What to Expect When Working With a Nutritional Therapist
If you've been thinking about working with a nutritional therapist but aren't quite sure what the process looks like or how it can help, this post is for you.
Working with a nutritional therapist is different from seeing your GP or working with a dietitian. The approach is holistic, investigative, and deeply personal. We're not just looking at what you eat. We're looking at your whole health picture to understand what's really going on in your body and why.
This level of detail can feel intimidating at first, especially if you've never worked with a practitioner in this way before. So I want to walk you through exactly what happens what you work with me, what's expected of you, and how to know if you're ready to commit to the process.
Because this work requires honesty, openness, and trust. If you're not ready for that yet, that's completely okay, but it's important to know what you're signing up for.
Before Your First Session: The Questionnaire and Food Diary
Before we even meet for your first consultation, you'll be sent a comprehensive health questionnaire and a food diary to complete.
I won't sugarcoat it, the questionnaire is long. It can feel overwhelming at first. But this form gives me a detailed understanding of your health history, symptoms, lifestyle, and goals before we ever speak. It allows me to come to our first session prepared, with questions already forming in my mind about what might be driving your symptoms.
You'll be asked about:
Your health history (diagnoses, surgeries, medications, supplements)
Your family health history
Your digestive health (bowel movements, bloating, gas, reflux)
Your menstrual cycle and history
Your energy levels, libido, sleep quality, mood, and stress
Your eating habits, food preferences, and relationship with food
Your lifestyle—work, exercise, relationships, daily routines
The food diary asks you to track what you eat and when for 3 days including meal timing, portion sizes, food combinations, how you feel after eating.
How to approach it:
Set aside an hour or so. Don't try to fill it in during a quick lunch break. Give yourself the time and space to think through your answers properly. You might need to reach out to family members if you can’t remember your childhood health or family history that might be relevant.
Be honest. I can't stress this enough. If you skip breakfast most days, tell me. If you're eating takeaway four nights a week, tell me. If you have three glasses of wine every evening to unwind, tell me. I'm not here to judge you, I'm here to help you. But I can only do that if I have accurate information.
Use your phone for the food diary. Jot down or take photos of what you eat throughout the day as you go. Don't wait until the evening to try to remember—you'll forget things, and accuracy matters.
You only have to do this once. Yes, it's time-consuming. But this detailed information is what allows me to create a truly personalised plan for you. It's worth the effort.
You'll Be Asked Very Personal Questions
During our work together, I'm going to ask you questions that might feel uncomfortable or invasive if you're not used to discussing these things.
I'll ask about:
Your bowel movements
Your menstrual cycle—flow, pain, PMS symptoms, clotting
Your weight and weight history
Your stress levels and mental health
Your relationships and home life
Your eating habits
Your sleep quality and patterns
These questions are asked because these details tell me what's happening inside your body. Your digestive health reflects your gut function and hormone metabolism. Your menstrual cycle reflects your hormone balance. Your sleep quality reflects your nervous system and cortisol levels. Your stress and relationships affect your entire physiology.
This is completely normal for me —and completely confidential.
As a nutritional therapist, I talk about poop, periods, bloating, anxiety, libido, weight struggles, and emotional eating all day, every day. There is absolutely no judgment. These are normal bodily functions and experiences. If you've been struggling with constipation for years or your periods are so painful you can't function—I've heard it before, and I'm here to help you understand why it's happening and what we can do about it.
But you need to be honest.
If you're not comfortable talking about these things yet, this might not be the right time for you to work with a nutritional therapist. I personalise everything based on what you share with me. If you're not eating breakfast but you tell me you are, the plan I create won't work because it's not based on reality. If you're drinking heavily to cope with stress but you don't mention it, I won't be able to address one of the key factors affecting your hormones and sleep.
I understand vulnerability is hard, but this process requires it. That’s why it’s so important to trust and feel comfortable with whoever you decide to work with - It is the most important aspect of the process.
You May Be Asked to Share GP Blood Test Results
If you've had recent blood tests done by your GP, I'll likely ask you to share them with me, because I'm looking at the results through a different lens.
