We will discuss how you currently feel, how you want to feel, and determine together what goals you'd like to work towards.
- Subsequent Sessions:
During our follow-up sessions we will continue to dive deeper into understanding your unique relationship to food, explore underlying factors and core issues, discuss barriers and challenges, and create a plan that feels feasible and sustainable for you. We will continue to check in on your personal goals, revise our care plan as needed, assess medical labs as needed, identify additional resources that might be helpful to you (e.g., supplements, books, podcasts, referrals to see a mental health professional or other medical specialist etc.). Along the way we will explore what is and isn't working and refine your goals. We will provide continuous guidance on how to feel better with food and your body.
+ Will I lose weight?
Through this process, some bodies lose weight, some bodies gain weight, and some bodies stay the same. As you go through the intuitive eating process and heal your relationship with food, your body will land at the place it is meant to be.
Although many of my patients are not comfortable in their bodies and want to lose weight, this is not the focus or goal of our sessions. If your primary goal is to lose weight, that often requires micromanaging and following external rules, which is essentially the opposite of Intuitive Eating and healing your relationship with food and body image.
It is understandale to want to lose weight (Hey, we live in diet culture!). It is not wrong to want to change your body, but if weight loss is important to you, we encourage you to consider if you can put weight loss on the back burner as we work together. This does not mean that we can't talk about weight loss in sessions, on the contrary, we will explore your thoughts and desires to change your weight and body - Often, we will be challenging your thoughts and beliefs, helping you separate what's science from diet culture.
As weight-inclusive providers, please know that you will not be weighed, unless medically necessary with consent, and we will not be using weight as a primary indicator of success or progress.
+ I am not sure if I'm ready for Intuitive Eating, recovery, or to let go of weight loss. Can I still make an appointment?
Absolutely! Most of our patients are in a place where they want to move away from food rules and let go of the scale as measure of self-worth, but the reality is that their eating disorders and/or chronic history of dieting make it really hard! We want you to know that those are the principles that inform our work, but we are here to partner with you on your journey of healing.
If you are looking for a dietitian to put you on a weight loss plan, we are not the dietitian for you. However, we do hold A LOT of space to explore this in session. If you'd like to explore why you want to lose weight, and work towards creating a more peaceful relationship with food, movement, and your body, we can help you with that!
+ Do you work with kids?
We work with adults ages 18 years and older.
+ Do you work with people with eating disorders?
We work with eating disorders on a case-by-case basis. We require that patients with active eating disorders have a treatment team including a physician and therapist at minimum. If we are unable to work together, we would be happy to refer you to another dietitian and/or appropriate level of care to better serve your needs.
+ Can I work with you if I don't have an eating disorder?
Yes! Many of our patients do not have an active eating disorder and are seeking guidance on how to add in gentle nutrition and joyful movement.
+ Do you accept insurance?
We are in-network with Aetna, Cigna and Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO insurance plans. All other insurances are considered out-of-network.
Eligibility will vary with each plan, so we strongly encourage you to contact your insurance company directly.
If you self-pay, we can provide you with a Superbill (medical receipt) that you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement purposes. If you choose to submit an insurance claim, any reimbursement will go directly to you as you will have already paid us directly for the service.
+ What are your rates?
The cost of nutrition counseling is determined by your insurance provider. If you are paying out of pocket we can discuss our rates via email.
+ What is your cancellation policy?
All appointment cancellations must be completed 48-hours in advance. If you do not show up for your scheduled appointment or have not notified me 48-hours in advance, you will still be required to pay the full cost of the session.
+ Can I schedule a 10-15 minute discovery call before I book an appointment?
We really appreciate that question and can absolutely understand. What we have found in our experience is that a true fit happens during the course of a face-to-face session, even if it's virtual! Hopefully you can get a good sense of us through our bio and website.
If your sense is that we may be a good fit, we would suggest you reach out to setup an appointment and treat the initial consultation as a way for us to get to know each other, and see if we are a good fit to continue working together.
+ Have another question?
Contact me with your question.