25+ Dietitian Interview Questions: What to ALWAYS Ask New Clients as a Private Practice Dietitian
Being an online private practice dietitian is an incredible privilege. As RDs, we get to make a profound impact on the world of public health and pursue our passions for nutrition. However, this is not a self-serving profession—I don’t need to tell you that! When you work closely with people’s health from a holistic and nutrition standpoint, you get to the core of who they are, their struggles, and their boundless potential.
To really unlock how you can best help someone, you’ve got to get to know them. No matter how good you are at your job, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition and dietetics. You can do all sorts of nutrition research and continuing education, but if you don’t know your dreamy clients, you can’t provide patient care that truly makes an impact. So, step one of changing a life is discovering the real person behind the screen as an online client.
25+ Dietitian Interview Questions: What to ALWAYS Ask New Clients as a Private Practice Dietitian
To help you do that as an online private practice dietitian, I am sharing some common interview questions for new clients as well as some helpful coaching questions to ask along the way. I hope these help you get deep with your clients!
Why Is It Important To Ask Questions As A Private Practice Dietitian?
As Registered Dietitians, we can do all the professional development we want, but if we don’t learn how to know our clients better, we’ll never be able to level up our practice and make a bigger impact. (Plus, a solid intake assessment can help improve client retention metrics!) The interview process builds client trust, assesses client progress, identifies client barriers, and empowers client success.
When you’re doing the client intake process, it’s important to go beyond black-and-white questions and practice what’s called motivational interviewing. Motivational interviewing is a counseling approach that helps clients find the drive to make positive behavioral and lifestyle changes.
You ask a series of open-ended questions that encourages clients to do most of the talking! While this is going on, you as an RD actively listen, reflect with empathy, provide affirmations, and periodically summarize to check for understanding. It’s a great way to empower clients to succeed.
Here are some quick tips on motivational interviewing before we get into the questions:
Ask open-ended questions that require more than a “yes/no” response.
Show you’re listening by reflecting back on what they’re saying using phrases like “it sounds like . . .” or “I hear that you’re feeling . . .”
Validate the client's feelings and experiences
Summarize what the client is saying from time-to-time to ensure you understand what they’re communicating to you.
Affirm their strengths and efforts so far, even if they haven’t been fruitful.
Encourage your clients to express the reason they want to change their habits to instill self-motivation.
Never argue with a client and instead help guide them towards solutions.
Highlight gaps your clients haven’t identified yet to give them hope for change.
Support and empower your clients to be self-advocates.
What Questions To Ask A New Client As A Private Practice Dietitian
Can you tell me a bit about yourself and your lifestyle?
The first step to understanding how you can best help your client is learning what’s working for them in their current lifestyle and what may be working against them. For instance, if a client is a single mom of multiple young children, getting in healthy home cooked meals may be a challenge. If a client travels frequently for work, locating healthy restaurant options and establishing a meal prepping schedule might be key to their success. The point is, learn about your clients and their lifestyle before you ever start planning their treatment!
What motivated you to reach out for nutrition support?
Understanding whether your clients are just beginning their nutrition journey or are on their tenth attempt will help you inform your approach and gauge your client’s response to your program. Plus, health goals can vary a lot! Some people want to lose weight, some want to build muscle, and some want to improve symptoms of chronic issues. You need to know exactly what your client wants to strategically tailor your approach.
What are the biggest challenges you're facing right now with your health or nutrition?
Chances are, if they’re reaching out to you, they’re experiencing some challenge that they haven’t been able to overcome on their own. So, they’re expecting you to be the key to clearing this hurdle, which means you need to know this challenge and have a clear plan of attack before beginning your sessions!
What have you tried in the past to address these challenges, and how did that work for you?
On that same note, in order to know how your program can help them with their challenges, you need to know what they’ve already tried. It can be super discouraging for a client to be given the same solutions they’ve already attempted. It can make them doubt their chances of success and even doubt your ability to help them. So, it’s best to have this information before you start sessions!
What specific outcomes or changes are you hoping to achieve by working with me? On a scale of 1-10 how important is it for you to achieve this?
Know your clients’ expectations of you! This will help you BOTH be successful. That’s what we’re looking for, right? A win-win in the client-dietitian relationship where you succeed at helping your client, therefore they succeed at conquering their health goals!
How ready do you feel to make changes to your eating habits or lifestyle?
