Cambridge Eating Disorder Center

Experiencia negativa: The PHP program in NH was no help to me, very disorganized, chaotic, they change the program every day, mixed adolescence with adults, had to demand to have my basic vitals taken which they then changed their policy about, did not meet with a counselor/ social worker regularly, they never spoke to any of my outside providers in the almost three weeks I was there and didn’t even care enough to provide a call or email back when I became sick enough to end up in the ER and then chose to drop out. Mind you I was bawling my eyes out when I left the voicemail choosing to do this. I have since been psychiatrically involuntarily hospitalized and am now going inpatient and residential to a different facility that my insurance is coordinating after they told me my insurance wasn’t approving many more days. Funny? That’s how sick i became. All cause their program didn’t/refused to help and coordinate with other providers and judge. I have heard from other professionals in the community that I am not the first client to try this program and use the words chaotic and disorganized and not be helped. I would give it zero stars if I could. Please do better as there is no other ED treatment in NH especially for those with certain insurance.

Experiencia positiva: Eating disorder treatment was honestly the hardest thing I've ever had to endure in my life, but at the same time, CEDC is also one of the best things that ever happened to me. I have a lot to say about this place — it's definitely not perfect, and I have some suggestions — but overall, I'm so so grateful for everything this place has done for me. I was in CEDC's residential facility on the adolescent floor (ages 12-18) from October 2023 to January 2024, so some of this commentary might be outdated! First of all, the place was very clean and cozy. There were cleaners daily, and the whole place was generally very homey. I also adored the community there. The RC's (residential counselors) were all so sweet. I still think about them all the time. They were typically college-aged and so fun to talk to. None of them were ever unkind to me, and I instantly became friends with most of them. The other kids who were there at the same time as me were AMAZING. We have a huge group chat now, and still FaceTime and text to this day. We are planning a fun Thanksgiving reunion, and I can't want to see them. It was such a blessing and a privilege to be able to heal with these people. However, if everyone there is isolating/struggling and not ready to heal, that can also impact your recovery. I was lucky to be there with people who were motivated and friendly, which may not always be the case. The group room was also about as great as you can ask for. It's a common area for patients to hang out all day (at least, from 7 AM to 11 PM). There was a TV, couches, a big table with chairs, cards, board games, art projects and other crafts. I spent almost all of my time in the group room with the others, just because there was always something to do. There are also lots of blankets, and it's generally a very living room-esque area that I loved hanging out with the others in. I also loved the food. There's an extensive list of snacks to choose from, and if you ever want something else, you can request it on your menu, and the dietitians will purchase it for you! I did this whenever I was craving certain snacks from home that I loved. You can even ask for milkshakes/smoothies, and once you have permission to help prep your snacks, you can add any toppings you want! My friends and I would often order milkshakes on the same days so that we could decorate them in the kitchen together. You can also help prep your own meals sometimes on the weekends, and even cook/bake with Joan! Meals were always fun (though a bit lengthy), and the group typically chats and plays games (wavelength, 20 questions, etc). If you're not in the mood for that, the RC who is sitting in to monitor will put on some music and everyone can relax and eat. There was a range in the amount of kids on the adolescent floor, and for a while there was about 4-6 of us, though later on in my stay there ended up being about 7-8. I only had a roommate toward the end of my stay - for the majority of my time there, I had my own space, which was great. Here are my suggestions. First of all, I really wanted more time with my family. You had an hour-long visit each week, you could earn an extra hour or two per week by eating, and I also had an opportunity to call home each day during tech time. This may seem like a lot, but only being able to hug my parents once or twice a week was really rough and I felt very isolated. I also think that CEDC is all about healing your relationship with food, which is great, but since they don't "force" you to eat like at other treatment centers, it can allow patients to listen to their eating disorders a bit. In the end, it benefitted me because I made the journey on my own without it being shoved down my throat, which made it more impactful, but sometimes those who are very sick just need to eat. The reliance on self-accountability can allow patients to perpetuate those behaviors if they don't want to heal yet. FINAL NOTE: don't listen to all the horrible one-star reviews!! If you have extra questions, email me at [email protected] and I'll share!

