Alessandra Kershaw RDN

Posted February 1, 2023

Alessandra is a registered dietitian who learned at a young age the impact of nutrition after struggling with health issues.  Alessandra incorporates functional nutrition and root cause analysis to dig deep into what is going on, taking a whole client approach. She combines this approach with intuitive eating and the Health at Every Size philosophy. Alessandra meets her clients where they are and helps them to find ways to build on what they are doing well while filling in the gaps to get them where they want to go. Alessandra takes pride in supporting her clients as they embark on their health and wellness journey through thoughtful conversation, education, and barrier exploration.  

Alessandra received her bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University, where she also completed her clinical training.  She is also a Health Coach, certified by the National Health Coaching Society. She is currently pursuing a board certification in Integrative and Functional Nutrition.  

Prior to joining Healthier Tomorrows, Alessandra worked in a variety of outpatient settings, where she worked with clients diagnosed with disordered eating, chronic kidney disease, pediatric and adolescent nutrition, GI concerns, and other health conditions. 

Alessandra loves spending time with her husband, her son, and her two dogs, Maverick and Molly.   She enjoys running, cooking, traveling, gardening, and hiking.  Alessandra is excited to provide virtual nutrition education, counseling, and support! 

Cara Mowery MS, RDN, LDN, IBCLC

Posted October 28, 2022

Cara is a registered and licensed dietitian and an international board-certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) who enjoys walking alongside clients in their health journeys to provide tailored support that meets their needs and fosters a positive relationship with food. She believes food is meant for both nourishment and enjoyment and strives to help individuals worry about food less so they can focus more on what’s important to them. Prior to joining the Healthier Tomorrows team, Cara worked in residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient eating disorder treatment. She has particular interests in women’s, pediatric, and adolescent health. As an IBCLC, she loves sharing her passion for breastfeeding with families and offering breastfeeding education and support to help them meet their infant feeding goals.

Cara attended North Carolina State University where she received her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition Sciences. She went on to complete her Master of Science in Nutrition and dietetic internship through Meredith College. She completed her lactation coursework and clinical lactation training to become an IBCLC through North Carolina State University.

Outside of work, Cara enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and church community, baking, reading, and cheering on the NC State Wolfpack!

Marjorie Craven MS, RDN, LD

Posted August 2, 2022

Marjorie is a registered dietitian committed to supporting individuals of all ages and their families in developing appropriate relationships with food and their bodies. Marjorie has supported people of all ages, including children, in their journey to overcome disordered eating behaviors and discouragement and to find freedom in recovery. She specializes in helping those struggling with disordered eating and chronic conditions, including children, and has specific experience in pediatric eating disorder recovery. She uses positive coping skills and individualized care to understand the whole person and their personal health concerns. Marjorie has worked with children, adolescents, adults and families to provide both individualized care and group sessions. She prioritizes a warm, caring approach that is supportive and strives to help every client to be understood and empowered.

She attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah where she studied dietetics and completed her dietetic internship with Primary Children’s, American Fork Hospital and LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City and American Fork, Utah. She also attended Texas Tech University and received a Master of Science in Nutrition.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, playing baseball, gardening, and volunteering in her community.

Anna Kreiser MS, RDN, LDN

Posted June 6, 2022

Anna Kreiser is a registered and licensed dietitian whose goal is to help her clients find peace with food and learn to nourish themselves to live fully. Anna feels strongly that food is fuel first, but also serves a purpose of social and cultural connection, fun and pleasure. Knowing that every individual comes with their own history and experience with food, she strives to support her clients by meeting them where they are. and helping them reach their individual goals.

Before joining Healthier Tomorrows, Anna worked with clients struggling with eating disorders at higher levels of care. She has experience at the residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient levels of care with child, adolescent, and adult patients with all types of eating disorder diagnoses.

Anna received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nutrition and dietetics from Northern Illinois University. During her master’s program, she completed a special certificate program in eating disorders.

In her free time, Anna loves cooking and baking with her family, going for walks with her dog, listening to audiobooks, and traveling whenever she can.

