Meet EDRD Pro member Dana Notte, MS, RD, CD, CEDS-C (she/her), dietitian and owner of ThrivInspired Nutrition! Dana is an experienced non-diet dietitian, Certified Eating Disorder Specialist, and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor who is passionate about helping people cultivate a balanced, peaceful, and healthful relationship to food and body. Keep reading to learn more about Dana and her amazing work!

What’s your favorite meal?

It’s impossible to choose just one! My *three* favorite meals are: tacos, Thai red curry, and ceviche. 

If you could choose to have dinner with anyone, who would it be and why? 

As an introvert who also experiences social anxiety, the idea of sitting down to dinner with a stranger, especially one that I admire, is actually a little anxiety-producing. And there are a couple of names that come to mind immediately. But, if I were to choose just one, I think I would choose Fortune Feimster! She is currently my favorite comedian. I think I’d be able to contain my nerves enough to actually enjoy the meal and have a conversation. I really love interesting food and I *think* she does, too. And, she seems like she’d be really fun and interesting to have a conversation with! 

What is a piece of career advice that you would share with someone starting off in the eating disorder field? 

Engage in professional supervision/consultation in whatever capacity you are able to access it. I didn’t even know this was something that existed when I was a new dietitian and wasn’t something that I discovered until I started working in eating disorders. I think there is value in this kind of support regardless of area of practice but that it is essential in eating disorder work. I’ve found professional supervision/consultation to be not only invaluable to advancing my confidence and skills as a clinician, but also as a form of my own self-care. Sometimes more than case consultation what I’ve needed from supervision is a space to process my own feelings that are coming up as part of doing this work. I could have never imagined how beneficial supervision would be to me and my work until I started regularly participating in it, but it just cannot be overstated. 

What’s something that’s brought you joy recently? 

My husband and I foster animals for the local humane society. Our most recent foster case was a very sweet 7-year-old tuxedo kitty named Mittens. Mittens was a very sensitive and timid lady who loved human attention but was very afraid of any unknown sound or environment. She lived in our basement shower for 10 whole days before venturing out. But, after many hours spent together sitting on the shower tile, talking gently and offering treats and pets, she slowly revealed herself to be the sweetest, most affectionate, and playful fur friend. After 2 months with us, she was matched with her furever family. And while these moments are always bittersweet, we were so honored to be part of her story. 

What’s something you’ve learned recently? 

International travel is one of my greatest interests and something I’ve been fortunate to do a lot of in my life. Recently, I’ve been learning the art of travel hacking, particularly related to earning and using miles and points to subsidize travel costs. 

Why eating disorder treatment? What drives you to do this work? 

Interestingly, when I became a dietitian I thought, “I don’t know what I want to do as a dietitian, but I do know it’s definitely not eating disorders.” Mostly, this was because I didn’t know anything about working with eating disorders, and I was so afraid of doing something wrong. Instead, I started down a much more stereotypical RD path, working in the field of weight management. It was in doing this work that I began to realize just how ineffective and harmful the pursuit of intentional weight loss really was, began to observe disordered eating patterns in my clients with no idea how to respond, and began to recognize many of my own disordered beliefs and behaviors around food. I read the book Intuitive Eating a few years into practicing, and it totally transformed the way I viewed my work as a dietitian and my own personal relationship to food. It’s what started me down the path of helping people to disengage from chronic dieting and that eventually evolved into an interest working in the eating disorder space. 

Do you have specific areas of interest or special populations with whom you work? 

I specialize in outpatient, adult eating disorder treatment, Intuitive Eating, and weight-inclusive practice, with a special interest in binge eating disorder, perceived loss-of-control or compulsive eating, emotional eating, chronic dieting, and body image distress. I of course enjoy the individual work I get to do with clients, but I really love facilitating groups and being able to witness and be part of the transformation that can occur in these spaces. 

I also really love supporting other professionals, particularly those newer to the eating disorder space and weight-inclusive practice. 

What’s your favorite part about being involved in EDRD Pro? 

The easy access to such diverse continuing education opportunities. I’ve down several of the training courses – the instructors are always great, the resources robust, and no doubt EDRD Pro has helped me grow as a clinician. 

What projects, products, or services do you offer that you want to share with our audience? 

I own and operate a small group private practice that specializes in working with eating disorders, disordered eating, and chronic dieting. Our practice offers 1-1 sessions with clients seeking support for any of these things and is in-network with several major insurance companies. Additionally, I am excited to share the following resources:

• I just relaunched my signature Intuitive Eating group coaching program, Break Free: How to Eat Intuitively & Obsess Less About Food.
• I run a drop-in style Intuitive Eating support group, Thrive: A Community for Intuitive Eater, for folks looking for community and connection as they continue to build their Intuitive Eating practice.
• I offer Professional Supervision & Consultation to professionals and clinicians seeking support to grow their confidence and skillset in working with eating disorders, disordered eating, intuitive eating, chronic dieting, and body image.