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What I offer

Health professionals

Welcome! If you are a health professional looking to connect, consult or refer your clients, this place is for you. As a Credential Eating Disorder Clinician, I deeply value a collaborative approach. Such a partnership allows each practitioner to share their perspective and wisdom, while contributing to a comprehensive treatment plan for those they support.

Jessica is a Melbourne based Accredited Practising Dietitian and a Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician.
Eating Disorder Dietetic Support

Information for GPs & Health Professionals

Evidence-Based Nutrition Care for Eating Disorders & Disordered Eating

I work closely with GPs, psychologists, psychiatrists, paediatricians and other allied health professionals to provide evidence-based eating disorder dietetic care locally (Templestowe Lower) and across Australia, via Telehealth. The care I provide is trauma-informed, weight-inclusive, and evidence-based.

Referrals accepted for:

Anorexia nervosa

Bulimia nervosa

Binge eating disorder

OSFED/atypical eating disorders

ARFID

Eating disorders in higher-weight bodies

Severe and enduring eating disorders

Disordered eating (weight cycling, dieting, emerging eating disorder behaviours)

Early intervention and preventative health

Patients and clients don’t need a diagnosis to work with me. You might be concerned about emerging eating disorder behaviours or mindsets, or you may notice a client wrestling with body image concerns. Dietetic support can be useful, even apart from a formal diagnosis. Indeed, health care that’s preventative is essential.

As a dietitian, I can conduct a thorough assessment exploring a person’s eating patterns, beliefs and attitudes towards food and nutrition, body image concerns, exercise regime, general health concerns, and gut health. I will then provide you with a thorough report. This report can help guide your decision-making as you formulate the most appropriate treatment options for the individual.

dinner table, set with roast vegetables, salad, meat and bread

Who I Work With

I accept referrals for children (6 years +), adolescents and adults requiring specialist nutrition intervention for eating disorders or complex disordered eating. In addition to supporting people with eating disorders, I also provide nutrition support to the following groups:

Family nutrition

Support and advice regarding mealtimes, lunch boxes, fussy eating, and body image.

Gut Health

DGBI, Functional Constipation and Diarrhea, Gastroparesis and Gastro-oesophageal-reflux.

Women’s Health

Perimenopause, Menopause, Endometriosis.

Heart Health

High cholesterol

GLP-1 Medications

Nutrition support to ensure adequate dietary intake and support to help individuals develop healthy long-term eating patterns.

Mental Health

Nutrition counselling to help improve diet quality and mood. Supporting people to develop a healthy relationship with food and their body.

General nutrition

Correcting nutritional deficiencies, optimising nutrition for bone health or pre-diabetes.

How can I help you?

Nutrition assessment

My first 1-2 sessions with a client are dedicated to nutrition assessment. This means exploring the client’s goals and expectations for our work together, diet, eating patterns, nutrition beliefs, relationship with food and their body, connection with appetite, exercise patterns, gut health, body image concerns, general health, life circumstances that impact health and food intake, motivation for change and previous attempts to make change. With consent, I will provide you with a detailed report, so that you have a clear picture of your client’s nutritional concerns and how we will address them.

Secondary consult

You may notice that your client has struggles with food, weight, gut health but don’t have the time to deeply explore them. This is where I can help. Conducting long sessions with clients enables me to thoroughly explore their nutritional concerns from a holistic perspective. Furthermore, I can provide you with feedback and advice that will enable you to tailor your health care.

Assessment of nutritional risk

Evaluating nutritional risk is a standard part of my service. Based on this assessment I will make recommendations regarding the level of care an individual needs or the suggested frequency of medical monitoring. This may also include diagnostic tests (e.g., bloods) that can uncover any health concerns that need to be addressed.

Ongoing feedback

In addition to providing feedback in accordance with Medicare guidelines, I am committed to regular and open communication. With the client’s permission, I will provide updates as necessary throughout the duration of treatment. I will raise concerns, seek your opinion where necessary, and collaborate to ensure the individual receives the best care possible.

What can clients expect from working with me?

As a dietitian, I take a trauma-informed approach to care. This means that everyone is treated with kindness, respect and compassion. Clients can reasonably expect the following from my sessions:

  • Building a shared understanding of their nutritional concerns.
  • Feedback regarding their health concerns with evidence-based nutritional advice.
  • A collaborative approach to setting nutritional goals for their health concerns.
  • A sensitive and compassionate space where they can freely unpack concerns about health, weight and body image.
  • Nutrition education, providing them with current and accurate nutritional information.
  • Practical nutrition strategies, including support around meal planning, cooking skills, recipes and making meals more nutritious and enjoyable.
  • Strategies to reduce stress at mealtimes, especially for families.
  • Where appropriate, developing and providing meal plans.
  • Exploring barriers to change and building motivation to change.
  • Developing insight into their relationship with food and eating patterns.
  • Support and strategies to reduce mindless, chaotic and emotional eating patterns.
  • Cultivating mindful and intuitive eating skills.
  • Exploring body image concerns and developing positive body image skills.
Jessica Buchanan sitting at a table holding a blue mug. Jessica is a Melbourne based Accredited Practising Dietitian and a Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician.

