Hi, my name is Ayshia. I am so happy you are here. 

 

I’m a Portland-based Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) licensed to practice in Oregon and Washington. I have been a dietitian since 2022. I have a Bachelor’s of Science in Family & Consumer Sciences, with a strong focus on sociology and psychology. 

 

Food has been important to me from a young age. Seeing the ways that food and cooking bring people together, and the community that is built around it, informed my passion and interest in becoming a dietitian. However, this joyful experience with food was at odds with the pressures I was experiencing with social media, diet culture, and constantly feeling like my body wasn’t “right.”

 

Growing up in the South as a multiracial individual, I rarely felt like I met society’s aesthetic ideals. My feelings about myself, the thoughts I had about my body, and my disordered relationship with exercise only became apparent to me in college. After my own personal health struggles, combined with the experience of providers who didn’t take the time to listen or understand my concerns, I was determined to practice healthcare differently. Eventually, I discovered intuitive eating and a community of people learning to heal their relationships with food and with themselves, which further cemented my interest in becoming a dietitian and providing that same level of care. 

 

In my professional career, I have pursued work in many different nutrition specialties and I enjoy supporting a diverse range of clients. My experience includes clinical roles in hospitals, outpatient mental health and eating disorder treatment centers, medical accommodations and regulation of school nutrition programs, as well as identification and implementation of food allergy protocols, and private practice settings. These varied experiences have strengthened my clinical expertise, adaptability, and understanding of the unique nutritional needs of individuals across different populations and stages of life. 

 

I incorporate psychological and sociological principles into my work with you, exploring food & mood, the gut-brain axis, emotional/stress eating, interoceptive awareness, and psychosocial factors such as cultural food pathways and learned behaviors. Working with folks in marginalized communities is particularly interesting to me, as I explore with you the societal and population-specific aspects of your nutrition and well-being. 

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​Outside of work, I love traveling, spending time with my loved ones and animals, being outdoors, gaming, gardening, trying new restaurants, seeing live music, reading, writing, and creating art.​​​

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Credentials and Qualifications​

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, RDN, Commission on Dietetic Registration: #86097133

Bachelor of Science in Family & Consumer Sciences, University of Georgia
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, University of Georgia

Keith and Associates Distance Dietetic Internship

Certified Dietitian, CD, Washington State Dept. of Health: #DI-61384103

Licensed Dietitian, LD, Oregon Health Authority: #LD-D-10240803

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