Pediatric Nutrition

Welcome to Your Village, where we understand that every child is unique and deserves a personalized approach to nutrition. We offer customized support that address your child's specific needs, whether it's managing picky eating, navigating food allergies, intuitive eating, eating disorders, or supporting medical conditions. By blending evidence-based guidance with a warm, compassionate touch, we empower your family to make informed dietary choices that foster lifelong health. We are here to ensure your child receives balanced nutrition and develops a positive relationship with food. Let us partner with you on this journey to help your child thrive through personalized nutrition and caring support.

My Specialties

As a health care provider for over 25 years, I have worked with families who face nutrition challenges such as:

  • Children who are vulnerable to feeding and growth concerns related to autism, ADHD, genetic conditions, developmental delays, sensory disorders, and mild to severe selective eating

  • GI conditions, food sensitivities and intolerances

  • Disordered eating (ARFID, anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, chronic dieting)

  • Mental health diagnosis, which can impact nutrition (anxiety, depression, OCD)

What to expect

During the first session, I will spend an hour collecting relevant medical history and nutrition/feeding background relative to your concerns. I will listen with curiosity and compassion and strive to create a collaborative relationship for our future work. Completing some forms and assessments prior to our first consultation will help to facilitate our time.

Follow-up sessions might focus on my providing information on topics that are new to you or education in areas you may have questions. We can discuss strategies that address the challenges you are facing, and ongoing sessions may focus on adjusting these strategies based on your feedback and progress after you have had some time to experiment on your own.

For your convenience, after our initial session, follow-up sessions can be in person or virtual. Clients are always free to choose the pace and frequency of our sessions based on what feels most helpful and supportive to them.

Cost:

New Patient Visit: $160

Follow-up Visits: $105

We are currently out- of-network with all insurance plans. We are happy to assist you in understanding your out-of-network benefits if you would like to reach out via email or phone call. We are able to provide a superbill for you to submit to your insurance for out-of-network reimbursement. We also accept HSA/FSA cards.

Ready to book?

While it is important to accurately answer whether or not a diagnosis is appropriate, I feel every child is unique and understanding a child’s strengths and areas of difficulty is essential. My goal is to work with families on how we can best support a child so they can show their best self!

Cristen Luehmann

Registered Dietician

I am excited to be a provider for Your Village STL - this is truly a unique and caring space! So, thank you for visiting my page and considering whether I might be a good fit for you and your family. Over the years, clients have told me that they appreciate my expertise as a dietitian but even more so for my active listening to their concerns and offering thoughtful and practical strategies. I enjoy getting to know my clients and partnering with them on their journey to find solutions to their health challenges. I believe there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach regarding nutrition and health, so I create a safe space for my clients to share their stories, ask questions and consider what strategies will work best for them. It is very rewarding when I see clients experience greater confidence with eating, greater freedom from food rules, and greater comfort in their bodies!

As a developmental dietitian, I understand that the feeding relationship is foundational, whether the feeding relationship is with ourselves or our children. I have found that when the feeding relationship is solid, nutrition and health follow! As a Wellness Coach, I know that we live in a time where access to health and wellness information is abundant. In many ways this abundance of nutrition information and food choices, has made feeding ourselves and our families feel complicated and overwhelming. This is especially true when our life journey involves an illness or chronic condition. As a parent, I know the value of having access to a non-judgmental support system where we can feel safe, seen, and heard.

Regarding my professional background and certifications, I am a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, licensed in Missouri and Illinois. I have a Master’s degree in Nutrition & Allied Health. I approach nutrition from a whole-person, neuro-affirming, and non-diet/weight-neutral framework. I am Board Certified as a Health & Wellness Coach and a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist. I have been a healthcare provider since 1995, incorporating strategies from multiple mind-body practices including Intuitive Eating, Responsive Feeding, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Interoceptive Awareness. I am a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), the National Board of Health & Wellness Coaches (NBHWC), and the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (IAEDP).