Discover Healing. Your Path to Eating Disorder Recovery.
As a registered dietitian, I support my clients in recovering from eating disorders, chronic dieting and body image struggles.
I support clients in their recovery from eating disorders, chronic dieting, intuitive eating and body image struggles. If this sounds like you, schedule a time to chat!
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What Are Some Signs Of A Disordered Relationship With Food And Your Body?
- obsessing about your food, appearance or weight
- comparing what you eat to your friend, partner or influencer on social media
- feeling like the number on the scale dictates your day; your mood, what you eat or how you exercise
- always ordering the ‘healthiest’ or lowest calorie option on the menu – even if you want something else
- feeling inflexible with spontaneous plans or when familiar foods aren’t available
- compensating in some way for what you ate or will eat
- feeling guilty after eating
- feeling out of control around certain foods, or keeping certain foods out of the house to prevent bingeing
- eating differently when you’re alone vs. with others
- eating in secret, sneaking or hiding food
Together We Can Make A Plan To Help You Feel Your Best, Without Feeling Obsessed.
What would that look like?
Being able to enjoy a weekend with friends, without feeling like “diet starts Monday”
Not have the number on the scale dictate your day or mood (even say ‘goodbye’ to it for good!)
Learn to trust and work with your body, instead of against it.
Be free from calorie counting, obsessive measuring and guilt around food choices.
You’re able to choose what you want to eat and enjoy it! Not just because it’s the lowest calorie option.
Our Specialties
No matter where you are in your relationship with , The Wellful is for you!
Signs of Disordered Eating
✔ You feel guilt when you eat something that tastes good, or you like?
✔Skipping meals is normal
✔‘Saving’ calories before drinking or a meal out is normal
It's time for Body Image support if...
✔ You check your weight and measure your body regularly
✔ You compare current & past photos of your body
✔ You compensate with food or exercise on bad body image days
Support for GI Disorders is right for you if...
✔ You feel discomfort after eating, or increased anxiety around meals
✔ You just found out you have Celiac's and you're not sure how to approach this from a non-diet lens
We support students like you if...
✔ You want to set yourself up for success on campus and it feels hard
✔ You engage in purging or restricting
✔ You spend a lot of time thinking about food
How It Works
Discovery Call
We know reaching out for support is hard. We aim to make these calls as warm and comforting as we can — you’re taking a huge step in making a major change in your life and I can’t wait to cheer you on. Calls are 15 minutes and you’ll chat with Brenna about what you’re looking for, and learn what working together looks like.
75- Minute Initial Deep Dive
We’ll meet, get started and explore your relationship with food, your body, dieting from childhood to now and make a plan for moving forward. We’ll also connect with your therapist, doctors and members of your team to provide you with the best possible care.
Regular Sessions
Once we’re started, you’ll meet with your dietitian regularly for follow up sessions and in-between session support. You’ll gain tools, education and encouragement to help you achieve your goals. We practice from a weight-inclusive, person-centered and trauma informed lens, applying elements of IFS, DBT, CBT and ACT into our sessions to best meet your needs.
A life without food guilt
What do you hope to gain through this work? What do you hope your relationship with food and your body is like in the future?
We’ll work to get you there. You’ll gain the tools, support and confidence to navigate diet culture, eat without guilt, make peace with your body, reclaim your brain space and ditch dieting for life, for good.
None of this
- NO calorie counting or macro tracking
- NO scales or measurements
- NO guilt – you’ll say ‘goodbye guilt!’
- NO fad diets, food or body shaming
- NO quick-fix plans – instead you’ll develop lifelong skills and behaviors
- NO ‘cheat meals’ – because there are no food rules, there’s nothing to ‘cheat’ on!
Lots of this
- Unlimited individualized support – I’m your biggest cheerleader and sounding board through the ups and the downs
- Increased freedom and flexibility around food choices
- Learning to tune in to your hunger, fullness and satisfaction cues
- Rediscovering the joy of eating, without the stress
- More self-compassion, confidence and life-long tools to support you continuing this work even after we’re done working together
Meet Your Dietitian
Brenna O’Malley, RD & Founder
Hi! I’m Brenna.
