Nourished with Kindness

Food and nutrition are essential to our well-being, yet many of us struggle with our relationship with food and with body image. These challenges can significantly impact a person’s ability to perform at their highest potential in their personal and professional lives. Fortunately, supportive services are available here in Thousand Oaks.

In 2020, Alyssa Snow Callahan establishedNourished with Kindness – a dietitian/nutrition practice – to provide specialized care to adults, adolescents, and teens grappling with a wide range of eating disorders and body image concerns. Four short years later, the practice consists of nine Registered Dietitian/Nutritionists serving over 300 active clients from the local area and beyond, many of which have weekly sessions. Offering in-person and virtual appointments, Nourished with Kindness has become one of the largest practices in the State of California specializing in treatment for eating disorders. 

The choice to open our business in Thousand Oaks was intentional. Callahan’s husband was raised in the Conejo Valley. Together they concluded there was no better place than Thousand Oaks to raise their own family.“I love being a part of this community. I am thrilled to be able to offer our high-quality care here,” Callahan said.  

When asked about factors that have contributed most to the success of the practice, Callahan responds, “first and foremost, it’s the collective dedication of all of ourDietitian/Nutritionists to our clients.This work is very personal to each one of us.”This is also why Nourished with Kindness works closely with insurance providers. Insurance coverage limitations can be a barrier for both clients and providers, “but we are committed to making our care as accessible as possible,” Callahan says.To that end, the practice is also LGBTQ+ affirming with providers who specialize in supporting clients who are BIPOC, neurodivergent, living in larger bodies, or have co-occurring addiction struggles. In addition to assisting clients, Nourished with Kindness also offers clinical supervision to other professionals who want to learn more about supporting clients with eating disorders.

Another critical piece to their success has been the willingness of each provider in the practice to chip in and learn both front- and back-ends of business operations, Callahan noted.“We’reDietitian/Nutritionists by choice, everything else is by necessity. But it’s been such great experience and I think we’re better for it,” she says. They even offer to share the business knowledge they’ve acquired with others through their business coaching program to help others be successful, too.

To those out there struggling with their relationship with food or with body image, Callahan offers a hopeful message: “support is out there to help you retake control and feel better in your life and body. Today is a good day to start your journey.”