Melinda Hutchings is Director Business Development at The Butterfly Foundation and a writer, speaker and mentor who is dedicated to helping young people overcome adversity.
Having lost her teenage years to anorexia, Melinda is passionate about promoting positive body image as well as empowering young people to trust the voice that speaks from their heart to create a happy and fulfilling future.
She has written three books about eating disorders, including the recently published Why Can’t I Look the Way I Want? Overcoming Eating Issues (Allen & Unwin 2009), which have helped thousands of people understand the dynamics of eating disorders from early warning signs through to the recovery process.
A high profile role model and mentor, Melinda was a Finalist in Cosmopolitan's ‘Fun Fearless Female 2009’ awards in the category ‘Inspirational Role Model’.
Her fourth book It Will Get Better; Finding Your Way Through Teen Issues was recently published by Allen & Unwin and aims to help teenagers find their way through the maze of emotions and challenges facing them today as well as providing a deeper level of awareness for parents and carers.
Having devoted several years to interviewing teens and young adults who have suffered through hardship, Melinda is attuned with the struggles young people face and believes that by increasing their knowledge and awareness, they will better be able to develop strategies to face and overcome challenging issues and recognise their enormous potential.
Melinda is Ambassador for Life Changing Experiences Foundation. An experienced speaker, she has presented at several conferences and forums, including Generation Next during 2010, and has also been profiled extensively in the media in Australia and in the USA.
Melinda holds a Diploma of Professional Writing from the Australian College of Journalism and is represented by Selwa Anthony Author Management Agency.
Melinda actively supports the following organisations:
Life Changing Experiences Foundation (SISTER2sister)
Inspire Foundation (Reach Out & ActNow)