How to Find the Right Treatment Center

The treatment center industry is fiercely competitive. In some areas, it is possible to have 3 or 4 competing eating disorder centers within driving distance, all claiming to offer the same services, and all of them promising the best possible treatment.

We've compiled a set of questions for you and provided our answers to these questions to save you time in your research. This page is separate from the FAQs page because these questions are not asked frequently enough. It is our sincere hope that regardless of which treatment center you choose for your path to recovery, you will ask these questions prior to finalizing your decision.

"How long have you been treating eating disorders?"

Rebecca's House has been treating and specializing in eating disorders since 1999.

"Do you have availability immediately/will I be put on a waiting list?"

Ideally, this will be one of the first questions you will ask. At some eating disorders centers, you will be put through a one hour assessment before being told that you will have to wait for a month for treatment because they are fully booked. If you call Rebecca's House, we will tell you within the first few minutes whether we can take you in.

"Are bathrooms monitored? How about the food?"

We do not lock our clients out of the bathrooms to keep from purging, nor do we lock the fridge or force our clients to eat a certain amount of food. True, clients will not binge and purge or starve themselves in closely monitored environments, but as soon as they leave the facility, they go right back to their old habits. That is what many eating disorder centers do not realize.

At Rebecca's House, we help clients internalize healthy eating habits and help them recognize what is causing their eating disorder. Clients are much more stable coming out of treatment this way, and they are far, far less likely to relapse.

"Is there a transitional living component to the program?"

Yes, there is. For more information, please view the house page.

"Does the staff have personal experience with eating disorders?"

Most of us have had an eating disorder in the past, and this does make a difference in treatment. Because we have been there ourselves, we know how to best interact with our clients, and we are able to adjust our treatment methods to work with each client individually.

"Do you take insurance?"

Rebecca's House accepts most forms of insurance. We will verify your insurance and negotiate with your insurance provider to get you the best possible coverage.

"What kind of schedule do you have?"

Our schedules are tailored to each client's lifestyles and needs. For a sample schedule, please click schedule pdf. Please keep in mind that each client's schedule will look different, and yours may be significantly different from the sample.

"Do you have equine therapy?"

Yes, we do. Equine therapy has been shown in several studies to be very effective when combined with other modes of eating disorders treatment. Our clients feel very relaxed and truly enjoy bonding and sharing time with the horses of Rebecca's House. Art therapy and music therapy are also available to our clients.

"Is massage/body image work available?"

Yes, both are available at Rebecca's House.

"Are the therapists licensed?"

Yes, all of our therapists are licensed. We have some interns training at Rebecca's House, but they are all supervised to ensure that clients are still receiving the best care we can provide. If an intern is treating you, you will be informed beforehand.

"Do you provide partial scholarships or sliding scale fees?"

Yes and yes. Scholarships are funded by donations made to Rebecca's Eating Disorder Foundation. We will discuss your financial situation to determine whether we can provide you with our services at a sliding scale as well.

"What's the minimum/maximum BMI you take?"

As a rule of thumb, we take clients with a BMI of between16 and 40, but this rule is not set in stone. Everyone has a unique body type, so we review each client individually. In severe cases, we recommend hospitalization before going into eating disorders treatment.

"Does the residence have 24 hour supervision?"

Yes, it does. We hire only dedicated and friendly house managers to look after the residences 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

"Do you have an aftercare follow-up program?"

Yes, we do. We will do our best to help you transition back to the "real world" after you have completed treatment at Rebecca's House.

"What happens if I have a 'slip' while I'm in treatment?"

We have found that some treatment centers, especially those specializing in alcohol and drug treatment that claim to have competitive eating disorders programs, are extremely unforgiving when it comes to eating disorders clients "slipping"—for example, purging after eating a meal—during treatment. If a client slips, these treatment centers will often make the client leave.

What these so-called eating disorder centers do not understand is that slips in treatment are not caused by a lack of willpower. They are very common, and in fact, are part of the recovery process. You may feel like you are taking a few steps back when you slip, but as long as you are doing your best in treatment, you are making progress. Remember: eating disorders recovery is never a straight line.