Christina Ricci, a child therapist? The oddball actress, who struggled with anorexia and other self-image issues during her awkward teen years, is studying online to become a certified counselor in an effort to give back to youths as troubled as she once was.

The New York, I Love You star, 28, wants “to learn how she can help them get better without having to go through all the pain she did as a child.”

“Christina went through hell and back growing up. For years she struggled with her self-esteem, so she knows how hard it is for young girls,” an insider revealed in the September 8 edition of Star Magazine.