Nutrition Counseling

Kelly Barnhill, the head of the Nutrition Clinic at Thoughtful House, is a certified clinical nutritionist with experience in implementing dietary interventions that are specifically for children with celiac disease, Crohn's disease, severe eczema and allergy, and autism and related childhood developmental disorders. In addition to comprehensive healthy diet plans, her expertise includes the application of gluten- and casein-free diets, and allergy-targeted elimination diets. She also has experience working with the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, Blood Type Diets, and the Feingold Diet.

Under Ms. Barnhill’s supervision, the clinicians at the Nutrition Clinic helps parents develop a child-specific plan for implementing dietary treatment for their child. An initial appointment evaluates a child's current nutritional intake, develops a dietary protocol to maximize the child's health, and assists with transition to the new, healthy diet. Additionally, the Nutrition Clinic is available to consult with professionals or family members who spend time with that child.

The initial consultation takes about ninety minutes. Parents explain their child's current diet and situation and can ask questions about specialized diets. Based on the discussion during the consultation, parents are provided with an implementation plan, recommendations on supplements, and instructions for collecting the data needed to determine the effectiveness of any dietary change. Follow-up appointments take about one hour, and address any questions the parents might have.

Services the Nutrition Clinic provides include

• Menu and meal planning specific to each child and family
• Recipe dietary analysis
• In-service training for professionals working with a child
• Prenatal, postnatal, and infant nutrition counseling
• Nutritional strategies for children with asthma and allergies
• Support for children with chronic otitis media (ear infections), upper respiratory infections, and sinusitis
• Clear and concise advice on addressing food allergies and intolerances
• Nutritional support plans for siblings and parents of children with childhood developmental disorders
• Nutritional counseling for families affected with other disabilities, including Down's Syndrome
• Long-term menu and meal planning for effective rotation diets
• Strategies for boosting calorie intake for underweight children
• Dietary analysis and nutritional planning for vegan and vegetarian families
• Presentations on a variety of topics for educational and medical professionals

To schedule a consultation or for more information, please contact our main office at 512-732-8400 or visit our patient portal to request an appointment.