top of page

About

About the Practice 

Bodacious Nutrition LLC was founded by Joanna Pustilnik MS RDN CDCES CIEC in 2017. It is a virtual private practice located in Arlington, VA, and it serves clients all over the United States (these are the states we serve for nutrition therapy). We provide Intuitive Eating coaching in all 50 states. 

We are unique in that we specialize in food relationship and body image healing for those clients who also have health-related goals such as:

  • heart health

  • women's health (PCOS and Perimenopause/Menopause)

  • IBS or digestion

  • Diabetes Mellitus 

  • metabolic health

  • mental health concerns

Using evidenced-based nutrition, body image, and somatic tools within a collaborative and empathetic coaching container, we help clients get back in touch with their bodies and body cues, sense of understanding and safety with food, and awaken their inner wisdom and joy around self-care. 

At Bodacious Nutrition, we want you to understand your health, release any shame or guilt around it, and come to a place of acceptance, understanding, and confidence in your self-care ability. 

 

We are also a practice that also has expertise in embodiment, and we utilize somatic tools in our coaching and nutrition therapy as needed. This might include drop-ins to your body or getting in greater touch with your internal felt senses to guide certain decisions or desires within your journey around food, body, or changing behaviors.

 

We use a HIPPA-compliant video platform, and we offer follow up via handouts and tools to continue healing and learning as well as the use of an app (Recovery Record) to support connection over food, thought, habit, and emotional tracking as needed (which is not always needed). 

Any questions? We'd love to chat. 

Joanna Pustilnik MS RDN CDCES CIEC

Joanna has worked as a nutrition counselor since 2011. She has a Master's in Nutrition Science from the University of Cincinnati and completed her dietetic internship at the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. She earned her Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist credential in 2016, and her Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor credential in 2019. She is currently pursuing her Certified Feminine Embodiment Coach credential.

 

She is a Health At Every Size® -aligned clinician who rejects restrictive dieting and promotes a mindful acceptance of our here and now bodies, but she also believes we can work toward health-related and value-symmetric goals through a non-diet and weight neutral lens. Read more about her philosophy here

She has expertise and training in motivational interviewing (MI), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems (IFS) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). She is a supporter of positive psychology and believes we should all work to focus on what is going well. She believes in meeting clients where they are and collaborating to work toward self-compassion and food peace. 

Bloom Summit speaker.jpeg
Speaking at Bloom Summit about fertility nutrition, 2022

Personally, she believes we should unapologetically take up space, be bold, and give ourselves all the self-compassion we need. She is a PCOS-er as well as an ADHD-momma who knows the importance of self-care and having systems in place to optimize overall well-being and decrease unwanted physical or mental health symptoms. In her free time, she loves to draw, cook yummy plant-forward meals, spend time with her family and friends, do yoga, and attend as many concerts as possible. She lives in Arlington, VA with her husband, 3 young kids, and little Chorkie, Lady. 

Any questions? Let's chat!

Client Praise

“Joanna is a fantastic dietitian.  Our work together has helped me acknowledge deeply-buried emotions that impact not only how I eat, but my overall well-being.  Through our work I've learned to engage mindfully with food, so eating is less of a battle and more of a playful exploration.  I've also noticed my body feeling better, with less pain and exhaustion.  Joanna is insightful, friendly, and fun to work with!  I would highly recommend anyone who is hoping to improve their relationship with food or their body to work with Joanna!”

Mary

"I started working with Joanna about a year ago after struggling for years with various GI issues and getting a diagnosis of celiac disease. To say working with Joanna changed my life would be an understatement - I truly got my life back. I have been in and out of doctors' offices, GI specialists, labs, etc. for years, and it was only after a few months of seeing Joanna for regular appointments that I started to feel better. Her knowledge about IBS, celiac, and the importance of regular/eating enough was great, but what really helped me was her patience, understanding, and ability to make me feel seen/heard as a client. I felt as if I could be honest with whatever was going on without facing any judgment and 100% trusted her. Even though I'm not entirely completed with my work, I can honestly say that I'm finally able to live again. My GI issues no longer impact my day to day and for the first time in years, I can look forward to eating. Thank you Joanna!!"

