Fostering Healing and Connection in a Virtual World: Best Practices for Telehealth

The world of healthcare drastically changed in 2020, with many professionals questioning how to maintain quality care in a virtual setting. This presentation will allow participants to understand licensing laws around telehealth in the United States and internationally, while providing insight on strategies to connect with clients, create a healing space in the virtual world, and practice various dietary approaches through telehealth.

Learning Objectives:

Following this presentation, participants will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a better understanding of the barriers of dietetic work in eating disorders in a virtual setting
2. Understand where you can practice in the United States with your dietetic licensure, how to get this information when you’re unsure, and how to bill for telehealth services
3. Implement practical techniques for incorporating nutrition interventions through a virtual medium (ex. food exposures, weigh-ins, experiential exercises)
4. Name practical tips on how to maintain quality care and services in a virtual world

Annyck Besso Bio:

Annyck Besso is a registered dietitian and the founder of Sööma, a private practice that serves the Montreal (Canada) population and offers services virtually in the United States. She founded Sööma in March 2020, at the outset of the pandemic, serving the majority of her clientele virtually. Annyck now manages a team of registered dietitians and psychologists who collaborate in the treatment of eating disorders in addition to supervising several dietitians who practice in the United States.

Annyck built her expertise in the treatment of eating disorders in both private and academic medical centers settings in Canada and the US. After completing a Bachelors in Nutrition and Dietetics, Annyck completed her master in Dietetics at McGill University. Post-Masters, her career began working on a pediatric unit specializing in the treatment of eating disorders at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute in Montreal.

She then moved to Washington, DC, where she lived for three years, became familiar with American healthcare, and continued her work in private practice, treating individuals diagnosed with eating disorders. While in DC, she also developed and directed a day program where people of all ages were admitted and treated for 20 hours per week.

Annyck has received specialty training in evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Family-Based Treatment (FBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), which are used heavily throughout her nutrition interventions.

Beyond any specific intervention, Annyck strongly believes in providing client-centered care. In her work, she creatively adapts to circumstances and clients’ experiences to offer a nutrition approach that is individualized, compassionate, and evidence-based.