Staff Spotlight, Nooshin Ghazi-Moghaddam

Tell us about yourself!

My name is Nooshin Ghazi-Moghaddam and I am a Registered Dietitian at Veritas Collaborative’s Eating Disorder Treatment Center for Adults in Durham, North Carolina. I started working here in June 2019, so I’m coming up on almost four years!

Describe the educational path that led you to Veritas Collaborative.

I first became interested in eating disorders during college while observing peers around me struggling with disordered eating. I was always interested in health and nutrition, but never understood the myth that we must  give up our favorite foods to be “healthy.” I was studying Public Health at the University of South Florida, and this budding interest in eating disorders initially led me down the path of becoming a Registered Dietitian (RD). 

I went to the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill for graduate school and completed my MPH with RD credentials. When I started graduate school, my interests drifted to biochemistry and metabolism, and I focused more on those during my internships and advanced clinical experiences. While job searching after graduate school, I found and interviewed for this position at Veritas and made a full circle back into the eating disorder field!

What does a typical day look like for you at Veritas Collaborative Eating Disorder Treatment Center?

No two days are the same, but I spend most of my time in sessions with patients. One thing that stands out about this work is that it is never boring! My days generally start with morning rounds (and the preparation beforehand), then patient sessions, various meetings, case collaboration, and lots of documentation. Depending on our schedule, some days will also include groups and meal support.

What motivates you to show up for work each day?

My patients—past, present, and future! Getting the unique opportunity to watch folks reclaim their lives in recovery is an honor, and I am very grateful that I get to help people along the way. I keep every card from former patients on a corkboard in my office, and periodically, I will read over them as a reminder of why this work is so important. 

What piece of advice would you give to those struggling with eating disorders?

Recovery IS possible! I cannot tell you how many folks I have worked with who express such intense hopelessness at the start of (or even throughout) the process but then can look back on their journey with fresh eyes and see how far they have come! The work of treatment and recovery is not easy and does not happen overnight, but it is very possible, even if it feels completely out of reach at times. 

If you could do another job just for a day, what would it be?

A food critic. The writing/journalism side is less appealing, but the idea of getting paid to eat food and give my opinion just speaks to me (haha)! I suppose the path I’ve chosen encompasses all the best parts about that anyway. 😉