Today we’d like to introduce you to Abbie Madden
Hi Abbie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started my career as a registered dietitian working at an eating disorder treatment center, where I discovered a passion for the intersection of nutrition and mental health. I transitioned to an outpatient group practice, where I specialized in eating disorders and also received training in nutrition for polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). While I loved my time at this group practice, I eventually decided to set off on my own, and thus Space City Nutrition was born. I made it my goal to get in network with as many insurance providers as possible, as I saw a need for more accessible care. Now, I have two wonderful dietitians on my team, and couldn’t be happier to be a private practice owner.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My biggest challenge has been credentialing with insurances and learning how to correctly bill to get the best coverage. Insurance companies don’t make it easy! I have spent more hours on the phone with insurance representatives than I can count at this point, but I’m so proud to say that we accept all major insurance carriers. Currently we are working on becoming in network with Medicare and Medicaid to expand our offerings even more.
Additionally, finding community as a solo practice owner is something I’ve had to work at – I don’t have built-in coworkers! I have had to work a bit harder to find ways to connect with others outside of work as I usually work from home and spend a lot of time alone. This has challenged me to prioritize friendships and human connections, because as much as I love my job, at the end of the day, I’m still a human being.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Space City Nutrition?
At Space City Nutrition, we believe that our bodies are incredibly good at telling us what we need when it comes to food. Instead of setting up rules around food, we work on helping clients get back in touch with their body’s cues of hunger, fullness, and how certain foods make them feel. We recognize that there is not one perfect way of eating, and that nutrition should be individualized. We also believe that food should be for fuel AND for fun, and that “healthy” means different things to different people. We are not the “food police,” as many people would expect dietitians to be. Instead, we hope to provide a safe space to help our clients explore their relationship with food and body without shame. We practice from a weight-neutral philosophy, meaning we do not focus on weight loss as a primary outcome of nutrition counseling. We instead focus on improving other factors that are known to have a positive effect on health regardless of changes in weight.
We specialize in eating disorders, disordered eating, chronic dieting, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol. Our team also specializes in seeing LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent clients.
We are proud to accept all major insurance carriers.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I used to have a favorite board game called “Spy Alley.” For one of my birthdays, my mom made a cake that looked exactly like the game board, and all my friends came over dressed as characters from the game. We played a real-life version of Spy Alley, complete with fake identities, trench coats, plot twists. My mom always did the most for birthday parties, but this one was my absolute favorite!
Pricing:
- Most of our clients do not pay anything for nutrition counseling because it is covered by insurance. Some clients owe their specialist copay per visit. Some clients who are uninsured or have smaller plans with which we are not in network will pay out of pocket – our private pay rates are $150/hr and $90/30 minutes. We offer reduced rates on an as-needed basis and believe that no one should miss out on necessary care due to finances.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.spacecitynutrition.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spacecity.nutrition?igsh=MW92NHVsMWZvMGxyag%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Image Credits
Sam Hernandez – https://www.samcando.com
