ABOUT ME
My name is Laura Gajda and I am a Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist that has been working in the field of Eating Disorders (ED) since 2015. I got my start with working with EDs when I got an internship in an outpatient ED clinic with two amazing Dietitians that I owe an abundance of initial curiosity and values to. They provided me with articles, books, and a completely different approach to nutrition that I had not yet experienced. Up until that point, I asked myself why I had fought so hard to get into my Dietitian program. The reason I got into Dietetics was to help people but all in all, I felt like I was seeing patients that were already in the hospital with their illness very progressive. This made me feel like I was not as connected to what I was doing and had me questioning if I truly wanted to become a Dietitian. I did not get that joy until I interviewed with Patrizia Jesue and Melissa Knudson at their private practice. They started talking about their practice and I knew that I had found my calling. I started to get excited about working in Dietetics again and I knew that I was ready to take my place as a Dietitian that specialized in EDs.
Fast forward to a year later, I became a Registered Dietitian and I landed a job as a Dietitian that worked in EDs with both adolescents and adults in the hustling/bustling town of Los Angeles. I worked at Rosewood Center for Eating Disorders. I attribute a lot of my initial understanding of working within the ED population to this place. I feel like I was constantly reading and feeling like I had so much to learn still.
After three years of working at the treatment facility, I switched to an outpatient facility called Bamboo Nutrition Therapy Inc. Back to the roots of which I started my journey with working with EDs, in an outpatient facility. I continued to learn and grow as a practitioner and eventually a supervisor/mentor to new and seasoned Dietitians. I attribute a lot of my ED knowledge to this point in my career due to feeling very supported from my supervisory experience. This is where I truly understood the value of what good supervision and mentorship could do to help progress my personal and professional goals.
I wanted to create a space for all Dietitians (similar to what I had) to learn/grow and approach the field of nutrition differently. I want to provide teachings that would be helpful for Dietitians. Throughout my website, you will see many collaborations with other providers and helpful tips I have learned working within the ED field. This website is geared to Dietitians, but I am going to try to incorporate more voices of Therapists, Psychiatrists, and Medical Doctors to help support working within the ED field.