Dr. Huang Helping Students Surpass their Eating Disorders
Kaeli Britt and Ashley Martinez interviewed Dr. Yue Huang on her journey to becoming an eating disorder specialist helping students at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Finding Her Passion to Help Others Early
Dr. Yue Huang is a Licensed Psychologist and the University of Nevada’s Coordinator of Eating Disorder Services, who says she enjoys getting students “unstuck in something they’re kind of struggling with [so] they can realize their potential in life. It can be very fulfilling in that sense.”
She was born and raised with her family in Beijing, China, and first arrived in the United States as a student, getting many degrees and experience before her landing spot in Reno.
Dr. Huang comes from a family of physicians whom she grew up admiring after hearing stories of her parents helping their patients while working in the hospital.
“I’ve had a passion for medicine since childhood,” she explains.
“I got a lot of questions from colleagues and friends. ‘Hey, both of your parents are physicians! Are you going to be a physician?’”
Dr. Huang went to college in Beijing where she originally studied Life Sciences. She was then medically trained at Peking Union Medical College. She then decided to switch doctoral paths from medicine, particularly immunology and cancer-related research, to the field of psychology.
Though she knew she loved learning, she struggled with the day-to-day on her original track to become a doctor.
“I felt like I didn’t have enough time with each person,” she explains of her switch. “A lot of my patients told me: ‘you should be a psychologist! You talk a lot to really help us understand the procedures, medications, and make us feel really cared for.’”
During her time working within the gastrointestinal (GI) department, she became interested in eating disorders. She noticed a nutritional problem relating to eating disorders. Looking for a new path, she began to explore the path in clinical psychology.
She says, “I was so afraid of doing something wrong and jeopardizing anyone’s life. I’d feel guilty for the rest of my life.”
“It is part of my identity piece too — how people resist those pressures to fit in with those ideals that are defined by privileged groups,” she elaborates. “Those are the things I gradually discovered that made me more passionate about my specialty.”
Transition from China to the United States
Dr. Huang became interested in traveling to the United States to go back to school for her Doctorate in Psychology.
“Right now, [in China] we have more clinical psychology programs. At the time, we didn’t have any doctorate program in clinical psychology,” she says.
As a result of the lack of doctoral programs in the psychological field in China, Dr. Huang attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa where she was able to receive specialized training with the Eating Disorders Program at that university’s Center for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
“I have really enjoyed and embraced that I’ve experienced my transition from privileged groups [in China] to unprivileged groups [in the United States],” she says. “I just noticed how body image is related to religion, diversity, and system oppression.”
She credits her confidence and self-assurance in helping her adjust to life in the United States.
Dr. Huang chose to come specifically to the United States to complete her Doctorate Degree in honor of her father, who encouraged her to travel outside of China and visit democratic countries.
She recalls her father’s advice: “The two parties will argue a lot during elections, but at least you have the freedom of speech. And in China, you really don’t.”
Following the completion of her Doctorate Degree and specialized training at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Dr. Huang also finished an internship at Brigham Young University Counseling and Psychological Services in Utah.
Work at Counseling Services
As the Coordinator of Eating Disorder Services at the University of Nevada, Dr. Huang she works on creating and coordinating eating disorder services for students on campus alongside the Student Health Center. Some of the programs include events surrounding body image, National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, and eating disorder training. She is currently working on a series of events to recognize National Eating Disorders Awareness Week from February 21, 2022 to February 27, 2022.
“I really love working at a college counseling center,” she says.
Dr. Huang can be reached in the Counseling Services office inside of the William N. Pennington Student Achievement Center. Students at the University of Nevada can find more information at unr.edu/counseling.
