About

Hello,

I am Annica and I am Accredited Practising Dietitian and Somatic Practitioner.

That’s right, I use body sensing and relational healing to help people transform their relationship with food and their body.

I am so done with telling people what to eat.

I want to help people locate safety in their body and nervous system.

I want to help them understand the language of their body.

I want people to be aware of the subtle shifts in their body that help them know what they need to eat and how to nourish their body.

I have so much to share about physiology, nutrition, trauma, relationships and healing.

I want people to know what it is like to feel safe in the presence of a dietitian. I want people to feel what unconditional acceptance feels like. I want people to feel what it is like to feel capable and supported.

It doesn’t make sense to me that behaviour change can take place if these feelings are not familiar. Let’s get comfortable with feeling accepted and supported before talking about changing ingrained eating patterns.

My Story

I graduated a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Nutrition & Dietetics) from the University of Newcastle in 2009. I had an interest in bariatric surgery and the decision-making process behind an individual’s food choices.

Fortunately, this curiosity landed me a position at The Centre of Psychotherapy and gaining training to become a CBT-E Therapist (Cognitive Behaviour Therapist for Eating Disorders). This was a stepping-stone in my career to go on to work in various inpatient and day program eating disorder facilities and my own private practice. This experience proved valuable in understanding the complex nature of how an individual’s food choices are shaped and influenced.

Although, I didn’t feel that my training as a dietitian or eating disorders clinician really equipped me to fully understand behaviour change. I looked outside the typical clinical pathways of learning to expand my comprehension and found that Somatic Processing, Traditional Aboriginal Australian Nutrition and Culture and Anthroposophical Nutrition all supported a body-based approach and a deeper connection to nature. For the past 6 years I have been learning a new way of relating and being present. Transforming my own relationship with food, my body and nature.

In my current practice I weave body sensing and mindfulness throughout my dietetic practice and offer separate somatic sessions to understand what could unconsciously be contributing to sticky patterns.