Katelyn Barker

About Katelyn

Katelyn has experience in various settings including long-term care, community nutrition, outpatient, and cardiac rehabilitation. Outside of work you can find her at the climbing gym, hiking the Blue Ridge Mountains, or tending to her vegetable garden. Katelyn enjoys working with people seeking to improve their relationship with food and those who want to improve their overall health and well-being. She understands how challenging it can be navigating nutrition information online and provides evidence-based information to help patients meet their goals. Throughout her career she has seen patients for Type 2 Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease, High Cholesterol, Hypertension, Healthy Aging, GERD, Pancreatitis, and many others.

Approach to care

My counseling approach is centered around empowering patients to become the experts of their own bodies. Through the use of motivational interviewing techniques, I guide individuals in discovering and harnessing their own strengths and creating a stronger relationship with their body. I strive to equip my patients with the knowledge and tools they need to make informed nutrition decisions. I aim for each session to be conversational and collaborative to support personalized care while keeping nutrition fun and exciting! Food shouldn't be scary or intimidating. I will meet you where you are in your journey.

Your first session with Katelyn

In your first session you can expect to get to know each other! I will ask a lot of questions to better understand your nutrition history, medical history, goals, and purpose for seeking a dietitian. From working with patients in an outpatient setting, I know how frustrating it can be navigating a new diagnosis, understanding an existing diagnosis, feeling weight stigma in the medical environment, or even improving your relationship with your food and body. By the end of our session we'll have a plan for where we are heading, short-term and long-term goals, and an action plan for between sessions.

Location

📍 Virginia

Education

Masters of Science in Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise - Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise - Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

Hobbies

Rock Climbing, Baking, Hiking, Guitar, Gardening

Licenses and Certifications