Abbey is a dedicated registered dietitian who is extremely passionate about empowering others to build healthier relationships with food and their bodies. Utilizing the Health at Every Size (HAES) framework, Abbey takes a non-diet, gentle nutrition, weight- and body-neutral approach to nutrition education and counseling. Through personalized, client-centered education and counseling, she strives to meet her clients where they are in their food freedom and recovery journeys. Abbey thrives on building relationships with her clients as she provides a welcoming, empathetic, inclusive, comfortable, supportive, compassionate space for her clients to share their stories, learn and grow. Abbey believes in the importance of taking small, realistic steps to behavior change, equipping her clients with the knowledge, encouragement, and motivation to create a sustainable, fulfilling lifestyle that can be followed for years to come.
Abbey trained under the Original Intuitive Eating Pros, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, and is a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. Using the principles of Intuitive Eating, Abbey encourages her clients to respect their body’s physical and psychological needs by honoring health, nutrition, and satisfaction. She teaches her clients how to rediscover their internal messages of hunger and fullness, educating them on how food fuels their bodies and provides essential nourishment while maintaining the joys and pleasures of eating. Abbey firmly believes that all foods fit into a healthy lifestyle and takes a non-judgmental approach. She empowers her clients to reject the diet mentality and choose foods that nourish their health and satisfy their taste buds.
Before joining Healthier Tomorrows, Abbey worked in Student Wellness at a major university where she focused on supporting students with eating disorders and disordered eating. Additionally, Abbey has experience working with clients with diabetes, cardiovascular disease (including hypertension and high cholesterol), various gastrointestinal conditions (including IBS,
GERD, SIBO, IBD, and Celiac disease), vegan/vegetarian nutrition, and food allergies/sensitivities. With a rich history in clinical nutrition, Abbey strongly believes in the power of interprofessional collaboration and a team-based approach to providing exceptional client care. Through her work in diabetes education, Abbey had the opportunity to connect with and educate pregnant women with gestational diabetes. This experience inspired Abbey to rediscover her love of women’s health, with special interests in prenatal, breastfeeding, postpartum, and PCOS nutrition. Abbey has witnessed firsthand what proper education can do in prevention and treatment of chronic disease and is passionate about empowering clients to be in the driver’s seat of their health journey.
Abbey is originally from Grand Island, Nebraska, and is a lifelong fan of the Nebraska
Cornhuskers (GO BIG RED!!). After earning her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition & Dietetics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Abbey moved up north to pursue her Master’s degree in Human Nutrition & Metabolism from the University of Minnesota. Following graduation, Abbey completed her dietetic internship at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, where she gained experience working with Children’s Mercy Kansas City and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Abbey loves to learn and is always looking for professional development opportunities to improve her skill set.
Away from work, Abbey loves spending time with her husband watching movies & TV shows (favorites include Friends, The Office, Gilmore Girls, and Ted Lasso), cooking together, and exploring local wineries, coffee shops, and restaurants. Abbey also enjoys traveling (especially when the ocean/beach or Disney are involved), baking delicious treats, cheering on the Cornhuskers and LSU Tigers, listening to podcasts, spending time with loved ones, and reading good books.
Rebecca is a registered and licensed dietitian who is driven to help her clients develop a healthy relationship with food. She offers a safe, inclusive, compassionate space for her clients to learn about the practices of mindful and intuitive eating, to break down old thinking patterns and influences of diet culture, and to empower clients to make lasting, positive changes in their lives. She embraces the Health At Every Size® (HAES) framework in her counseling practice. If you have felt stuck in cycles of dieting, felt held back by poor body image, and nothing you’ve tried has addressed the root causes of your struggles, Rebecca would love to work with you to help you change that.
Rebecca’s experience prior to Healthier Tomorrows includes serving individuals working on their mental health, including healing from disordered eating. She has an extensive background in plant-based nutrition and loves sharing with people the evidence-based benefits of including more plants on their plate, and particularly working with personal needs and preferences for people who might find this challenging. She has also worked in a variety of inpatient and outpatient clinical settings that focus on oncology nutrition, diabetes, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular health. She has personal experiences with fertility and pre- and post-natal nutrition, feeding neurodivergent children, the challenges of feeding yourself well while in the trenches of parenting, and working with folks in the LGBTQIA+ community.
