Nutrition Counseling & Coaching Skills

[Certificate of Completion]

Build confidence and clarity when working with nutrition clients.

LEARN MORE

A self-paced online course designed specifically for dietitians to help you counsel with ease

  • Build confidence in your counseling and coaching skills.
  • Develop your own consistent, signature process for running initial and follow-up client sessions.
  • Utilize practical motivational interviewing skills to help clients and patients get results.
  • Feel equipped to navigate and troubleshoot common counseling interactions, including how to carry the conversation, what to do with lack of action, how to respond to negativity and more!
  • Designed for Registered Dietitians and nutrition professionals working 1:1 with clients in a nutrition capacity.

INSIDE THE PROGRAM

Real-world nutrition counseling education, focused on practical application

Self-paced course covering the counseling mindset, counseling foundations of motivational interviewing and CBT, how to structure and format client sessions, counseling in action and troubleshooting difficult scenarios (see what's in the CURRICULUM below).

Workbook, including scripts, question prompts

Filled with hundreds of question prompts, counseling scripts, counseling simulations and practical advice. Plus, reflective activities to help you implement the information (see what's in the WORKBOOK below).

Audio Counseling Simulations

Of initial and follow-up mock counseling sessions so you can learn what it looks like to implement the course material in practice (without sounding awkward or forced).

Fat-Positive, Anti-Oppressive Counseling Techniques

Join Registered Dietitian, Kimmie Singh for a pre-recorded guest training on implementing counseling techniques from a fat-positive and anti-oppressive framework (can be watched at any time).

Certificate of Completion

So you can showcase your professional development on your resume, LinkedIn and to your employer.

"I've done tons of continuing education on counselling for my private practice, and this course is by far the most practical program that I've come across. The scripts are taken from real-life scenarios that you'll come across in practice every single day, and the learnings can be used immediately to help you feel more confident in counselling and better support your clients. I'm impressed with the thoroughness of this program - it gives you ALL the practical details and guides to run an effective counselling session."

— Trista C., MHSc, RD

CURRICULUM

🧠🧠 Counseling Mindset

  • Navigating imposter syndrome, the need to 'fix' your clients and adopting a growth mindset
  • Counseling vs. coaching
  • Daily affirmations checklist

📝 Counseling Foundations

  • Counseling vs. education
  • Understanding how clients change behavior
  • Using motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy within scope

✅ Counseling Sessions: Structure & Format

  • Overall flow of the session
  • Prepping for a client & building rapport (+ scripts)
  • Running discovery calls (+ script)
  • Establishing goals & exploring readiness to change
  • Identifying short-term actions to achieve goals (+ master list of goals)

🤝 Counseling & Coaching Skills 

  • Asking effective questions (+ question prompts)
  • Affirmation and reflective listening (+ scripts)
  • Providing feedback and giving advice (+ scripts)
  • How to measure success

 

 

💡Troubleshooting

  • Lack of progress
  • Discharging a patient
  • Lack of truthfulness
  • Negativity
  • Mismatching priorities between client and practitioner
  • Navigating mental health
  • and more!
  • (all include scripts)

🔐 Extras & Bonuses

  • Initial & Follow-Up Audio Simulations to see how all information comes together in practice
  • Fat-liberation, anti-oppressive counseling (guest workshop)
  • Scripts for: how to educate on common nutrition topics, label reading, plate method

DIGITAL WORKBOOK

Once you purchase the Counseling & Coaching Skills Certificate program, you will be provided immediate access to a 50+ page digital workbook.

Included in the workbook:

  • Master list of motivational interviewing and CBT questions - open ended, guided discovery, reflective listening, giving feedback, cultural competence
  • Troubleshooting scripts - what to do in the following scenarios: discharging a patient, navigating lack of truthfulness, negativity, mismatching priorities, mental health
  • Practitioner mindset affirmations
  • Discovery call script + example
  • SMART goal examples for each stage of change
  • Scripts for:
    • Explaining label reading, the plate method and mindful eating
    • Initial and follow-up case simulations
    • Conducting a grocery store tour & conducting group sessions

GET ACCESS THROUGH THE DSC PRACTITIONER MEMBERSHIP

$799/YR

USD

  • 10-module online course 
  • Digital workbook
  • Counseling audio simulations
  • 100's of scripts and question prompts, including SMART goals for various nutrition conditions, explaining label reading/mindful eating/plate method, master list of open ended questions, guided discovery, giving feedback, discovery call script, and more! 
Sign Me Up!

COURSE HIGHLIGHTS

Joan Marks, RD

 

"Whether you're a novice or a veteran, this course offers something for every practitioner. From counselling skills development to 1:1 mentorship to lifetime access, this course provides it all. Excellent value - highly recommend."

