Introducing EDRD Pro member and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor Amanda Hibshman, MDA, RDN (she/her)! Keep reading to learn more about Amanda and her wonderful work!

Where are you from, and where do you currently live and work?

I am from San Diego, CA, and I work at the VA San Diego Healthcare System as the Dietetic Internship Director.

What’s your favorite meal?

My favorite meal is one that is at a restaurant that I don’t have to clean up after! Bonus points if it is something new and exciting that I haven’t tried before.

Tell us about the journey that brought you to work in eating disorder treatment.

I never thought I would end up being an eating disorder dietitian. When I was a student and intern in 2010, I was honestly a little scared to go into the eating disorder field. It wasn’t until I started a small private practice that I had to ask myself what I really wanted to be doing. The answer was helping people love themselves, their bodies, and food. I realized quickly that the way I can be the most effective is by working with people who need my help the most. As soon as I realized that, I began doing the work to become a competent ED RD, working at various levels of care and trying to absorb as much as I could.

If you could choose to have dinner with anyone, who would it be and why?

Ina Garten, specifically if she is hosting at her house in the Hamptons. I actually would just love to witness her whip up a painstakingly crafted meal from scratch to only say, “How easy was that?” in real life. I am sure the food would be amazing too (especially if she uses her “good vanilla”).

What is a piece of career advice that you would share with someone starting off in the eating disorder field?

Ask questions, and engage in as much training as possible. Paying for good training is worth its weight in gold. As the old saying goes, “You don’t know what you don’t know!” I started out in the eating disorder field as a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. I thought that I knew so much! But what I quickly realized was that I knew a lot about “disordered eating” and not a lot about “eating disorders.” There is so much to learn in this field, and even if you think you know a lot, there is always more to learn!

What’s something that’s brought you joy recently?

Seeing my first class of dietetic interns graduate. I felt so proud of the work that they did over the last year, and all of them are so incredibly special.

What’s something you’ve learned recently?

In my new position, I am learning something new all the time! This morning, I was just learning how to use a new competency software. When I am not working, I sing in a few vocal ensembles, so the biggest thing I have learned recently is a massive amount of harmonies, lyrics, and songs in a very short amount of time.

Why eating disorder treatment? What drives you to do this work?

I LOVE to see when the wheels start turning and veterans start piecing together the information they have been learning and connecting it to their lived experience. So much of the MNT we provide for eating disorders really goes against everything that their eating disorder is telling them to do. Once they can push through that voice and implement some of the treatment, it is AMAZING to watch the transformation. While not everyone has that ending, it is worth it for those who do, and the wins feel very big. I also think that we have a wonderful and supportive community of clinicians working in the ED field.

Do you have specific areas of interest or special populations with whom you work?

Veterans.

What’s your favorite part about being involved with EDRD Pro?

The trainings are phenomenal, and I am now able to utilize the webinars and sessions to help train future dietitians. We are utilizing the trainings in specialty and private practice rotations to help prepare more incoming dietitians to enter the workforce feeling comfortable and confident applying for positions in the eating disorder field.

What projects, products, or services do you offer that you want to share with our audience?

I would love to help connect with future interns who are interested in a VA internship as well as working in the eating disorder and mental health field. While we do not have an emphasis on eating disorders, there is no greater benefit than having a mentor who has worked in the field and can help guide you through your work.

I am also the VA National Workgroup Chair for the Intuitive Eating workgroup and am always looking for guest speakers for our meetings to help VA dietitians improve our non-diet skills. If you would like to collaborate, please email me at [email protected]!