Introducing Kassie Bottalico

 PLEASE JOIN US IN WELCOMING KASSANDRA BOTTALICO TO THE BODYMATTERS’ TEAM!

At BodyMatters we are thrilled to welcome Kassie Bottalico! We thought you might like to meet Kassie – so we asked her to tell us a bit about herself!

NICKNAME: Kassie/Kass

QUALIFICATIONS: Bachelor of Psychology

ACHIEVEMENTS: I think becoming a Psychologist was quite an achievement! Also travelling around Europe before the age of 25 was something I always hoped to achieve and just recently accomplished.

WHY DID YOU PURSUE PSYCHOLOGY? When I was in year 12 everyone was pressuring me to figure out what I wanted to do with my life and I spent hours searching through the list of possible university degrees available and psychology was the only one that grabbed my interest and made any sense to me. Once I started my degree I continued to fall more and more in love with psychology and that was what got me through the continual challenges I faced completing my university degree and finding an internship. I wanted to do something that felt like it had meaning and allowed me to make a difference in people’s lives. What sparked your interest in eating disorders:  Initially it was a book I read at school in year 8 called Eli’s Wings. Then as I grew up I saw a lot of people I knew struggle with eating disorders. I, like most teenage girls faced my own demons in regards to my body while I was growing up and I was stricken with how easy it is to fall into negative thought patterns and develop unhealthy attitudes to food as well as unhealthy eating habits, which can easily develop into eating disorders. I was also taken with how easy it is for someone to hide an eating disorder for a long period of time and consequently how difficult treatment often is. When I was at Uni, I was always very interested in the lectures and tutorials on eating disorders and I realised this was an area that would be both challenging and rewarding to work in.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO WORK AT BODYMATTERS? While I was searching for a placement I came across the BodyMatters website and I was instantly impressed with their approach to eating disorders. Once I had spoken to Sarah I was even more certain that this was the right place for me both because of her friendly and open attitude and because of the health based approach she described to me. My personal beliefs on how to treat eating disorders matched the approach taken at BodyMatters.

YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE: “Life is not the amount of breaths you take, it’s the moments that take your breath away.” – Hitch

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS: I am hoping to achieve a lot in 10 years! I hope to continue to be working with eating disorders. I also hope to be married with children and own a house. I might even look at completing my master’s degree.

FAVOURITE SPORTS OR ACTIVITIES: I am the first to admit I am not so great at sports as my hand-eye coordination leaves a lot to be desired! However I do enjoy giving most sports a go for a little fun and I enjoy watching soccer and NRL (Go the Doggies!). I also enjoy swimming whether it be laps for exercise or just chilling in a pool or at the beach in summer.

FAVOURITE HOBBIES OR INTERESTS: I am a keen reader. I particularly enjoy fantasy books such as Harry Potter, Vampire Academy and Twilight as well as books written by Jodi Piccoult.

WHAT IS YOUR SECRET SKILL: Secret skill? I am a logical thinker. You would be surprised how helpful that is!

WHO OR WHAT INSPIRES YOU: Positive people! People who make the most of what they have and the situation they are in, and don’t dwell on what they don’t have.

WHO WERE YOUR CHILDHOOD HEROES: I didn’t really have heroes like celebrities or superheros but I did look up to the role models in my life like my mum, dad, nonna and gran.

3 THINGS YOU WOULD TAKE ON A DESERT ISLAND: This is defiantly a tough one as I am one who enjoys her creature comforts! But I suppose if I had to choose 3 things I would take my boyfriend, my laptop with a never ending battery life and wi-fi, and sunscreen.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE INDULGENCE: I am not opposed to the occasional manicure and pedicure or massage.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MOVIE: Hmm that depends what mood I am in. If I am in the mood for a comedy then I can’t go past The Hangover, Stepbrothers or Bad Boys 2, but if I am in the mood for a chick flick I do enjoy A Walk to Remember or P.S I Love You.

FAVOURITE PLACES TO TRAVEL: Well having just returned from Europe I have quite a few favourite places! I loved Paris, Nice, Rome, Venice, the Croatian Islands and Berlin just to name a few. I hope to return to Europe in the near future and explore more places such as more of Italy and the Greek Islands.

IF YOU DIDN’T PURSUE PSYCHOLOGY, WHAT OTHER PROFESSION WOULD YOU PURSUE: This one is easy, I always thought I was going to be a primary school teacher until I hit year 12 and really had to think about it.