"Studying the psychology of eating has profoundly changed my understanding of nutritional science and patient care."

There were so many areas in my patients' lives that I was really afraid to touch. I was afraid of the psyche of my patients, and I thought I could not help them enough. But I realized that caring for and listening to them may be just what they need at certain times.

I am a physician with a masters degree and doctoral degree in clinical nutrition and public health.

During my practice, I’ve met patients who were chronic dieters who really tried to do so many things and put out so much effort, but without results. I have wondered what was missing. The golden rule of “calories in and out “ just was not working. This made me search for answers, for the hidden reasons behind this mystery.

Following a good diet is not the whole story. We must understand how emotions and previous life experiences affect our body. Studying the psychology of eating has profoundly changed my understanding of nutritional science and patient care. When I learned how stress can affect our lives, it was an “aha” moment for me.The mind can master the whole body and force it to go in the wrong direction as long as the mind and soul have unresolved issues.

There were so many areas in my patients' lives that I was really afraid to touch. I was afraid of the psyche of my patients, and I thought I could not help them enough. But I realized that caring for and listening to them may be just what they need at certain times. For the first time in my practice, I say no diet will be followed, no scale will be used for a certain amount of time, and I focus on other aspects of my patient's life.

On a personal level, I have become more understanding of myself. I give myself the chance to make some mistakes and learn how to accept them. I do not need to be perfect to help others. We are simply human.

Thank you to the very supportive staff, you were very close to me for any question or difficulty I faced. At the end of the program, I have a lot of reading to do and will re-listen to different modules to learn even more. I wish to keep in contact with IPE staff in the future. I am so pleased to have taken this training, and I think other professionals will benefit from it as I have.