Getting to know your dietitian, Caroline Liu.
We wanted to give you the opportunity to get to know another of Active Ability’s amazing and extremely dedicated dietitians Caroline Liu, so we’ve asked her a couple of questions so that we can share her answers with you.
Why did you become a dietitian and what has led to your passion for disability?
This always makes me think back to when I was in high school and one day thinking, “it would be cool to tell people I’m a dietitian”. Since then, my reasons for becoming a dietitian have grown to become a mixture of these things:
- I love food,
- I enjoy being in a role where I can provide the best customer service (I was a barista before becoming a dietitian and I loved it!),
- I enjoy meeting, getting to know and having a laugh with people,
- I am interested in health and I want to help others.
What has led to your passion for disability?
I admit that disability was not an area that I thought I would be working in when I started studying to become a dietitian. It was an area that I did not know much about until close family members were diagnosed with disability and also until I did my very last student placement at a mental health facility before finishing up at university. This personal and education/clinical experience really led to my passion for working with people with disability.
Do you have a memorable experience of assisting a client to achieve their goals that you’d like to share?
I have a young client who I have had so much fun doing cooking sessions with to explore different vegetables and getting our hands dirty trying different recipes to learn how we can make vegetables more yummy and less scary. We have made pizzas, smoothies, sandwiches and a chocolate brownie – all with vegetables! Since then, her mum has been proudly telling me that she has been eating more vegetables and wanting to add them to her meals all on her own! This is a huge achievement for her, and I am so proud of her.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love going to cafes, cooking, going for a hike to scenic spots and binge-watching movies and series!
What is your favourite food?
I am a huge fan of spicy food, noodles and dumplings. Yum!
In another life, if you weren’t a dietitian, what do you think you’d be doing?
I think I would be a midwife. It was an option I considered alongside dietetics!
What is one thing that people would be surprised to learn about you? Do you have a hidden talent?
I find that people are always surprised to hear that I am Australian born and raised because of my slight American accent. I have yet to think of a more interesting cover up story to really surprise people.
(Kara here). Caroline is so creative in her approach to her dietetic appointments – perhaps not so hidden a talent! She develops individualised resources for her clients including worksheets and meal plans with their favourite characters as a way of engaging and motivating them. She is so clever!
What is your favourite movie, book and holiday?
Movie: Princess Diaries
Book: Does a recipe book count?
Holiday: The Philippines! It really is true what they say – “It’s more fun in the Philippines!” Especially when you have as many cousins and extended family as I do living there!
Thanks so much to Caroline for sharing more about herself with our community – we hope that you’ve enjoyed getting to know her! If you’d like to arrange services with Caroline or another of our therapists, please contact us today!
Caroline provides Active Ability’s dietetic services in the North West of Sydney. Specifically, Caroline provides services in Schofields, Claremont Meadows, Erskine Park, Eastern Creek, Kemps Creek, Liverpool, Fairfield, Sefton, Bankstown, Guildford West, Greystanes, Toongabbie, Blacktown and Acacia Gardens.