Alumni Testimonials

Letters

Would I recommend CHS? Absolutely, if you are ready to change your life! If you are tired of fighting your eating disorder and really want to be in a loving, caring facility, then this is the place for you. Wendy is amazing and the therapists really know what they are doing. One of the best features is that they individualize every person's program to meet her needs. Lorraine is also amazing. She is much more than your nutritionist, she is your friend. Each RA has your best interest at heart, and they are there for you.

I know everyone thinking about going into treatment is worried about the money, but you can't put a price on your life. You will get your life back if you go to CHS and work hard on your recovery. Recovery is not easy, but nothing in life worth having is handed to you. It takes hard work and dedication, and the outcome is having your true, authentic self back. ED tells us so many lies; most of us don't even know who we are or what we like anymore. CHS is a place for discovery. To discover yourself, your dreams and to discover that food is not the enemy.

That leads me to Anishah. She is more than just the cook; she is the heart of CHS. She bends over backwards to make sure you have positive eating experiences. She is one of a kind. I would have never made it through the program without her support, love and understanding.

I have my true self back thanks to the wonderful team at CHS and a lot of hard work (that I continue to do after leaving). To actually enjoy life again and appreciate all of the blessings I have in life, is priceless. I will miss everyone from the center, but I know I always have a family to lean on if I start slipping. Before you leave, they make sure you have aftercare lined up and you are receiving the support you need to continue your recovery. If you are ready to take the steps toward recovery, I would highly recommend you call CHS and learn more. Changing your life is up to you, but it is much easier with the love and support offered at CHS. Asking for help and accepting it shows just how strong you are. Don't live another day listening to ED's lies, take an active role in discovering who you really are.

—S.C. Nevada

"What can I say? I have never met a more amazing, determined, empathetic, wise, compassionate, hard-working, sincere, and authentic group of people than the staff at Center for Hope- from the house cleaner, to the nurses and RA's, to Dr. Oliver herself. I am walking out the door of the Center for Hope today ready to take on the world, emotionally and physically. I went from not being able to fathom self-acceptance and love the day I got here, to being gentle with myself, nurturing myself, and loving every part of me!"

—L.M., Oklahoma

"I chose the Center for Hope because I knew that my eating disorder was greatly propelled by a lack of spiritual direction. I thought that a holistic approach was what I needed to get a grasp on my life that had spiraled out of control. With help from the Center, I have had a stronger and solidified relationship with my spiritual needs.

Admittedly, when I started the program, I was riding the fence regarding recovery. I could not imagine life without an eating disorder. I was not even convinced that it was a life that I wanted. The staff and residents at CHS were very patient and supportive as I tested the waters of recovery. As I began to see the toll that an eating disorder has taken on my body and soul, I utilized the many resources of recovery that the Center has to offer. In many ways, CHS helped me save my own life.

Now that I have finished the CHS program, I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to have evolved and rediscovered myself in such a nurturing, safe environment. The experience and close relationships that I made will undoubtedly carry throughout the rest of my life."

—N.L., USA

"The 79 days spent at CHS were truly the best spent days of my life. The center has helped me to see that I no longer have to live in fear - I no longer have to be reduced or imprisoned by my body. There was times, of course, when recovery felt uneasy, but each time I trusted that progress in disguise. I came to CHS feeling that I was at the end - the end of what I was not quite sure. I never could have imagined what was to come. With the care and nurturance of the center I was slowly able to let the positive, the truth, speak above all else. Feeling so protected there, I emerged and began to fight for my life back. My experience at CHS was truly a journey of self construction. I came in a dampened, hopeless spirit but leave completely refreshed and renewed. I will cherish my memories at CHS for the rest of my life, as it is there where my smile became genuine, my laughter full and my spirit awake. I am eternally and inexpressively grateful to each and everyone at the Center for Hope."

—K.K, Texas

"The Center for the Hope of the Sierras was a great place. I was treated with great care and respect from the very first day. Dr. Oliver and the other therapists were very supportive and helped me to work through my eating disorder. They have given me tools to return to a healthy lifestyle. The Center offers a very cozy and nurturing environment. I would highly recommend it."

