Yes. Consultations are online across Australia. Resources are sent before and after each session, and telehealth is the standard format for most clients because it fits around work and family.

Clinical Nutrition for Women Who Can't Afford to Burn Out

Q: What's the difference between a nutritionist and a dietitian in Australia?

Both are university-trained. Dietitians are accredited through Dietitians Australia and can work in clinical hospital settings. Clinical nutritionists registered with AARPN hold health science degrees and work in private practice with individualised nutrition care, functional testing, and supplement recommendations. Both can claim private health insurance rebates depending on your cover.

Q: Do you work with women who have Hashimoto's or thyroid issues?

Yes. Thyroid function is one of the most common areas supported clinically, including reviewing full thyroid pathology (not just TSH), looking at nutrient status affecting thyroid conversion, and considering gut and stress patterns that influence autoimmune thyroid conditions. All work is coordinated with your GP or endocrinologist where relevant.

Q: Do you prescribe supplements?

Supplements are recommended only when there's a clear clinical rationale — based on history, symptoms, and where relevant, testing. Not a generic stack. Supplements support a foundation of food, sleep and stress management rather than replace it.

Evidence-based clinical nutrition for burnout, postnatal depletion, perimenopause and women's health. Online across Australia.

The exhaustion after having a baby. The brain fog. The 3 pm crash. The "normal" blood test doesn't match how you feel in your body.

There's usually more going on than stress, and it's often clinical. Nutritional depletion from cumulative load. Subclinical thyroid changes. Iron that's in range but nowhere near optimal. Cortisol patterns that need actual testing to see.

I'm Serena, a Certified Practicing Nutritionist (BHSc, AARPN) with 12+ years in private practice. I work online with women across Australia who've tried the iron supplements, the magnesium, the sleep hygiene and still feel like something's missing.

Book a 15-minute clarity call

When high performance is hiding depletion

Fatigue. Disrupted sleep. Brain fog. Cravings. Low mood. That "wired but tired" state where you can't switch off, but also can't get going.

These aren't motivational problems. They're capacity problems, and capacity is biology. More rules won't fix it. What helps is a plan that lowers your cognitive load, supports your physiology, and actually holds up in a real week with travel, deadlines, long days and kids.

I test, I don't guess. That's the starting point.

What can change when the underlying physiology is supported

- Sleep quality — depth, waking patterns
- Mood — less reactivity, a more reliable baseline
- Energy and focus — fewer crashes, clearer thinking
- Stress recovery — faster recalibration, less "always on" feeling

How I work

Clinical clarity. Real-life implementation. I look at your symptoms, your history, and what your weeks actually look like, then use relevant data to take the guesswork out to create a plan.

Assess

We go through symptoms, diet patterns, sleep, stress load, training, medications, supplements and what your days actually demand of you.

Interpret

Where you have recent pathology (bloods) or wearable data, we work with what's there. Where targeted testing would add clarity, thyroid panels, iron studies, and functional testing, we can coordinate that through third-party labs.

Implement

You get a plan that fits your actual schedule, with built-in defaults so you're not making 40 food decisions a day, and a reset approach for the weeks that go sideways. Because some weeks will.

Credentials

Bachelor of Health Science (Clinical Nutrition) obtained from Torrens University Certified Practicing Nutritionist with the Australian Association of Registered Practising Nutritionists (AARPN). Allied Health Professional.
12+ years in private practice. Currently completing a Master of Research at the University of New England, focused on postnatal nutrition in Australian women.

I'm trained to clinically assess nutrition-related factors in your health, recommend evidence-based food strategies and supplements, and work alongside your GP or specialists as part of an aligned care team.

Private health insurance rebates may be available depending on your cover.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is postnatal depletion?