I’m glad you’re scrolling by! A little about me. I’m trained as a registered dietitian and love working with people through the tough stuff of creating a healthy, sustainable relationship with food and their body. I believe that we are all impacted by diet culture, and that our relationships with food and our bodies are deeply personal and layered. I also believe that these relationships can change and that you can experience more joy, more ease, and less guilt around eating.
I’ve greatly benefitted from working with dietitians and therapists in my own recovery from disordered eating and I know that this work is hard, and worth it.
I’m originally from the East Coast but has been calling San Francisco home for the past few years. On any given day you’ll find me drinking a good cappuccino, opening all the windows in my apartment no matter how cold it is, biking to the beach for sunset, or hiking or enjoying a yoga class with friends.
Education and Credentials
New York University, Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics
Massachusetts General Hospital, Dietetic Internship, 1200+ hours of Supervised Clinical Practice with Concentration in Intuitive Eating
Active RDN Credentials through the Commission on Dietetic Registration
Ongoing supervision and additional trainings
Ready To Get Started?
Why our clients love working together:
Client Testimonials
“Brenna was such a great resource at a time when I needed help with my body image! She helped me focus on my thoughts and how they were impacting my actions. I highly recommend The Wellful and Brenna for anyone struggling with their body image or ways to “get out” of diet culture mentality.”
-Julie
Client Testimonials
“I worked with Brenna for roughly 6 months, during which time I saw massive improvements in how viewed myself, and how I felt physically. The most helpful part of working with Brenna for me personally, was the way in which Brenna was able to ask such insightful questions and then support me wholly as I worked on finding answers. Brenna is magical in her ability to help me turn my compassion inward. Working with Brenna was simply life changing. I’m so glad for our time together, and am undoubtedly on a completely different trajectory thanks to her invaluable insight and boundless compassion.”
-Austin, 31
Client Testimonials
“Brenna gave me the space to question ideas that had been ingrained in me, and asked direct questions that got me to think in a different way. She provided support in between sessions and sent resources that I could look into on my own. Brenna was gentle, non-judgmental and patient. She asked questions that got me to think in a different way and explore areas I hadn’t considered. She set me on the right path and supported me through hard emotional work.”
-Lori
Client Testimonials
“I had an incredibly positive experience working together. I had been curious about really taking the plunge into intuitive eating and I’m so glad I was able to do it with Brenna’s help. The support of one on one coaching truly made all the difference. Prior to working together, I felt like was living in a “pseudo recovered” space where I was no longer deep in an eating disorder but I was still engaging in many disordered behaviors that were simply normalized. I thought I would have to live in this state forever, but through working with Brenna I learned that I don’t have to. I can confidently say that I feel so much more recovered and healthy around food than I ever have.”
-Lea, 27
Client Testimonials
“My brain was filled with counting…calories, steps, pounds. It took up so much of my headspace. I had been following Brenna on Instagram and finally came to the conclusion that I had been dealing with disordered eating for 30 years.
Brenna helped me turn down the volume on my thoughts surrounding food. I no longer count…anything. Brenna has some amazing and yet easy to apply tools that I use almost daily. I have stopped judging myself and can say that I really do practice intuitive eating. Simply put, I feel liberated and the weight of my thoughts has lightened and I feel better than I have in many years.
Brenna is so easy to talk to; she listens, really listens, and then has suggestions to help deal with the many challenges of diet culture. As an older woman, I see so many of my friends still trapped by the images we grew up with. I think everyone needs Brenna. She helped me make peace with food and my body.”
-Mary, 65
Client Testimonials
“Brenna and I worked together for 3 months and in that time, I gained so much confidence around food. I was able to really strip food of labels like “good” and “bad” and feel free and excited when it comes to eating again. She was encouraging and offered so much positive feedback. She also helped to just listen to me when I had a tough day, and would offer me great resources to fill my social media feed with. Brenna is the best! She will totally change how you feel about yourself and your relationship with food for the better.”
-Katie S.
