Governing Council Members
Dr Kim Hurst is a Senior Psychologist and the Clinical Lead at Robina Private Hospital’s Eating Disorders Service, she also is in Private Practice. Prior to this Kim was a founding member of the Gold Coast Child & Youth Mental Health Service (CYMHS), Eating Disorder Program (EDP). Kim has been delivering eating disorder treatment for over fifteen years and is a credentialed FBT therapist who provides training, supervision and consultation to clinicians across Queensland. Kim has worked across a range of eating disorder treatment settings including psychiatric and medical inpatient units and outpatient services. She has developed specialist eating disorder clinical policies and is focused on service improvement strategies to enhance treatment delivery. Kim is also passionate about early intervention programs and has delivered workshops to school children, guidance officers and teachers on positive body image. Kim was previously the President of ANZAED and has coordinated a national eating disorder conference and smaller workshop events. Kim has a solid record of presenting at local, national and international eating disorder conferences and has several published works within the field.
Dr Andrew Wallis is a clinical social worker and family therapist. He has been working with adolescents and their families for more than 25 years. Andrew has postgraduate qualifications in Systemic Family therapy and has had specialist training in the UK and USA for Family therapy for Anorexia Nervosa, Multiple Family Therapy and Attachment Based Family Therapy. In 2003 with colleagues at The Children’s Hospital, Westmead, he established the first Family-Based Treatment program in Australia, and Multiple Family therapy for Anorexia Nervosa in 2014. He has been providing training, consultation and clinical supervision in Australia and New Zealand since 2005, helping to support public and private services to implement family therapy approaches to adolescent problems. Andrew has also been involved in a range of research and academic work with more than 30 peer reviewed papers and book chapters including his PhD research on the impact of Family Based Therapy on family relationships during treatment. Andrew’s first book – A Practical Guide to Family Therapy: Structured Guidelines and Key Skills. IP Communications: Melbourne, Australia was published in 2011 and a second book – Multiple Family Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa: A treatment manual published in 2021 through Routledge: London. Andrew’s current role is Co-Lead of the Sydney Children’s Hospital Eating Disorder Service and Deputy Head of Department of Adolescent Medicine where his more recent focus has been service development, including the first and only tertiary level adolescent eating disorder day program in Australia. In addition to clinical, academic and consultation work Andrew is actively involved at a national level with eating disorder policy and practice initiatives as a member of the National Eating Disorder Collaboration executive committee and more recently on the NEDC Credentialing Expert Advisory Group and Training Providers Reference Group.
Catherine is a Registered Nurse, with over a decade’s experience working across general practice, mental health, and clinic management and administration. Currently she is working for headspace National as the Telepsychiatry Operations Co-ordinator. Catherine has co-presented at both national and international conferences, drawing on her lived experience to provide a consumer perspective. She is passionate about prevention, early intervention and improving outcomes for those suffering from Eating Disorders.
Chris Thornton is a Clinical Psychologist and the Clinical Director of The Redleaf Practice. Chris has worked with individuals and families with eating disorders for nearly 30 years. Chris has consulted to inpatient, day patient and outpatient treatment services at major centres of eating disorders in both Australia and New Zealand. Chris is a past president of the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Eating Disorders and sits on the Steering Committee of the National Eating Disorders Collaboration. Chris has dedicated his career to improving the eating disorder sector in Australia, with his continued efforts culminating in him being awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award in the field of eating disorders by the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Eating Disorders in 2020.
Deanne Harris is an Advanced Accredited Practicing Dietitian based in Northwest NSW. She has worked as a dietitian with those living with eating disorders for over 25 years and is passionate about ensuring that rural consumers and their families/carers receive access to excellent care no matter their location. Deanne has a strong interest in credentialing and has been a Member of the Dietitians Association Credentialing Council for the past 6 years. Clinical supervision and skill development are strong interests and she has been involved in the delivering and receiving of clinical supervision and clinician education around eating disorders for over 20 years.