Frequently Asked Questions

eating disorder RECOVERY coach

As an Eating Disorder Recovery Coach, our focus with you is on the present and your recovery goals. You may discuss your past to give us context and help us understand patterns you wish to change; however, we do NOT diagnose, treat, or identify the pathology of your eating disorder. Only a licensed mental health practitioner (such as your therapist/psychiatrist) can treat and diagnose your eating disorder and any other psychological issues that may also be present.

As your coach, we are trained to support you in the here and now of your recovery, help you navigate through real-life situations, and assist you towards your recovery goals set by your treatment team. We will also work to reinforce behavior changes in collaboration with your treatment team.

While traditional therapy sessions typically last 50 minutes in an office setting, our support role as a Recovery Coach means our time together can be more flexible. We’re able to be available to you during daily, real-life scenarios, for various lengths of time, and outside of traditional business hours.

Individual states in the U.S. have different requirements a person must adhere to in order to hold a license as a registered dietitian. For example, in Texas, an RD must hold at least a bachelor’s degree with focused nutritional academic coursework, complete a minimum of 1200 supervision practice hours at an accredited facility, and pass a national examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration.

As a Recovery Coach, we can assist your dietician in helping you create a meal plan, grocery shop, and prepare meals. Additionally, we can eat meals alongside you to provide in-the-moment support.

An easy way to remember a coach’s scope of practice is that a coach focuses on the here and now”. For example, we can help you combat your eating disorder voice when you sit down to have your snack today. Or, we can assist you in participating in a social event without using eating disorder behaviors. We’re here to help you have a successful experience, right now.
Other various services that are within a Recovery Coach’s scope of practice include:

  • Supporting you through meals, shopping trips, and other outings
  • Help you deal with eating disorder thoughts and behaviors during challenging situations
  • Help you to strengthen your healthy self so you are better equipped to fight back against your eating disorder self
  • Suggest you obtain advice from a licensed clinician or physician if you are seeking a diagnosis or treatment for a physical or mental health issue
  • Refer you to a registered dietitian for nutrition advice or meal plans
  • Deal with your current thoughts and behaviors when it comes to recovery, rather than trying to resolve underlying issues or larger psychological problems

It depends on where you are in your recovery. If you are actively struggling in your eating disorder or experiencing other mental or physical health concerns, we may require that you meet with a therapist, registered dietitian, or physician to be cleared for us to work together with their support. If you currently do not work with any of these professionals, we will be happy to provide you with referrals to help coordinate getting you additional help.

If you are pretty far into recovery or possibly just feel that you want to overcome or challenge a few lingering beliefs that are holding you back, we can discuss this in our initial consultation and move forward from there. Our default will most likely be that you have at least a therapist or dietitian in your repertoire of healthcare professionals that we can coordinate with.

Being trained through the Carolyn Costin Institute (CCI) prepares our team to work as an adjunct to a client’s treatment team. Our goal is to implement and integrate behavior changes necessary in their daily lives to reach and sustain recovery.

Our work with clients is focused on the here and now of present thoughts and behaviors in real-life scenarios that are often difficult and challenging for someone struggling with an eating disorder to face. Performing exposure and response prevention work with clients allows you more time to work with the client on underlying, larger psychological issues or specific nutritional-related goals that are not within my scope of practice.

Where applicable, our CCI training also allows us to share and use our personal experiences with eating disorders in a safe and healthy way so that we can be a source of hope and inspiration that recovery is possible. This peer perspective allows us to understand the complexities a client faces both while suffering with and recovering from an eating disorder.

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I am not a licensed medical or mental health practitioner, nor am I a licensed or registered dietitian. I do not diagnose or treat medical or mental health conditions, and I do not prescribe specific meal plans. My services do not replace those of licensed professionals. If you need a diagnosis or treatment for any physical or mental health concern, please consult a licensed clinician, physician, or registered dietitian. The content on this website is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical, nutritional, or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

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