Nutrition & Health Coach vs. Nutritional Therapist

What’s the Difference?

At The Slowdown, transparency is key. I want you to feel fully informed about what I do—and just as importantly, what I don’t do. Understanding the difference between a Nutrition & Health Coach and a Nutritional Therapist helps set the right expectations from the start.

A Nutrition & Health Coach: Your Partner in Change

As a Nutrition & Health Coach, I work with you, not on you. This is your journey—I’m here to guide, support, and empower you along the way.

What I do

  • Help you cut through the overwhelming amount of health information out there.
  • Provide education on nutrition and lifestyle habits to support your well-being.
  • Help you set realistic, achievable goals that fit your unique life.
  • Work with you if you have a diagnosed condition (e.g., high cholesterol, diabetes, IBS) to co-create a plan that supports your health.

What I do

  • Partner with you to implement, revisit, and tweak strategies until we find what works best for your lifestyle.
  • Introduce holistic practices—such as breathwork, movement, or mindfulness—that may support your overall health.
  • Keep you accountable, motivated, and on track.
  • Offer practical strategies to build lifelong habits—not just short-term fixes.

What I don’t do

  • Diagnose medical conditions.
  • Prescribe specific supplements or medical treatments.
  • Offer clinical interventions.
  • Prescribe specific diets.

Every client is unique. Different lifestyles, different tastes, different responsibilities. That’s why cookie-cutter advice doesn’t work. Together, we’ll create a plan that makes sense for you—one that can evolve and adapt as your needs change.

A Nutritional Therapist takes a more clinical approach, using functional testing and targeted nutrition interventions to address specific health concerns.

What a Nutritional Therapist Does

  • Investigates underlying health imbalances through clinical assessments.
  • Creates highly specialised nutrition plans for medical conditions
  • Recommends supplements and therapeutic diets based on lab results.
  • Works with individuals experiencing chronic illness or complex health concerns.

What they don’t do

  • Provide ongoing habit-building support.
  • Offer long-term accountability and coaching.

Referrals and a Holistic Approach

As your Nutrition & Health Coach, my goal is to ensure you have access to all the tools and support you need. If, during our work together, I feel that additional testing or specialist support could be beneficial, I may refer you to a trusted Nutritional Therapist or another qualified health professional. This allows us to get deeper insights through lab testing, advanced assessments, or targeted protocols when needed.

Once you have those results, we can work together to implement realistic, sustainable strategies based on the recommendations—ensuring that you don’t just receive advice, but actually have the support to make it work in your day-to-day life.

Similarly, I may introduce holistic lifestyle practices such as breathwork, movement, or stress management techniques if I feel they could support your well-being. Your health isn’t just about food—it’s about how you live, move, and manage stress too.

So, Which One Do You Need?

If you’re looking for guidance, structure, motivation, and accountability to help you make sustainable lifestyle changes—whether or not you have a diagnosed condition—a Nutrition & Health Coach is for you.

If you need clinical testing or a highly specific therapeutic protocol, a Nutritional Therapist may be the better choice.

At The Slowdown, my role is to help you take control of your health in a way that fits your life. Together, we’ll co-create a plan of action that empowers you to make real, lasting changes—without stress, guilt, or overwhelm.

You set the stage. You set the goals. I’m here to support, educate, and refine the strategies that will help you succeed.

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Kelly S. profile pictureKelly S.
19:31 19 Aug 25
Dee is amazing! 🌟 She went above and beyond with her workshop - sharing so much valuable information in a way that was warm, fun, and easy to follow. The healthy treats were absolutely delicious, the slides beautifully illustrated, and the cooking demo was wonderful (and everything tasted incredible!). Dee has such a natural presence - engaging, funny, and full of heart. I left feeling inspired, nourished, and so glad I attended. Couldn’t recommend her highly enough!
Caitriona O D. profile pictureCaitriona O D.
14:29 18 Aug 25
Dee's workshop was amazing. She is the perfect facilitator for a workshop like this. She is incredibly knowledgeable and has a wonderful way of communicating that knowledge. She is warm and funny and engaging. Her warmth helped to create a wonderful feeling of camaraderie, where we shared experiences and above all, lots and lots of laughter. As a post menopausal woman, I learned so much from this workshop and particularly enjoyed Dee's amazing cooking and nutrition tips. Her recipes were so simple, affordable, fuss-free and totally delicious. I would highly recommend this workshop to any woman, regardless of her age. I left on Saturday with a full heart, a full belly and a very big smile on my face. Thank you so much Dee!
rachel M. profile picturerachel M.
11:46 17 Aug 25
Informative and inspiring, Dee has done all the research and distilled it into something you can get your head around! I left the workshop feeling energised and ready to put the nutrition advice into practice in my daily life. The cooking demonstrations made the small changes feel completely achievable, while the presentation highlighted just how impactful they can be for my long-term health and happiness. I would highly recommend this workshop!
jenny C. profile picturejenny C.
12:45 16 Aug 25
Really enjoyed this workshop with Dee. Full of Really helpful and practical info. Dee is fun and enthusiastic totally keeps you engaged. Loved the cooking demos and tastings, breaking it all down and making things feel easy and achievable. Lovely to meet the other women in the class with shared experiences.
Maisha L. profile pictureMaisha L.
12:33 16 Aug 25
Amazing experience! I learnt so much, ate some delicious food and met some great women. Dee is a natural and led the workshop with grace and humour! Thank you!
Katherine N. profile pictureKatherine N.
12:33 16 Aug 25
Fabulous workshop. Left feeling informed and with my heart full! A great incentive to focus on self care in a practical way. Feeling stronger in my own convictions about what I need.
Lynnette M. profile pictureLynnette M.
15:47 26 Jul 25
So informative & enlightening. Dee’s approach is encouraging and brilliantly illuminating. Small steps towards big changes. An afternoon well spent that will pay dividends for months and years to come. I highly recommend Dee’s workshop.
Photo from customer reviewPhoto from customer review
Ciara C. profile pictureCiara C.
15:43 26 Jul 25
A beautifully safe and welcoming environment. I left the room with so many tools in the box to support better nutrition and overall wellbeing. Dee is an inspiration and the passion is contagious. A powerful time so well spent with wonderful women on the same journey.
Fiona B. profile pictureFiona B.
15:43 26 Jul 25
Dee’s workshop is a game changer. So informative. So inspirational. Dee is warm and welcoming and so full of knowledge and wisdom. I have come away with so many tips for better nourishment and tips on how to live a healthier happy life into the future. A must do.

work with me

Ready to Start? Let’s Slow Down Together.

Health isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. Whether you’re looking for ongoing support, a structured program, or a one-time session, I’m here to help you simplify the process, take action, and create lasting change.

Book a free discovery call to explore how we can work together!

come as you are

I want you to know that if you choose to work with me you are coming into a completely confidential and safe space. There is absolutely no need to worry about where you are at with your diet or health.

There is no judgement or shame here at The Slowdown, just a space to slow down and recalibrate so you can make the changes you want to see in your future. It’s a slow path to wellness one step at a time.

So no matter your gender, colour, race, creed or size please – just come as you are and lets make your health a priority xxx

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