She received her Masters of Science in Food and Nutrition at Framingham State University, as part of their Coordinated Program in Dietetics, which matched her to internships at the Lahey Clinic, Tufts University, and Cooking Matters in Massachusetts.
In her free time, Rebecca listens to audiobooks, especially fantasy and science fiction, and watches genre shows, while nerding out about adaptations. She enjoys theater and music, yoga and hiking, and playing board games with her kids.
Lauren Burkett, MEd, MS, RD, LDN is a registered dietitian who enjoys working with clients with a variety of disease states and supporting them in developing mindful eating habits and learning to recognize and honor their hunger cues through intuitive eating habits. She has a particular passion for working with clients struggling with gastrointestinal issues, including IBS/GERD/SIBO, diverticulitis/diverticulosis, fatty liver issues such as NAFLD/NASH, and low-fat diet post gallbladder removal. She also enjoys working with clients on challenges around emotional eating (with or without binge eating disorder), diabetes (with or without chronic kidney disease), and developing heart-healthy diets (for hypertension, high cholesterol, and/or heart disease).
Lauren believes that mental health is equally as important as physical health, and she supports her clients in developing behaviors that will assist them in both areas of their lives. She works with her clients to develop a more regular eating routine that works best with their lifestyle and allows them to get joy out of eating again. She takes great pleasure in providing individualized care to each of her clients. She guides them as they strive to reach their health and wellness goals. This supports them in having a more balanced lifestyle for years to come.
Lauren completed her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics with minors in Biology, Medical Humanities, and Sociology from the University of Delaware (UD). She also earned her Master of Education as a Nutrition Education Specialist through Framingham State University and a Master of Science in Entrepreneurship and Design from UD. Lauren completed her dietetic internship program through Virginia Tech and considers herself a learner and self-starter.
In her free time, Lauren loves to cook (her favorite meals are shrimp scampi and chicken à la King), paint on canvas, go to spin classes, and play with her two pet bunnies, Quinoa and Pancake, and four dogs, Eevee, Bruno, Twinkie, and Cloud!
Summer Cooper is a registered dietitian who enjoys working alongside clients on their individual health journeys and guiding them to a positive and sustainable relationship with food and body image. Her work focuses on targeting ineffective behaviors and beliefs about food and body using Health at Every Size principles, Intuitive Eating, food exposures and FBT-informed care. Summer appreciates everyone’s uniqueness and offers a gracious and affectionate approach throughout the treatment process as she works to balance nutrition science and education successfully. She enjoys working with individuals of all ages!
Summer was born and raised in Kentucky but now calls Indiana home. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Western Kentucky University, where she also completed her dietetic internship.
Before joining Healthier Tomorrows, Summer worked as a college campus dietitian and collegiate sports dietitian, followed by extensive work at an eating disorder clinic where she served as a dietitian in the individual and group nutrition counseling and intensive outpatient program settings. Summer is passionate about creating safe spaces for clients to work through their eating disorder/disordered eating concerns as well as supporting other chronic health conditions during one-on-one nutrition counseling.
Outside of work Summer enjoys spending time with her husband and two young daughters, church community, reading, the outdoors, and thinking of movie quotes to match most situations!
Jennifer is a registered dietitian who wholeheartedly believes one’s background and experiences should be celebrated every day and that cultural foods deserve a place at the table. She works from an anti-diet and weight-neutral perspective helping people reclaim their whole selves while shedding society’s views on nutrition and body image. Jennifer understands everyone’s definition of health is different and wants to help others find their definition. She creates an atmosphere where clients can be themselves and feel comfortable building upon the confidence she knows they already have within. She uses empathy and open conversations to guide the forming of gentle habits to incorporate into daily life while considering each individual’s ebbs and flows.
