Helen Barnett

Dietitian & Nutritionist

My passion is to help you restore a healthy relationship with food, understand how and why you need to nourish your body, while genuinely learning to find the joy in eating. I hope to help you achieve a balance between food, movement, and emotional conceptions of health through supporting your Body and Mind with good Nutrition.

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Personalised Nutrition Counselling

I am a Dietitian (APD), Registered Nutritionist, Certified Intuitive Eating Coach, and Credentialed Eating Disorders Clinician (CEDC) located within Dubbo Health Hub in Dubbo, and Psych Solutions in Orange. I have a strong focus on trauma-informed care and how health and diet impact our mental, physical, social and emotional well-being. I come from a place of non-judgement and inclusivity with a keen desire to understand your journey and your perspective. I like to have real conversations and am comfortable confronting challenging topics – of which weight, food, body, gut health, eating disorders and the relationship with food – seem to be some.

My underlying philosophy is that of Health at Every size and I come from a “non-diet” perspective. This is because I fundamentally believe that the size of a person does not dictate their worth, and no matter the size of a person, I may be able to help improve someone’s health through their diet. I believe I can do this by not focusing on weight. I also fundamentally believe that dieting does not work – and we know it’s the single biggest predictor of an eating disorder. And so, I prefer to help people normalise their relationship with food

 

I have an uncomplicated approach to food and health because I see eating as a fundamental human need. I combine this with a detailed (though hopefully simplified) understanding of the science behind both nutrition and human physiology to give you the most up-to date recommendations. I am passionate about helping my clients develop self-compassion in a rapidly changing world and learn to love (or at the very least, value) themselves so they can nourish and feed themselves in a caring and kind way. I love the psychology behind human behaviour and am more interested in my clients’ relationship with food than prescribing another meal plan. My goal is to help guide you to trust your own wisdom regarding what is right for you; to trust your own intuition, and not the ever changing external “rules” from the media, books or other people. 

As an Evidence-based clinician I am constantly learning and love to share this knowledge with my clients in the spirit of openness and collaboration.

Living in a rural area means that I am a Rural Generalist Dietitian. This means I cover many nutritional related concerns. At the same time, I have many areas of interest and have done extensive further training in IBS and complex Gut Disorders (Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, SIBO and Coeliac Disease), Eating Disorders, Chronic Dieting and weight concerns, Intuitive Eating, NDIS, Autism and ADHD, Women’s Health, and fertility, PCOS, Sports Nutrition, and Nutrigenomics, DNA testing and Personalised Nutrition. I offer services to all ages – from babies who may have intolerances or allergies from breast or bottle-feeding and onto issues with starting solids, through to assisting the elderly maintain adequate nutrition in order to remain independent. In the last few years I have started consulting to a number of Residential Aged care facilities throughout the central west, and now service 5 facilities regularly.

 

Many people offer Nutrition advice. Why choose a Dietitian?

As an Accredited Practising Dietitians (APDs) I am a university-qualified nutrition professional. I am required to undertake ongoing training and education to ensure my knowledge is up-to-date, reliable, credible and evidence-based. APDs are the most qualified healthcare professionals to provide tailored nutrition and dietary advice, and they are the only nutrition professionals recognised by the Australian Government, Medicare, and Private Health Insurers – meaning you may be eligible for a rebate for the services we provide. In this regard, a Dietitian is significantly different to a Nutritionist or Naturopath, who is not recognised by Medicare (and hence can not provide rebates to patients). Moreover, due to the nature of their qualifications Nutritionist and Naturopaths are unregulated industries – again meaning that providers with limited qualifications can provide services using these titles. In contrast, A Dietitian in Australia must complete an accredited degree which then enables recognition from Medicare.
 
As an Accredited Sports Dietitian I have done further training through the AIS and Sports Dieititan’s Australia, along with continuing Education over 3 years to attain the credential of Accredited Sports Dietitian. This enables me to give tailored nutrition advice to elite, Master’s and amateur athletes.
 
I have also completed additional training to become a Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor, a Monash University Trained Low FODMAP Dietitian, and a Credentialed Eating Disorders Clinician (Dietician) through ANZAED.
 
While a dietitian can help with “healthy eating”, a dietitian has extra training to assess nutritional needs and use ‘Medical Nutrition Therapy’ to help people manage their health through food choices. APDs help treat a wide range of medical conditions including diabetes, heart disease, cancers, gastrointestinal diseases, food allergies, food intolerances and disordered eating. APDs have the skills to:
  • Assess individual nutritional needs
  • Develop personalised eating plans for chronic diseases
  • Deliver group nutrition education sessions
  • Sort out nutrition fact from fiction
  • Undertake nutrition and food research
  • Develop nutrition communications, programs and policies.
 

Nutrition Services I offer Include:

  • Gastrointestinal Health, IBS, FODMAPS, IBD, Diverticulitis, Coeliac Disease, read more here
  • Food Intolerances and Allergies
  • Fatty Liver and Cirrhosis
  • Diabetes, Pre-diabetes, PCOS, Metabolic Syndrome, read more here
  • Eating Disorders, Body Image and Chronic Dieting, read more here
  • Heart Health, High Blood pressure, High Cholesterol
  • Mental Health – anxiety, depression, managing medication associated weight issues
  • Weight Concerns – under and overweight, read more here
  • General Health and wellbeing
  • Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and women’s health, read more here
  • Thyroid and Adrenal issues
  • Children’s Nutrition, Fussy eating, Growth concerns, ADHD/Autism, read more here
  • Sports Nutrition – Nutrition for performance and Athletes with eating disorders
  • NDIS – Self managed and Plan managed clients

For more information about my treatment approach and philosophy please visit my About page here

The best gift you are ever going to give someone – the permission to feel safe in their own skin. To feel worthy. To feel like they’re enough.”

Hannah Brechner

“I intend to accept my body today, love my body tomorrow, and appreciate my body always.”

Orange

For Appointments please contact:
Tel: 02 6884 1804

https://dubbohealthhub.com.au

Hours
Monday: 9:00am to 5:00pm
Tuesday: 8:30am to 3:30pm

 

Dubbo

Dubbo Health Hub

183 Brisbane St, Dubbo, 2830
Tel: 02 6884 1804

https://dubbohealthhub.com.au

Hours
Wednesdays 8:30 to 5:00pm
Friday 8:30am to 3.00pm

 

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Accredited Practising Dietitian
ANZAED Member