Collaborative Care & Communication with Referrers

Because I value a genuinely collaborative approach, I prioritise clear, timely communication with referring and participating health professionals. This might include:

  • Written feedback following an initial assessment and at the conclusion of treatment (with consent).
  • Regular progress updates during care.
  • Identification and escalation of medical or nutritional risk where necessary.
  • Ongoing collaboration with other members of a client’s treatment team (psychologist, psychiatrist, etc.)
  • Ongoing collaboration with parents or carers involved in the individual’s treatment.

Accepted Referral Options

As both a registered Dietitian with Dietitians Australia and a Credential Eating Disorder Dietitian, I can accept referrals under the following circumstances:

  • Medicare Eating Disorder Treatment Plan (EDTP).
  • GP Chronic Condition Management Plan (GPCCMD).
  • Referrals under private health plans.
  • NDIS (self- or plan-managed).
  • Self-referrals.

Referral Requirements

Referrals can be sent via email to: jess@jbdietetics.com.au Clients can book appointments directly via my website; alternatively, they can book a free discovery call, should they wished to connect with me prior to booking. The following items would be much appreciated when referring a new client.

  • GP referral letter or EDTP or GPCCMP.
  • Relevant medical history and recent pathology.
  • Current weight trends if available and relevant.
  • Number of sessions requested under GPCCMP.

Connect with me

Building strong professional relationships allows us to support our clients better. This ensures that our clients have better outcomes. It also means that we derive the benefits of working withing a team environment.

Book in a Lunch time mini workshop.

These workshops can be tailored to your needs. I will provide some delicious homemade sandwiches and fresh fruit for you to enjoy while we discuss topics that are important to you. This could be a nutrition update on eating disorders, or how I support people on GLP-1 medications.

Mini educational videos.

Here is a short introductory video that allows you to get a sense of my approach to nutrition therapy for people with eating disorders. If you would like to receive more of these educational videos, please let me know.

My offering

I offer in-person sessions on a Wednesday from 9am to 1pm at Templestowe Health Hub in Lower Templestowe, a warm and welcoming environment where your clients can explore their nutritional concerns in a supportive, dedicated space.

In addition I provide telehealth appointments on Mondays and Fridays from 9:15am to 2pm. 

Additional training

  • Trauma Informed Dietetic Care.
  • Motivational Interviewing.
  • Acceptance and Commitment therapy (Russ Harris and for dietitians).
  • Enhanced Cognitive Based Therapy for Eating Disorders (CBT_E).
  • Family Based Therapy for Eating Disorders (FBT).
  • ASSIST training.
  • Mental Health First Aid.
  • Body Image: The Missing Piece for Whole Body Healing.
  • Body Image in Focus.
  • Digestive Disorders and Eating Disorders: A Complex Mix.
  • ARFID for Dietitians: A responsive Feeding Approach.
  • Mindful Eating.
  • Intuitive Eating Skills Training.
  • Ongoing professional supervision.

FAQs for GPs & Health Professionals

I accept referrals for children (6 years +), adolescents and adults requiring specialist nutrition intervention for eating disorders or complex disordered eating. In addition to supporting people with eating disorders, I also provide nutrition support to the following groups:

As a part of my nutrition assessment, I will assess an individual’s nutritional risk. Those requiring inpatient or day program care are referred to the appropriate services.

Yes, I work with adolescents. When I support adolescent patients, I take a whole-of-family approach. This means working collaboratively with parents or caregivers, providing them with support, nutrition education and strategies as they help their loved ones.

Yes, dietetic sessions are available Australia-wide via telehealth under both the EDTP and GPCCMP.

No, I don’t provide a bulk billing service.

People can usually get an appointment (whether in-person or telehealth) within two weeks.

Templestowe Health Hub, 286 Manningham Road, Templestowe Lower.

Staring from Monday 2nd February 2026, session times will be:

  • Monday 9:15am-2pm (Telehealth only)
  • Wednesday 9am-1pm Templestowe Health Hub (in-person or Telehealth sessions)
  • Friday 9:15am-2pm (Telehealth only)

Resources for GPs

InsideOut Institute for Eating Disorders: GP Hub and tools

CEED – The Victorian Centre for Excellence in Eating Disorders: Resources

Sick Enough. A Guide to Medical Complications of Eating Disorders and Undernutrition, by Jennifer L. Gaudiani, MD.

Eating Disorders. A Guide to Medical Care. 4th Edition.

Early identification of eating disorders – NEDC_Identification

The role of the GP in the treatment of eating disorders

Assessing physical risk in Eating Disorders – CEED resource

Medical Monitoring for Eating Disorders – CEED resource

Starvation Syndrome – CEED resource

Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire EDE-Q

Binge Eating Disorder Screener BEDS_7

SCOFF questionnaire– CEED resource (a screening tool for eating disorders)

Telehealth and in person appointments available

Please enquire when making a booking

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