Please join us in welcoming Health Psychologist, Kellie Hodder, to the BodyMatters team
Kellie came highly recommended and from the moment we met her, it was obvious Kellie was going to be a strong addition to BodyMatters. In fact, Kellie was SO passionate about eating disorders she literally flew from Adelaide to Sydney to work with us. Add to the mix her exceptional clinical skills, and we are proud to welcome Kellie on board.
We thought you might like to meet Kellie, so we asked her to tell us a bit about herself …
Find out why Kellie felt compelled to work in the field of eating disorders, why she chose to join BodyMatters, and ten bucks says you’ll never guess who her cheesy childhood heroes were … 🙂
NICKNAME: Usually people will call me Kel
QUALIFICATIONS: Master in Psychology (Health), Bachelor of Health Science (Honours), Bachelor of Arts (Psychology), Member of Australian Psychological Society
ACHIEVEMENTS: Completing my Masters to become a psychologist and specialising in the area of eating disorders was a big thing for me! Also, having my honours thesis published was wonderful.
WHY DID YOU BECOME A PSYCHOLOGIST? In my final year of high school, I went through some experiences that changed my perspective of life. I took a step back and thought about what I wanted to contribute to the world and also what I was interested and passionate about. This resulted in me choosing psychology, a career path that allows me to combine my fascination with people and the world, while also being able to serve as a support for people experiencing difficulties.
WHAT SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN EATING DISORDERS? I’m a big believer in following the path that draws you in. Throughout my psychology studies, eating disorders and body image difficulties had always been there as something I was interested in. Despite exploring other possible areas of psychology, my passion and interest in the psychology and treatment of eating disorders grew and remained strong. So after finishing my masters, I decided to pursue this treatment area and fortunately ended up working with BodyMatters.
WHY DID YOU MOVE TO SYDNEY? The treatment area of eating disorders is still quite small in Adelaide and I realised that in order for me to develop my skills, knowledge and expertise in this area, I would need to be amongst more professionals with that knowledge and passion. So after finding out about BodyMatters, it was a no brainer to move!
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO WORK WITH BODYMATTERS? I had researched organisations specific to the treatment of eating disorders that I would be interested in working for. What I liked immediately about BodyMatters was their collaborative and health based approach to treatment. At BodyMatters the emphasis is on working with the patient to achieve a quality of life where their health and wellbeing is the focus. This philosophy resonated with me and after speaking with Lydia and Sarah, I knew this was an organisation that would be great to work for.
MY FAVOURITE QUOTE: I am a bit of a quote queen so picking one was difficult! But one of my favourites is: “Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? I would love to still be working in the eating disorder area and eventually look to develop a residential treatment facility as currently there are none in Australia.
FAVOURITE SPORTS OR ACTIVITIES: Netball, kayaking and I enjoy going to the footy every now and again.
FAVOURITE HOBBIES OR INTERESTS: I love reading, watching movies and documentaries, and have the biggest soft spot for dogs!
WHAT IS YOUR SECRET SKILL? I’ve been told I’m not a bad baker!
WHO OR WHAT INSPIRES YOU? A variety of people inspire me each and every day! There are those who have experienced the difficulties of life and have been able to maintain their compassion for others and their zest for life! People that come to mind include Nelson Mandela, and the Dalai Lama. Then there are the strong intelligent women who have given and continue to give women a voice in the world such as Barbara Walters and Oprah. Finally the people I am fortunate enough to meet and know that make life that bit more special like my family and friends.
WHO WERE YOUR CHILDHOOD HEROES? I didn’t really have any heroes growing up, but I was a huge fan of the Spice Girls!
3 THINGS YOU WOULD TAKE TO A DESERT ISLAND: A great book, my dog and a family member or best friend to talk to.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD? If coffee is considered food than definitely coffee! Otherwise it would be a good pasta or salt and vinegar chips!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MOVIE? Very difficult to choose but I am a fan of American History X or for something lighter Forgetting Sarah Marshall always makes me laugh.
FAVOURITE PLACES TO TRAVEL? I would love to go to Spain and New York.
IF YOU WEREN’T A PSYCHOLOGIST WHAT OTHER PROFESSION WOULD YOU CHOOSE? I absolutely love animals, especially dogs, so I would probably be a vet or work at the zoo.
For some daily inspiration and recovery tips, please join Kellie’s BodyMatters Facebook fan page!