—M.C., Utah

"The Center for the Hope of the Sierras has such a warm, nurturing environment that made me very comfortable. The staff were so helpful and positive and supportive. I loved the alternative therapies and the weekly restaurant outings and game nights! I feel I was given the right tools to overcome my eating disorder."

—K.P., Hawaii

"Dr. Oliver is amazing! She helped me to identify and deal with so many of the issues surrounding my eating disorder. The Center is a very warm, welcoming place with lots of support and love from the other clients and the staff. The very individualized attention was great! I was able to return home and move forward with my life."

—I.S., Utah

"I have done extensive research of all residential ED treatment centers before my daughter and I decided on Center for Hope of the Sierras. It turns out that the Center was more than we had hoped for. My daughter immediately fell in love with the beautiful Victorian house which is situated in a calm and quiet neighborhood with the awesome Sierra Mountain as the backdrop. The small group of 6 clients made it easier to form bonds and friendships. The staff members were very loving and supportive; some of them had recovered from eating disorders, hence can relate and emphasize the struggles of the clients and offered practical help. The Center director Dr. Oliver is an outstanding psychiatrist with a big heart. You can't miss her presence because she is vigorous and joyful. Her love and passion for her work, clients and life are great inspiration to my daughter. The Center provides a home like setting which enables the clients to transition to their own homes with ease when they exit the program. The treatment my daughter received at the Center empowered her to battle with bulimia and the skills she learned there laid down a solid foundation for her recovery. I can't praise enough of the Center and its staff!"

—J.J., CA

"A year ago today I started living life! I have never really been apart of life since I was the age of 13. I had checked out of life and into the world of a eating disorder (anorexia).

Frankly, I didn't think it was possible to have a normal life. I had been in treatment many times. Only to return to life as I knew it. I am 44 years old and I truly had not experienced life without my Best Friend, my eating disorder Ed for short. I hit rock bottom I thought I had used up all of my chances. My current Doctor and therapist had pulled the rug out from under me. They would no longer be treating me because I was choosing not to get better. Looking around on the Internet during those weeks I kept coming back to the same treatment center. That would be THE CENTER FOR HOPE OF THE SIERRAS...The rest of the work or chances were up to me. The moment I walked through the door I felt safe. The staff was amazing not at all like many of the places I had been before. I wasn't just a number but a person that needed help. It's not a magical miracle place. I chose to get better and worked the hardest I ever have in my life. CHS provided me with every possible tool to recover. Groups, music, outings, learning to take care of myself, a team that only wanted to help me, and nourish me with skills to overcome the many roadblocks ahead. I could go on and on. But I won't. I Will tell you about my life without ED. I am extremely close with my four children. I have picked up my head and joined the real world. The past year has been truly amazing I have friends, a job I love, I have been to Costa Rica, Cabo San Lucas, kayaking, whitewater rafting, skiing and much more. I know without CHS this would not be possible. I know who I am now. Guess what, I approve. Hard work and treatment gave me a life I wouldn't change for anything! Thank You to all involved at CHS!"

—P.C., California

"The Center for Hope is the most caring and compassionate environment to recover from an eating disorder. Dr. Oliver is genuinely compassionate, kind and dedicated. She along with two wonderful nutritionists, will help you face the issues surrounding your eating disorder. It was a complete success for me. I was anorexic and was able to get to a healthy weight for the first time in 24 years. It has been 8 months since I left and I have been able to maintain my goal weight by using the skills I learned at The Center. It was a positive experience that I will always be grateful for."

