Helping Professionals Interview Series: Erica Branz, Dietitian in St. Louis
We are so excited to have interviewed Erica Branz, a dietitian in St. Louis, because we know that mental health and physical health go hand-in-hand.
They’re totally linked together. On the mental health side, disordered eating can interact with child, adolescent, and young adult anxiety and anger management. Some kids come in with picky eating that’s anxiety driven. Some teens struggling with perfectionism find that controlling their food feels like a way to control their perfectionism - and, of course, it’s an unhealthy coping tool.
Erica became choose to become a dietitian in St. Louis to help others recover from disordered eating. Erica’s practice, Branz Nutrition Counseling (BNC), started off as a solo private practice in Webster Groves, MO and has grown into a group of dietitians specializing in food freedom for disordered eating. Several dietitians at BNC are extensively trained in eating disorder recovery.
Learn more about Erica below!
What kind of treatment do you provide for those struggling with disorder eating/eating disorders?
At BNC, Erica offers individual, family, group, and online courses focusing on outpatient services for those struggling with diet culture that has morphed into disordered eating and/or a diagnosed eating disorder.
What happens during a first appointment with you?
In a patient's first appointment, we like to take the time to get to know more about our patients overall, not just the problem that brought them into our office. We want to meet them during their recovery as no two patients have identical needs. We review new patient paperwork emphasizing their nutrition assessment, giving us a more extensive background on the problem.
What do you wish people knew about getting treatment for eating disorders?
Most people feel as if they are not sick enough to obtain help. If what you are currently doing is not working, don’t wait until things get worse to seek help. We accept Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, and UHC, and most sessions can be covered at 100%, with no cost to the patient, pending their nutrition counseling benefits.
Could you talk a little about your approach and how it plays into your work with people recovering from disordered eating/eating disorders?
Our approach is about meeting the client in the middle of their recovery. While we want to challenge your disordered eating brain, we also want to ensure our recommendations align with your goals for a happier and healthier relationship with food.
How long have you been working with eating disorders, and how long have you been in St. Louis?
Our St. Louis, MO practice was established in 2012 Saint Louis, with the IL office opening in 2016.
What can parents expect to leave with after working with you?
Confidence in feeding their child to help improve and overcome their child’s disordered eating/eating disorder.
What ages do you work with?
We work with ages eight and up. Eating disorders do not discriminate, and neither do we with the ages we work with. We have dietitians trained and educated to treat all age groups.
Share one fun fact about you that most people don’t know.
Erica says, “In addition to running a group practice, I’m a mom to 4 kids: 3 girls and one boy. And no, the boy was not our 4th child.”
How can people learn more and contact you?
For those interested in booking an appointment with a member of our the BNC team, the easiest way is to do so online, by email, or phone.
You can find more about Erica and Branz Nutrition Counseling at:
Curious to learn more about anxiety therapy for kids, teens, and college students in St. Louis? Wondering if you need to connect with a therapist in St. Louis? Compassionate Counseling St. Louis specializes in anxiety therapy for teens, kids, and college students, along with partnering with parents through parent coaching - basically therapy for parents here in St. Louis. We’re located in Clayton and work with clients throughout the St. Louis region. To schedule a free phone consultation, please use our contact page.
