Lori Lieberman & Associates was born out of necessity. At 12 weeks postpartum, as I prepared to return to MGH, I was told there was no longer a position for me. In spite of stellar performance reviews I was without a job. It was 1989.

While starting a part time position at Harvard Community Health Plan, I embarked on starting a private practice. There was no handbook, no mentors to guide the process. It was old school—no computers, all paper, no social media to spread the word. I typed up an intro letter to local MDs about my background, stamped it, mailed it, and waited.

With each referral, I called my husband, excited that someone booked an appointment. I was delighted. I returned all messages, scheduled appointments, and visited practices to get to know referrers. In time, admins were hired and experienced RDs joined the practice.

The fight for insurance reimbursement was constant, as I petitioned for coverage for more allowed sessions, for fairer payment and for longer visits. I continue to push for fair coverage to allow the practice to continue to see people via telehealth.

As I celebrate 35 years in private practice as one of the first RDs to successfully do so, I am delighted to announce that Stephanie Chen, MS, RDN, LDN, has taken the reins. After 4 years at the practice, with prior outpatient experience, a Masters in Psychology as well as a Masters degree in Nutrition, Stephanie is the perfect pick.

The team has grown to 5 RDs with a wide range of expertise, including in diabetes and eating disorder management. And, with rave Google reviews—129 at time of writing!

While I am retiring from my role with the practice, I will continue in an advisory role and I encourage your continued support of this amazing team. They were all handpicked and mentored by me, and carry on the philosophy of a non-weight-centric, behavioral approach to maximizing health.

I thank you all for your support of our practice these 35 years — all the clients who taught me how to do this work, and my many, many colleagues whose collaboration I relied on. Many thanks for your continued support of our practice.