OSFED Dietitians Disordered eating support, by telehealth

No. You can book your first session today without a referral. A referral only matters if you want a Medicare rebate, which needs an Eating Disorder Plan or a Chronic Condition Management Plan from your GP. If you already have one, email it to admin@biteintofreedom.com.au and we do the processing. If not, your dietitian can tell you which plan fits and what to ask your GP for.

We are taking new clients. Live availability is shown on the booking page, so you can choose a time now rather than wait for a call back. If nothing on the calendar suits, speak with our teamcall 03 9001 9100 and we will look at what is opening up across the team.

Your first session is 60 minutes by video. Your dietitian asks about your eating across the day, the rules and patterns around food and what you want to be different, then you agree on first steps together. Nothing you share is judged. You complete an online intake form after booking, and your dietitian sends a telehealth link the day before or the morning of your session. Review sessions after that are 45 minutes.

Yes. Feeling "not sick enough" is one of the most common reasons people with OSFED wait. Eating disorders are mental illnesses, not weight illnesses, and you do not need symptoms every day or a certain body size to deserve help. If food, rules or disordered eating are running your life, that is enough to book.

Yes. Samantha Wright, Sarah Why and Gabriela Salant see all ages, including children and teens, so please book under 18s with one of them. Tiarna Foster sees clients aged 18 and over. For children and teens, parents and carers are usually part of treatment. If your child also needs a psychologist, Eliza Hartley and Felicity Staedler see all ages.

If you live in Australia, yes. Our dietitians see clients by video, so you can work with an OSFED or disordered eating dietitian from home, whether you are in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart, Darwin or a regional town. Medicare rebates apply to telehealth sessions the same way they do in person.

OSFED, or other specified feeding or eating disorder, is the diagnosis for eating disorders that cause real distress and harm but do not meet every criterion for anorexia, bulimia or binge eating disorder. It includes atypical anorexia, bulimia or binge eating that happens less often, purging disorder and night eating syndrome.

Yes. OSFED is one of the most common eating disorders, and its physical and psychological toll can be just as significant. Not fitting one diagnostic box does not make it less serious, and it deserves the same level of care.

Disordered eating covers patterns like rigid food rules, skipping meals or eating to cope that cause distress but may not meet the criteria for a diagnosis. An eating disorder such as OSFED is more persistent and has a bigger impact on health and daily life. Both deserve support, and you do not need a diagnosis to start.

Your first session is 60 minutes and costs $220, with a Medicare rebate of $63.40 and an out of pocket cost of $156.60. Review sessions are 45 minutes and cost $190, with the same $63.40 rebate and an out of pocket cost of $126.60.

An Eating Disorder Plan covers up to 20 rebated dietitian sessions in a 12 month period. A Chronic Condition Management Plan covers up to 5 rebated allied health sessions per calendar year, shared across all allied health. Payment is taken from your stored card after the session, and your rebate is usually in your bank account within 1 to 3 business days. We do not bulk bill.

Yes. OSFED is one of the conditions an Eating Disorder Treatment and Management Plan covers, if your GP assesses that you meet the Medicare criteria. It allows up to 20 rebated dietitian sessions and up to 40 psychology sessions in 12 months. If you are not eligible, a Chronic Condition Management Plan covers up to 5 allied health sessions per calendar year. A Mental Health Care Plan does not cover dietitians.

Yes, if your NDIS plan is self managed or plan managed and includes funding for dietetics. Check with your plan manager or support coordinator first, then book an NDIS dietitian session. Some private health funds also cover dietetics under extras, and we give you an itemised receipt. You cannot claim Medicare and private health for the same session.

Because OSFED symptoms can shift between restricting, bingeing and compensating, your dietitian works on the eating side of that cycle: rebuilding regular, adequate eating, closing the gaps that fuel binge urges, gradually bringing back feared foods, and helping you trust your hunger and fullness cues again. We work alongside your GP and psychologist, not instead of them.

We do not weigh you in sessions, and our care is weight inclusive. Structure, such as regular meal times, is built with you at a pace you can manage and never imposed. It is a plan for eating enough, never a diet.

Dietician is another spelling of dietitian, so an OSFED dietician is the same thing. Nutritionist is different: anyone can use that title in Australia. An Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) has a university degree in dietetics, meets Dietitians Australia standards for ongoing training and can offer Medicare rebated sessions. Every dietitian at Bite Into Freedom is an APD.

Yes. Research shows telehealth for eating disorders performs comparably to in person care, and Medicare rebates apply to video sessions the same way. Your dietitian can work with your own kitchen and routine, where meals actually happen.

Our dietitians provide outpatient care by telehealth. If you need more support than regular sessions, such as a day program or hospital care, your dietitian will work with you and your GP to find the right level of care.

We are not a crisis service and cannot respond urgently. In an emergency call 000. For support right now, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Butterfly National Helpline on 1800 33 4673.