Jennifer attended the University of Illinois Chicago where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology. Upon graduation, she moved to Miami, Florida to become a personal trainer and manager at a fitness facility focusing on 1-on-1 and group classes specializing in strength training. She moved back to Chicago a few years later where she worked as a personal trainer for five years, with a focus on clients in the Latine/x community of which she is a member of. While training, she noticed a common thread among her clients – a strained relationship with their body image and eating their cultural foods. While Jennifer was able to relate to her client’s thoughts and feelings, she decided to go back to school to learn how to further lead them to make effective behavioral and mental changes.
She attended the University of Illinois Chicago where she received her Master of Science in Nutrition and completed her dietetic internship with an emphasis in nutrition counseling and education. During this time, Jennifer gained experience working at a residential level of care with clients with eating, obsessive-compulsive, anxiety, bipolar and body dysmorphic disorders. Her background also consists of facilitating food exposure challenges, working through fear food lists, and challenging reassurance seeking. She also has experience providing nutrition education regarding blood sugar and cholesterol management.
Outside of working with clients, Jennifer enjoys cooking and baking with her husband, especially Mexican and Guatemalan dishes, playing with her 2 dogs and 4 cats, and loves to talk about skincare and curly hair routines!
Lauren is a registered and licensed dietitian with a passion for helping individuals who are struggling with eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors. She attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio where she received her dual Bachelors in Dietetics and Kinesiology, along with her Masters in Exercise Science. She went on to complete her dietetic internship through the University of Chicago Medicine, Ingalls Memorial Hospital. She is currently working towards becoming a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS).
Lauren is devoted to creating a safe space for working through eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors. She takes a client-led approach to counseling, utilizing empathy, validation, and humor. She is passionate about the physiological and psychological implications of eating disorders and disordered eating and takes a holistic approach when supporting clients through recovery.
In her spare time Lauren enjoys exploring new coffee shops, traveling, and learning new languages!
Amy is a registered dietitian with a life-long love of learning. She is caring and curious, and is always looking for opportunities to learn more about food, nutrition and her clients, and the ways in which she can help her clients make changes to support improved health! Amy believes that, at its core, food should be a fun and enjoyable part of life, and she strives to help her clients find balance, both in and out of the kitchen. She takes a root-cause approach to all health obstacles, and she takes pride in meeting her clients where they are, no matter their starting point. Amy believes that, in order to foster sustainable change, it’s important to understand the “why” behind a suggested change in addition to understanding the change itself. She encourages questions and approaches each client session as a collaboration, taking a conversational and easy-going approach while always maintaining an evidence-based foundation.
Amy has a long-standing passion for functional nutrition and regularly finds opportunities to increase her knowledge in this area, including through additional classes and trainings. Her goal when working with clients is to look at the true causes of various disease states, and then offer suggestions, guidance and support to help her clients make lasting change. Amy also has an interest in women’s health issues, including PCOS, endometriosis and fertility.
Amy received her B.S. in Marketing from Fordham University before pivoting to the world of food and nutrition. She earned her master’s degree in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics from New York University, and completed her dietetic internship at James J. Peters VA Medical Center. During her clinical training, she gained hands-on experience working with a highly complex patient population, including counseling clients with diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease and unintended weight loss (often working with clients with more than one complex health condition occurring at the same time).
When not talking about food, Amy enjoys reading, baking, yoga, hiking, traveling, and scouting out ceramic mugs from various street markets.
There are plenty of myths out there that can make the nutrition world feel overwhelming. Erica’s goal is to cut through the noise and provide clear guidance that helps her clients make informed and confident choices about their diet.
Erica believes in the power of food to bring people together, connect us to our cultures, and support our health. She believes that our food choices are deeply personal, so she is dedicated to creating a compassionate, welcoming, and safe environment in her sessions. She eagerly anticipates celebrating every victory with her clients and cheering them on as they pursue their goals. She is passionate about fostering sustainable changes that pave the way for lifelong health benefits and is dedicated to guiding her clients every step of the way.
After completing her undergraduate degree, Erica embarked on her journey at a holistic health center, where she first discovered the transformative world of functional nutrition. This experience shifted her focus from pursuing a graduate degree in PA studies to dedicating her education to nutrition. Driven by a passion to manage disease through one of life’s most fundamental features—food—she pursued an advanced degree in nutrition. During her studies, she bolstered her experience by teaching nutrition fundamentals and conducting cooking demonstrations at a family medical center in NYC. Erica is enthusiastic about working with various health conditions, with a particular interest in cardiovascular health, diabetes management, GI health, general wellness, and intuitive eating.
