Dietitians are licensed, regulated healthcare providers who practice nutrition in hospitals, family health teams, the food industry, public health, and more. The title “dietitian” is legally protected in Canada, but “nutritionist” is not. All dietitians must have a 4-year degree in nutrition, a 1-year internship or Master’s degree in nutrition (with integrated placements), and must pass a national exam. We are also regulated by a College, and must maintain minimum practice hours.

Dietitians are available in lots of settings. Private practice dietitians like me are not currently covered by the public Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), but many private health insurance plans cover some or all of the fees. In Ontario, you can also access a dietitian through Telehealth at 1-866-797-0000, or you can ask your family doctor if there is a dietitian on your Family Health Team that you could be referred to.

Maybe. Because I’m regulated by the College of Dietitians of Ontario, I provide services to people living here (with virtual services, I can see you no matter where you are in the province). If you live outside Ontario, I would need to investigate depending on where you live in Canada. If you’re outside Canada, I’m unable to see you as a client. You can find a dietitian wherever you live using the Dietitians of Canada Find a Dietitian search.

Insurance coverage varies by company and plan: some cover dietitians specifically, and some have general “health spending” accounts. I will investigate this for you and set up direct billing if it’s offered by the insurance company. If not, you may need to submit receipts for reimbursement, or pay out-of-pocket if the service is not covered. In special situations, I may be able to offer a discount for people with no coverage.

Yes. I use a system called Jane app, which offers secure video calls and encrypted data storage and transfer. The servers are located in Canada (Montreal), and the whole system complies with Canadian privacy law (PIPEDA). You don’t need to download anything—just click and begin! When you book, you’ll also get a copy of my privacy policy, which you can ask me about at any time.

A kiwi is a person from New Zealand (like me!). The name comes from a native flightless bird called a kiwi, (kiwifruit are named after the bird as well). While I’ve lived in Canada for almost 20 years now, I still consider myself a kiwi.