Let me start by saying I'm not a big reviewer, but I felt the need to warn others about this woman…read more
I was referred to Maria through a doctor I love, so I thought I was in good hands. Instead--yikes. Why: I made it clear from my first email that I needed a dietician to help me with meal planning/tracking nutrients (you know, the things you expect of a dietician) as my new health issue required a limited diet, and as someone who has a lot on her plate, I was overwhelmed. We had a short discovery call where I reiterated this. I had also noted my health conditions in that email and she assured me she was familiar with all of them (spoiler: familiar with the most common one is just her daughter-in-law, and familiar with the rare one I really needed help with turned out to be "I took a course" but no practical knowledge.)
At this point I was iffy, but I do (did?) trust the doc who referred me, so I booked the longer first meeting for $200. I had to complete hours of forms, provide labs, etc. Mind you, again, I have a diagnosis. I just wanted someone to help me meal plan and track nutrients. In one of the form questions, it asked for my goal for sessions with her and I reiterated this for now the third time.
Then when I got to the *last* form it mentioned an additional fee for meal planning. (Again: one of the very basic expectations of working with a dietician.) I messaged Maria to ask about this as she had *never* mentioned an additional fee. Her message back was a little vague but said that that was an old form she forgot to update and not to worry about it. My bad for not pushing back.
We get on the call and she literally talks AT me for the next 65 minutes. At me. Not with me. Not addressing my issues, but just chattering about all the research she had *just done that day* into my main health condition and what she decided was the cause of it.
Then she starts telling me I have other conditions. We're talking complete fear mongering that I really do believe would work on someone who is not as prone to research and arming herself with knowledge as I am. At one point I cut her off and said that I don't want to take all the supplements she was laying out without even knowing I have the issues she was talking about (because I refused the$1,000+ testing she suggested), and she literally said to me in a very serious tone, "Oh, you DO have this." No tests done, just looked at my forms and talked to me for a little over an hour and decided I had this thing that I need tons of supplements for.
Finally, she asked, "So how'd we do?" I'm a blunt person and I was pretty ticked at this point, so I said, "How did I do or how did you do?" And to her credit, she admitted she was asking about herself here. I truly believe she wanted a gold star. I said that while it was clear she had done some research, she hadn't answered any of my concerns or addressed why I had reached out to her. At all. She asked what I meant and, again, I mentioned meal planning. This is when she tells me she doesn't do meal planning anymore--after the initial 40 minute intro call, hours of paperwork, me messaging to clarify the form I'd seen, and this now going on 75-minute full consult. If I want, I can in fact pay for that other service myself I saw on the form and do my own meal planning.
I got off the call and sent her a message that night letting her know I wouldn't be continuing with a package. She is a snake oil salesman, a this was a complete waste of time, energy, and money. Save yours.