Olivia

"Joanna was recommended to me when I finished an Intensive Outpatient Program for ARFID. I had my first consultation with her about a week after discharging and have met with her (almost) weekly for two years since then. Joanna is unbelievably thoughtful, knowledgeable, and kind and that shows in each session. She always pushed me past my comfort zone, but never so far that I felt unsafe or resentful toward her; this is a very fine line that most providers inevitably cross a few times, but Joanna never did. I found myself thinking throughout the week in between sessions, "I can't wait to tell Joanna about this, she'll be so proud of me" and never "Joanna is going to be so mad at me" or "Joanna is making me do this". I've recommended her to doctors and therapists I've worked with for them to share with other patients who are seeking a dietician for eating disorder recovery. I am so appreciative of Joanna and her dedication to my recovery."

Moria

"Joanna is the most compassionate, warm, and authentic dietician I have ever worked with. She has always made me feel like not just a client, but a person who is worthy and capable of recovery. Through working with Joanna, I have learned so much about sports nutrition, intuitive eating, health at every size, and how to approach food and my body from a new perspective. I look forward to my sessions with Joanna because I know that no matter how I show up that day, she will help me get through it and leave the session with a new feeling of optimism. I cannot recommend Joanna enough for anyone in eating disorder recovery who wants to work towards self love and self compassion. She is truly a gem and incredibly special to me!"

Bridget

"Working with Joanna was an absolute delight. From our very first meeting I felt like I was in a space where it was safe to share the struggles I had with nutrition. I also felt like she was on my side, like we were a team, working toward my goals together. Joanna is extremely knowledgeable in her field and doesn’t just give advice expecting you to blindly follow it. For every bit of guidance, she provides data, sources, and research to back it up. In addition to being brilliant at her job, Joanna is also a wonderful and kind person. She listens with both an analytic and empathetic ear. She responds with expertise, but also with compassion and understanding. Talk to her for 5 minutes and you’ll know that she genuinely cares for your wellbeing. Whatever path you’re on, if you need someone to walk it with you, look no further - you’re in the right place."

Savannah

As someone who grew up in a competitive sport, disordered eating and body dissatisfaction were issues that I dealt with from a young age. Eventually, this led to health problems like PCOS, GI issues, and food sensitivities as I became an adult. I saw numerous doctors and took tons of tests only to be prescribed medications and to be told to keep dieting. I finally sought alternative methods to treat the root of the problem, and that is what led me to Joanna. She had such a warm and encouraging presence and I truly felt that she understood my struggles and knew how to help me through them. Joanna introduced me to intuitive eating principles that really allowed me to practice self compassion and get in tune with what my body needed. Once these practices became a lifestyle, my disordered eating behaviors subsided and my overall health conditions improved…I finally felt free from everything that was holding me back. I can honestly say that working with Joanna was truly life changing and I am incredibly thankful that I had the opportunity to work with her. Over 2 years later and I still experience total food freedom and body contentment, all thanks to Joanna!

Michele

​​

 

"It is not overstating to say that Joanna has helped me find happiness and peace for the first time in my life. I knew that my relationship to food and my body was holding me back from living, and feel so lucky to have chosen Joanna among the thousands of coaches out there. As someone who usually feels I am pretty self-aware, Joanna has challenged me every session to dig deeper, question my lifelong attitudes, and change my way of thinking about myself, my body, and food. This has been my favorite thing about working with Joanna's brand of intelligence, intuition, and kindness---she listens deeply and hears me, but also does not hesitate to jump in and ask questions or challenge my statements, guiding me to trust myself and to become the person I have wanted to be for so long. We spent quite a long time on my relationship to food, which has opened me up to being able to actually start working on learning and implementing the nutrition my particular body needs, without losing the enjoyment that food brings me. Joanna also helped me understand what was happening in my body after going off of birth control and eventually helped me to restart my period; she seemingly knows more about PCOS, and definitely cares more about helping me understand it, than any medical practitioner ever has. If you truly feel ready for change in how you live, even if you're not sure you're up to the task, reach out to Joanna and you will find someone to give you an unbelievably strong assist in your journey."

