Meet the Team

Laura Thomas, PhD, PGDip, RNutr (she/her)
Director and Lead Nutrition Counsellor

Laura established LCIE in 2017 to help support clients who have a difficult relationship with food and their body. She has a passion for delivering inclusive, trauma informed, and person-centred care for all bodies. She draws upon different therapeutic and counselling skills to support her clients in their recovery from disordered eating, chronic dieting, and body dissatisfaction. She also incorporates different health care frameworks into her work, such as Health and Every Size Ⓡ, Intuitive Eating, and Body Image Healing. Much of her work focusses on advocacy and reducing weight-based discrimination within the nutrition profession. Laura takes a collaborative approach to working with clients, recognising that they are the experts of their own bodies and experiences. Her advice and recommendations are not didactic, rather she helps guide and support clients to reconnect with their bodies. 

In January 2019, Laura published her first book with Bluebird Books: Just Eat It: How Intuitive Eating Can Help You Get Your Shit Together Around Food.

Qualifications and further training:

BSc Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen
PhD Nutritional Sciences, Texas A&M University
Post-Doctoral Researcher, Cornell University
PG Dip ClinicalNutrition & Eating Disorders, UCL
Motivational Interviewing
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Intuitive Eating Counselling
Body Image Healing
Treatment of Eating Disorders

Registered with the Association for Nutrition

Rhian Houghton, RD
Senior Nutrition Counsellor

Rhian is a registered Dietitian who aims to support clients to move away from a world of repeated diets, disordered eating and feelings of confusion around food and nutrition. After over 10 years working in the NHS she strongly believes in a compassionate based approach to help people explore their relationship with food and their bodies. Her work with clients is always collaborative, helping them to create change that supports their values and mostly importantly feels good.

Rhian firmly believes in the joy of food and its importance in social connection. Eating is such a pleasure and not something to feel guilty about.

For fun, Rhian enjoys travel, cooking and long-walks to unwind and relax.

Melanie Hargraves, RD (she/her)
Senior Nutrition Counsellor

Melanie (she/her) enjoys helping people to discover a way of eating which works for them. 

As well as a degree in dietetics she also has additional training in counselling skills and providing trauma sensitive care.  

A central focus of Melanie’s work is working with clients to develop and protect body trust and safety. 

Melanie is also passionate about helping parents and caregivers to feed their kids in a way which protects their natural eating instincts, giving them the tools they need to eat well throughout their life.

Outside of work Melanie loves dancing to blues music and walking her rescue dog Frankie. LGBTQIA+