Carla Higgins

About Carla

My 20+ career in nutrition has been diverse and afforded me many different opportunities to be in the food industry as a product developer, researcher and coaching in corporate and private practice. When I first started practicing as a dietitian I started working in the community schools as an educator. I saw first-hand that good nutrition habits start early with exposure and education which translated to the motivation to eat healthy for the rest of their lives.

Approach to care

When working together I want clients to feel motivated and supported after our sessions. I practice motivational interviewing with our sessions to make sure the client is using autonomy to make decisions for their health. My approach to healthcare is to look at the whole person and not just the isolated symptom that is causing temporary discomfort. When it comes to clinical care management for conditions such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease, I want to help reduce risk as soon and quickly as possible with nutrition as well as lifestyle recommendations. When possible, I prefer to collaborate with other health care team members to ensure that everyone is aware of what the individuals is being recommended and why.

Your first session with Carla

While there are many different paths to improving lives through nutrition the best is the one that the individual believes is achievable. In our first session you will feel heard and seen by me with no judgement. I will start with reviewing health history and give an assessment of physical and mental measures to determine where the client is needing the most support at that time. From there I want to understand what a persons health and nutrition goals are so that we can chart a course to success. We discuss any barriers or challenges to meeting these goals and what strategies have been employed in the past to help make changes. Finally at the end of a session I set out the steps ahead in measurable time periods to make success happen.

Location

📍 Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania

Education

BS Nutrition and Dietetics

Hobbies

Yoga, Reading, Camping, Walking

Licenses and Certifications