Meet EDRD Pro member Melinda Mrachek Staehling, MS, CNS, LDN (she/her)! Keep reading to learn more about Melinda and her fantastic work!

Where are you from, and where do you currently live and work?

I’m originally from San Diego, California, and currently live in Bend, Oregon. I’ve spent time in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Portland. I’m enjoying being in a small city for the first time.

What’s your favorite meal?

I’m avoiding making this totally impossible choice by saying somewhere with excellent counter service and an outdoor patio. If there’s a view involved, even better.

Tell us about the journey that brought you to work in eating disorder treatment.

The supervision experience to earn the CNS designation is structured differently than the RD internship. Accruing hours is done primarily by working 1:1 with clients. It was here that I started working with clients with disordered eating, and my first experience working in a close supervision relationship. I connected closely with a couple of my supervisors at The Clinicians’ Incubator, which is the weight-inclusive program where I did all my contact hours. While I had the opportunity to work with some different conditions and populations, it was the eating disorder work that I was drawn to. During that time, I was able to take on leading meal support groups and clients through the program’s partnership with Project Heal, and I began to attend case consults with EDRD Pro. This experience helped to lay the foundation for my work in the virtual outpatient world.

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

I used to work in restaurants, and I have a lovely thank you note from a dinner I put together for First Lady Michelle Obama. Would have loved to have sat down for that one!

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

Building your own support team is crucial—some combination of peers, mentors, supervision, and hopefully, a therapist who gets it. This takes time and often resources to build, but I think it’s non-negotiable.

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

My second summer in Bend, Oregon. We have real seasons here! Which is different from anywhere I’ve lived before. So, floating on the river this summer, and learning cross-country skiing this past winter.

What’s something you’ve learned recently?

That I actually need to take a legitimate lunch break. Meaning, eating away from my computer, going outside, smelling some fresh air, and petting my dog.

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

I think the lifelong learner in me loves this work because there’s so much depth. You can always improve your medical nutrition therapy, counseling skills, and ability to be with people going through tough stuff. The longer I do this, the more it’s about the relationships I’m building with clients and the providers I connect with.

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

Because of the different insurance plans I accept, I get to see a wide range of people. I work with chronic health conditions that I have lived experience with (MCAS and migraine), and I also love working with the menopause population because I’m right there in it.

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

Oh my, I’m unsure what I would do without the resources. I access past training resources all the time, these are gold. My favorite part really has to be the live opportunities and case consults, the Binge Eating course groups with Fiona Sutherland and Aaron Flores, and I’ve attended a lot of Erin Phillips’ diabetes groups.

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

I have an insurance-based, mostly virtual solo private practice. I’m in an office one day a week in downtown Bend. I accept all the major commercial insurance plans, Medicare, and Oregon Health Plan (Oregon’s Medicaid plan). Taking insurance has been a huge leap and learning curve this year.