My Training - Dana Monsees Nutrition

I am a Board Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) and Licensed Dietitian-Nutritionist in Maryland and received my Masters of Science in Clinical Nutrition from Maryland University of Integrative Health and my degree in Integrative Health Coaching online from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS)

Unlike other states where anyone can just call themselves a ‘nutritionist’ after any health coaching program of less than a year (for real. It’s crazy) to become a Licensed Nutritionist in Maryland, you must undertake a 2-3 year Master’s program in Herbal, Community, or Clinical Nutrition, participate in a 1000-hour supervised clinical internship program (yes, working for FREE), and pass the National Board Exam from the Board of Certified Nutrition Specialists / American Nutrition Association. The requirements vary by state, but they are all similar in requiring a graduate degree, an extensive supervision or internship program, require around 1000 hours of clinical supervised experience, and to pass the national board exam before you can apply for your license.

Certified Nutrition Specialists (CNSs) are advanced nutrition professionals who engage in science-based advanced medical nutrition therapy, research, education, and more, in settings such as clinics, private practice, hospitals and other institutions, industry, academia, and the community. The CNS is the most widely recognized nutrition certification by Federal and State Governments, and is the only non-dietetics credential and examination widely named in state nutrition licensure laws – meaning unless you are a CNS or Registered Dietitian, you are not legally allowed to practice any kind of nutrition in your state. (Do your research!) Read more here.

Licensed Dietitian-Nutritionist (LDN)

The LDN is the Licensed Dietitian-Nutritionist designation from Maryland (and is available in many other states as well). It depends on the laws of your state (check out nutritionadvocacy.org) – if your state recognizes a non-RD pathway to licensure, then you can get your LDN. Meaning you don’t have to go the traditional dietetics route to get a license, but you’ll still have to go through an extensive education, supervision, and licensing process through your state. For example, for Maryland the requirement is a graduate degree in nutrition from a certified institution, 1000 supervised clinical hours, and passing the national board exam. After all those are done, you can apply with the state to be an LDN. I did all those to get my CNS (Certified Nutrition Specialist) credential, and then I was eligible to apply for the LDN in Maryland to be certified through the Maryland Board of Dietetics. But again, this is only for Maryland so I can’t speak to the exact requirements for your state – though I will say many have similar licensing procedures.

A note on credentials…

The RD (Registered Dietitian) credential is more widely recognized nationwide, and you should to check the laws of your state (www.nutritionadvocacy.org) to see if CNS/LDN if you are considering going that route to see if they are accepted forms of licensure where you live. If you live in a “red” state, the RD path is the only way you are legally allowed to practice nutrition, even though I see plenty of people online who are practicing and giving specialized nutrition guidance in those states (this is ILLEGAL.) without an advanced degree like a CNS/LDN or RD .

To become a Registered Dietitian, you must attend a formal university undergraduate program (this is changing to a graduate program requirement in 2021 I believe) and a clinical internship requiring between 1000-1200 supervised hours, plus passing the national board exams before you can obtain your license – similar to the CNS.

What about jobs and career opportunities?

For a CNS/LDN you can work as a Dietitian-Nutritionist (if you are legally licensed) in many diverse settings – a hospital, traditional western medicine or naturopathic doctor’s office, a wellness facility, in conjunction with chiropractors, gyms, massage therapists, work in a nutrition practice…or build your own business in private practice from the ground up, which is what I did. You can work one-on-one with clients, in group coaching programs, create online programs or products, work with sports teams, schools, etc. Honestly, the world is your oyster with these kinds of degrees and they are what you make them, whether you want it to be in a formal (office) setting or you’re seeing clients mostly online from your own home office.

If you’re a student, are working towards your license or trying to build your own practice and are not sure how to get started, I’m happy to help! Check out my Build Your Nutrition Business & Wellness Business Audit consulting options.

Masters in Clinical Nutrition

MUIH (Maryland University of Integrative Health) is a graduate school of alternative medicine that offers programs in Nutrition, Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, Health and Wellness Coaching, Yoga Therapy and a Doctorate program in Naturopathic Medicine.

The Nutrition program I did offers a unique approach to the study of nutrition (aka not following the government’s dietary guidelines, which have only gotten us sick and overweight…). MUIH emphasizes the vital and interrelated physiological, socio-cultural, and spiritual roles of food in our lives. Students work on and gain practical skills and apply theory through participation in whole foods cooking labs, practice coaching sessions, case studies, and biochemical assessment, and select an area of concentration in human clinical nutrition, community nutrition education, or herbal medicine.

The program is offered online, on-campus, and hybrid formats, and is an intense 2-year program (or longer, if you choose to go part-time). Following the classroom and cooking lab requirements (so cool, right??), students can participate in an on-campus Nutrition Clinic for two semesters, where they work with ‘real world’ clients under supervision of certified nutritionists and their peers to get clinical experience for their board exams and required clinical experience to become a Certified Nutrition Specialist – CNS.

Integrative Health Coaching

During my Health Coaching training at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, I studied dietary theories, practical lifestyle management techniques, and innovative coaching methods with some of the world’s top health and wellness experts. My teachers included Dr. Andrew Weil, Director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine; Dr. Deepak Chopra, leader in the field of mind-body medicine; Dr. David Katz, Director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center; Dr. Walter Willett, Chair of Nutrition at Harvard University; Geneen Roth, bestselling author and expert on emotional eating; and many other leading researchers and nutrition authorities.

My education has equipped me with extensive knowledge in holistic nutrition, health coaching, and preventive health. Though the Integrative Nutrition program is very diet-heavy, it does start to teach its students more about mindfulness in food choices and listening to your body. It was a good stepping stone at the beginning of my nutrition business journey, though if you’re looking for a non-diet, HAES-informed coaching program, you might want to look somewhere else.

Are you someone who’s thinking about making a career change to the field of nutrition or health coaching? Both of these programs come at my highest recommendation – I wouldn’t be where I am in either my personal health journey or my new career without them. Check out more info below!

More info:

Board of Certified Nutrition Specialists – CNS Credential

Maryland University of Integrative Health (graduate program)

Institute for Integrative Health (online health coaching certificate)

The Center for Nutrition Advocacy – Nutrition Laws by State