Experiencia negativa: Horrible… awful and short staff. Very small and could only go outside if eating all meals and snacks…. I remember one girl was there for FIVE months and never went outside… horrible treatment and many who went there relapsed. Disgusting

Experiencia positiva: I was at CEDC residential from November 2023-February 2024, and while I have a lot of complicated feelings about the program, I can say that I would recommend it in a lot of ways, especially for those who are spending their first time in treatment. The milieu is usually pretty small (max 12, but in my opinion when it gets over around 7 it becomes really chaotic and the facility doesn't really have the resources to cover it) so it really is community-based and depends on who is there (this is true for many other treatment centers). Some good things about CEDC are: the food is usually very good (all cooked by Joan!), many of the RCs are incredible, you get your phone all day, most of the case managers are extremely well equipped and the program director is genuinely phenomenal and cares so much about the patients and the unit (I cannot say enough positive things about her to adequately express how beneficial she was to my stay). I had a largely positive experience there and much can be attributed to the staff and program director, and the milieu I was in for most of my stay. I made many positive relationships in my time there which helped me further my recovery journey. Some uniquely challenging things about CEDC are: extremely limited weekend support, not a lot of support or understanding with interpersonal conflict, basically everything goes into contraband (but you can get approved into your team), and many of the options for psychiatrists are less than ideal. The passes are very limited and it is hard to get some meaningful time outside, especially for those on the adolescent floor. The main hardship I faced at CEDC was that some elements of the program made it extremely easy to continue using behaviors, especially if you have a restrictive eating disorder. For many patients, the expectation of completion is individualized to an almost detrimental point, at least in what I've seen, where it can allow patients to listen to their eating disorders a lot in meal times, especially as you are allowed to leave the kitchen if you feel like you cannot make any more progress. I think that while accountability is always a part of treatment or recovery, some elements of the program (like leaving the kitchen or being able to return to your room directly after the meal) require a lot more self accountability than many people suffering with EDs can handle, especially in the beginning. It is easy to fall into a competition mindset and hard to pull yourself into a recovery-oriented headspace depending on the conditions of the milieu you arrive in. My experience at CEDC was my first time in any treatment, and I would definitely not say that I regret it being my first treatment center. Although the groups get repetitive if you've been there for over a month, they are really helpful in building up a foundation of DBT and CBT especially if you have no background in it. *I would also like to note that if you are scrolling through these Google Reviews, please remember that most people write these reviews immediately upon leaving and many are biased. I have been a patient alongside many people who have left reviews, and can say from personal experience and observation that many are biased and inaccurate. Most, if not all, of the staff at CEDC genuinely cares for everyone, regardless of identity and many perspectives shared in reviews can be harmful to those looking at the program. It is hard to distinguish whether people dislike a specific treatment center or if their eating disorders are fighting back at the concept of recovery such that they blame the center. There are good parts and bad parts to everyone's treatment experience in any place, so keep that in mind as you consider which is the best fit for you or your loved ones!

