The Renfrew Center for Eating Disorders - Philadelphia, PA

"this place made my eating disorder much worse. they seemed to only be equipped to deal with one specific kind of ED, anorexia. i was there for bulimia, and found myself unable to relate to any of the lessons or therapy groups specifically about EDs. i told my therapist at the time that i had sensory issues and there were certain foods i would not eat no matter what, this was completely ignored, which in turn led to me being unable to finish my meals. so of course, the instead would give me ensures, which if you did not drink you would get a point or whatever. so i drank them, and guess what my therapist said? she said the ensures we’re making me gain weight so i had to stop drinking them and just start eating the food. but they would absolutely not work with me at all. the nurses are total bullies, as soon as times up, even if you only have a bit left, they will mark you as not complete. they will not let you finish after times up unless you beg, which i and others actually had to do several times. eventually i was kicked out for kissing another patient, but they did not get kicked out. for context, the girl i kissed was 18, and i was 14. this place is a dumpster fire."

"Whatever you do DO NOT send your daughter, your son, your bestfriend, your wife, your niece, or even yourself here. This place is actually one hell of a place. It is a literal hell hole. They work unprofessionally, they redo groups over and over again not giving new information to the patients and they don’t even bother listening to how you feel or what you need. Not to mention that there have been numerous patients who have ran away from here. Like honestly how do you even manage to let that happen. I know of at least 5 patients who have ran away from here and they took several hours to find them. This place is just not good. If this program worked for you than I’m here for you. But for me personally and a lot of the patients I’ve been with they all know this place was not good. Rooms are nasty, bathrooms are even worse, and don’t even get me started with the food. We are sent away to go to a facility that will help us trust food and know food isn’t the enemy but for me personally they made food an even bigger enemy. Also I found meal worms and maggots in my food when I was there and that wasn’t all that long ago. Just trust me when I say this, do not send your loved one here it will only get worse…."

"It’s been 10 years since I have been there, but the way they treat anorexics different from bulimics and have different systems when it comes to breakfast, lunch, and dinner times is what helped me out the most. I was mostly bulimic and having the option to eat how much I wanted and given the chance to leave some of the food on the plate when I was feeling satisfied helped me all these years. I’ve been to three or four eating disorder places and none of them have done it this way. I want to thank you guys so much for helping me along this journey. That is what helped me the most so I hope you guys still do that ❤️ All love y’all!"

"I was there from December 2015 - February 2016 and then again December 2016- April 2017. This program truly does save your life if you are willing to put in the work. The second time around I hit rock bottom before my admission. I was at children's hospital for 2 1/2 wks prior to being admitted to Renfrew (in my hometown, I don't live in Philly) I will tell you more about my second admission which was truly the life changer for me. First and foremost I will say it was the most difficult admission for my ed that I've ever done. I've been in and out of treatment centers and hospitals for 2 years prior to my last Renfrew admission. - on my first day I got there around 6:30-7am, I saw the nurse first and she did bloodwork, and ekg and right away gave me Gatorade since I was medically unstable. They had me see the nurse practitioner and at that time it was Christine right away because of my low weight and unstable vital signs. After her appointment I was put in a wheelchair and was told I was on level 1. The second and third day there was all kinda a blur. I was rushed to the near by hospital since my heart rate tanked, I was there for 2 days. When I came back to Renfrew I was pulled into my therapists office (Rose, best therapist!) and another therapist (Tristan I think his name was) and they both told me that because of my low weight and being medically unstable, that I needed an NG tube. I refused at first and they said that if I didn't willingly comply that they would get a court order for them to place one. I knew all that was a hassle so I complied. The next morning after breakfast the nurse came to grab me and all within 24 hours of talking to my therapists and constantly having to go to the nurse practitioner a tube was placed by the NP and 2 other nurses. As traumatic as it is getting one placed, the nurses were all so supportive and even gave me some medication to relax me beforehand. I ended up having the tube in for 4 months. I don't want to tell you this to scare you at all! The tube is SUPER last resort, and also isn't given to all patients as last resort. It is extremely individualized!! - I wasn't able to attend many groups since I was on level 1 for the majority of my stay, but the last month I was finally able to go on 1 pass with my friends that I have made! Even tho I wasn't able to get the full experience of Renfrew, I am grateful for what I did have to go through because it truly saved my life. Yes, any place you go to there are going to be things you don't like. And yes my 5 month stay wasn't all smooth sailing, but I truly believe that if you are willing to recover, and you comply with the rules, that the staff will have respect for you. Since it is a place where the age range is very wide, there's no question that you are going to be around young girls that don't necessarily want to recover and treat being there like a joke, but you have to try really hard to not get yourself involved in the drama. You get out what you put in. And Ms Renee's famous quote "you are as sick as your secrets and your secrets keep you sick" recovery is possible! I never thought it was, but I have been in recovery for now 6 years and I am grateful for Renfrew!"

"To start with the good: the residents and some of the staff here are lovely and wonderful. I was lucky to get a great and helpful therapist. And, I know Renfrew has been lifesaving for many who had better experiences than I did. But if you’re looking for a personalized approach and a variety of healthy, nourishing foods, you will not find those here. Sadly (particularly for the price charged) the treatment approach is a pretty rigid one-size-fits-all ... not a terrible one, and probably good for many people, but with no flexibility for people who don't fit the mold. And the food is absolutely shockingly unhealthy. I was looking for nutritious, nourishing food to get my body healthy again, and instead I found the cheapest mass-produced thaw-and-throw-on-a-tray food that the facility can provide. There was not a single meal on the menu that you couldn't buy prepackaged at a gas station. Think some days with no real fresh fruits or vegetables at all (just canned peaches, juice, or a forkful of sad, chopped green pepper passing themselves off as such); maybe two wholegrain items per week and the rest highly processed white flour; the same chicken and processed American cheese over and over as proteins; and potato chips passed off as a legitimate starch (and the only menu option as such) on one day. Frosted Flakes or a scone-that's-really-a-giant-packaged-cookie as the only option some days for breakfast. Nothing cooked hot or fresh at the facility. And both the food and the treatment plan are pretty set in stone. Bottom line for me: not even close to worth the price. There are better treatment options out there. I wish I could recommend this place, if nothing else out of loyalty to the other residents and various staff members who are absolute gems -- but, I just can't."