About Rachael
Food is never
just about food
I’m Rachael, a registered dietitian with more than 20 years’ experience supporting children, teens, adults and families with ARFID, paediatric feeding, eating disorders, body image and nutrition concerns.
Whether I’m supporting a child with ARFID, a family navigating feeding challenges, or someone recovering from an eating disorder or body image distress, my focus is the same: helping people heal their relationship with food and body in a way that feels safe, respectful and sustainable.
Compassion at the core
The heart of how I work
If you’re new here, this is probably the most important thing to understand about how I work as a dietitian.
Yes, I know the science of nutrition. I trained extensively in nutrition science, metabolism and evidence-based practice. I understand how to interpret research and translate complex nutrition information into practical care.
But in more than two decades of clinical work, I’ve learned something important:
Most people don’t struggle because they lack nutrition knowledge.
Food is rarely the real problem.
More often, food becomes the place where stress, anxiety, sensory needs, developmental differences, family dynamics, health messages, shame and life experiences show up.
People come to me when eating feels hard, when family meals feel stressful, a neurodivergent child is struggling with eating or ARFID, or if a child seems preoccupied with food or unable to regulate intake, when someone feels stuck in binge–restrict cycles, or years of dieting and health messaging have damaged trust with food or body.
Through personal work, clinical experience and ongoing professional training, I have come to understand how deeply our experiences shape the way we relate to food, our bodies and ourselves.
My work focuses on understanding what sits underneath eating behaviours, not simply changing what someone eats.
Nutrition science is essential. But it becomes more powerful when we understand it in the context of the whole person.
The roots of The Food Tree
The Food Tree was originally founded by Lorren and Rachael after they met through a respectful parenting course. With Lorren’s early childhood education background and Rachael’s dietetic lens, the early foundations of this work were shaped around respect, connection and curiosity.
Those values remain at the heart of The Food Tree today, as Rachael supports children, families, educators and adults to build trust around food, feeding and body.
My approach / How I work
Supporting nourishment and health while protecting your relationship with food.
Supporting nourishment and health while protecting your relationship with food.
Understanding the thoughts, emotions, experiences and patterns that shape eating and food relationships.
Weight-inclusive support for a more compassionate relationship with your body, food and self.
Honouring sensory needs, nervous-system responses and individual differences through affirming care and practical accommodations.
Supporting safety, co-regulation, resilience and capacity through trauma-informed care.
These principles shape how I support people across feeding, eating disorders, body image and nutrition care, always with safety, dignity, curiosity and collaboration at the centre.
Training and approaches I draw from
My work is grounded in dietetic assessment and specialist eating disorder care, with additional training across feeding, ARFID, body image, behaviour change, allergy management and family-centred support.
Eating disorder care
CBT-E, Family-Based Treatment, binge eating and bulimia treatment, eating disorder recovery, body image support and weight-inclusive practice.
Feeding and ARFID Responsive Feeding
Responsive feeding Therapy, Ellyn Satter feeding models, paediatric feeding, ARFID support, allergy management and extensive neonatal and paediatric nutrition experience.
Behaviour change and self-trust
Motivational Interviewing, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, CBT, mindfulness, mindful eating, self-compassion and Internal Family Systems-informed approaches.
Whole-person and body image care
Neurodiversity-affirming, trauma-informed, family-centred and culturally responsive care, with training in social justice, weight stigma, non-diet approaches and body image work.
Experience
22+ years as a Registered Dietician in New Zealnd
Pediatric and adult clinical practice
Specialist in ARFID, pediatric feeding, eating disorders and body and image.
Hospital, community and private practice
Training
Ellyn Setter Institute Affiliate (only in NZ)
Responsive Feeding Therapy
SOS Approach to feeding
CBT-E + ACT + Motivational Interviewing
Mindful Self-Compassion + IFS (Parts Work)
Trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming practice
BSC (Hom) Food & Nutrition
Postgraduate Diploma in Dietaries
Sharing & Teaching
Workshop Presenter at ANZAED (2024)
Guest on RNZ and other media
Featured in The Listerner
Podcasts: guest and host
Professional training for health professionals
Workshops for educators and early childhood services
Webinars and community education
Media, Teaching & Presentations
Featured in The Listener
Rachael has been featured in The Listener for her work in feeding. ARFID and eating disorder care.
Regular guest on RNZ
to talk about feeding, eating disorders, body image and nutrition.
Podcasts
Guest on a range of podcasts, and host of The Food Tree Podcast.
Presentations and Teachings
Presenter at National Conferences and professional events across New Zealand.