Experiencia positiva: I have a lot to say about CEDC, most of which is positive, some of which is less so simply because of its nature and the fact that it is a treatment center. I spent 3 months on the adolescent floor at CEDC and was lucky enough to have a very supportive care team and community. I remember being incredibly nervous to start at CEDC, and reading these reviews honestly just made that anxiety worse- so for whoever is reading this, whether it’s for yourself or someone you love, please take a deep breath because I promise that it’s going to be okay. On a positive note, the meals work really well and there are lots of options to meet dietary needs, and the diet techs are some of the loveliest people that you will ever meet. The facilities are clean and the bathroom system works very well and offers as much privacy as can be hoped for. The Resident Counselors are extremely kind and go above and beyond in the ways that they care for and interact with patients. There is also an hour of guaranteed tech time for the adolescent floor (which might not seem like a lot, but is much more than other programs allow) The tutor is also such a genuinely kind soul and made the stress of doing schoolwork from afar so much lesser <3 There is also a weekly cooking and baking group and individualized exposure therapies which can be really helpful. On the more intricate side of things, The way that the program is run allows for patients to go back to their rooms during free times which resulted in some pretty invasive behaviors being used in many of the rooms post meals. There is also not a lot of access to the outside and so it’s pretty common to go weeks without getting to go outside. The RCs are a lot younger than I anticipated (which says nothing about their abilities) but they did not always have knowledge specific to the treatment of eating disorders. Family therapy is not a large part of the treatment plan either, though there are family update sessions that happen weekly. About the program itself- There are 3-4 groups per day and 3 meals and 3 snacks daily. On the weekends therapeutic groups don’t happen, but there are a few things to keep busy and the RCs try really hard to make it fun. Patients get 2 passes per week which are each 2 hours that can be used to see family, and you can receive letters and packages. Also note that they check any diaries that you bring and that lots of clothes that don't cover your arms or your legs will be confiscated. All in all the program is a really receptive and supportive one and it saved my life in so many ways. I can’t say that treatment was easy, but it never is, and I am beyond grateful for all the people on my team and in my community who made my experience what it was.

Experiencia negativa: I was only here a week and experienced nothing but harassment and bullying since I arrived. I came here 5 years ago and had only left due to my own lack of compliance. I remembered it as a positive and loving environment but now it is everything but that. The staff is literally all in their 20’s and are glorified babysitters. They enable behaviors and disorders to the point of triggering other patients. They have been disrespectful and rude to me since I arrived only a week ago. A patient became obsessed with bullying me past the community and somehow found my personal social media accounts, and was not apparently breaking HIPPA by doing so. I verbalized constantly that I was feeling harassed by this patient and they continued to do nothing about it and blamed it on me. It’s much easier to call the POC “aggressive” than admit your whole staff and patients are racist. If you’re a POC this environment is not safe for you, I haven’t been eating because of the constant stress. They have made me thinner than when I arrived. They should be shut down immediately, and should be ashamed of themselves. They also denied my roommate who is in dire need of a higher level of care, any help. They’re evil. No one can get better in a toxic environment.

Experiencia negativa: medical maltreatment and no nurses on staff on childrens floor

Experiencia negativa: i wish i could give this place a zero.

Experiencia negativa: I went to the CEDC hoping for healing and help. My 2nd day at the CEDC I was sent to the ER for a migraine. I was told an RC would accompany me. She ended up having to leave and I was treated for my migraine. Afterwards I called the center to have an RC accompany me back to the center. The ER doctor, nurse and myself tried contacting the center for that ride. No one had picked up. I ended up hitchhiking to get back to the center. I was then made to feel as though the incident was my fault.

Experiencia fantástica: CEDC (Cambridge Eating Disorder Center) TOP OF the line in Customer Service. Seda THANK YOU, for being there, to make sure my daughter can be admitted. Even being a crazy mom. It's to me the top of the line program. It's 20 thumbs up if I had any. They're detailed about the Program. Explaining everything and every detail about the program, like the coping skills. They are Great, and make you feel really welcome. They don't twist your words. If they misunderstood, what you said, they ask again. After a while my daughter hated me, after she started loving the program. Excellent Anna & Folly. Even not there, they still answer any questions. They made you feel a part of the program, not an idiot (like Hasbro make a you feel like = an idiot)

