Jessie is a registered dietitian who is passionate about providing nutrition counseling to individuals with eating disorders, chronic dieters, and those wishing to improve their relationship with food and their bodies. She believes that there is no one diet for optimal health, because everyone’s nutritional, emotional and physical needs vary. She uses a non-diet approach to work with each client to build a pattern of eating that best suits their individual needs. Jessie is comfortable working with individuals with co-occurring mental health concerns like addiction, anxiety, and depression, and has personal experience with working a 12-step program. She believes that nutrition plays a vital role in recovery from mental and physical health issues, and hopes to provide a safe space for clients to feel comfortable discussing all aspects of health.
Jessie received her bachelor’s degree in Communication and Media Studies from The University of Michigan and her Post-Bachelor Certificate in Dietetics from Wayne State University. During her clinical training, Jessie completed a clinical rotation at St. John Ascension hospital, where she spent much of her time in the behavioral health unit. In addition to nutrition counseling, Jessie has experience in long-term care, food service and adolescent eating disorder recovery programs.
Outside of helping her clients, Jessie loves spending time with her friends and family. She enjoys staying active with running, dancing and attending live music events, but also loves staying home curled up with her cat and a good book. Book recommendations are always welcome!
Giedre is a registered dietitian who believes in the philosophy of “food as medicine” and that food can be a source of vitality and pleasure in life. Giedre enjoys working with clients struggling with eating disorders and disordered eating behavior. She also enjoys providing counseling and education to clients on other nutrition-related topics, including the role that nutrition plays in supporting mental health, mindful eating, chronic disease and general well-being. Giedre is holistically minded in her approach to nutrition care and she works through an integrative nutrition lens that addresses multiple factors in her clients’ lives to help support overall health.
Before joining Healthier Tomorrows, Giedre worked as a clinical dietitian and as an eating disorder dietitian in a residential treatment facility as well as in PHP and IOP settings. She received her Master of Science in nutrition from Bastyr University, and completed her clinical training through UNLV in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Beyond her work as a dietitian, Giedre is an avid hiker and painter. She’s also a frequent visitor of national parks, and thoroughly enjoys international travel and having the opportunity to explore, hike, and experience food from different cultures.
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 Best received her Bachelor of Science in Food, Nutrition, and Dietetics from Carson-Newman University, and her Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition from the University of Memphis. She completed a graduate assistantship with St. Jude Children’s Hospital and clinical rotations within Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare system. She has experience working as an inpatient dietitian, including leading an inpatient clinical team, and also previously worked as an outpatient adult oncology dietitian for eight years. She is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Cara is passionate about providing care for patients going through the heartbreak of a cancer diagnosis. Across her years of education and professional experience, her passion has given her the opportunity to work with clients across a spectrum of diagnoses, including diabetes management, cardiovascular health, digestive concerns and disorders, and medical nutrition therapy. She is an eager learner and enjoys bringing fun and excellent, evidence-based nutrition therapy to her client sessions, making it easy for her clients and their families to make nutrition-related choices that help them to maximize their health and wellness.
Cara grew up in Tullahoma, Tennessee and adores her songwriting husband, her toddler, and her orange tabby named Halli. She loves to spend time with loved ones, and loves being outdoors!
Claire Bowar is a registered and licensed dietitian who enjoys working with her clients to find food freedom and peace with their bodies. Her work is aligned with the Health At Every Size ® movement, and she incorporates the principles of Intuitive Eating into her sessions to help guide her clients towards a more relaxed and judgement-free zone around food and their bodies. She prides herself on providing a safe and supportive environment for her clients to open up about their deeply personal food and body challenges. Claire understands that her clients may come in with multiple co-occurring mental health diagnoses, and she feels confident in helping them see how these can be interconnected, whether it be obsessive compulsive disorder, trauma, depression, or another area of medical or mental health. She makes sure to meet her clients where they are in their recovery journey, and together, with her clients, she builds individualized plans to ditch the diet rules and rediscover the joy of eating. Along the way, you’ll see that Claire includes compassion, empathy, active listening, and even some humor into her sessions.
Claire received her Bachelor of Science in Community Medical Dietetics from Viterbo University, where she also completed her dietetic internship with an emphasis on sports nutrition and eating disorders.
Before joining Healthier Tomorrows, Claire worked at a leading mental health treatment center with clients of all eating disorder diagnoses. She has experience providing individualized care in inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient settings for adolescents and adults. Along with providing one-to-one nutrition counseling sessions, Claire also has extensive history providing nutrition education, cooking sessions, and food exposure challenges.
Outside of time spent with clients, Claire loves spending time with families and friends. She enjoys soaking up the outdoors in almost any capacity—whether it’s exploring new state parks, fine tuning her pickleball skills, or boating on the river. When not outside, you’ll find her baking up some sweet treats or catching coffee dates with her best friends.
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!
Kerry is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor who enjoys working with her clients to find food freedom! She is Health at Every Size aligned and uses the Intuitive Eating framework to guide her clients towards a more peaceful and joyful relationship with food and their bodies. She has a special interest in providing evidenced-based, whole health nutrition to those recovering from eating disorders and disordered eating.
Kerry graduated from the University of Florida with her Bachelor of Science in Food Science and Human Nutrition and completed her dietetic internship at the James A. Haley VA Hospital in Tampa, Florida. Before joining Healthier Tomorrows, she worked with veterans of the U.S. armed forces on their journeys toward better health in mind, body and spirit. She also works as an assistant coach for a high school girls flag football team and is passionate about empowering young women to live well and honor their bodies through athletics.
Outside of work you can find her chasing her two young kids, spending time outdoors, or attempting to write and illustrate a children’s book with her husband.
Lauren Burkett, MS, RDN, LD 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/SIBO, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and low-fat diet post gallbladder removal, pancreatitis, diverticulitis/diverticulosis, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. She also enjoys working with clients on challenges around emotional eating (with or without binge eating disorder), diabetes (with or without chronic kidney disease), women’s health issues (such as polycystic ovarian syndrome), endometriosis, infertility, and low-sodium diets (for hypertension and/or heart disease).
Lauren believes that mental health is just as important as physical health, and she supports her clients in developing behaviors that will assist them in both areas of their lives. She takes great pleasure in providing individualized care to each of her clients and in working with them as they strive to reach their health and wellness goals that will help to support an improved lifestyle for years to come.
Lauren completed her Bachelors of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics with minors in Biology, Medical Humanities, and Sociology from the University of Delaware (UD). She also earned her Masters of Science in Entrepreneurship and Design from UD. Lauren is currently working towards earning her Masters in Nutrition Education.
In her free time, Lauren loves to cook balanced meals (her favorites are shrimp scampi and chicken à la King), paint on canvas, go to spin and swim classes, and play with her pet bunnies, Quinoa and Pancake, and her Siberian husky/Alaskan Malamute and border collie/American Eskimo dogs, Bruno and Eevee!
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 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!