A Typical Day in Life at Center for Hope of the Sierras

Individual Sessions may include individual or family session with primary therapist, individual session with nutrition therapist, individual sessions with psychiatrist, or medical doctor.

Individuals requiring laboratory work will be taken for blood draws during this time.

May include, but are not limited to: Treatment Team approved Movies, Pioneer Theater Presentations, University of Nevada sponsored events, or activities such as bowling, clay canvas, candle making, or "Build-A-Bear".

Before each meal, patients spend a few minutes focusing on their body's signals and re-establishing hunger cues that previously had been ignored. As a group, the residents discuss their goals and expectations for the meal and rate their hunger on a scale from 1 to 10. After each meal, patients again assess their feelings and satiety level with support, feedback and encouragement from staff and peers.

This group is a "check-in" with patients about how they feel about living in a residential setting with other women and how they're coping with therapy and other components of our eating disorder program.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy uses four skill sets - interpersonal effectiveness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance and mindfulness – to improve patients' coping skills and the way they respond to difficult situations and emotions.

During this group therapy session, patients explore the interaction between mind and body and discuss ways to help the mind and body work together rather than against each other.

Our nutrition therapist introduces patients to the concept of intuitive eating, helping women listen to their hunger cues and natural cravings, learn appropriate portion sizes, and get comfortable eating meals that are common in everyday life.

Patients in our partial hospitalization program discuss any struggles they're facing with their growing independence, set goals and share their successes with the group.

Patients learn about poetry-writing and how to use poetry as a positive outlet for self-expression.

Women discuss issues surrounding how they view their bodies and learn skills to alter distorted thoughts and behavior patterns. This group generally meets after the restaurant outing, when women tend to struggle most with feelings of guilt and concerns about weight gain.

Once a week, our chef teaches patients basic cooking skills and guides them through the process of preparing a meal.

Patients order lunch at a restaurant to help them get comfortable eating new foods in a less controlled environment.

Every weekend, the entire community participates in a treatment-team approved activity, such as movies, plays, candle making, bowling and trips to Build-a-Bear.

This meeting is a forum for patients to talk about any issues they're having with the staff, facility or their peers. It is also a time for patients to share their preferences for weekend plans and activities.

Once a week, the therapists give each resident a new list of goals for the week. Then patients pick one goal and share it with the rest of the community.

The entire treatment team meets every morning to discuss each patient and then meets weekly with each patient to discuss their progress and their perspectives on treatment.