So, you want to work in Eating Disorders?
A guide for all Dietitians new to ED’s including new graduate Dietitians
It’s heartening to see so many Dietitians drawn to work in eating disorders. The field needs your compassion, curiosity, and willingness to learn. At the same time, this work is complex, emotionally demanding, and requires specialised skills, strong support, and time to grow. Entering this space safely and sustainably means balancing enthusiasm with humility - knowing what’s within your current scope, and what’s still to come.
Start Where You’re AT:
In the National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC) Stepped System of Care, Dietitians play important roles across all levels of intervention - from early identification and prevention through to specialist treatment and recovery support. Each “step” reflects not only the needs of the client but also the practitioner’s skill, training, and supervision.
For new graduates, the early steps in the ED Training Pathway are the right place to begin:
Step 1 (Foundations) focuses on identifying eating disorders, understanding risk and protective factors, offering brief interventions, and referring appropriately.
At this stage, your scope of practice typically centres on screening, supporting, and referring - not treatment. These roles are vital. They keep clients safe, build trust, and lay the groundwork for effective care.
Step 2 (Dietetic Care, offering treatment) is further along the pathway, and involves working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team, under regular supervision, with medical and psychological supports in place for clients. You certainly can start doing this training when you graduate, but it is recommended that you do not start seeing people with an active eating disorder until you have completed Step 2 of the Training Pathway AND linked in with Supervision (see steps below)
Understanding Scope of Practice
“Scope of practice” isn’t a restriction on your growth — it’s a boundary of safe care. It defines where your current skills, training, and support systems allow you to practise safely and effectively. Working within scope protects clients from harm, but it also protects you.
When we work beyond our scope, we risk emotional strain, burnout, and ethical dilemmas that can erode both confidence and wellbeing. Recognising and honouring your scope is therefore an act of care — for your clients, your profession, and yourself.
It’s also important to note that the amount of eating disorder training provided in university programs varies enormously — from a couple of hours to extensive, multi-day learning. This variation means that two graduates may begin their careers with very different levels of readiness. Being clear about where you personally are starting from, and what learning you still need, is an essential part of professional responsibility.
We share this responsibility with our professional bodies and workplaces. It’s not only about what we can do, but about what we should do safely and ethically, within the systems that support our practice.
You might like to reflect:
What feels safely within my skills right now?
Where am I stretching — and do I have supervision or support in place for that?
What are the next skills or experiences I need to widen my scope safely?
Learning Pathways: Building Skills and Confidence
Progressing in eating disorder practice is a gradual process of layering knowledge, experience, reflection, and support. Competence develops through supported experience, not just exposure.
A helpful sequence might look like this:
Foundational Training - Step 1 of the ED Training Pathway – Focus on prevention, identification, and initial response, in alignment with the NEDC Stepped System of Care.
Supervision (from the start) – As soon as you begin seeing clients of any description, seek regular professional supervision. Dietitians
Supervision Resources Australia & International (DSRAI) can help you find a trained supervisor.
Treatment Skills Training - Step 2 of the ED Training Pathway PLUS Supervision with an ED-experienced Supervisor – When you begin supporting clients with disordered eating or diagnosed eating disorders, ensure your supervision is with someone experienced in this field (see DSRAI).
Advanced Training and Practice – With time, experience, and ongoing supervision, your scope broadens to include complex presentations and advanced therapeutic work within multidisciplinary teams.
The Role of Supervision
Supervision is essential in this field - not just as a professional safeguard but as a reflective and restorative space. It helps you notice your own reactions, navigate uncertainty, and develop ethical, client-centred decision-making. Whether you’re building readiness or already working in treatment settings, supervision sustains both competence and wellbeing. I highly recommend reading the 2025 literature review by our colleagues Tara Crow, Laura Kiely, Deanne Harris & Claire Palermo Professional Supervision in Dietetics
Final Thoughts
Working in eating disorders can be some of the most meaningful work you’ll ever do. It invites you into people’s lives at their most vulnerable and courageous moments. But it also asks for respect — for the complexity of recovery and for the boundaries that protect safe, sustainable practice.
So start where you are. Learn deeply. Seek supervision. Stay connected.
And remember — scope of practice isn’t a limit to your potential. It’s a framework of safety that allows both you and your clients to grow with confidence and care.
Ready to Take Your Next Step?
If you’re beginning your journey in eating disorders, the Eating Disorder Training Pathway offers structured learning and support, aligned with the NEDC Stepped System of Care.
If you’re already seeing clients and want guidance, connection, and reflection, you can also explore Supervision options through DSRAI-recognised frameworks.
Wherever you’re starting from, your learning matters — and it’s how we build safe, ethical, and compassionate care together.