Experiencia positiva: rita if u see this i miss you and i love you youre amazing

Experiencia negativa: There is nothing more upsetting than to find out those you have entrusted to care and treat your child are unskilled and and inexperienced. They continue to state they are capable of treating patients with ARFID, but the reality is, the center uses the same treatment as they do for other eating disorders. While there may be a small number of overlapping similarities, ARFID is drastically different than anorexia and bulimia. Treating the residents as if they all are anorexic and bulimic was traumatizing for my daughter who had idea way she wasn’t allowed to go the bathroom with the door closed. The residents are not allowed outside for the first two weeks, not because they need to be "medically cleared". To clarify, the resident needed to be medically cleared upon being admitted. Not one staff member could define “medically cleared”. My daughter informed me after she left that new residents are not allowed outside because they are known flight risks. I could list 100 reasons why this place should not exist. I can only recommend you do your due diligence. Do not trust what is said to you before being admitted. Ask as many questions as you can to determine the reality once you are there. It is also worth noting they charged my insurance company for services that were not provided, on dates my child was not even there. My insurance company will hopefully be investigating them from fraud. I reached out to MA Department of Health and Services, the company responsible for their accreditation, the Attorney General’s Office, and MA Department of Mental Health. Hopefully others will come forward and report them.

Experiencia negativa: Absolute garbage. If I could, I would give CEDC zero stars. They lack communication skills that people suffering with ED's need very much. At the end of March 2022, I was given my evaluation and after that was told it would be a two to three weeks wait before I would be able to go down. I waited every day getting anxious about when the one week warning call would come...it never did. I eventually called back and was then told it would be another two to three weeks wait. I waited and waited every new day, I was growing more and more anxious to go down. I needed to get better, I just couldn't do it on my own and I need residential help. After three weeks they never called. So I eventually called them again. I spoke with the director, who might I say is a very inconsiderate human being, who has no empathy towards the patients she is supposed to help, and is very poor at what she does. She then proceeded to tell me it was going to be a longer wait. I had already waited for over a month. At this point I was sick of everything CEDC had put me through, with all their terrible misleading information and letting me get my hopes up every new day. I eventually was told that I could be on more than one waiting list. So I found two new programs that I proceeded to join the waitlist for. Overall, I recommend looking at any other place besides CEDC, and joining more than one wait list. Keep your options open. Don't let CEDC give you misleading information that can get your hopes up and make you mentally exhausted.

Experiencia fantástica: i miss it tbh

Experiencia positiva: I was a patient in early 2022 so this review applies to this time period. The treatment was okay. Communicating with staff can be very frustrating. At the moment, I’d suggest getting residential treatment somewhere else. A ton of staff are leaving right now and they are discharging patients way too fast. Discharging patients so fast is what’s making the place a revolving door. If you want a lower risk of relapse, find somewhere else for now. Overall, the group therapy and food was pretty good. They have vegetarian options, but not vegan ones. If you’re a minor, you only get your phone 30-60 minutes a day so be prepared. I mostly read lots of books, made bracelets, knit, talked to people, collaged, etc. and you don’t even miss your phone that much. I cant speak for the patients now but every single girl I met there was absolutely lovely and there’s usually minimal drama. Girls here usually are kind with good intentions and want out. Staff made meals easier with games and music which is definitely a plus. I don’t feel as if I was prepared enough for the real world outside of the bubble that is CEDC treatment. Overall, a pretty good place to go if you need residential treatment, but at the moment the place is kind of a mess.

Experiencia negativa: I’ve been here over 5 times. I always ran into someone else I’d been in with previously. It’s a revolving door. I’ve heard staff say horrible things. Staff have no clue. It’s their first job out of college and are rude and ignorant. DONT GO.

Experiencia negativa: After having given them all my info, I called, I think 3 times, to leave a message that I needed help and that if they didn't call me back I would go somewhere else. No one ever called me back. So just like don't go here? Because if someone is literally not going to pay attention to your needs when you're in such a vulnerable situation, then they don't deserve your time or money.

