What is Nutritional Counseling?

Nutritional counseling is an essential part of eating disorder treatment that helps clients restore balanced eating patterns, improve physical health, and reduce food-related anxiety. At Virtue Recovery, registered dietitians and nutrition professionals work one-on-one with clients to create individualized plans that meet their unique needs.

More than just meal planning, nutritional counseling helps clients challenge disordered beliefs, understand the body’s needs, and build confidence in nourishing themselves without fear or guilt.

5 Benefits of Nutritional Counseling for Eating Disorders

Restores Physical Health

Supports weight stabilization and healing from nutritional deficiencies.

Reduces Food Anxiety

Helps clients face food fears with guidance and compassion.

Challenges Disordered Beliefs

Corrects myths around dieting, “good” vs. “bad” foods, and rigid rules.

Supports Meal Planning & Balance

Provides structure and guidance for daily eating.

Encourages Long-Term Recovery

Builds sustainable habits for lifelong health.

Do I Have an Eating Disorder?

If you’re concerned about your symptoms, click below to take our eating disorders quiz.

How Nutritional Counseling Works at Virtue Recovery

  • Individual Nutrition Sessions – Personalized plans and education.

  • Meal Support Therapy – Guided meals with coaching for challenging foods.

  • Food Exposure Therapy – Gradual introduction of feared foods in a safe setting.

  • Nutrition Education – Relearning how the body uses and benefits from food.

  • Relapse Prevention Strategies – Building confidence and independence around eating.

Luxury Nutritional Support

Virtue Recovery combines compassionate nutritional counseling with luxury amenities, including chef-prepared meals designed to meet recovery needs. Our supportive environment helps clients experience food in a safe, balanced, and enjoyable way.

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Our Las Vegas Luxury Inpatient Eating Disorder Treatment Center

Inpatient clients receive intensive nutritional counseling as part of their daily treatment. Registered dietitians collaborate with therapists and medical staff to restore physical health while addressing emotional and behavioral challenges around food.

Inpatient services include:

  • Daily meal support and exposure therapy

  • Structured meal planning

  • Medical monitoring for nutritional rehabilitation

  • Education for clients and families

Our Las Vegas Outpatient Eating Disorder Treatment Center

Outpatient clients receive nutritional counseling that fits into their daily routines. This allows individuals to practice recovery skills at home while maintaining professional support.

Outpatient services include:

  • Weekly or biweekly nutrition counseling sessions

  • Flexible meal planning and support

  • Education for sustainable recovery at home

  • Family involvement for ongoing accountability

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Our Las Vegas Adolescent / Teen Inpatient Eating Disorder Treatment Center

Nutritional counseling is critical for teens, who are still developing physically, emotionally, and cognitively. Our Teen Program provides age-appropriate nutritional support that involves both the adolescent and their family.

Program highlights include:

  • Family-based meal planning and education

  • Nutrition counseling tailored to adolescent needs

  • Peer meal support groups

  • Academic coordination during treatment

  • 24/7 medical and therapeutic supervision in inpatient care

Frequently Asked Questions

It’s a dietitian-led service that helps clients restore balanced eating, challenge food fears, and build sustainable habits.

Registered dietitians and licensed nutrition professionals with experience in eating disorder treatment.

Yes, but they are flexible, individualized, and focused on recovery — not dieting or restriction.

It restores health, reduces food-related anxiety, and builds a healthier relationship with food.

Yes. Our adolescent program (ages 11–17) includes family involvement to support long-term recovery.

Glossary of Terms for Nutritional Counseling

Dietitian-led support for balanced eating and recovery.

Guided meals with therapist or dietitian support.

Gradually facing feared foods in a safe setting.

Learning how food supports physical and mental health.

Strategies to sustain recovery long-term.

A licensed professional trained in nutrition.

A treatment model that includes families in recovery.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT helps clients identify and reframe negative thought patterns that lead to disordered eating behaviors.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

DBT equips individuals with skills in emotional regulation, mindfulness, and distress tolerance to reduce self-destructive eating behaviors.

Motivational Interviewing (MI)

MI fosters intrinsic motivation for recovery by helping clients resolve ambivalence and set meaningful goals.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT guides clients to accept difficult emotions while taking committed actions aligned with their values and recovery.

Family-Based Therapy (FBT)

FBT empowers families, particularly for adolescents, to take an active role in restoring healthy eating and supporting long-term recovery.

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)

IPT addresses how relationship challenges, grief, or life transitions contribute to eating disorders and promotes healthier social functioning.

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

ERP reduces food-related anxiety by helping clients gradually confront feared foods and break avoidance patterns.

Meal Support Therapy

Structured mealtime support provides a safe environment to help clients relearn normal eating patterns and reduce food-related fear.

Nutritional Counseling

Licensed dietitians work closely with clients to develop balanced, individualized meal plans and restore healthy nutritional habits.

Group Therapy

Group therapy fosters peer support, shared healing, and community connection throughout the recovery journey.

Art Therapy

Art therapy offers a nonverbal outlet for exploring emotions, trauma, and body image issues through creative expression.

Music Therapy

Music therapy engages clients in healing through sound, rhythm, and songwriting to promote emotional release and relaxation.

Meditation Therapy

Meditation therapy promotes mindfulness, self-awareness, and inner calm, helping clients manage anxiety and stay grounded.

Yoga Therapy

Yoga therapy enhances body awareness, self-acceptance, and emotional balance through movement, breathwork, and mindfulness.

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