—P.S., USA

"When our daughter entered the Center for Hope, she was severely underweight and in the grip of a powerful addiction to excessive exercise, running 20 miles a day. At the Center, she met a team of incredibly talented, experienced professionals who worked with her step by step as she slowly regained her health. The loving care that she received from the staff and her fellow patients enabled her to feel safe, to rest, and to begin to truly recover. For the first time, she was surrounded by caregivers and peers who truly understood her illness--because Dr. Oliver and her staff are so experienced, they were able to skillfully help her through each hurdle that she faced along the way. Assisted by everyone on the staff, she gradually came to face the underlying issues that fueled her eating disorder. She learned effective ways to overcome her fears and how to take the steps to conquer her eating disorder. The Center gave us back our daughter. We are truly grateful."

—S.F., TX

My daughter suffered from anorexia for many years. She was in and out of hospitals and residential facilities many times; nothing seemed to work for her. Then one day she found The Center for Hope of the Sierras web site. She knew that this would be her last hope in beating her eating disorder. From the moment she spoke to Dr. Wendy Oliver-Pyatt she knew that this was the place for her. I was a bit skeptical at first, because it was so far away from home, I didn't know who these people were, and I worried about how she would handle not being near her family. Boy was I wrong. CHS is a family, and a home away from home. My daughter was nurtured, loved, and very well cared for. They not only helped her with her anorexia, they helped her to become an independent young woman. I will be forever thankful to the staff at CHS.

—K.H - NY

When I arrived at The Center For Hope the light at the end of the tunnel was very dim. Now, over four months later, I am practically blinded by the light. I never thought I could get to the place I'm at right now. I have a lot of ups and downs of course, but I know how worth it life is now and that's what keeps me going. Now that I've had a taste of what it's like without an eating disorder I don't ever want to go back to that way of living. Every member of the staff at CHS cares for and is there for each and every resident. I never felt alone. Sometimes I felt like the staff was even more committed to my recovery than I was, and they never gave up on me. I will never forget my "family" at The Center For Hope and how they changed my life. I'm inspired by Dr. Oliver's passion and ability to help save so many women from the depths of despair, and I hope that someday I'll be able to give to others in the way that she has. This world would be so much better if there were more people in it like the ones at CHS.

—A.H. - NY

"The Center for Hope is just that - a place where hope can be restored when all seems hopeless. A year ago my daughter couldn't face her senior year of high school, her friends or her life. Bulimia had taken it all away and replaced her contagious smile and strong spirit with depression and self hate. She entered the Center at the end of her will to go on. She departed with a fragile but committed determination to get her life back.

The Center is a warm, nurturing environment for a cold, lonely journey back to life without an eating disorder. Dr. Oliver and her Center saved my daughter's life, and gave her hope that the future is worth living to see."

—T.P., Cincinnati, OH

"Little did I know that when I arrived at the Center for Hope, that I would experience many "firsts" that would impact my remaining life, during my summer here in the Big Yellow House. And, it is these "first time" experiences that I want to reflect on.

When I initially boarded off the plane, I experienced emotional intensity in a way I've never experienced before. I literally became weak, began shaking and was forced to sit down (before meeting Carol in baggage claim). I did something I've worked very hard against doing in my adult years, I reached out to another and shared an emotional need. I called my therapist, Gwen, back home, crying while trying to convince her of the mistake I had made in coming to Reno. This would be my first emotional display of tears with any therapist and would follow me daily during my remaining time here.

Upon arriving at the Center, in the whirlwind of activity, I was immediately welcomed and cared for. I observed the staff being very sensitive to my emotional state and vulnerability and recall, Dr. Wendy, lowering herself down to the floor, reaching out and gently laying her hand on my knee, while attempting to have eye contact with me. Her presence and tone of voice reflected concern, invitation and acceptance. This would be my first experience of true genuine unconditional acceptance that would cloak me for the remainder of my stay, another seven weeks. The staff, therapists and receiving community residents, example of continual love and acceptance, began to slowly break down my fears of judgment and build up my trust of another human being. Week after week during my individual treatment team meetings when I would bring material I hadn't shared with another person (before arriving here), I would be received and reassured of my acceptance in WHO I am. Eyes and body language communicated grace, love and presence, to an A.V. I was beginning to have a relationship with.