Client Testimonials
“I was coming off of 10 straight years of yoyo dieting and had hit a bottom where I felt like I could not count one more calorie or obsess about one more pound or I’d lose my mind. I was completely obsessed with controlling my food and getting my pre-baby body “back” to some impossible ideal. I wasn’t able to be present for my family or myself. Over the course of the 6 months of working with Brenna, my relationship with food is completely different. When I first starting working with Brenna I was deep in the binge part of the restrict/binge cycle. I honestly thought there was no way I would ever be one of these people who say they truly WANT to have just one cookie, and to not approach them from a place of coercion and control. When I let go of the last sneaky traces of restriction that were hovering in my mind, I stopped binging. Brenna allowed me to share all of the thoughts, fears, doubts and issues I was having through this process, and kept asking questions so I could find my own real truths. I had been listening to all the podcasts and reading all the books, but having a real person on the other end of the video call to listen, and answer all my nagging questions was really important to get to the next level with truly eating intuitively and working toward body acceptance. I feel more authentic now. I feel more in line with my own values and what’s actually important.”
-Dustina
FAQS
You’re Probably Wondering…
I work from a non-diet and weight-inclusive lens This means that I help clients tune in to their internal cues around hunger, fullness, satisfaction (instead of external cues like timing of meals, meal plans, calorie counts or diets). Many of our clients have many years of experience with dieting or disordered eating and are seeking more peace with food and their bodies so that they can live more aligned with their values — instead of constantly doing the mental gymnastics of calorie counting.
If you start to think about it, it makes sense! We are all born eating intuitively, eating foods for pleasure, stopping when we’re satisfied and letting someone know (ie. crying!) when we’re hungry. As we grow up in diet culture and are constantly bombarded with food rules, those signals are harder and harder to listen to. We’re often taught how to diet, but not how to eat – for nourishment, satisfaction, enjoyment, experience, etc. By working from a non-diet approach, you can learn to respect and listen to your body in a way that honors your health and gives you the freedom to empower you to eat, move and live your fullest life.
I see all clients 100% virtually! This means that you have the flexibility to schedule a session on your lunch break, on a park bench, at home, while you’re on a trip or anytime in between. Many of my clients have unique work/life schedules and virtual makes it easier for them to fit in appointments. An added bonus is that you don’t need to worry about traffic! We use Zoom for sessions, you will have access to schedule and get appointment reminders through your client portal.
I’m accepting new clients! I just opened up a few more spots in my schedule. Once you submit your Free Discovery Call Request below, we can get something on the calendar within 2 weeks. I’m excited to work together!
Weekly or biweekly. Our initial session and first follow up are one week apart. After that you and your dietitian will decide on a frequency that feels most supportive to you and your care.
I am not in-network with any insurance companies. Depending on your coverage plan we may still be able to utilize your benefits. If you call your insurance company and ask about ‘out of network coverage’ for nutrition counseling they will let you know if you are eligible for reimbursement, partial or in-full. I would then provide a superbill (which is like a receipt of services) and you would send that to your insurance company for reimbursement. I’ve had many clients have success with this! It depends on your plan, I’m happy to help in this process, too.
Yes! I’ll share a communication authorization form with you that will allow me to connect with your therapist, or other medical providers. This allows us to create a team where we can all be on the same page, coordinate care and support you through this work.
We don’t provide meal plans that indicate what you should or shouldn’t eat, like a diet plan. If you’re struggling with coming up with ideas on what to eat, we will be able to brainstorm meals, assess adequacy of eating, create plans to support challenging areas around grocery shopping, cooking or choosing what to eat. We will explore and create support to help move through the challenges that come from past diets and food rules so that you can feel more confidence around these decisions. We will talk about patterns of eating, composition of meals, variety of foods, and depending on where you are in your recovery or relationship with food that may be more structured.
There really isn’t a clear cut answer for this one. Everyone begins working together at a different place or stage of their relationship with food. Some clients we see for 3 months, some we see for over a year. On average clients work together for 6 months. We can chat more about this on our discovery call!
If my standard rates are out of your budget, please ask for sliding scale availability. If my sliding scale spots are filled, I will be happy to point you towards another provider who might be a good fit.
