Happy August, friends!

Amazing news! We are beyond excited to welcome Samantha Myers, RDN as our newest dietitian at Happy Valley Nutrition!

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Samantha Myers, RDN, LDN

Samantha comes to us most recently having worked at Smith College and private practice. She is a perfect addition to the team- and LOVES working with adolescents and teens.

As usual, we asked Samantha some questions to get you to know her a bit better:

Tell us a little about your journey to becoming an RD

My journey to becoming an RD was a pretty typical one. I struggled with my own food and body image issues during high school and received help from a dietitian. This led to my interest in nutrition and hope to help people in the same way this dietitian had helped me. Throughout my undergraduate studies I was overwhelmed by weight-centric messages and I became unsure that I really wanted to help people with these same issues. Once I was introduced to weight-inclusive care during my dietetic internship, I knew that being a dietitian and spreading the anti-diet message was the right choice for me.

Where did you work before coming to HVN?

Prior to coming to HVN I spent two years working at The Brattleboro Retreat, a psychiatric hospital. I then spent one semester working with students at Smith College as well as seeing clients virtually through another nutrition practice for almost a year, some of whom have joined me in my transition to HVN!

Why is being an anti-diet/weight inclusive provider important to you?

There are so many things I could say about why being an anti-diet provider is important to me. I think most importantly is because all people in any sized bodies are deserving of the same care and respect and I don’t believe that compassionate care is oppressing people based on the size of their bodies. In my own life and with my clients I have seen the harm that pursuing intentional weight loss can cause people. I have also seen the harm that weight stigma and fatphobia cause in all different areas of life. It’s important to me to be a safe space for clients and to spread the good word of weight inclusive care.

Who is your ideal client?

I don’t really have an ideal client as I enjoy working with various clients for many different reasons. I love working with a wide range of ages having previously worked with individuals ranging from 10-60 years old. I enjoy a challenging conversation with a teen about how to stick to the meal plan while on a school trip as much as working through body image struggles all the way to spending an entire session talking about the harms of diet culture.

What do you like to do for fun?

Some of my favorite things to do are curling up in a fuzzy blanket with a good book or tv show (where are my fellow reality tv lovers?!), cooking a meal with my partner, getting outside for a walk or bike ride, and spending time with family and friends. I will soon be spending all my free time caring for and training a golden doodle puppy!

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Sam is accepting new clients NOW. Interested? Just click “Contact Us” to schedule.