As my trust for the staff and treatment team began to increase, I was able to surrender my well-being to their care. Day after day, session after session, I found myself experiencing a new emotion within, another "first", a sense of being safe. No matter what I revealed, what my behavior reflected, or how my emotions changed, again and again, I was met with "A.V., you are GOOD as you are... You are safe as you are... You are worth living for..." and would often end up in another's arms. The lifelong sense of fear, need to protect and control, and continued feeling of "I am unsafe as I am" began to dissipate as I felt myself open more and more to the staff. This new sense of safety replaced my old fear of punishment and discipline that has companioned me ever since my childhood.

As I felt myself become more vulnerable and the truth began surfacing within my mind and body, I felt myself experiencing for the first time, authentic care, empathy, and concern. My autobiography, graphic distorted images, and intense sessions were met with, "How sacred, how strong and acceptable you are..." and again and again, "You are NOT the story or these images". I was being washed over and over with the Truth to all my childhood beliefs and was experiencing for the first time in my life, grace, another's desire to defend and protect me, and freedom within my spirit. And as a result of this "washing" I began connecting to an A.V. I have never been able to ever connect with, the Little A.V.

Finally, as I began feeling safe with myself for the first time in all my years, seeing myself not with my childhood conditioned eyes or the eyes of my mother, but rather with the eyes of this community, I began experiencing a new feeling: a sense of connectedness and belonging; a sense of family. My ability to be emotionally honest with the team, residents and myself, began growing and I began to see "outside" of The Story, I had so identified myself with, and mourn, grieve, the loss of so many years.

Although I am leaving in a similar emotional state to my arrival, my hesitancy for this next phase of my journey is rooted in a sense of loss for the relationships I have formed while here at the Center for Hope. I feel I have been rebirthed, carried, held, and loved as my vulnerable self for the first time in my life journey. I came with many distorted beliefs, many graphic images and flashbacks, but now feel they have been touched, cleansed and replaced with colors of gold and arms of love. And, it is these "first" experiences of grace, acceptance, safety, protection, nurturance, empathy, connectedness, and truth that my Little A.V. was and is able to connect with the Mother in all women, but especially the staff here at The Center for Hope.

I have heard several women upon leaving voice their fears and insecurities with one last, "this is my last moment in the Big Yellow House" as they would pull away glancing back... I too share their concerns, their perceived losses...yet know that deep in my heart, within my Little A.V., I carry the Big Yellow House and within it's reflections, the faces of each of you."

—I love you all, A.V.

Wendy, you read me a quote the other day and it meant so much to me. I have read it every day since then; I think I almost have it memorized. I wanted to share the quote with everyone else before I leave, so here it is:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond all measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fears, our presence automatically liberates others."

Even though I've only been at the center for five weeks, this has truly been the experience of a lifetime for me. At first, I wanted to skip this party because I was nervous about speaking in front of everyone and it can be hard to say goodbye. However, one thing that I've learned here it is that I can't keep running away or avoiding situations that might scare me a little bit at first. I also could have run away from coming here in the first place, but I didn't and that turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made. And more importantly, it is so worth it for me to tell you all, in person, how much you mean to me and how grateful I am to have you as a part of my life. Being at CHS has brought out the best in me and I feel like that is something worth celebrating, especially with the people who helped me get to where I am today. I have learned about patience and acceptance, intuitive eating and being proactive in the recovery process. I believe that humility is freedom and I am gaining the confidence I need to listen to my own authentic voice and trust it. I have learned all these things are so much more from each and every one of you. I can now find happiness and peace in the moment and from the little things in life. I've had time here to do things I might never have done otherwise and I am so lucky to have had this opportunity to spend time with a whole house-full of people that I not only look up to, but can have fun with as well. Walks around Virginia Lake, bowling, trips to clay canvas, a comedy club, the pen and paper game, our music story about the little boy and his bear, mall madness and mystery date, bad manicures, driving around lake Tahoe- in its entirety, and poetry groups .are just a few of the priceless memories that I will never forget. I know that there can be good days and bad days for everyone, even outside CHS, but the support here is unparallel to any kind I've ever seen or experienced and that makes what might have, in the past, seemed unbearable, actually a lot more bearable than I had ever imagined. Thank you so much for being an inspiration to me and for pushing me to challenge and change the destructive and unhealthy behaviors I used to control my life with.

