Patricia Perez, RD

I’m a scientist with an artsy soul, and Cookie Maria’s mom, a 16-pound Cockapoo that I absolutely adore. My journey with food started in my childhood, when I struggled with ARFID, a newer eating disorder that wasn’t a diagnosis when I was growing up. I moved from Venezuela to the US for college and started to transform my relationship with food— a journey that I didn’t do alone, but wished had a dietitian to guide me. 

​

During that same year, my mom underwent a very complex surgery to reconstruct her digestive system, which put an end to 5 years of misdiagnoses and lots of suffering. It also left me with many questions about the root causes of diseases and how to treat them. My mom was considered a “healthy” person, so why did she develop this rare disease at such a young age?

​

I embarked on a deep journey of understanding not just the body, but also the mind. I did my bachelor’s and master’s degree in nutrition science and dietetics at Georgia State University and became a registered dietitian. I have also explored nutrition beyond counseling (although it’s my favorite part) to become a better strategist and partner when guiding people —like you— in their health journey. I have worked as a lab assistant in molecular research; as a health changemaker in a non-profit; as a food pantry manager; as a speaker in corporate wellness and cultural change initiatives; as wellness retreat planner and mindful eating speaker; and most recently, I worked in the food and beverage industry.  

​

What I’ve discovered is that we can’t separate our food choices and health habits from our emotions, social triggers, and culture. Instead, we need to:

​

First, learn about ourselves and the root of our beliefs system;

​

Second, learn how to cope with our emotions; 

​

Third, find new techniques that help you create a belief system that will enable supportive habits for your health. 

​

This is true to people with eating disorders, AND also anyone who struggles with their health or has any fitness goals. The biggest barrier to making changes is being stuck with the same belief and blinded about your patterns.

​

You can expect from our time together a holistic approach to health, a roadmap to help you understand yourself better, stop seeing your habits as enemies, and develop the most creative, flexible, science-based plan to support your health journey! 

​

I believe in a non-diet, all foods fit approach to nutrition merged with trauma-informed counseling. You can expect in my practice intuitive and mindful eating, HAES fused with cognitive behavioral therapy to meet your physical, emotional and spiritual needs. 

​

Imagine how much energy you could be directing towards building the dreamed life if you didn’t have to constantly worry about food? This is why my commitment to you is to help you find flexibility with food. I hope I get to meet you, and help you change your story :) 

​

If you were wondering… 

Favorite foods: pizza, chocolate, and truffles. 

Favorite countries to visit: Italy, Australia and Venezuela (home) 

Favorite things to do: playing board games (Catan & Blokus), cooking, and sightseeing.