Grace Otum RDN

Posted March 28, 2022

Grace is a registered and licensed dietitian who enjoys helping people develop and maintain a healthy relationship with food.  She empowers people to move away from fad diets and diet culture to a more intuitive and mindful way of eating.  She takes an individualized approach with each client to help them achieve their nutritional goals. Additionally, being Nigerian-born and Houston-raised, Grace has had the opportunity to work with  people from various backgrounds.  She believes that healthy living does not have to exclude traditional foods. 

Grace received her Bachelor’s of Science in Human Food and Nutrition from the University of Houston.  She went on to complete her dietetic internship through Marywood University with a focus on mental health and nutrition.  She began her career working in behavioral hospitals and helping patients make the connection between their nutritional and mental health.  Grace has extensive experience using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help those struggling with eating disorders and disordered eating on their road to recovery.

In her free time, Grace loves traveling nationally and internationally, reading, and playing with her pups. She is fluent in her native tongue – Igbo – and is currently learning French!

 

Emily DaCosta MS, RDN, LDN

Posted March 28, 2022

Emily is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who is passionate about helping others achieve optimal wellness and build a healthy relationship with food and their body.  Emily takes a functional/lifestyle medicine approach to nutrition, where she focuses on understanding the whole person and working with her clients to help them resolve their unique health concerns.  She strives to provide a safe and empathetic environment where every client feels understood, empowered, and encouraged when discussing food and lifestyle.

Emily holds a Master of Science in Nutrition, Healthspan and Longevity from the University of Southern California, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Villanova University.

In her free time, Emily enjoys being outdoors, cooking, and discovering new recipes to test out with family and friends. Her last name – DaCosta – means “of the coast” which is surely on point because of her love for the ocean and the beach!

Michelle C Jeffcoat MS, RDN, LDN

Posted February 28, 2022

Michelle is a registered and licensed dietitian who seeks to know and understand her clients’ unique and personal journeys, so that she can help them achieve the best outcomes for their lives.  She enjoys building relationships through trust and empathy, and through her genuine love for people. She believes that there are many ways to achieve health and wellness goals and enjoys thinking outside of the box to help accomplish those goals.  Michelle has a wide range of experience and finds joy in helping new parents work through infant feeding challenges as well as helping adults work through weight and health challenges.  She has a special interest in lactation and is currently working towards her Certified Breastfeeding Specialist certification.  Michelle enjoys working with people in all stages of life but has a special place in her heart for adolescents.    

Michelle received a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and a Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).  She completed clinical training through UAB and a Pediatric Traineeship through Children’s of Alabama in the Pediatric Pulmonary Center.  For the past 15 years, Michelle has enjoyed working in Pediatric Renal diseases and Kidney transplant. She has also enjoyed working with adults, through telemedicine, to help them achieve specific goals for improved health. These goals are often related to improved blood sugar control, improved blood pressure, and weight concerns.

Michelle grew up in Nashville, Tennessee and has a love and appreciation for all kinds of music.  In addition to playing guitar and singing for fun, she enjoys spending time with her 2 daughters, traveling to new places, and spending time outdoors, hiking, canoeing, sailing, and camping with her boyfriend, and his dog.

Kimberly Novotny MS, RDN, LDN

Posted February 14, 2019

Kimberly is a registered and licensed dietitian who is passionate about assisting her clients in achieving their health and wellness goals.  Kimberly received a Master’s of Science in Human Nutrition from University of Illinois in Chicago, and she completed her clinical training at UIC Medical Center, with rotations at Advocate Sykes outpatient wellness center, FoodMinds, Gourmet Gorilla, and CEDA WIC.

Kimberly has worked in outpatient private practice since becoming a registered dietitian, and uses a client-centered approach and motivational interviewing when working with her clients.  She believes that all foods have a place in a well-balanced diet and that small but powerful changes over time will help individuals’ reach their goals.

Kimberly enjoys working with clients on a range of food-related issues, including eating disorder recovery, food allergies and intolerances, diabetes management, cardiovascular conditions, pre- and post-natal nutrition, pediatric nutrition, and general wellness.

Kimberly spends her free time teaching fitness classes, cooking, walking her over 100-pound dog, and planning her next vacation. She also enjoys spending time with friends and family, especially her husband and son.

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