We are excited to introduce you to EDRD Pro member Kathleen Froehlich, MS, RD, LDN (she/her/hers)! Kathleen believes that “all foods fit” in a balanced diet and supports her clients in exploring their relationship with food and body. She works within a weight-inclusive, Health at Every Size®, Intuitive Eating Framework and is a Fat Positive dietitian.
Connect with Kathleen on Instagram @kathedrd or @nurturing_mama_rd, as well as at www.intuitivenutritionrd.com
What’s your favorite meal?
There are so many foods I love, but one of the best meals I ever had was with a good friend from Italy in her hometown of Artena. We had a lunch of amazing pasta and roasted veggie and seafood dishes at a restaurant that was carved into the side of a mountain. It was amazing!
What’s saving your life right now?
My back porch. It’s my little oasis living in the city and being able to get outside for fresh air and to ground a bit with my potted plants is everything.
If you could choose anyone as a mentor, who would it be, and why?
Dana Sturtevant from Be Nourished. Meeting Dana and Hillary at a MEDA conference several years ago and learning about Be Nourished was a game-changer for my personal and professional journey.
What’s something you’ve learned recently?
I’m reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer right now and am learning a ton about the wisdom of trees and plants. I had no idea how maple trees actually produce sap until reading this book. It has changed the way I see my surroundings.
What would you say is one of the most valuable skills you’ve developed in your career?
Humility. To acknowledge that I can never know everything and that my client is the expert in their own story and experience has shaped my view of the world and my practice.
What words of encouragement or advice would you tell your younger self?
I would tell myself to keep connecting with my internal wisdom and to try not to get swept up trying to please everyone else.
If you didn’t do what you do professionally, what other job or field would you have pursued, and why?
Having previously had a career in finance before becoming a dietitian, I can definitely say not finance! I would probably want to work in the nonprofit world and work on changing food systems to provide adequate food for all people.
What’s something that most people don’t know about you?
Growing up, I loved acting and being on stage. A favorite role was at drama camp where I played Goldilocks in “Goldilocks on Trial” and was asked to play the role similar to Marissa Tomei’s in My Cousin Vinny—accent and all!
Where do you work?
I work in private practice in Arlington, Massachusetts. My office is in Arlington, so I’m either working from there or from home. I have really enjoyed working with parents on their relationship with food and their bodies and then looking at how that affects the feeding relationship in the whole family. I am trying to shift my practice towards doing more of this work but also work with individuals 16+ on eating disorder recovery, ARFID, and Intuitive Eating as a fat positive dietitian.
What do you enjoy most about what you do?
I truly enjoy giving people permission to enjoy themselves. To enjoy food again without rules, to move joyfully. To see a client light up explaining a moment of pleasure or embodied enjoyment is so rewarding.
Why eating disorders treatment? What drives you?
Like many who come to this work, I come to it from my own lived experience of my own eating disorder recovery and of living in a family system filled with weight stigma, eating disorders, and diet culture. What drives me most is to really create a different experience for others and for future generations. To help others truly connect to themselves and honor their own needs and feel the liberation that brings.
Who are your favorite social media influencers in the non-diet, recovery, body liberation space?
There are SO many! A few favorites:
- @nalgonapositivitypride
- @iamannachapman
- @counseling4allseasons
- @jessicawilson.msrd
- @your_body_is_good
- @decolonizing_fitness
- @benourishedpdx
What books or resources have made a difference in the way you work?
- Anti-Diet by Christy Harrison
- Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch
- Intuitive Eating Workbook by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch
- Fearing the Black Body by Sabrina Strings
- Sick Enough by Jennifer Gaudiani
How did you find the non-diet, Intuitive Eating, and Health at Every Size® approaches, and what inspired you to adopt these frameworks?
I think this was a general path. First, I did have a nutrition professor mention HAES in a class. Then, I found Intuitive Eating during my own recovery and also started exploring HAES more. Then, I worked in a treatment facility and realized the weight bias and harm being done in eating disorder treatment and how it did not align with my own values at all. Then, through resources like EDRD Pro, I started un-learning and re-learning a lot more. I can say my outlook at the way I practice is a complete departure from when I initially decided to become a dietitian, and I don’t ethically think I could practice any other way!
What is one non-diet, Intuitive Eating, and/or Health at Every Size® pearl of wisdom you’d like to share?
Resist the urge to teach your clients the “perfect” balance/plate/way to approach eating. Instead, help them begin to connect to what feels good for them and what their body is asking for. It’s OK if that means the meal or snack doesn’t embody all the food rules you learned in school—trust the wisdom of your clients.
What projects, products, or services do you offer that you want to share with our audience?
I also offer private practice coaching to dietitians looking to go off on their own or to grow their business. I am also trying to grow my new Nurturing Mama RD business which is my passion project!