Michele “Shelly” Debiasse, PHD, RDN, LDN (she/they)

Food provides so much more than the essential nutrients required for us to live. Our relationship with food is often shaped by our emotions, our culture, and the society around us. These important influences on our diet can ultimately affect our health and wellbeing. I provide individualized nutrition and diet counseling with these many influences in mind. I believe that our work together can help you to step forward into the world boldly, with enjoyment, health, and purpose. My work is weight-inclusive and informed by several theoretical approaches to health behavior change including Feminist Theory, the Theory of Reasoned Action/Planned Behavior (including Implementation Intentions), Social Cognitive Theory, Health at Every Size, the Transtheoretical Model (stages of change) and Motivational Interviewing. 

I have been a master’s degree prepared Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) for 35 years. In 2016 I earned my Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nutrition and metabolism. For 25 years I worked in the hospital setting providing nutrition care to inpatients in the Intensive Care and Critical Care Units. Most recently, I taught nutrition and dietetics at Boston University where I was a Clinical Associate Professor of dietetics/nutrition for 20 years. I continue to teach nutrition and dietetics students at Framingham State University in Framingham, Massachusetts and the City University of New York (CUNY)/Lehman College in the Bronx, New York on topics such as the theory and practice of nutrition counseling and education and approaches to nutrition care and assessment of clients/patients with a variety of nutrition/diet-related diseases and disease risks. I have conducted research on health behavior change which formed the basis of my dissertation. I have shared my expertise with local TV news and media outlets, have presented webinars, and been invited to speak regionally, nationally, and internationally. I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with clients one-on-one to help them achieve their health goals through diet and nutrition.