The Nutritional Supplement

What Course(s) did you graduate from at CNELM and when did you graduate?

I graduated in September 2017 with an MSc in Personalised Nutrition and the NTPD.

What did you do before doing this course?

My first career was in clinical trial set-up, but prior to studying at CNELM I was doing admin for an IT consultant as it fitted in with my lifestyle as a mummy of 3 young kids.

What made you decide to embark on this course of study and what attracted you to CNELM?

I have always been interested in nutrition and healthy living, and when I felt my kids were old enough (which also coincided with my turning 40!), I decided to study to become a nutritional therapist. I chose CNELM because of its reputation and its flexibility. There was always a choice of times to attend a tutorial, or a module, and I could watch all the lectures online at times that suited me.

What have you been doing since graduating?

Since graduating, I spend most of my time seeing private clients. Things started off quite slowly for me but they are picking up now. One day a week, I volunteer at Camden Carer’s Service giving 1-2-1 nutritional therapy consultations to full-time carers. I find this week both humbling and rewarding – Camden is a very varied borough and I see people from all walks of life.

Since graduating, I have also taken on board the advice I received in the Nutrition Enterprise module and have joined Facebook, LinkedIn and have my own website! I have learned how to optimise my search engine strategy, and I update my blog weekly. Who knew I could be so tech-savvy?! I have also been fortunate to have a connection with a woman who runs an agency arranging consultants to do talks at GP practices. This has led to some great opportunities for me, including GPs referring their patients to me and being offered a clinic one afternoon a week at a GP practice. I have also done talks to support groups, primary schools and charity gatherings – I have not charged for these, but they have each brought in more clients and established my name in the local area.

I have just started doing the menus for a local nursery, which will be changing its menus 4 times a year, so this is a regular job that fits in around my client work. They loved the Nutritics breakdown of the menus I did for them! I have just been approached by a local physiotherapist who wants to do nutrition and exercise packages together. There is also so much CPD to do that I find it hard to narrow it down – at the beginning I wanted to do every CPD that was on offer but now I am a bit more selective. I also write weekly for a local newspaper and update my blog. All in all, this keeps me super-busy!

Tell us a bit more about your work with GP’s.

I have spoken to about six GP practices and at one of them, one of the GPs had just come back from the IFM conference and was excited to find out that that’s how I practise. We had a few meetings and then he invited me to work at the practice one afternoon a week. I can see anyone there, but the GPs prefer me to prioritise their patients. They have also invited me to sit in on their lunchtime groups where they discuss complex cases, and have even asked me for my opinion, which was amazing!

Which of the things you’ve been doing do you think will be most successful?
I think the GP talks really get the word out about nutrition and lifestyle to the people who are dealing with medical problems daily. I think this is where the most change can be made. The things that make my practice most successful are keeping my website and social media up-to-date and fresh. This helps people to find me on the internet and keep me in people’s minds.

If you were graduating now, would you do anything differently?
I don’t think so. I have had lots of interesting opportunities come my way. I would say not to refuse any opportunity because you never know who you might meet there, who you might inspire, or who will be listening to you. I would also highly recommend putting into practice everything you learn in Nutrition Enterprise, as I was quite clueless about the business end of things (I think I still am a bit!)

Is there anything you wish you’d known before finishing your studies that you might have prepared for differently?

I don’t think anything can prepare you for independent practice, other than doing it. You might not feel ready, but the more you do it, the better you become. I have learned more in the past 18 months than I learned whilst studying. Every new client is an opportunity to do more learning. It takes a lot of time, but it gets easier and flows better as time goes on.

What or who has most inspired you in your work?

My clients inspire me. I am amazed by how knowledgeable some of them are, and how determined they are in spite of their challenges. They have also shown me some great apps and methods for doing things that I never knew existed!

Do you have any tips, hints, things you’d have done differently...?

I don’t think I could have ever imagined how many interesting things I would be doing, and I just love every minute of it. The only thing I would say is that I am not making a good living with this. I am fortunate enough that my husband supports the family, but if that was not the case, I can’t honestly see how I could make private practice work well financially. I spend at least 2 hours on each client’s paperwork (in the beginning, it used to take nearly a whole day!). I don’t mind because I love doing it, but if I needed to make more money, I would probably have to rethink how I do things.