Experiencia negativa: To keep this short and sweet, this place has horrible communication. I was left waiting for a call about admission that never came. More details below. I called CEDC and spoke with them about becoming a patient. They scheduled me with an evaluation. The intake coordinator Kristen didn’t send me my intake email like she said she would. I requested it again at the end of my evaluation about a week later. It did come but it was missing information and forms that were listed in the instructions. Like a form I was to give to my doctor. After my intake evaluation I called the intake coordinator 2x for information on what was next. I was not called back. I found another employees number in the paperwork, the sent me so I called them and they didn’t have much information. I was told they had a program for me and I was on a waitlist but they didn’t know how long it would be. After 7 weeks I emailed the intake email for an update on the waitlist. Its now going on 11 weeks since my eval and I never got a response. I’m uneasy knowing I gave this place personal information like my medications list, contact info, probably my ssn , and copy of my insurance card. I probably won’t hear anything from them, but before writing this review I figured I’d give them a chance to reply. I highly doubt in 11 weeks my spot on the waitlist hasn’t come. If by chance I am still on a waitlist, they should still update potential patients. There is no excuse to ignore calls and emails. Seeking help with an ED is a scary time for a lot of people and this kind of response can be very discouraging. This whole experience was unacceptable. I ended up going to another facility and the staff there has been very helpful and friendly.

Experiencia fantástica: I had a great time here many years ago. I actually went back twice and always wish I could revisit. Although I have recovered since then, I was here maybe in 2013-2014. We were able to assist in the kitchen. We had a very strict routine but it felt nice because once you were done, they left ya alone for the day to read or write or draw etc and sometimes we were able to go on outings! The staff was great too. Honestly, people with eating disorders learn to be very sneaky so the strictness of this place was definitely necessary even if I didn’t think so at the time.

Experiencia fantástica: I would like to take the time to introduce myself. My name is Teresa and my daughter Carmella is diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. When I realized what was happening with my daughter I brought her right away to her pediatrician who in turn told us about Sol Stone in Elmira. Very shortly after her visit to Sol Stone she went to Cambridge Eating Disorder Center known as CEDC. The reason I mention both places is because they collaborated and made it a smooth transition for Carmella to get the level of care that she needed. CEDC responded promptly and they were on top of everything. They welcomed us with open arms and made you feel loved before you even arrived. I can not say enough about the Cambridge Eating Disorder Center. My words will not give it justice. I am truly grateful for the level of care and support provided by the staff at CEDC. Carmella was assigned a staff of professionals that assessed her needs and treated her with the specific care that she needed. It was tailored specifically for her. They provided the love, care and support that was necessary to set Carmella up for success. They were all wonderful. They kept you in the loop and abreast of everything that was going on. There was definitely a home /CEDC connection throughout the process. Having a daughter that went through CEDC I want you to know that my daughter felt safe the whole time that she was there. She felt loved and supported. As parents, safety is one thing that weighs heavy on our hearts. Carmella herself told me she felt safe there and when she left she missed the staff and the friends that she bonded with while navigating through the eating disorder. She is home now and is starting outpatient therapy. She is still navigating through this disorder but with coping skills and strategies in place to help her with the next step. I truly believe that inpatient care at CEDC saved my daughters life. I also strongly feel that the inpatient care is a necessary step prior to starting with outpatient care. I think they are both necessary and important. They both play an important role. I just know Carmella needed CEDC first and I can’t thank them enough. Carmella spoke very highly of the staff on her team. I would like to share that her case manager McKenzie Sheridan was like a safe haven for Carmella. Carmella told me that while I was not able to be with her she identified with McKenzie as someone she trusted, respected and admired. She felt that Mckenzie truly cared. She probably felt that way because McKenzie went above and beyond. I wanted to highlight McKenzie because she made me feel that way as well during our family meetings. Having said that, let me assure you that the rest of the staff was phenomenal as well. Another very positive aspect of CEDC is that they teach the person receiving the care strategies and skills to set them up for success inside and outside CEDC. The staff also worked closely with me giving me books and articles to educate myself with eating disorders. I have seen my daughter use the strategies and skills that were taught to her during her stay. She was able to apply them to life at home. Again, I am grateful for all the staff at CEDC. The work they do, the level of support they provide and the love they show is appreciated. CEDC saves lives. Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts about CEDC. They will not steer you wrong. With Love, Teresa

Experiencia fantástica: I give CEDC a five star rating. But don't make the mistake of thinking that you will be happy when a family member goes there. When your child goes through the treatment process, as a parent you will be alone, confused, helpless, frustrated and unhappy. However, what you need to know is that these difficulties are part of recovery. One of the best days in your son's or daugter's life may be the day you enroll him or her in the residential treatment program at CEDC.

