How Therapy and Nutrition Work Together
Dylan Murphy
Registered Dietician
When someone struggles with food or body image, they’re often told to “just eat better” or “make healthier choices.” But that kind of advice usually misses the point. It assumes that eating is a purely logical process. In reality, our relationship with food is deeply emotional, and sometimes even traumatic.
That’s why healing often requires support from more than one angle. Therapy and nutrition counseling are two distinct approaches that, when combined, can create a powerful path toward sustainable change. Therapy addresses the emotional patterns and core beliefs that shape behavior. Nutrition counseling helps rebuild the physical relationship with food through education, structure, and support. Together, they can help you feel more connected to your body, more at peace with food, and more grounded in your day-to-day life.
At Nashville Therapy Group, we believe in a collaborative and compassionate model of care that supports the whole person. If you’ve spent years cycling through diets, food fear, or shame, you don’t have to untangle it alone.
The Role of Therapy
Therapy creates space to explore the internal side of your relationship with food. It allows you to identify and shift the deeper emotional dynamics that often keep you stuck.
In therapy, you might:
Explore the origin of beliefs about food, body, and self-worth
Address shame, trauma, or anxiety tied to eating
Understand and interrupt disordered eating behaviors
Develop emotional regulation tools that don’t rely on food
Rebuild self-trust and self-compassion
Therapy helps you understand why food feels hard in the first place. And that insight can free up space for real, lasting healing.
The Role of Nutrition Counseling
A registered dietitian or nutrition professional brings a different but equally important lens. Rather than focusing on restriction or rigid plans, a weight-inclusive and trauma-informed dietitian can help you restore a nourishing, nonjudgmental relationship with food.
Nutrition counseling can support you in:
Learning how to feed your body consistently and adequately
Navigating hunger, fullness, and satiety cues
Building structure around meals without obsession or fear
Unlearning diet rules that no longer serve you
Exploring food variety and enjoyment without guilt
For people recovering from eating disorders, nutrition work is often a critical part of re-regulating the nervous system and re-establishing safety with food.
Why the Collaboration Matters
Healing your relationship with food is not just a mental shift or a physical adjustment. It’s both. When therapy and nutrition counseling are integrated, each supports and deepens the other.
This kind of collaboration can:
Reduce feelings of confusion or overwhelm in recovery
Provide both emotional and practical tools for change
Create a fuller picture of your needs and progress
Offer accountability and encouragement from different angles
Ensure that both psychological and physiological needs are honored
You don’t have to choose between mental health and nutritional support. You deserve both, and you deserve care providers who communicate with each other and keep your goals at the center.
We Are Here For You
At Nashville Therapy Group, our team of clinicians is here to help you work through what’s hard and move toward meaningful change. Connect with us today to get started. We’d be honored to help you heal.
