Building connection,
confidence and mealtime success.

So what is Responsive Feeding Therapy (RFT) Anyways?

Responsive Feeding Therapy (RFT) is an evidence-based, relationship-centred approach to eating that prioritizes a child’s internal cues and emotional safety over external “compliance” (like taking a certain number of bites).

While traditional feeding therapies often focus on what or how much a child eats using rewards and pressure, RFT focuses on how the child and caregiver interact during mealtimes to build long-term confidence.

Think of Responsive Feeding Therapy (RFT) as a way to take the stress out of mealtime by putting your child’s feelings first. Instead of using “do this to get that” rewards or pushing a child to take a bite, it’s all about building trust and letting them listen to their own bodies.

By using parent coaching and a lot of play, RFT turns trying new foods into a low-pressure adventure rather than a battle of wills. It’s basically about helping kids feel safe and curious in the kitchen so they can find their own way to a happy, healthy relationship with food!

Pillars of Responsive Feeding:

Respects Autonomy
Prioritizes relationship
No forcing or pressure
Based on research

Our Program Resources

Who is it for?

RFT is highly effective for a wide range of feeding challenges, including:

Extreme Picky Eating: Children who have a very limited range of “safe” foods.

ARFID: Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder.

Neurodivergence: Children with Autism or ADHD who have sensory sensitivities.

Medical Trauma: Children who have had negative experiences with feeding tubes, reflux, or choking.

Responsive feeding principles are beneficial across the lifespan, not just for children. Adults can also experience feeding challenges that impact nutrition, stress levels, social experiences, and overall quality of life.

Learn More

Individuals who experience the following potential feeding concerns will benefit from our responsive feeding therapy program:

Picky Eaters
Highly anxious eaters of all ages
ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)
Pediatric Feeding Disorder
Difficulty with transition to solids
Limited repertoire of safe foods they will eat
Developmental experiences that make eating challenging

Challenges surrounding oral management of food (moving food in their mouth)
Fear and refusal around exposure to and trying new foods
Negative emotional reactions to mealtimes (tantrums, throwing, hitting)
Sensory processing vulnerabilities causing sensitivity to the textures, smells, and flavors of foods

Specific medical conditions
Difficulty with acceptance of puree
Discoordination/coordination difficulties
Food allergies
Social pressure and anxiety
Difficulty with chewing (swallowing whole or spitting out bites after trying to chew
Repairing the relationship with eating following choking incidents and more…

Unpack our Program

FREE Discovery Call

Our Clinical Director will chat with you about how we can support your family.

Pre-Program Intake

Meet with one of our Registered Dieticians so we understand your child’s unique feeding journey.

Online Parent Education Group

Education, strategies, and reflection to help you feel more confident supporting your child. Gain a community of parents & caregivers who truly “get it”.

Individualized Parent Education/ Direct Feeding Therapy

Online, in-person at our centre, or in-person at your house, 1:1 education, and/or therapy sessions to meet your child where they are at in their feeding journey.

Meet Our Team

We’re a creative crew of professionals who believe that food journeys should be filled with trust, not pressure. Our mission is to partner with you to build your child’s confidence at the table, supporting your family with practical, lifelong tools for milestone mealtime success.

Our Team

My son easily established rapport with Shannon, and their collaborative work is tailored to his needs. Shannon’s ability to listen, adapt sessions, and offer valuable suggestions creates a positive and engaging environment, making her a valuable asset. Our longstanding connection with VSLC has consistently provided satisfactory services, and I wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone in need.

Some of the tools provided were good exercises to help parents think outside the box as to what they can do or offer to help with ARFID.

This course was really informative! I began to understand how and why my child struggles with food. Most helpful was the nonjudgmental approach from the facilitators.

Very educational and well presented! Facilitator was welcoming and made for a comfortable environment for sharing personal experiences.

I have done the parent course offered by the Responsive Feeding Centre and found it to be extremely helpful in understanding how to approach food and eating challenges with my son. Connecting with other families who are dealing with the same issues was really beneficial.

I highly recommend responsive feeding centre for any parents and caregivers who are looking for ND affirmative service provider.

This course was very informative in understanding the feeding disorder. Took alot of guilt away with regards to feeling it was a fault of my feeding tactics. Also helped to realize how many other families are going through this.

Cannot recommend highly enough, it transformed our thinking of food with our kiddo, and opened lots of new doors. Highly recommend!

I really enjoyed it and loved the lens of personal experience that Shannon brought to our group. I learned a lot about not only my kids but also my own sensory profiles. Really great resource for families.

Shannon was really great, I like that she taught the course because of her food sensory so it was nice to be able to hear it directly from someone who struggles with certain foods and it gave us some hope that soon our son will experiment and try new foods to grow his safe list.

I learned a lot about not only my kids’, but also my own sensory profile. Really great resource for families.

It definitely helped normalize my/our family’s experiences and difficulties in the feeding journey with [our child] and helped me feel better overall about what we’ve accomplished so far.

I came in skeptical and concerned my accommodations would be questioned. Boy was I surprised! I received the validation I needed that we were already on the right path and doing a lot of things you suggested so it motivated me to keep going and consider new options. Having a small group with a few other parents was very helpful as we were able to connect with each other for support. I did not feel as alone in this. I was surprised to hear how many other families have similar struggles, that was helpful. The content itself was wonderful. I learned way more than I had expected to. I am so grateful to have found you. I can’t say enough good things. Thank you again!