There is a lot of confusion out there about the differing titles that nutrition professionals use. Is a nutritional therapist the same as a nutritionist?
The main difference between a nutritionist and a nutritional therapist is that a practitioner does not require any specific qualifications in order to call themselves a nutritionist, while a nutritional therapist will have undergone at least three years of rigorous training in Nutritional Therapy and be registered with a professional body, such as BANT or CNHC. Many people can and do set themselves up as nutritionists without any formal training or knowledge so it is important to always undertake a thorough background and accreditation check when seeking advice from a 'nutritionist practitioner'.
The term 'registered nutritionist' indicates that a practitioner has attained a suitable level of knowledge and has been accredited by a professional body, such as UKVRN. I am a qualified and accredited nutrition therapist but occasionally refer to myself as a 'nutritionist' in order to make this website visible to people who are unsure which term they should search for.
When searching for a nutritional professional, you may also come across the term 'dietitian'. A dietitian is somebody who has completed a degree in dietetics and will normally work within the public sector as an NHS dietitian. While there are many crossovers, dietitians and nutritional therapists come under different accrediting bodies and are not the same. I am a nutrition therapist and not a dietitian.