Eating food and caring for our bodies are meant to be pleasurable and life-giving activities, but often things go awry and we find ourselves eating and operating in ways that do not sustain us or make us feel our best. The world that we live in and events in our lives can leave us disconnected from our bodies and how to best take care of them. When we don’t care for ourselves first, it is nearly impossible to care for others well and live out our purpose on the planet. I am Heidi Schauster, MS, LDN, CEDS-S, SEP a nutrition therapist with nearly 30 years of experience as a disordered eating specialist. I strive to inspire my clients, readers, and students to build a better relationship with food, their bodies, and selves. I practice as a Certified Eating Disorders Registered Dietitian and Clinical Supervisor/Consultant for health professionals, a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP), and a Self-Care and Embodiment Coach. I am passionate about inspiring my clients, readers, students, and professional colleagues (particularly those who identify as women), to be truly embodied in a world that does not always encourage this. I work from an Intuitive Eating, Health-at-Every-Size (HAES), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) framework. I’ve trained extensively over my life in Dance, Authentic and Improvisational Movement, and Mindfulness Meditation. I trained in Somatic Experiencing (SE) to better assist my clients with trauma histories to find self-regulation and feel more at home in their bodies. I’m a lifelong student myself, always growing along with my clients and the professionals I supervise and train. I do NOT do traditional weight-loss counseling or prescribe dieting. The research (and hundreds of my clients' experiences) clearly shows that trying to manipulate weight through diet change is not sustainable and often harmful. Furthermore, I strive to empower my clients to look beyond the size of their bodies and nourish the person within, with a focus on whole-self wellness. That said, I know that it’s hard to live in a culture that does not celebrate body diversity and I own my privilege as a white, cisgender, thin woman. I believe that all races, genders, and body types are welcome and worthy of acceptance and love.
