About Carly

 
 

With over a decade in the field, here’s how I’ve come to share my story:

I’ve always known I wanted to be a Registered Dietitian. Truly - since I was eight years old (..?) I wanted to own the knowledge on how and why the body works the way it does, what to do to fix it (perfectionism, much?) I wanted to be able to support others in making the right decisions to achieve their optimal health. I wanted answers — quantitative, tangible, definite.

Well, I graduated from the University of Connecticut Coordinated Program in Dietetics in 2012, and went on to complete a Masters of Science in Nutrition in 2015 while getting started in the field. My first position was in a student clinic on a college campus, followed by a position at a Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. I enjoyed counseling; through my discussions and connections with real humans, I began to notice that there was much, much more to nutrition than answers like: “you should eat this” or “you need more of that.” In fact, it wasn’t about having control or fixes at all. I came to appreciate the nuances of how people related to food given their experiences: resources, needs, priorities, expectations, and interpretations of nutrition. Needless to say, I began to take quite a liking to focusing on the qualitative, intangible, obscure. (The perfectionist in me slowly wilted away, and is now nowhere to be found these days — FYI). Lots and lots of unlearning.

I moved to Los Angeles in 2016 with the notion I’d be able to expand my work, and whoa-- was I right. I dove in to behavioral health communities, and began to work in a variety of recovery environments, eventually landing more specifically on eating disorder treatment. I simultaneously carried my passion for pediatric and family work into an interdisciplinary feeding team for children with diverse developmentally-driven nutrition needs. Confirmed -- nutrition was more than fruits & veggies. It was physical wellness, emotional experience, connection, communication, celebration.. and then some.

A note about my experiences of treatment environments: I have seen such deep healing and community built in these spaces, and have learned so much from folx seeking this form of care. I have also seen firsthand the inherent limitations of such structured environments as a whole, often imposed by our healthcare industry, insurance, and medical/mental health industrial complex. I take full ownership of once assuming these practices were status quo, and now work tirelessly to offer corrective experiences of the treatment process. Thankfully, the field of eating disorder treatment is rapidly evolving, and will hopefully continue to learn from its mistakes quickly. I offer my experience, fully inclusive of my own growing pains, to new dietitians entering the field, or anyone looking to take a new perspective. We must do better. For clinicians looking for consultation: click here.

I continue to practice nutrition therapy in these growth and healing communities today -- joining individuals throughout their journey to true wellness, comprehensive health, and vitality in all senses of the word. I strive to support children and adolescents in protecting self-awareness and confidence in the ability to trust their bodies; I strive to support families in rediscovering joy and connection through feeding relationships and mealtimes; I strive to support individuals in shattering the suffocating expectations, social pressures, the food- and body- “shoulds” that inflict the illusion of inadequacy. I strive to learn from and highlight marginalized voices, and denounce our society’s oppression of bodies and identities. I strive to uncover a relationship with food, movement, body, and being that is free and fun and fulfilling. I stand alongside self-discovery and embodiment using nutrition, rewritten.

 
 

IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW

  • I love designing/decorating, 90’s nostalgia, The Office, bergamot, tending to my plants, emo music, contemporary dance, pineapple & bacon pizza, and Joshua Tree

  • I have a maltipoo, Marlowe, who will likely join our sessions

EDUCATION

  • Master of Science in Nutrition, University of St. Joseph, West Hartford, CT 2015

  • Bachelor of Science in Dietetics via Coordinated Program in Dietetics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 2012

RELEVANT TRAININGS

  • Somatic Experiencing Professional Training Program - Beginner I, Somatic Experiencing International, 2024

  • LGBTQIA+ and Neurodivergent Affirming Approaches to Food and Body RDs for Neurodiversity, 2023

  • Eating Disorder Training for Clinicians Carolyn Costin Institute via Camden Center, 2023

  • Core Curriculum for Certified Eating Disorder Specialists IAEDP, 2021

PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS

  • “Wellness & Worth” Nutrition Rewritten, February 2024

  • “Moving Beyond the Meal Plan” Camden Center, July 2023

  • “Building a Strong Nutrition Foundation” Professional Child Development Associates, June 2023

  • “Nuances in Nutrition” Nutrition Rewritten, May 2023

  • “Back to School: An Interview with Carly Heynes” Monte Nido & Affiliates, August 2021

  • “From Fallacy to Freedom” Nutrition Rewritten, August 2020

  • “Eating Disorders & Body Image” Rosewood Centers for Eating Disorders, 2018

  • “Parental Perception of Child Portion Sizes and Intakes” University of St. Joseph, 2015

  • “Testing the Feasibility and Utility of a Brief Dietary Screener in a Pediatric Emergency Department” University of Connecticut, 2012