Counselors, Cookies and Conversation
A Conversation with Dietician, Carolyn Negley, MS, RDN
Nourish Yourself Through Living Your Best life
My learning started right as I walked into the reception room of registered dietician, Carolyn Negley. On an eraser board, clients were invited to share quotes. I read messages like “You are so much more than your body” and “Confidence is not a size, it is a mindset” and my personal favorite, “Bodies Change. Worth Doesn’t.”
To add to this experience, Carolyn’s welcome was warm and the dialogue flowed as she shared about her personal journey of becoming a dietician. At her core, Carolyn expressed how much she enjoys building relationships with her clients alongside the work they do together. “Just getting to hear more of people stories and really what drives them. We talk a lot about the interplay between stress and food choices and patterns.” She reflected on how often people can think about food as “good or bad” and she hopes to inspire a different way about looking at food with questioning the cultural messages that we often hear. Messages that are not helpful to our overall well-being. “I feel honored to help people explore issues that just can have such a hold on us. There is such guilt and shame around food and eating.” She related how she works to help her clients find compassion and grace for themselves.
Greatest Learning
Carolyn shared that her greatest learning professionally has been, “Learning to connect with patients and understand their experience if it has been vastly different than my own life experience. To lean in with curiosity and compassion and learn from each of them.”
Personal Learning
Of her personal learning, Carolyn reflected, “Unlearning things throughout my life that have not been constructive and true. There is so much information that is not very valid or helpful.” She reflected further, “What surprised me about my journey in dietetics is that I thought that my philosophies were set in stone when I started in school and yet so much has changed in time, in working with other communities and providers that have shaped how I feel about nutrition and what excellent care looks like.”
Professional Learning
With her work, Carolyn, questions the validity of her sources for information and where the information is coming from. “I’ve learned not to take things at face value and to approach things from different angles and different sources and to see things through a lens of loving kindness.”
“I want people to know how to nourish themselves in a way that nourishes their life and helps them be purposeful in the world not by following strict plans and worrying about the scale. We don’t owe anyone the story, but the more we can share about the struggles we have been through, the more connected we are.”
My Take-Away
In talking with Carolyn, I was touched by the ease of being with her and her message of meeting her clients with a curiosity to learn more about them and their nutritional goals, but also more deeply, in terms of them living their best lives. To live a life that is purpose following and with meaning making. To assist others to learn that life is much bigger than what we eat or perceptions of our outside appearance. That everyone is beautiful in their own way.
I was also reminded about the Health At Every Size (HAES) training that I was introduced to some years ago. It opened my mind to all the ways, we can look at health across multiple health domains (physical, emotional, financial, spiritual, etc.). Carolyn walks the talk of accepting people as their best selves. I really appreciate how she sees one’s nutrition goals as just one part of the overall puzzle of a life lived fully.
The Cookies (Recipes Below)
Review of the Cookies:
Carolyn asked me to bake cookies with butterscotch as the ingredient. I decided to bake 7 Layer Butterscotch Chip Cookies. The recipe called for more chocolate chips than butterscotch chips. To make the cookie more packed with butterscotch as an ingredient, I added more butterscotch chips and less chocolate chips.
As I shared with Carolyn what I had changed with the recipe, she said that she enjoyed the cookie as it was and she thought that even more butterscotch chips would have been wonderful too. Something to consider if you bake these and you love butterscotch more as the main ingredient. Carolyn said that she liked the size of the cookie and she could imagine how good these would be by dipping the cookie in her morning coffee.
I have saved this recipe as I rather enjoyed it myself. The cookie recipe does call for adding a pinch of sea salt on the top and I honestly decided I liked it better without this. Try it and see what you think.
Cookie Recipe link for this Conversation
https://www.modernhoney.com/magic-7-layer-butterscotch-chip-cookies/
More about Carolyn Negley, Team Associate with Michelle Weinbender Nutrition
Carolyn Negley, MS, RDN (She/Her) Profile:
With a passion for both nutrition and wellness, I’ve always been driven to empower others on their health journeys. My educational background has equipped me with the knowledge and skills to support individuals to build culinary confidence to feed themselves and their families. I believe that food should not only nourish the body, but also bring joy and satisfaction. It’s incredibly rewarding to see clients thrive as they discover the balance that works best for them.
With my previous experience assisting individuals facing food insecurity, I’m committed to joining clients on their journey of learning and growth for their health and well being. Whether it’s in an individual consultation or sharing a meal with friends, I cherish every opportunity to connect and make a positive impact.
Carolyn@MichelleWeinbenderNutrition.com
509-599-6492
Carolyn works underneath the practice of Michelle Weinbender Nutrition, RDN
We’re the dream team of Michelle Weinbender Nutrition ready to make your journey feel like a cozy chat with a friend—personalized, comfy, and super efficient!
What you can expect: non-judgmental and compassionate care
What you will receive: practical and individualized information
What we value: connecting with people motivated for change
Our philosophy: non diet, all foods fit, intuitive eating and body accepting
https://www.michelleweinbendernutrition.com
About the Author
Suzanne Apelskog, MS, LMHC is the owner of Life’s Learning & Associates, PLLC
Suzanne created the Counselor Conversation (individual and group format) in 2012 out of an interest in sitting down with counselors to connect and learn from each other. This idea around Counselors, Cookies and Conversation came out of the Suzanne’s love for baking for herself and others. Suzanne owns a group counseling practice called Life’s Learning, with a vision around learning being everywhere. Subscribe to this blog to learn more about other conversations or learning.
(509) 433-7755