Shelby

"I loved working with Joanna - she truly helped me reshape my relationship to food and nutrition. As a longtime sufferer of disordered eating, I was experiencing challenges with my digestive health. I sought out Joanna to help improve my symptoms, and was truly amazed at how Joanna's holistic approach not only made me feel physically better, but helped heal my connection to food and nutrition. I'd wholeheartedly recommend working with Joanna!"

Natasha

"Joanna was phenomenal to work with, she took things at my pace while also pushing me slightly outside my comfort zone. She also provided great strategies when I was stuck in my recovery. I know I am further along because of my work with her. Highly recommend her if you are working on recovery from an eating disorder."

JB

"Joanna is a knowledgeable, compassionate, and flexible dietician. She makes a for a great partner. Joanna has an ability to understand her clients and their thought process around nutrition, using that insight to adjust her approach. She is very grounded in the science of and current research in nutrition health, while also seeing patients as whole people in complex environments."

Anonymous

“Working with Bodacious Nutrition has really helped me reframe my thoughts around food and overall relationship with food. I was someone, who from a young age, had a very difficult relationship with food and would often be scared of food and the choices I would make as it related to my weight. Working with Bodacious Nutrition really opened my eyes to what intuitive eating is and how important it is to nourish my body rather than restrict my body. I was also recently diagnosed with PCOS and one side effect is excessive weight gain. Through my work with Joanna, I have been able to repair that relationship with food and my body but also with the symptoms I experienced with PCOS. Bodacious Nutrition really opened my eyes and significantly improved my relationship with food!”

KF

"Joanna was absolutely amazing in aiding with my recovery process. Coming to her with little ambition to change my habits, she allowed me to realize that a happy brain with flexibility, joy, and love is the most important thing in life. She is extremely knowledgeable about the science of nutrition and gave me the confidence to believe in myself and trust my body. I looked forward to every meeting with her as I felt as though she truly cared about me and my mental and physical health. Her bubbly personality filled me with joy in even my hardest times and let me know I was not alone with my struggles. I cannot thank her enough for everything she has done for me, not only giving me the tools I need to proceed with my life in a healthy way, but also was someone I felt comfortable confining in with my full trust."

SH

Joanna Pustilnik_edited_edited_edited.jp

Education and Training

  • Master's in Nutrition Science from University of Cincinnati 

  • Dietetic Internship at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, 2011

  • Working in eating disorders and the food relationship since 2017

Certifications 

  • Nationally Registered Dietitian (RD/RDN), 2011

  • Washington DC and Maryland Licensed Dietitian 

  • Nationally Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES), 2016

  • Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, 2019

  • Certified LEAP Therapist

Continuing Advanced Trainings

  • Ongoing professional supervision for eating disorders

  • PCOS Training Course for Dietitians with Angela Grassi

  • Body Image Training 2.0 with Marci Evans

  • Rouxbe Plant-based Nutrition course

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy training for dietitians

  • Binge Eating Disorder Treatment Course for Dietitians

Areas of Focus

  • Eating disorders 

    • Binge eating disorder***

    • Bulimia

    • OSFED

    • Anorexia

    • Orthorexia

    • ARFID

  • Heart & Metabolic Health

  • Diabetes Mellitus

  • Intuitive Eating Coaching

  • Hormone Health

    • Perimenopause and Menopause

    • PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome)

  • Body image coaching

  • Embodiment and Somatic Coaching

Values

Vulnerability

Willingness to come in contact with our pain and shame, honoring the feminine depth necessary for healing.

Connection

Fostering healing and growth through virtual support groups and 1 on 1 collaborative relationships

Inclusion

Offering inclusive pricing, rejecting all forms of oppression, acknowledging our own privilege, and valuing diversity in all forms

Sustainability

Offering a virtual, zero-waste model of sustainable care, and working to support plant-forward, environmentally-friendly dietary patterns

Collaborative

Working with clients to optimize care and collaborating with client to access own body wisdom and lived experiences to guide treatment process

Curiousity

Offering kind, non-judgemental and transparent care with openness to whatever comes up

Uniqueness

Honoring the individual histories and the essence that makes us the one and only of our kind. We are all experts of our own needs and desires.

Values
bottom of page