Erica earned her Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition from New York University and completed her dietetic internship at the James J Peters VA Medical Center. There, she received training in diverse specialties such as endocrinology, cardiovascular health, autoimmune disorders, gastrointestinal diseases, oncology nutrition, and renal disease. Her work with patients facing complex medical conditions honed her skills in providing unique and comprehensive nutrition care. After graduation, Erica managed her own inpatient unit, further refining her expertise in counseling and the nutritional management of various conditions and diseases.
Outside of her professional life, Erica is a passionate foodie who delights in trying new recipes from different cultures and exploring unique restaurants in NYC. Her interests also include gardening, running, fashion, and losing track of time in a good book.
Morgan is a dedicated registered dietitian who has always harbored an insatiable passion for nutrition! It’s a field where science intertwines with everyday life, and where misinformation can lead to significant consequences. Her journey into this realm began with a simple fascination for how food impacts our bodies, minds, and overall well-being. Along this journey, she realized the prevalence of misinformation surrounding nutrition. In today’s world where everyone seems to be an expert and fad diets reign supreme, separating fact from fiction can be a daunting task. Yet, it’s a challenge Morgan has wholeheartedly embraced. Her mission is to not only to provide individuals with sound nutritional guidance but also to empower them with the skills to navigate through the sea of misinformation. There is nothing more rewarding than witnessing that “aha” moment for patients or clients! It’s a moment of clarity that not only transforms their approach to food but also instills a newfound sense of confidence in their dietary decisions.
Prior to joining Healthier Tomorrows, Morgan’s work was focused on helping clients achieve and maintain their wellness goals through healthy eating, activity, and lifestyle modification. She then found a passion in clinical nutrition with a specialty in transplant, renal, and ICU Medical Nutrition Therapy. Morgan has significant experience providing education and guidance for patients with diabetes, heart failure, hypertension, and liver failure. She is a Certified Nutrition Support Clinician to provide quality nutrition support care. She is excited to now be focused on supporting clients in an outpatient setting, and enjoys diving into gut health, hormonal health, and meal planning, and enjoys looking at wellness through a functional lens.
In her free time, she loves to run outdoors, cook, read, organize, explore new restaurants, and spend time with friends and her husband.
Dara is a registered dietitian with a passion for using food as medicine and utilizing a holistic approach to help clients heal their relationship with food. Dara believes that food is much more than just nutrition, it can help to create internal and external balance and is a central part of life that holds so much joy! Dara loves to help clients rediscover the joy in food they may have lost. She also loves to empower clients by providing them with facts and tools they can use to be intuitive with their nourishment. She values creating a comfortable, safe, and welcoming environment in a virtual setting. Dara is passionate about functional nutrition, eating disorder recovery, intuitive eating, and helping clients leave the diet mentality behind.
Previously, Dara worked in a private practice that specialized in functional nutrition. Dara utilizes this functional approach in helping clients identify the root cause of any imbalances they may be feeling by examining areas in their lives outside of their diet, such as their stress, sleep, and overall environment. Dara has counseled clients in eating disorder recovery, picky eating, intuitive eating, cardiovascular health, and preventative functional nutrition. Dara has experience facilitating 1:1 meal exposure cooking classes for individuals in their eating disorder recovery and clients with picky eating and food aversions.
Dara attended the University of Vermont where she received a bachelor’s degree in Dietetics, Nutrition, and Food Science and a certificate in Integrative Medicine, and completed her dietetic internship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dara also became a certified yoga instructor before going off to college! Dara’s love for yoga influenced her passion for integrative nutrition, intuitive eating, and her holistic counseling style.
In her spare time, Dara loves practicing yoga and spending time at the beach with her family and four dogs. She also loves to travel, trying delicious restaurants, or creating recipes of her own! Also, a phrase you will often hear her say is that you can pronounce her name as “Sara”, but with a D instead of an S!