Where to look, how to verify that a dietitian is registered, what to look for, and the questions to ask before you book. No form, no email required.
This is a free public resource. It walks through how to find a dietitian for eating disorder recovery in Ontario, how to make sure the person you find is genuinely qualified, and what to look for so you end up with someone who is a good fit. Nothing here is behind a form, and you do not have to give anyone your email to read it. It is general information, and it names real ways to find help that have nothing to do with Lauren, because the point is that you find the right person, not that you find her.
You are looking for a Registered Dietitian who works with eating disorders specifically, ideally someone who practises from a non-diet, weight-inclusive place and is willing to work alongside your therapist and doctor. In Ontario, Registered Dietitian and RD are protected titles, so you can verify that someone is who they say they are on a public register in a couple of minutes. You can find dietitians through a referral from your family doctor or therapist, through the College's register and professional directories, or through eating disorder organizations. Most private-practice dietitians offer a free introductory call, and that call, not the booking, is the right place to check the fit before you commit to anything.
There is no single place, so it helps to know the real options. A referral from your family doctor, nurse practitioner, or therapist is often the most direct route, and many therapists who treat eating disorders already know a dietitian they trust. The College of Dietitians of Ontario keeps a public register you can search, and Dietitians of Canada runs a Find a Dietitian directory you can filter by area of practice and by province. Professional directories like Psychology Today list some dietitians alongside therapists, and eating disorder organizations such as the National Eating Disorder Information Centre keep service provider directories. Word of mouth from a recovery community or a trusted clinician counts too. Because so much eating disorder care in Ontario is now virtual, you are not limited to your own town, which widens the field considerably.
A few things matter more than the rest. First, the Registered Dietitian credential itself, which you can verify (below). Second, real experience with eating disorders specifically, not just general nutrition, because eating disorder work is its own skill set. Third, a non-diet, weight-inclusive approach: in recovery, a dietitian who prescribes restriction or frames food in terms of weight loss can do harm, so it is fair to ask directly how they work. Fourth, a willingness to collaborate with your therapist and physician, since the nutrition side rarely stands alone. Fifth, the practical fit: virtual or in person, whichever you will actually keep up with, and a fee arrangement you can sustain. And underneath all of it, whether you feel safe rather than judged, which you can usually sense on a first call.
This is normal due diligence, not distrust. In Ontario, Registered Dietitian and RD are protected titles, which means only someone registered with the College of Dietitians of Ontario is allowed to use them. Under the Regulated Health Professions Act, the College keeps a public Register of Dietitians, and anyone can search it to confirm that a person is registered, in good standing, and to see any discipline history. If you want to check, look up the person's name on the College's public register at collegeofdietitians.org. One thing worth knowing: in Ontario the title nutritionist is not protected, so anyone may use it regardless of training, whereas dietitian and Registered Dietitian are regulated. That difference is exactly what the register lets you confirm.
Cost is a fair thing to weigh, and it should not be the reason someone gets no help at all. Whether OHIP or your insurance covers a dietitian, how extended health benefits usually work, and where to find free and lower cost options are all covered in a separate plain guide on this site, what a dietitian costs in Ontario and what OHIP and insurance cover. If you are looking for free community groups and publicly funded programs specifically, the guide to eating disorder support across Ontario lists them, each verified from the organization's own website.
Lauren Hofstee is one option, not the only one, and this guide is written so you can judge that honestly. She is a Registered Dietitian with the College of Dietitians of Ontario, so her registration is verifiable on the public register above. She works specifically in eating disorder recovery and disordered eating, from a non-diet, weight-inclusive place, collaborating with clients' therapists and physicians, and she sees people virtually across Ontario. Every new client starts with a free introductory call, which is exactly the place to ask the questions above and decide whether she is the right fit before anything is booked. If someone else on your list is a better match, that is genuinely a good outcome.
Start with a referral from your family doctor, nurse practitioner, or therapist, many of whom already know a dietitian they trust. You can also search the College of Dietitians of Ontario public register, the Dietitians of Canada Find a Dietitian directory filtered by area of practice, professional directories like Psychology Today, and the service provider directories kept by eating disorder organizations such as NEDIC. Because much of this care is virtual, you are not limited to your own town.
In Ontario, Registered Dietitian and RD are protected titles that only someone registered with the College of Dietitians of Ontario may use. The College keeps a public Register of Dietitians you can search to confirm a person is registered and in good standing and to see any discipline history. You can look up a name on the College's public register at collegeofdietitians.org.
In Ontario, dietitian and Registered Dietitian are protected, regulated titles, so a person using them must be registered with the College of Dietitians of Ontario and held to its standards. Nutritionist is not a protected title in Ontario, which means anyone may call themselves a nutritionist regardless of training. For eating disorder recovery, looking for a Registered Dietitian and verifying it on the public register is the reliable path.
For eating disorder recovery, a non-diet, weight-inclusive approach is widely considered the safer and more effective one, because prescribing restriction or centring weight loss can reinforce the disorder. It is completely reasonable to ask a dietitian directly how they work before you book, and a good one will answer plainly.
No. You can contact a Registered Dietitian in private practice directly. Some insurance plans ask for a physician's note before they will reimburse dietitian fees, which is a separate thing from needing a referral to book, so it is worth checking your own plan.
Yes. A great deal of eating disorder nutrition care in Ontario is now delivered by secure video, so you can work with a Registered Dietitian anywhere in the province rather than only in your own town. This widens your options considerably, especially outside the largest cities.
Reviewed 2026-07-22. This page is general information about finding and choosing a dietitian in Ontario. Registration status is something you can and should confirm yourself on the College of Dietitians of Ontario public register, which is kept current by the College.
If something here is out of date or unclear, please write to laurenhofstee.rd@gmail.com and it will be corrected. There is nothing to sign up for.
Lauren Hofstee is a Registered Dietitian with the College of Dietitians of Ontario, specializing in eating disorder recovery, offering virtual, non-diet nutrition counselling across Ontario. The introductory call is free, and it is the right place to ask the questions above and decide before you commit to anything.
Book a free intro callWeighing the cost? See the guide to what a dietitian costs in Ontario, and OHIP and insurance. Looking for free and community options? See eating disorder support across Ontario.