Experiencia fantástica: A great program with a great staff for the most part. They really care about you and your recovery and work with you individualy to make sure your treatment is tailored to you. And they have never given up on me, which means a lot. Also my treatment team was very dedicated to my recovery! You can tell they truly care! The owner is very knowledgeable and really cares about each patient. She has done a lot to help me. Although I still struggle I can’t thank cedc enough for there compassion and dedication to care! I wouldn’t be here today with out them!

Experiencia fantástica: I lucked out at CEDC and got an amazing team in the Fall of 2020, who stuck by my side through everything and checked in on me every single day I was there. I truly felt cared for and supported in my recovery process. I have been to CEDC 2 times. Both times I benefitted from the aid of amazing staff, valuable group therapy. and manageable yet challenging meal plans that really helped me start to combat my ED. Not a lot of patients understand that treatment is a lifelong commitment that can only be enacted by oneself. Of course a good team and useful staff can support the process, but treatment is not meant to be easy and the only way to truly combat your ED is rely on yourself to challenge thoughts and behaviors everyday. It is in the moments where recovery and breaking barriers seem impossible that breakthroughs are made. Commit yourself to recovery and rely on yourself to use the resources available to your benefit.

Experiencia negativa: I would leave 0 starts if at all possible. I was here sometime ago and it was the most awful treatment center I have ever been to. They had staff had ED's and would make comments during meals. I watched a girl have a seizure right in front of me and all the did was take her bp... no medical care was given. Groups were of no use and were very out dated in content. I was made to make a meal that almost killed me...it was shrimp and I couldn't breathe as I'm severely allergic. Overall, I would give this place 0 stars if possible. I signed myself out after 16 days living in hell.

Experiencia negativa: I was there back in 2016. I have had my fair share of treatments and this was one of the worst. I was never told why they were doing certain things, nor was I explained that they were there to help me and wanted to see me get better. I felt like I was there to hep pay the bills with my insurance money and I would have received treatment elsewhere. My doctor didn't trust me or my actions, the therapist didn't seem to care nor help with some things I was battling mentally. Overall, I would never suggest someone to receive treatment here. I left back in 2016 and have yet to get my discharge papers. I have called, email, written letters and even shown up asking for them. They used the excuse that they were relocating paperwork and would contact me once things were more organized. I had asked for them a week after I left. Seems a bit fishy. Not once did I feel safe, comfortable or even slightly normal at this place. Please, Please find anoher place to get the help you need.

Experiencia fantástica: I absolutely loved residential. My team here was amazing and I've never seen more progress with recovery than staying here. For the first time I trusted my nutrionist and was very honest with my doctor and case manager. They only wanted what was best for me and I have confidence for the first time that I'm going to be able to follow my meal plan and keep moving forward in recovery. The RCs were also very helpful. This was just an overall amazing experience. I've never been so thankful.

Experiencia negativa: Disgraceful - I reached out to them for an urgent matter. After the receptionist answered the phone, the only means of enquiry was by leaving a voicemail for the intake director. Never bothered calling back. WAY TO GO, how many other critical calls have not bothered dealing with

Experiencia negativa: I was a patient their for 2 months (residential and partcial together) let me just start off every day I cried there. The staff was so rude and the patients gossiped about me non stop and I didn nothing to them, the staff didn't even try to stop this. A staff member was talking about us on Twitter about how we cut our selves, starve, and all the problems we have. When I was in partcial they kicked me out to the curb because they were done with me, I can assure you I did nothing wrong. Also if you are under 18 years, they won't let you call your parents even if you don't have a phone to use during tech time (designated time to use electronics for two hours on week days.) I can promise you this I have never met one person who was here and liked it. This place deserves no stars.