Welcome to the Pursuing Private Practice podcast! Join Jennifer McGurk, CEO of Pursuing Private Practice, and Marci Evans, Registered Dietitian and Food and Body Imager Healer®, for a conversation about developing confidence in your counseling skills, recognizing when overgiving can lead to burnout, and working through complex clinical topics like food addiction, GLP-1 medications, and weight-inclusive care. Jennifer and Marci discuss why there are so many different "right ways" to do clinical work, what happens when new research challenges what you believe, and why social media rarely captures the complexity that exists inside the counseling room. Why There Isn't One Right Way to Do Clinical Work (04:27) Marci reflects on why good clinical work can take many different paths, and why learning to trust the nuance can feel both freeing and uncomfortable for dietitians who were trained to look for the "right" answer. When New Research Challenges What You Believe (06:35) Marci reflects on revisiting the research around food addiction and intentionally leaning into information that challenged her existing perspective. Marci and Jennifer discuss staying open to evolving your thinking as new research and different perspectives emerge. Building Confidence in the Counseling Room (11:21) Marci explains how supervision, role play, and hearing the language another clinician uses can help dietitians develop more confidence in their own counseling skills, especially in eating disorder work. When Overgiving Leads to Burnout (15:49) Jennifer and Marci explore why newer clinicians often compensate for uncertainty by giving clients more: more handouts, more access, and more time between sessions. They discuss why your presence, curiosity, and relationship with a client may be far more valuable than everything you feel pressured to add. Teaching Clinicians How to Think, Not What to Think (19:36) Marci shares how feedback from course participants and her continued client work have shaped the way she teaches. Through real case studies, she helps clinicians see not just what she might do, but how she thinks through complex clinical situations. Finding Your Own Internal Clarity as a Clinician (24:06) Jennifer and Marci discuss why the same behavior can mean something completely different from one client to another, and why clinical work can't always follow a formula. They discuss how clinicians can work to develop their skills to make thoughtful, individualized decisions in the moment. Navigating the Gray Areas of Clinical Practice (27:02) From food addiction to GLP-1 medications and weight-inclusive care, Jennifer and Marci discuss why some clinical topics are especially difficult to navigate. When GLP-1s Change the Counseling Relationship (32:00) Jennifer and Marci discuss what can happen when a client you've worked with for months or years begins using a GLP-1 medication and the goals of your work start to shift. Marci shares why clinicians may need to revisit expectations, clarify their own boundaries, and have direct conversations about whether they are still the right provider. Building a Career That Multiplies Your Impact (38:00) Marci reflects on the many ways her career has expanded beyond individual client care, including courses, workshops, supervision, and her upcoming book. Let Your Heart Lead Your Professional Life (44:16) Marci closes with a reminder to pay attention to the work that genuinely lights you up instead of getting caught in comparison or someone else's definition of success. There is so much pressure as a dietitian to know the "right" thing to say, make the right clinical decision, and feel confident that you're supporting your clients in the "right" way. But some of the most meaningful work we do with clients doesn't come with a clear answer. This conversation reinforces that being a thoughtful clinician is about developing the skills and confidence to think critically, stay curious, and make decisions that reflect both your ethics and the individual client in front of you. Marci's career shows us that expanding your impact doesn't require having everything figured out or giving up the parts of the work you love. You can continue seeing clients while teaching, supervising, creating, writing, or building something entirely different. There are many right ways to build a meaningful career, and part of the work is giving yourself permission to discover yours. Sponsor: I would love to invite you to a free business coaching Q&A session! Join me on Wednesday, September 16th at 12pm Eastern. This event is FREE and open to all stages of business: SET UP, START, GROW, LEAD, and COAST. You're welcome no matter what stage of business you're in. I expect questions about vision, operations, systems, money, team, boundaries, counseling skills, and so many other dietitian business topics. Learn more and sign up here: https://pursuingprivatepractice.com/free-business-coaching/ Sponsor: ✨ Business School is designed to guide you through every stage of building a private practice: getting set up, seeing your first clients, growing until you're fully booked, hiring a team, expanding your offers—and even learning how to coast when needed. Inside, you'll follow a step-by-step curriculum with the flexibility to choose the path that fits your current stage of business and life. You'll get access to advanced toolkits, templates, and systems for business topics like marketing and finances, but also for counseling skills and client support. Beyond the curriculum, you're supported by personalized 1:1 coaching, weekly office hours, and monthly themes that address the real challenges of private practice. The program keeps you moving forward with built-in accountability that builds resilience and confidence so you feel like a legit business owner. Learn more and apply here: https://pursuingprivatepractice.com/businessschool/ Connect with Pursuing Private Practice: 🎉 Instagram: @pursuing.private.practice 📧 Email: Contact Us Free Resources For Dietitians at Any Stage of Business: 🍎 The Ultimate Checklist to Start Your Private Practice ✨ Free Training: Get Clients Now 3-Day Challenge 👯 Free Workshop: Hire Your Next Team Member 💻 The Pursuing Private Practice Blog 🎙️The Pursuing Private Practice Podcast About Marci: Marci Evans, MS, RDN, CEDS-C, is a weight-inclusive eating disorder dietitian, educator, author, and speaker. She has dedicated her career to counseling, supervising, and teaching in the field of eating disorders through a relational, anti-oppressive approach to nutritional care. Marci is a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist and Supervisor (CEDS-C) and a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. Since 2015, she has provided online eating disorders and body image training and education for clinicians through her Food and Body Imager Healers® Training Institute. In 2016, she joined the Simmons University nutrition department, where she co-developed a specialized eating disorder internship and continues to teach graduate-level nutrition counseling courses. In 2018, she received the Professional Integrity Award from the Behavioral Health Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Her forthcoming book, co-authored with Lisa Pearl, Nourishing Recovery: A New Integrated Approach to Nutritional Care for Eating Disorders, will be published in November 2026. Marci has presented nationally on eating disorder treatment and education. To learn more about her trainings, book and access her free resources for clinicians, visit www.marcird.com. She also maintains a professional presence on social media under @marciRD.