—I am going to miss everyone so much, L.P.

I came to the Center for Hope intending to only stay for about two months. Five months later, I can't believe I am leaving, for good. I have truly finished the program. I never thought I would get here, honestly. I am in such a different place in my life. I am happy, I have friends, I can eat what I want when I want, and I have worked through a lot of the lingering events that took place in my life. I have accomplished so much. At times, five months seems like eternity, but to be quite honest, it really isn't that long at all. As Wendy said, the treatment team and I worked through 15 years of my life in only five months. Now obviously, my work is not done. I still have a lot of work to do, but I never would be where I am today if I didn't come to the Center for Hope.

I walked through the front door asking myself what I had done to get here. How did I get here? What did I do wrong? This wasn't the place for me. There were too many rules. What I learned was these rules were in place for a reason. They may have been a pain in the ass, but as much as I didn't approve, the treatment team created the rules for our safety. This was so different for me because I was used to being on my own for 3 yrs at college. Not to mention when I was hospitalized before, I had so much freedom, and when I came here, they took it all away. I know I struggle with transitions, and this was a huge transition I was making, and it was going to be hard. Thankfully, the treatment team took me under their wings, as well as the other residents and RA's helped me adjust to the new atmosphere.

I am now ready to go back to my life. My REAL life! I am so excited to swim for my college and finish my senior year. I am ready to conquer what is ahead. You guys gave me my life back and I want to thank you for everything you have done for me. I will miss you all so much and will never ever forget the time I was here. I love you.

—M.W., California

Poems

There is a place called The Center for Hope;
A safe environment that will teach you how to cope.
It sits on Pass Drive and is the color of lemon.
It's a big, bright house full of wonderful women.
The women who work there are caring and sweet.
They are among the most wonderful people you'll ever meet.
They will comfort you, love you, and help you have fun;
Clay Canvas, movies, Lake Tahoe, and even picnics in the sun.
The RA's at the Center are with you day and night;
Through every meal, every outing, every tear, every fight.
They will come to know you both inside and out,
And your visions and goals they would never doubt.
Also at the Center is a very special cook.
She makes wonderful food without even using a book.
Your fears of food she will help you rise above,
Because every meal she makes is made with lots of love.
The Center for Hope is such a therapeutic place.
All the therapists there are such a saving grace.
They'll listen to your story and sit through all the tears,
Offer lots of insight and help you conquer fears.
The Center is one of a kind; it's safe and cheery and warm.
You'll never forget the support you receive or the relationships you form.
The memories and knowledge from this place you should forever savor,
Especially their favorite saying: "Choose the loving behavior!"

—A.H., New York

Blanket of Recovery

With every stitch, with every row
Over time the blanket grows.
Just a pattern to follow, a vision in mind
Balls of yarn, soft to touch, a needle to bind.
Awkward at first, unsure of how long or how tight
With some trial and error the blanket takes flight.
Its progress is varied, sometimes rapid, sometimes slow
That it will eventually be completed is all that I know.
Each skein seems to have its own agenda, its own rate
Life is often complicated, forcing the blanket to wait.
But so long as I return, what's been put on hold is not lost
A few more mistakes and less fluid flow - the restart up costs.
With concentration and awareness, holes and errors can be caught
Pulled out and redone as they occur, rather than destroying the whole lot.
Through patience and perseverance, the result of hard work will finally come
A warm snuggly blanket to curl up in, the reward when all is done.
Made by hand, with some flaws, overlooked mistakes here and there
Though I am human and not perfect, this is my gift to show I care.
Months in the making, a representation, a tangible memory
Of how grateful I am to you for helping me piece together my blanket of recovery.

— M.F., California