Get to know Ursula and how working with a dietitian can help you.
Professional Highlights.
Hi there. I’m Ursula Ridens - Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS), and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. I offer client-centered medical nutrition therapy and nutrition counseling using mindfulness as an integral part of improving one’s relationship with food, body and physical activity. I meet each client with compassion, a true desire to hear their story, and a deep interest in supporting their journey while individualizing care according to each person’s needs and goals.
I specialize in treating mental health conditions such as eating disorders, depression, and anxiety as well as work with clients who struggle with body image, emotional eating, food cravings, digestive distress, pre-diabetes, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or those who are just plain uncertain about planning for meals, cooking, and how to fuel and nurture their body.
I especially enjoy meeting with clients for the first time and learning about their past eating experiences, what influences their current beliefs and eating patterns, and their desire for improved health and well-being.
Treatment Philosophy + Approach.
I’m a big believer in being curious and not critical. There are often so many critical voices in our heads and surrounding us in our lives. It truly can be life changing when we learn to quiet criticism and instead embrace curiosity. I often practice staying in a curious place with my clients, which opens opportunity for discovery, clarity, growth, and self-confidence.
I provide weight-inclusive care and have a passion for using and teaching clients about mindful eating and meaningful movement. With an emphasis on abandoning the diet mentality, which is so pervasive in our culture, we move towards making positive change from a weight-neutral place.
My approach embraces non-diet, all-foods-fit, Health At Every Size (HAES®), and intuitive eating philosophies. This allows more attunement to body signals and freedom from diet culture. Join me in learning to notice, understand, and respond to body cues, symptoms, and experiences (appetite, food cravings, thirst, energy level, physical pain, emotions, stressors, etc.) in a way that leads to newfound confidence and supports both physical and mental health.
Background + Experience.
I’ve been practicing as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for more than 20 years. Most of this time has been focused on eating disorders and other mental health conditions but has also included working with patients with cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, kidney disease, and gastrointestinal disorders in a hospital-based setting. I certainly don’t claim to know everything as I’m continually learning from both my colleagues and clients. I’m fortunate to be connected with many highly respected colleagues and have access to reputable resources so I can safely guide you towards improved health.
I graduated from San Diego State University (SDSU) cum laude in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in Foods and Nutrition, completed a dietetic internship at SDSU in 2000, and became credentialed as a Registered Dietitian in 2001. I hold additional certifications as a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist (CEDS) and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor.
My career path has evolved over various settings including acute care medical hospital Clinical Dietitian (2 years), hospital-based Outpatient Dietitian (14 years), residential eating disorder treatment program Nutrition Director (3 years), residential community-based mental health treatment center Lead Dietitian (13 years), and private practice dietitian/consultant (23 years).
I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the most complex mental health conditions including all types of eating disorders (orthorexia, anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, OSFED), schizophrenia, psychosis, major depression, severe anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, and dissociative identity disorder. My experience working at all levels of care, including residential, partial hospitalization program (PHP), intensive outpatient program (IOP), and outpatient, has reinforced my appreciation of working collaboratively with my clients’ team members and support systems (therapists, psychiatrists, medical doctors, personal trainers, family, etc.).
Personal Highlights.
I grew up with my mom cooking nearly all home-cooked delicious meals. This really sparked my interest in cooking - admittedly, not all of my dishes turn out as I hope they would (my husband and kids are troopers). While I do enjoy cooking, I also sometimes get tired of preparing meals (I hear you, clients!). My strategy: plan ahead, try to have enough time so I don’t feel rushed, create a calm setting (cue music and candle), and when needed, pivot to simple easy-to-prepare meals. I’ve often thought there is no way I can live up to making meals as amazing as my mom did, but I eventually found my own cooking style and especially love experimenting with new recipes.
Are you curious about my favorite food? Pizza! Especially creating my own with “gourmet” toppings.
Like many of you, I’ve experienced chronic health issues and various life challenges. As with cooking, there’s been a lot of trial and error and mistake-making. But, hey, that’s how we learn and discover opportunities to do things differently and better. Living my best life (by no means a perfect life), improving self-care, being mindful of work-life balance, and navigating various stressors is a work in progress as I imagine it is for each of you.
As a child I was a gymnast and lover of horses. Animals have always been an important part of my life and while I didn’t live on a farm, I grew up with dogs, a cat, a horse, ducks, birds, a goose, Angora rabbits, a turtle, a hamster, and fish.
I’m blessed to be married to a supportive husband. We have 2 kids (well, one is an adult now!) and 1 dog (Maverick, a Belgian Malinois). Life is a mix of so many things - chaos, busyness, stress, overwhelm, sadness AND times of joy, excitement, fun, laughter, and moments of calmness. Born and raised in Southern California, I enjoy spending time outdoors – at the beach or bay, paddle boarding, boating, off-roading, traveling to Mexico, and gardening AKA yardwork (my secret back-up career is to mow lawns…I love the smell of fresh cut grass!).
I look forward to getting to know a bit about you!