It’s a good idea to have an idea of your client’s emotions regarding their health journey. Some clients will be excited and relieved to get started and have help. Other clients will be overwhelmed and stressed by making any changes at all. Their feelings can help you refine your program to suit their needs.
Do you have any medical conditions or a family history of health issues?
These questions are less fun and open-ended, but they’re essential for providing proper care to your clients. Get plenty of information about your client’s health conditions, family issues, and any other essential medical information.
Are you taking any medications or supplements?
As an RD, you know how medications and supplements can impact a person’s health goals in a big way. So, don’t forget to ask and make note of any medications and supplements the client is already on. You can also ask follow-up questions about which prescriptions and vitamins are medically necessary.
Do you have any dietary restrictions or food allergies?
Food allergies, dietary restrictions, and/or religious dietary rules will all impact the meal plans and strategies you deliver to your clients. Before you spend a lot of time coming up with a plan, ensure you know what foods or ingredients you need to avoid.
What’s your current level of physical activity?
You don’t want to set goals for your clients that are too big or too small when it comes to physical activity. Determine what they’re doing right now, and then use that information to set realistic and beneficial exercise milestones for your client.
How many hours of sleep do you get on average?
Since we know that sleep has a big impact on a person’s metabolic health and chronic symptoms, get information on your client’s sleep hygiene.
How would you rate your day-to-day stress levels?
Stress can affect someone’s health just as much as the food that they eat. Failing to assess and consider a client's stress levels when developing their personalized program can lead to insignificant results, leaving you both feeling frustrated! Plus, talking about stress may reveal other lifestyle challenges, self-limiting beliefs, or negative worldviews that may impact your sessions.
What’s your support system like at home or among friends?
A client’s support system is often a huge part of their success. You can fulfill that role in some ways, but you want to know to what level you’ll be holding your client up from week-to-week. If your clients have a significant support system at home, they may not need as many sessions with you, whereas a solo client may need to meet with you more often.
How would you describe your relationship with food? Are there any particular foods or eating patterns you struggle with?
Here’s one of the most important questions to ask your new clients! As RDs, we know the way someone views food and/or uses food is often the main reason they’re struggling to reach their goals. Whether they see food as the enemy in their need for control over a distorted body image, or they see food as a best friend and comforter in a stressful world, this POV will be essential for making the biggest impact on your client’s long-term health.
Is there anything at risk for your future self if you continue on the current path?
By addressing potential risks, you can create a more comprehensive and personalized plan that resonates with your client’s deeper motivations and concerns. If you’re going to truly guide your clients with empathy, you need to know their fears.
What are your expectations from our sessions together?
Every client is going to have different expectations of you. Hopefully, all of their standards are realistic, but either way, you’ll need this information to make your dreamy clients happy! Here are some expectations you can anticipate your potential clients setting:
Deliver personalized nutrition plans
Offer support and encouragement
Always clearly communicate
Provide consistent accountability
Utilize a holistic approach that consider factors even beyond nutrition
Help stay updated on the latest research in nutrition and dietetics
Maintain confidentiality
Produce measurable results
What Coaching Questions To Ask Your Clients As A Private Practice Dietitian
As a bonus, here are some questions you can ask in your weekly sessions to map progress beyond a scale and refine your strategy:
What is one thing you are proud of this week?
What is one small, realistic change you could make to improve your nutrition this week?
How can we break this down into smaller steps to make it feel more achievable?
What might stand in the way of making this change, and how could we plan for that?
Have you noticed any changes in your energy levels?
Are you experiencing any new or improved symptoms?
What challenges have you faced this week, and how did you overcome them?
Can you describe your mood or mental state this week?
How do you feel about your body and appearance lately?
How have your clothes been fitting lately?
Can you describe to me how you’re feeling when you wake up in the morning?
How confident do you feel in making healthy choices?
In what ways are you proud of yourself this week?
Use the interview questions to get to know your new dreamy clients!
Bringing in new clients is an exciting and intimidating experience, no matter how many times you’ve done it! Each dreamy client comes with new challenges and opportunities, and these questions can help you prepare your sessions and refine your program to best help them.
For more ways to improve your private practice and better help your clients, browse my blog and consider working with me as your Dietitian Business Coach. In The Rise®program, I’ll help you create a premier offer and curate a sustainable, profitable, and fulfilling future! If you’re not sure if it’s right for you, take this quiz! I can’t wait to work with you and ask you my own RD intake questions.