Julie Church, RDN, CD

Julie is known for her authenticity, passion and cheerleading, which shows up both professionally as Co-founder of Opal and personally as mother/wife.  Co-creating Opal stemmed from a desire to offer a new way to heal from mainstream diet culture.  Julie knew early in her educational journey that conventional health and consumer diet culture was not helpful and pursued education and experiences in the 90s that introduced her to Intuitive Eating, Non-Diet, and Health at Every Size.  Since then, she has put those approaches to work in a private practice setting, at Seattle Pacific University counseling center and in creating Opal: Food+Body Wisdom’s weight-inclusive approach to nutrition and weight as Nutrition Director.

  

Julie grew up in Wisconsin enjoying youth athletics, gardening, friends and family in a way that only the midwest can bring!  She graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelors in Science in Dietetics in 1999 and quickly moved west to Seattle to intern at a church to serve college students.  Life in Seattle led to many opportunities: international travel, community service, helping college students gain insight into their food and body issues, and public health work as a dietitian.  All of this continually solidified Julie’s “role in the world” was to be a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist ( #DI00001262  ) who helps individuals heal from eating disorders.

Julie is also currently Director of People+Culture which involves connecting with the community outside of Opal, as well as helping with hiring and developing staff.  Julie’s out-going nature and pursuit of authenticity guides this work to ensure Opal only hires, partners and supports those who truly align with our values.