Postnatal depletion refers to the cumulative physical and nutritional load of pregnancy, birth and early motherhood, often including iron loss, depleted omega-3 stores, micronutrient gaps, disrupted sleep, and altered thyroid and adrenal function. Research suggests symptoms can persist for years if unaddressed, not just the first six weeks. Common signs include ongoing exhaustion, brain fog, hair loss, low mood, and feeling "not quite yourself."

Can clinical nutrition support perimenopause symptoms?

Perimenopause involves fluctuating hormones that affect sleep, mood, energy, weight, and cognition. Nutrition can play a supportive role, for example, protein intake for muscle mass, micronutrients for hormone production, fibre for oestrogen clearance, and blood sugar stability for hot flushes and energy. A clinical approach also looks at thyroid, iron, and cortisol levels, as these overlap with perimenopause symptoms and are often missed.

Do I need a GP referral to see you?

No referral is needed. You can book directly. If you're already working with a GP, endocrinologist, or another specialist, I'm happy to coordinate your care with them.

How is working with a clinical nutritionist different from seeing my GP?

GPs are essential for diagnosis, prescribing, and medical management. Clinical nutrition sits alongside that with more time to go through symptoms, diet, lifestyle and testing in detail, and a focus on nutritional and functional contributors to how you're feeling. The two are complementary, not competing.

Do you prescribe supplements?

Natural medicines are recommended only when there's a clear clinical rationale, based on your history, symptoms, and where relevant, testing. Not a generic stack. My approach is that supplements support a foundation of food, sleep and stress management, not replace it.

What's the difference between a certified practicing nutritionist and a dietitian in Australia?

Both are university-trained. Dietitians are accredited by Dietitians Australia and can work in hospital settings. Clinical nutritionists registered with AARPN hold health science degrees and work in private practice with individualised nutrition care, functional testing, and supplement recommendations. Both can claim private health insurance rebates depending on your cover. The right practitioner depends on your goals and whether you want individualised, root-cause-focused care.

Do you work with women who have Hashimoto's or thyroid issues?

Yes. Thyroid function is one of the most common areas I support clinically. That includes reviewing full thyroid pathology (not just TSH), assessing nutrient status that affects thyroid conversion, and considering gut and stress patterns that influence autoimmune thyroid conditions. All work is done alongside your GP or, where relevant, your endocrinologist.

Do I need to get blood tests done?

Not always. If you have recent pathology, we can start with that. If targeted testing would add clarity, full thyroid panel, iron studies, vitamin D, B12, or functional testing like DUTCH or GI-MAP, we can discuss what's appropriate and coordinate through third-party labs.

Do you work online?

Yes. Consultations are online across Australia. You'll receive everything you need before the session and your plan, notes and resources after. Telehealth has become the standard format for most of my clients because it fits around work and family.

Can I claim through private health insurance?

Private health rebates for clinical nutrition consultations are available on some extras policies. Coverage varies by fund and level of cover. The best step is to call your health fund and ask whether they cover AARPN-registered nutritionists.

What does a first consultation involve?

The first consultation is 60–75 minutes. We go through your full health history, current symptoms, pathology you've had, diet patterns, sleep, stress, and lifestyle. You leave with initial clinical impressions and clear next steps. Deeper plan and testing recommendations follow in a structured second session..

How soon can I expect to feel different?

Everybody is different, and I don't promise timelines; that's not how clinical work operates. What I can say is that most clients notice changes in specific markers (energy, sleep, digestion) within the first 2-4 weeks of implementation, with deeper physiological changes taking longer. Testing and tracking tell us what's actually moving.

I hold a Bachelor of Health Science and am a certified practicing nutritionist through the Australian Association of Registered Practising Nutritionists (AARPN). This means I’m trained to clinically assess your health, prescribe supplements and therapeutic diets, and collaborate with GPs and specialists to ensure you have a fully aligned care team.

My approach combines functional testing, clinical insight, and evidence-based care grounded in sound principles. No guesswork. No overwhelm. Just a clear, personalised strategy that works in the real world.

Private health insurance rebates are available for eligible clients.