What To Expect During Your Consultation
Knowing what to expect during your consultation can make taking the first step feel a little easier. At The Riverside Dietitians, appointments are designed to give you time to talk through what has been happening, what you would like support with and what may be most helpful for you. Sophie takes a personalised, evidence-based and non-judgemental approach, whether you are seeking support with eating disorders or disordered eating, fertility, pregnancy, postpartum nutrition, digestive health or another area of dietetics.
There is no expectation that you arrive with everything worked out. Your consultation is an opportunity to explore your concerns, ask questions and begin building a clearer understanding of your nutritional needs.
A Personalised & Supportive Approach From The Start
Every person's circumstances are different, so your consultation is shaped around you rather than a standard template.
You can expect:
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Time To Talk: Space to explain what has brought you to the appointment and what you would like help with.
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Individual Support: Advice that considers your health, nutrition, circumstances and personal goals.
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Evidence-Based Guidance: Recommendations grounded in professional dietetic practice rather than trends or one-size-fits-all advice.
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A Non-Judgemental Approach: Sensitive topics around food, eating, health and body image can be discussed openly and respectfully.
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Clear Next Steps: The aim is for you to leave with a better understanding of what may help and what the next stage of support could look like.
For some people, simply knowing that the consultation will be a conversation rather than a test can make the process feel more manageable.
Before Your First Consultation
Once you have chosen to seek support, the first stage is arranging an appointment that is appropriate for your needs.
You do not need to prepare a perfect food diary, know exactly what is wrong or have a clear set of goals before getting started. Many people come to their first consultation because something does not feel right, they have questions about their nutrition or they would like professional guidance around a particular concern.
Before your appointment, it can be useful to think about:
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What has prompted you to seek support now
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Any symptoms, eating difficulties or nutritional concerns you would like to discuss
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Relevant medical information or diagnoses
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Any questions you would particularly like answered
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What you would ideally like to feel clearer or more confident about after receiving support
If you are unsure which type of support is most appropriate, you can explore our specialist dietetic services and wider dietetic services.
What Happens During Your First Appointment
Your first consultation is primarily about understanding you and your situation.
Rather than beginning with generic dietary advice, Sophie will take time to explore the wider picture and understand what has been happening.
We Talk About Your Concerns
The appointment begins with a conversation about what has brought you to The Riverside Dietitians.
This might involve a specific nutritional concern, difficulties around food, digestive symptoms, eating-disorder recovery, fertility or pregnancy nutrition, or simply feeling uncertain about whether your current diet is meeting your needs.
You will have an opportunity to explain things in your own words and raise anything that feels important to you.
We Explore The Wider Picture
Nutrition rarely exists in isolation.
Where relevant, Sophie may explore areas such as your health history, eating patterns, lifestyle, symptoms, relationship with food and other factors that could influence your nutritional needs.
The purpose is not to judge what you eat. It is to understand enough of the wider context to provide advice that is appropriate for you.
We Discuss Your Priorities
Different people need different things from dietetic support.
For one person, the priority may be improving nutritional adequacy. For another, it may be managing digestive symptoms, feeling safer around food, preparing for pregnancy or navigating nutrition during recovery from an eating disorder.
Together, you can identify the areas that matter most and where support is likely to be most useful.
We Agree Your Next Steps
Your consultation should leave you with greater clarity rather than a long list of unrealistic instructions.
Where appropriate, Sophie will discuss practical recommendations and possible next steps based on what you have explored together.
These may evolve over time as your circumstances, needs and confidence change.
Sensitive Conversations Around Food & Eating
Talking about food, eating habits, weight, body image or health can sometimes feel difficult.
This is particularly important for people seeking support with eating disorders, disordered eating or nutrition during fertility, pregnancy and the postpartum period, where food can be closely connected with anxiety, emotions and changing physical needs.
Sophie has more than 10 years of clinical dietetic experience, including experience within NHS and psychiatric healthcare settings. Her approach is designed to be compassionate, personalised and non-judgemental.
You do not need to justify your concerns or wait until things feel severe enough to ask for help.
You can learn more about Sophie's experience and approach on our About The Riverside Dietitians page.
What Happens After Your Consultation
Dietetic support does not always end with the first conversation.
Depending on your individual needs, further support may involve reviewing how things are progressing, answering new questions, adapting recommendations or continuing to work towards nutritional goals over time.
The appropriate next step will depend on your circumstances and the reason you have sought support.
Some people may benefit from ongoing dietetic input, while others may need a different level or type of professional support. Where another healthcare professional would be better placed to help with part of your care, this should be discussed openly.
Our aim is to make the next steps clear so that you understand what support may be appropriate rather than feeling unsure about what happens next.
In-Person & Online Dietitian Consultations
The Riverside Dietitians provides in-person appointments from our clinic at Lowes Farm House in Burton Joyce, Nottinghamshire, as well as online consultations for people across the UK.
If you are attending in person, you can learn more about the setting before your appointment on our Nottinghamshire clinic page.
Online consultations can also provide access to specialist dietetic support without the need to travel, which may be particularly useful when the right expertise is more important than geographical proximity.
Finding The Right Type Of Dietetic Support
The Riverside Dietitians supports people across a range of nutritional concerns, with particular expertise in eating disorders and disordered eating and the ways these can intersect with fertility, pregnancy and postpartum nutrition.
Our specialist areas include support around:
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Eating disorders and disordered eating
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Fertility and preconception nutrition
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Pregnancy nutrition
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Postpartum and breastfeeding nutrition
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Digestive health
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Wider personalised dietetic needs
If you are not sure where your needs fit, our service pages can help you understand the different types of support available.
Questions Before Your Appointment
Learn More Before Getting Started
If you would like to understand more about the areas we work in before arranging an appointment, you can explore our educational resources and answers to common questions.
Our Research & Clinical Resources bring together evidence and information relevant to our areas of dietetic practice, while our FAQs answer practical questions about accessing support.
Ready To Take The Next Step?
Reaching out for dietetic support can feel like a significant step, particularly when your concerns involve food, eating, pregnancy or other sensitive areas of health. Our aim is to make the process clear, supportive and centred around what you need.
Your first consultation gives you an opportunity to talk things through with Sophie, understand your options and begin identifying practical next steps without judgement or pressure.
Call +44 7935 897304