GPs are trained to identify disease. If your thyroid results are within the "normal" reference range, your GP will tell you everything is fine. But as a nutritional therapist, I'm looking for optimal function, not just the absence of disease. Your TSH might be "normal" at 4.5, but that level could still be causing symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, and brain fog.
I might also spot patterns in your results that point to underlying issues—like borderline high blood sugar indicating insulin issues, or low ferritin (iron stores) contributing to your exhaustion and heavy periods.
If you haven't had blood tests recently, I might suggest requesting them from your GP. I'll tell you exactly which tests to ask for and why they're relevant to your symptoms.
The First Session: Your Story and Initial Assessment
The first consultation is usually 90 minutes. This is your session. It's your opportunity to tell me your story—what's been going on, how long you've been struggling, what you've already tried, and what you're hoping to achieve.
I'll ask more questions based on the questionnaire you filled in. I'll want to understand your symptoms in more detail, your health history, your lifestyle, your stressors, and your goals.
It's completely normal to feel nervous to begin with.
By the end of the session, I'll explain what I think is going on. I'll make evidence informed connections between your symptoms, your health history, and your lifestyle. I'll outline potential root causes and explain the strategies that might help including nutrition changes, lifestyle adjustments, supplements or further testing.
We talk through it together. This isn't me telling you what to do and sending you on your way. If you don't understand something, ask. If something doesn't feel realistic for your life, tell me. We figure out together when and how you can make these changes in a way that actually works for you.
24-48 hours after our first session, I’ll send you a clear plan—what to focus on, what changes to make, and what to expect over the coming weeks.
Follow-Up Sessions: Adjusting, Supporting, and Refining
Follow-up sessions (usually every 2-3 weeks) are where the real work happens. This is where we track your progress, troubleshoot challenges, and adjust the plan based on how your body is responding.
We'll talk about:
How you're getting on with the changes
What's working and what's not
How you're feeling—energy, mood, digestion, sleep, symptoms
Any challenges that have come up
What might need to change or be added
Based on this, I’ll adjust your plan. Maybe we need to increase protein. Maybe we need to add a specific supplement. Maybe we need to focus more on stress management. This is a dynamic process, based on your experience and day to day life.
Testing might be suggested.
If we need more information to understand what's happening, I might suggest testing—either through your GP or functional testing (like stool tests, hormone panels, or nutrient assessments).
I'll always explain:
Why the test is important
What we're looking for
How to do it
The pros and cons
The cost (if it's private testing)
You're never pressured into testing. But sometimes, having concrete data allows us to create a much more targeted and effective plan.
Accountability and support are a big part of follow-ups.
Change is hard. Life gets in the way. Old habits are stubborn. Follow-up sessions provide accountability—not in a punishing way, but in a supportive, "let's figure this out together" and make sure stuff is happening way.
If you didn't manage to implement something we discussed, we talk about why. Was it too complicated? Did you not have time? Did you not understand how to do it? Did something stressful happen that derailed everything?
We adjust based on reality.
How You Might Feel By the End
By the end of working together (usually 3 months), most clients feel:
Clarity. You understand what's been happening in your body and why. You're no longer confused or guessing.
Empowered. You have tools, knowledge, and strategies you can use. You know how to support your body through different life stages and challenges.
Confident. You trust your body again. You know how to read its signals and respond appropriately.
Better. Your symptoms have improved—maybe not 100%, but significantly enough that you feel like yourself again. Your energy is stable. Your digestion is comfortable. Your cycles are more regular and less painful. Your mood is more balanced. You're sleeping better.
Supported. You've had someone in your corner who actually listened, believed you, and helped you figure it out.
Working with a nutritional therapist is a partnership. I bring the knowledge, the expertise, the investigative lens. You bring the honesty, the commitment, the willingness to try.
Together, we figure out what's going on and what your body needs to function properly.
Ready to take the next step? Book a free discovery call and let's talk about your specific situation, what's not working, and whether working together makes sense for where you are right now.
Not ready for a call yet? You can email me any questions at info@aswellhealth.com and I'll get back to you within 48 hours.