Spotlight on: Nicky Otto, RD
Private Practice Dietitian - Nicky Otto Dietetics
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Nicky completed an Honours Biological Sciences degree from the University of Windsor followed by a Bachelor of Sciences in Foods and Nutrition from Brescia University College, both in Ontario. She then went on to complete an accredited dietetic internship program through Hamilton Health Sciences and Dietitians of Canada. She has been a practicing dietitian since 2013.
Nicky has spent the majority of her career working in an intensive outpatient eating disorders service through London Health Sciences Centre (2013-2020), where she worked within an interdisciplinary team to help individuals overcome their eating difficulties by offering both individual and group-based education and counselling sessions following a CBT framework.
Nicky has moved to the East Coast and started her private practice, Nicky Otto Dietetics, with a focus on helping individuals improve their relationship with food, recover from eating disorders and disordered eating and stop the cycle of chronic dieting. She also supports individuals to improve their nutritional health by adopting health behaviours and tuning into their nutrition just that little bit more. It’s about the food but it’s also about so much more. Nicky Otto helps individuals begin to untangle their relationship with food, move forward with their nutrition and create more space for all of the other areas of life that are meant to be lived!
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What do you love most about your job?
What I love most about my job is helping individuals learn to find trust in themselves and begin to give themselves unconditional permission to nourish their individual bodies. Seeing the wheels turning, the insight and awareness increasing and the moments when things really click for my clients is incredible. I love that each client brings their unique needs to our sessions and we can completely collaborate and problem-solve strategies to help them move forward. I love when clients are able to reflect and share in their successes and look back at their previous relationship with food and feel empowered to keep moving forward.
What is your favourite Nova Scotia food?
Okay, so being NEW to Nova Scotia, I have been exploring the food scene here and have yet to be disappointed. If I have to narrow it down it would be the lobster roll I got at Peggy’s Cove, my first Donair (YUM!) and I have to admit- I will choose crab over lobster any day. I am excited to keep exploring all of the wonderful restaurants that our province has to offer. I can now say I have taken a boat to a restaurant and feel that novelty will never wear off!
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What is your favorite way to unwind?
I have a few ways that I use to unwind, depending on how I am feeling and what my needs are in that moment. I try to prioritize movement into my schedule and my top activities are rock climbing, hiking with my dog and being outside. I also enjoy walking my dog along the trail near our home, phoning a family member or friend to keep in touch or movies with my husband. And sometimes, nothing helps more than a warm bath and a good book!