Today we’d like to introduce you to Paige McDaniel.
Hi Paige, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My passion for nutrition started in high school. I fell in love with the fitness world and I wanted to deepen my understanding of how nutrition impacts our bodies. After graduating high school, I attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and pursued a degree in Nutrition, expecting to learn how to help individuals reach ultimate “health” through diet and exercise. At the time I didn’t fully understand what “health” meant, but I was determined to become an expert in it, so I threw myself into any opportunity that came up. During the summer after my freshman year, I had the opportunity to intern under the Nutrition Director at Ector County School District in Odessa, Texas. She was an inspirational leader in school nutrition at the district level, but she also took an approach to nutrition and health that I had never seen before — one that led with neutrality, acceptance, and a true sense of security. She introduced me to intuitive eating and emphasized how impactful it had been in her own health journey. Learning about this sparked a fire in my heart, and it felt like the missing piece to my passion for nutrition. I spent the rest of undergraduate learning all about intuitive eating, health at every size, and the psychology behind eating.
After graduating from the University of Arkansas, I moved back to Dallas to complete my dietetic internship and Master’s program at Texas Woman’s University. During this time, I had the opportunity to intern under Casey Bonano at Dallas Nutritional Counseling, where I learned all about eating disorders, disordered eating, and how dietitians can utilize intuitive eating to help individuals develop a healthier relationship with food and their bodies. I was determined to come back and work at this practice after developing a foundational skill set in treating eating disorders.
In 2022 I started my career as a clinical dietitian at Eating Recovery Center in Plano, Texas. Over 4 years, I gained immense experience developing my clinical skills and working with patients at the Inpatient, Residential, and Partial Hospitalization Program levels of care. In Summer of 2026, the opportunity with Casey came up and I transitioned into the outpatient setting at Dallas Nutritional Counseling. It has truly been the most fulfilling role, getting to help individuals discover what sustainable “health” looks like for them.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Although I feel confident in where I am right now, there were definitely challenges along the way! One main struggle was navigating the transition from being a full-time student to starting my career at an eating disorder treatment center. This is often a difficult season for many people – going from college student life to “adulting” life – but it was especially intense for a first-time employee entering the eating disorder field. My college classes provided little education on eating disorders, so jumping into this field was a huge adjustment. This transition required a lot of extra training on treating eating disorders and effectively counseling individuals and their family systems. At times it felt overwhelming, but my passion for helping this population kept me moving forward. With time, patience, and learning, I found my groove and grew into the confident clinician I am today.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a Registered Dietitian providing outpatient services at Dallas Nutritional Counseling. We specialize in the treatment of eating disorders and helping individuals heal their relationship with food and body. I specialize in seeing kids (11+), teens, young adults transitioning to college or independent living, post-college adults, and adults. I work with disordered eating and all eating disorders including Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, OSFED, and ARFID. I am especially passionate about working with binge eating and helping individuals feel safe around food and their bodies. I also love working with teens and college-aged individuals who are going through life transitions and need nutritional support through those big changes.
I am proud of my determination to be the best clinician possible. In 2025 I received my Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS), which demonstrates my expertise in working with the eating disorder population. I am also proud of my eagerness to learn. My eagerness to learn allows me to keep growing as a clinician and provide quality care to clients.
What sets me apart from others is my ability to create a safe space for all clients. Disordered eating and eating disorders often bring up feelings of shame and guilt, so I believe it is crucial to create a welcoming and non-judgmental environment where clients feel comfortable opening up about their struggles. I always lead with curiosity, which allows me to be intentional in session and fully pour into my clients to help them achieve their goals.
I also believe in the power of support through the recovery process. I encourage my clients to lean on their support system as they navigate their difficulties with food and body, and I enjoy educating families on how they can support their loved one who is struggling. Eating disorders and disordered eating can be tricky to manage alone, so having accountability and support is always important. This is also why I emphasize the importance of team collaboration throughout the recovery process. I always make sure I am in contact with other team members to ensure everyone is on the same page and providing effective care for our shared client.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I am grateful to have a natural excitement about life, so a lot of things make me happy! A few things off the top of my head are my cat Beef, being outdoors in nature, spending time with friends and family, my faith, and pouring into my career and clients. Over the past couple years, I’ve realized that a lot of joy can be found in life’s simplest activities, like reading a good book, watching a feel-good movie, having an uplifting conversation with a friend, doodling in a coloring book, listening to a fun song, watching a sunset, etc. I resonate with the Disney movie “Soul” because it emphasizes the importance of finding happiness in everyday life. It doesn’t take significant events to bring happiness, you just have to look out for it in the day-to-day moments!
Pricing:
- 50 minute session (initial & follow up): $165
Contact Info:
- Website: Website: https://www.dallasnutritionalcounseling.com/
- Instagram: Instagram: @dallasnutritionalcounseling
- Other: Phone: (817) 454-4801, Address: 12700 Park Central Dr Suite 110, Dallas, TX 75251
