eating disorder therapist?

i'm in my senior year of highschool, so i need to decide what i'm going to choose for a career pretty soon. i was thinking i wanted to be a nutritionist, but now i'm also thinking of becoming an eating disorder therapist instead.

is anyone here an eating disorder therapist, or in school to become an eating disorder therapist? if you are, what kind of education do/did you need (college/university?) and what kind of courses did you take?

i thought about doing the same thing. my plan was to get a degree in nutrition and a degree in psychology. but, i hate science, so i will never be a dietician.

instead i'm on my way to a degree in psychology and a degree in business- planning on going into human resources.

my suggestion for you would be to go into psychology, and maybe think about also getting a degree in nutrition. good luck!

Well, first of all, my dear, the choice you make right out of high school may or may not stick. You don't have to choose your major/career right after graduation. In my own experience, I have changed majors now three times!

To become a therapist, it requires that you major in psychology, just like oxsunrisesunset said, and graduate from a university with a four-year degree. Secondly, while you are taking the required courses, also look into classes that would focus on different therapy methods for mental illness- this could be art therapy, CBT, DBT, etc. It really depends on what your college/university offers. Sometimes, they even have courses that specialise in eating disorders. Make sure to put your heart into each and every class, as you probably will want to go for a Master's Degree or even a PhD after you get your BA/BS in psychology. In order to do that, you have to have very good grades, and do a lot of research on your own. I get daily updates about eating disorder news via PsychCentral and am a regular subscriber to Psychology Today (you can get the hard copy magasine at regular supermarkets, depending on where you live). In order to specialise in EDs, apply for an internship at a treatment facility that deals exclusively with that subject, or volunteer for an organisation like NEDA. This will show potential employers that you understand and can work with eating disordered clients.

My BIGGEST piece of advice, however, is not to rush into this. This sort of thing takes TIME, PATIENCE, and most of EXPERIENCE (in working with eating disordered individuals). I read on your profile, as well, that you have just started in the recovery process as of August 2008. In my humble opinion, I believe that right now, you need to focus on your own health and well-being. By throwing yourself into a potentially triggering mental health field, you open yourself up to slipping and even relapse. For now, work with your own therapist and dietitian (nutritionists have less education and experience!) so that you can stay healthy and one day help others. If you are looking into school, go to a community college and get all the general education stuff out of the way first (basic math, English, language, science, etc classes)- that will take around 2 to 3 years.

Take care,
Lily
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