Kelsey Jarnell
Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Kelsey Jarnell (she/her/hers) is a Licensed and Board-Certified Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Kelsey is a Health at Every Size aligned, anti-diet dietitian that specializes in eating disorder recovery, disordered eating, co-occurring mental health disorders, intuitive eating, and weight neutral medical nutrition therapy. She provides nutrition counseling services to adults and adolescents in the community, virtually, and in the Chicago Loop and South Barrington offices.
Education and Training
Kelsey received her Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition, Dietetics, and Wellness from Northern Illinois University. She continued at Northern Illinois to obtain her Master’s in Nutrition and Dietetics with an emphasis in Eating Disorders and Sports Nutrition. She worked with the Northern Illinois University Campus Recreation Team on co-creating the Intuitive Eating Workshop, a workshop that helped clients develop strategies for challenging food rules and reclaiming the joys of eating while honoring cues to hunger and fullness. She completed internships at Nourishment Works and Linden Oak’s Hospital where she provided inpatient and outpatient levels of nutrition care for eating disorders for both adolescents and adult populations.
Kelsey has worked at various levels of care in eating disorder treatment such as residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient programs at Timberline Knolls in Lemont and Simply Bee in Vernon Hills. At both settings, Kelsey educated and counseled clients to increase their awareness of the importance of nutritionally balanced lifestyles and eating disorder recovery while utilizing Health at Every Size (HAES) and Intuitive Eating aligned approaches. She collaborated with a team of therapists and medical personnel to deliver comprehensive and compassionate care.
Current Clinical Interests
Kelsey promotes a size inclusive, weight neutral, and non-diet approaches to nutrition. She believes that all individuals are deserving of meaningful, non-stigmatizing care and finding food freedom independent of race, sexual orientation, gender, body size, ability, or ethnicity.
Kelsey aids clients in establishing a positive relationship with food. She helps clients reframe their mindset and language around food and body image to maintain long-term success in their recovery. Kelsey works together with her clients to identify patterns and limiting beliefs that inhibit them from living life unrestricted. She also helps clients reconnect with their bodies and honor their interoceptive signals without judgement.
Professional Development
Kelsey is currently a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), the International Association of Eating Disorders Professional Foundation (IAEDP), and the Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA) She consistently attends continuing education events and is committed to life-long learning.