"My daughter got to meet with her recovery coach, Sarah Lee, only a handful of times before needing to be hospitalized for anorexia. Prior to the hospitalization, Sarah worked closely with my daughter's PCP and therapist, and upon my daughter's admittance to the hospital, Sarah was an invaluable resource for the team, sharing her insights and information. For me personally, Sarah was instrumental in helping me come to terms with the urgency of my daughter's state, which I am certain saved her life. As openings in programs were scarce and our insurance was not accepted widely, Sarah put in many hours reaching out to and connecting me with professionals at eating disorder treatment facilities until we found one that could take my daughter. She also stayed in touch with me regularly, checking up on my daughter's progress and offering understanding and encouragement to me, and guidance when I asked for it. The care, wisdom, and compassion she offered was, to use a food term, nourishing. Upon my daughter's completion of the hospitalization component, Sarah was right there, ready with a plan of action, which began with meal support during the critical time when my daughter was having her first meals at home during partials. In those early days, relapse seemed to always be a refused meal or a secret purge away, but Sarah helped my daughter push through by focusing on the basics: real relationship, goal setting, accountability, a lot of recognizing and encouraging of the healthy self, checking in often, and offering light, fun conversation while eating together. An essential component of this was always sharing observations with me so that we could work as a team. Sarah even comes to family meals a couple of times a month and sits around the table with us, while supporting my daughter. When my daughter started a new school, Sarah offered support via texts during her lunches, set up goals, and had my daughter send her pictures of her meals. Because Sarah is recovered herself, she understands the disordered thinking acutely and, in a masterly way that is both gentle and firm, gets right to the heart of the matter. I am absolutely certain that my daughter would not be where she is today without coaching. The meal support, goal setting, accountability, and communication have all been crucial to get her over the inevitable humps and back on the road to whole health quickly."