Erin M'Larkey, RD, MPH, CDE 

 

"I wish that I had this course when I first started practicing as a dietitian! The course's ability to break down theories of counselling into practical skills is incredible, and I love all the prompts provided. I highly recommend the course to anyone working with clients!"

Elizabeth Mills, RD 

 

"This valuable course provides real life scenarios and professional assistance with navigating a counseling session. Filled with hundreds of scripts, this course takes you through variety of situations so you feel fully prepared managing client interactions."

Trista Chan, RD, MHSc

 

"I've done tons of continuing education on counselling for my private practice, and this course is by far the practical program that I've come across. The scripts are taken from real-life scenarios that you'll come across in practice every single day, and the learnings can be used immediately to help you feel more confident in counselling and better support your clients. I'm impressed with the thoroughness of this program - it gives you ALL the practical details and guides to run an effective counselling session."

Hiba Rachid, RD, M.AN

 

"The course was very comprehensive and helpful. It is well-structured and engaging. The modules were short and brief which I found very effective. I look forward to taking more courses like this in the future through DSC :)"

Tegan Bissell, RDN, CDE

 

"This course is a valuable resource for anyone looking to level up their counseling skills. Whether you already have a private practice or not, the skills learned in this training on how to influence change in your clients, build trust, and promote retention is priceless. I love all of the real-life examples and the workbook where you can work through situations at your own pace! I wish I had this course when I first started out in counseling!"

Questions?

Contact Us Here!

  • The DSC Nutrition Counseling & Coaching Certificate is for any nutrition professional who is looking for:

     

    Practical Content

    The course content is designed to help you actually implement nutrition counseling techniques, like motivational interviewing and CBT, instead of just teaching you theory like you covered in school.

    Application

    Hundreds of question prompts and scripts which will help you apply counseling techniques in practice (without feeling overly formal or awkward).

    Troubleshooting Advice

    From what to do if a client isn't making progress, how to tell if your client is even ready to change, how to avoid providing information overload, to what to do if a client is being overly negative 

    Implementation Support

    We not only provide you with extensive education and workbook tools, guides and scripts, we also give you access to our Community of experienced dietitians to help you implement the material into your practice.

COURSE CONTRIBUTORS & REVIEWERS

Krista Kolodziejzyk, RD, MPH, MBA

Krista is a Registered Dietitian and the founder of DSC. She has a Masters degree in Public Health Nutrition from the University of Toronto and a Masters degree in Business Administration from the University of Guelph. She is also pursuing her Level 1 Life & Wellness Coaching Certification through the International Coaching Foundation (ICF). She is a huge proponent of making forward progress in the field of dietetics and loves to challenge the status quo.

Olivia Farrow, RD, MHSc

Olivia, a Registered Dietitian with a Master of Health Science degree in Nutrition Communication, leads content development at DSC as the Content Manager. Her expertise lies in effective knowledge translation, crafting accessible nutrition resources, and simplifying complex health research for diverse audiences. She previously owned a baby-led weaning focused private practice.

Maria Dellanina, RD

Maria is a Registered Dietitian and the Operations Manager for DSC. She completed her Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Dominican University and her Dietetic Internship through Cal Poly- SLO. As a dietitian and health coach, she is thrilled to enable more providers to lean into counseling & coaching skills that positively impact health outcomes for the client and career satisfaction for the practitioner.

Joan Marks, RD

Joan brings over 28 years of dietitian experience to the table. She currently owns and operates Dietista, a private nutrition consulting practice based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Areas of practice include pediatric nutrition (autism, constipation, growth concerns, picky eating), medical nutrition therapy for adults (fatty liver, high cholesterol, obesity, type 2 diabetes, other), menopause, and weight management. 

Erin M'Larkey, RD, MPH, CDE

Erin obtained her degree in Applied Human Nutrition at the University of Guelph, followed by a dietetic internship at St. Michael’s Hospital, where she worked for almost a decade as a clinical dietitian. Eager for more learning, she pursued her Master of Public Health with a Collaborative Specialization in Women’s Health at the University of Toronto.

Eventually craving a change of pace, she returned to her hometown and turned her passion side project, Kitchen Witch Nutrition, into a nutrition consulting business. She also works full-time as a Certified Diabetes Educator in her community.

Kimmie Singh, RD

Kimmie Singh is a self-proclaimed fat Registered Dietitian based in New York City. She is the owner of Body Honor Nutrition, a nutrition private practice that supports individuals to heal their relationships with food and body. Kimmie supports her clients with a fat-positive and anti-oppressive framework and has a special passion for working with people that have polycystic ovarian syndrome. Kimmie is also a sought-after speaker and has presented at several national conferences. She presents on the effects of anti-fat stigma in healthcare and nutrition. Kimmie is a believer in kindness, compassion, and the power of advocacy. Click to learn more about Kimmie.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions