https://www.mcleanhospital.org/treatment/klarman
Klarman Eating Disorder Center treats young women between the ages of 18 and 30 at Harvard’s McLean Hospital in Massachusetts. Klarman is a residential level of care, but with many similarities to inpatient. It treats only female-identifying people (both cisgender women and transgender women) and nonbinary persons assigned female at birth (AFAB). Klarman is flexible with the upper age limit, and will still admit people in their early 30’s. Older patients who are in their later 30’s and occasionally in their 40’s may be admitted occasionally be admitted when they have limited or no other options due to insurance.
Klarman Eating Disorder Center at McLean Hospital specializes in treating eating disorder patients with co-occurring mental health problems such as substance misuse, depression, mood and anxiety disorders, OCD, and BPD, as well as trauma and post traumatic stress disorder. McLean Hospital itself has numerous other programs, and because they are all located on the same campus, patients at Klarman with co-occurring disorders can also see specialists and receive treatment from the other residential programs, such as the OCD, SUD, and BPD programs.
McLean Hospital accepts many insurance plans, including Medicare and Massachusetts Medicaid.
Any updates or current reviews? Please post in comments below. You can check out the FAQ and Guidelines for suggested questions. Thank you!
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• When were you there? I was there in the spring-summer of 2024.
• What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)? I did residential treatment.
• If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible? No. The bedrooms, day room, and kitchen are on the first floor and there’s a ramp to get into the building for the first floor, but there are no automatic doors (the front door is very heavy). There isn’t an elevator. The laundry is in the basement as well as a couple of the clinicians’ offices, which can only be accessed by stairs. Most of the clinicians’ offices and the art therapy room are on the second floor, which is also only accessible using stairs.
• How many patients are there on average? There are 20 beds, and when I was there there were usually around 18-20 patients at a time.
• Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined? I believe they only accept people who are AFAB, female-identifying people, nonbinary people, and trans women, but I’m not completely sure. I’m pretty sure they don’t treat cis men.
• If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people? I think generally they do. A large percentage of the milieu when I was there was cis women and/or AFAB people, so it seemed like the program is mostly geared towards that population. Speaking for myself, I felt that the staff and other patients respected my preferred name, pronouns, and gender identity. There was an identity group that met weekly and people often talked about gender identity then.
• How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc? You see an internal medicine doctor once for a physical at the beginning of your time there and get an EKG and blood work done (the labs are done in a separate building on campus). You usually see your psychiatrist around 2 times a week, your individual therapist 2-3 times a week, your family therapist 1-2 times a week, and your dietitian 2 times a week. There is also a nurse there during the day shifts.
• What is the staff-to-patient ratio? During the day & evening shifts, there are usually around 3 CRC’s working at the same time. There’s usually 1 nurse but sometimes 2 working at the same time during the day & evening shifts as well. For the overnight shift, there’s pretty much always 2 CRC’s working and no nurse, but the overnight CRC’s are allowed to pass meds if you need any PRNs overnight.
• What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)? They have DBT, CBT, ACT, art therapy, and equine therapy groups. Individually, you can also usually work on ERP (exposure therapy) if you request it.
• Describe the average day:
There are groups and individual sessions during the weekdays. Here’s an example of a weekday schedule:
• 8-8:30 breakfast
• free time, morning meds, etc.
• 9-9:15 treatment planning group
• free time
• 9:45-10 morning snack for people who have it
• 10:15- 10:50 group
• 11-11:50 group
• 12-12:30 lunch
• free time
• 1-1:50 group
• 2-2:45 group
• 2:45-3 afternoon snack
• 3-3:50 group
• free time
• 5:30-6 dinner
• 6:15-6:30 post-meal group
• free time
• 7-8:30 visiting hours/free time
• 8:30-8:45 evening snack
• 9-9:15 wrap-up group
• free time/hygiene time, etc.
• What were meals like? Breakfast was 8- 8:30, morning snack was 9:45- 10:00 (not everyone has morning snack), lunch was 12- 12:30, afternoon snack was 2:45- 3, dinner was 5:30- 6, and evening snack was 8:30- 9. If you are significantly late to a meal/snack and the kitchen door is closed, you have to replace the meal/snack with a supplement. We all sit in the kitchen together and eat. There’s usually a staff member at one of the tables, called the staff table, and one or two more staff standing at the front of the kitchen and watching to make sure you’re not engaging in behaviors at the table. Some people are allowed extra time according to their meal plan, but if you don’t have extra time and you don’t finish your meal/snack, then you’re asked to replace it with a supplement.
• What sorts of food were available or served? There were menus for meals and they rotated every three weeks (there was week A, week B, week C, then it would repeat). For breakfast there were a lot more options. They follow an exchange system here, so on the menus they list the options for each exchange according to your meal plan. Some of the common breakfast options they have are: oatmeal, cereal, toast, peanut butter, cream cheese, chopped nuts, banana, apple, juice, yogurt, sausage, and milk or soy milk (only if your dietitian allows it for allergy/intolerance reasons). They would only have a few of those as options for breakfast on any given day, though. Lunch is usually some kind of sandwich (like peanut butter and jelly, BLT, etc.) a side (like chips, cookies, etc.) and a fruit (grapes, a fruit juice, pear, etc.) depending on your individual meal plan. Dinner options varied. Some examples of options were mac & cheese with broccoli, veggie cheeseburger with a side salad, tacos, burritos, etc. On Sunday and Wednesday nights they had takeout for dinner. When I was there I think they had an Indian restaurant, a Chinese restaurant, a Greek restaurant, an Italian restaurant, and an American chain restaurant. They have nutrition/kitchen staff that make the food there, and it’s generally very good in my opinion. You can also eventually apply to go to the hospital cafeteria for lunch on the weekdays, which has a bigger variety of options to choose from.
• Did they supplement? How did that system work? Yes, if you didn’t complete your meal or snack, they’d give you a supplement to drink instead. Also, if you were really late to a meal/snack and they closed the door to the kitchen, then you’d be asked to replace with a supplement. This didn’t really happen too often though.
• What is the policy of not complying with meals? I don’t know what the specific policy is, but generally if you aren’t completing your meals, your treatment team will talk to you about what’s getting in the way. Eventually, if you still aren’t completing after a while, you might be discharged or referred to a different level of care.
• Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan? You are allowed to eat vegetarian. You technically aren’t allowed to eat vegan, but recently there has been a little bit more flexibility with this from patients advocating for the option to eat vegan. I think it takes a lot of advocating on your end if you want to eat vegan here.
• What privileges are allowed?
• Unsupervised bathrooms (everyone is supervised–meaning the door is cracked while a CRC stands outside and checks the toilet before you flush– within 1 hour after meals and 30 minutes after snacks, but if you have the unsupervised bathrooms privilege, you won’t have to have supervised bathrooms outside of that window)
• Peer tables (eating at tables farther away from staff supervision with fellow patients)
• Cafe group (going to the hospital cafeteria for lunch during the week)
• Staff/peer/independent walks
• Passes
• Outings
• Takeout (where you can pick your dinner on takeout nights from the entire menu, not just from the limited options they give you)
• Independent meals (eating some meals & snacks outside of the kitchen around the unit with less supervision)
• Portioning
• Does it work on a level system? Sort of, but not really. Your level is based on how much support you need when using certain privileges.
• How do you earn privileges? There are rounds when all the clinical staff meets to discuss your progress twice a week. You email your treatment team before rounds if you want to request certain privileges. There are certain things you have to do before getting each privilege.
• What sort of groups do they have? Everyday, there’s a treatment planning group after breakfast and post-meal group after dinner that are led by CRC’s where you go around and say what you’re feeling and what your plans are for the day/evening. Wrap-up group is also led by CRC’s after evening snack and you say how your day was, what the highlight was, what you’re grateful for, what you’re hopeful for, and what you’re proud of yourself for. They have groups led by therapists and dietitians for art therapy, CBT, DBT, ACT, perfectionism, identity, nutrition, trauma, substance use, family topics, therapy groups, etc. They also have a “contracts group” where you share something you’ve been working on that week with the group and community meeting where you can bring up concerns and suggestions with the staff.
• What was your favorite group? My favorite group was probably either the nutrition group, art therapy, or CBT.
• If applicable: Is the program trauma-informed? I believe so, but it’s not a trauma program specifically. They do have a group that meets once a week that’s led by therapists that specialize in trauma though.
• What did you like the most? I liked how they set you up for life after discharge. The way the privileges are set up really helped me transition back into life. I had experience doing things I’d do after treatment, but in a safe and supportive environment. I also felt that the staff generally really cared about the patients and wanted to listen.
• What did you like the least? Having to wake up at 6am every morning to be weighed.
• Would you recommend this program? Yes, if you’re willing & able to do the work.
• What level of activity or exercise was allowed? Everyone can go on a short walk that’s led by a staff member once a week. You can request the ability to go on staff walks, peer walks, and independent walks too. Those are up to 4 times a week, for up to 30 minutes each.
• What did people do on weekends? People who could go on passes generally went on passes during the weekend. Sometimes there was a baking group during the weekend where we’d bake something to have for evening snack. You have a lot more free time during the weekend. Some people who were doing part-time school or work would do that for a little bit on the weekends, or just hang out and watch tv, read, do therapy homework, or do art.
• Do you get to know your weight? Not in the moment, but you can talk to your team about wanting to do weight exposures.
• If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process? It’s hard to say, and it really depends on the person.
• What was the average length of stay? They say 6-8 weeks, but that’s really not the case for most people. It does depend on whether you need to weight-restore and how much. I’d say generally a couple months, sometimes more or less depending on what you want to work on while you’re there.
• What was the average age range? It was 18-28 with most people around the early-twenties age range.
• How do visits/phone calls work? You can have your phone with you there, you just aren’t supposed to use it during meals or groups. Visiting hours are a set time during the evenings and there’s an additional time for visits over the weekend.
• What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)? You can have all your electronics, you just aren’t supposed to use them during groups or meals.
• For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go on outings/passes? Yes, once you’re eligible for those privileges, you can go on the outing that’s usually during the weekend, and you can apply for passes.
• For PHP/IOP: What support do they provide outside of programming hours? I didn’t do PHP or IOP here. I do know that PHP is only available to people who have done their residential program and completed it, though.
• What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team? They can make referrals to outpatient providers. Some of the clinicians also do outpatient services, so that’s also sometimes an option.
• Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country? I’m honestly not sure.
• If applicable: How is the program responding to COVID? (Less patients, virtual programming, no visitors, masks, social distancing, etc) There aren’t any mask mandates for patients or staff anymore, but you can choose to wear a mask. If you have COVID symptoms you can ask the nurse if you can take a COVID test. If there is a COVID outbreak on the unit, they have specific policies they’ll follow to keep it controlled.
• Other?
• Family therapy is a component of Klarman. Everyone has a family therapist that they work with, and everyone kind of has to do family therapy. But, it can be with your friends or chosen family instead of your mom, dad, siblings, etc.
• This is a really helpful program. I know that everyone has different experiences at every program, but Klarman really is one of the best out there. In my experience, the staff were very knowledgeable, caring, and respectful and they treated me like a human being. They had a group dedicated to bringing up feedback, concerns, suggestions, and that sort of thing to all the clinical staff. They really do a lot that helps set you up for success once you discharge. If you participate and try, they can really help you. Also, the front yard of the building is beautiful and full of plants, birds, bunnies, trees, sunlight, and the occasional deer.
• Good luck to anyone reading this review! Whether or not you end up going to Klarman. 🙂
Are you able to answer the below questions
Sure!
Snacks:
Everyone has an afternoon snack and an evening snack, and some people also have a morning snack. Every morning during treatment planning group, you get a snack card with different options to choose from for that day’s afternoon snack. The options vary. After dinner there’s post-meal group and that’s when they hand out the snack cards for that day’s evening snack. For those who have morning snack, you basically get to choose from whatever they have in the kitchen that fits with your meal plan. You also portion your own morning snack even if you don’t technically have the “portioning” privilege.
Klarman is more like a house in terms of what the building looks like, but it’s on McLean’s campus so there are a lot of other centers nearby. It definitely feels more like a house than a hospital though.
I 100% recommend being your own bedding, or at the very least, your own pillow. The beds are not very comfortable in my opinion. I brought a mattress topper (they are allowed) that I had from college and my own pillow and that helped tremendously. It’s also helpful to bring either a shower caddy or some kind of bag to bring your toiletries to the bathroom with you, too. If you like to do any kind of art, definitely consider bringing it. I brought printed pictures of my friends and family which was comforting to have. You’re allowed to have your phone, but it’s also nice to have physical pictures.
The four bathrooms are shared between everyone, but only one person uses one at a time. There aren’t any stalls. Each bathroom has a toilet, sink, and shower.
A few more questions
i’m not the OP but i was at Klarman a few months ago and can answer these!
1. menus are handed out on Sundays and you chose between a couple options for each meal
2. you get self-portioning by applying to it in an email to your team on rounds days. you’ll get approved if you’re off staff tables and completing meals
3. you can go outside pretty much anytime between 7 am and 8 pm, except during meals. you just sign out on a board by the nurses station and head to the yard
? Recent Review of Klarman at Mclean
• I was in Klarman’s residential program from November-December 2023
• It isn’t really wheelchair-accessible; there is a ramp up to the building but there isn’t a button to open either of the entrance doors, and the laundry room is in the basement and most clinicians’ offices are upstairs.
• The maximum number of patients is 20; there are two single rooms, two triples, and the rest are all doubles
• Klarman does not treat cisgender men, but while I was there, cis women, non-binary people who use they/them pronouns, and trans women have all been patients.
• Pronouns are asked about relatively frequently and respected as a whole, as are chosen names.
• Your team consists of an individual therapist who you see 3 x per week for 50 minutes, a family therapist who you typically see once individually for 30 minutes and once per week for 50 minutes with the family (bio or chosen) you want to participate in family therapy with you, psychiatrist 1-2x a week for 20 minute sessions and RD 1-2x a week for 30 minute sessions. There’s one nursing staff on every day and evening shift.
• The staff to patient ratio depends on the day; at minimum it’s one nurse and two CRCs for the milieu, but when well-staffed during the week, it’s about 1-2 nurses and like 4-5 CRCs, plus therapists for sessions and groups.
• It’s kind of eclectic in terms of emphasizing basic DBT, CBT—the CBT groups are led by an awesome psychologist at McLean— and some ACT. Many patients have OCD, and the program focuses on individual exposures for OCD and ED, though not to the degree that Rogers does. There are about 4 groups per weekday, not counting the basic check-in group after breakfast, after dinner, and at bedtime; the basic check-in groups last about 15 minutes and are led by floor staff, but the therapist-led groups last 45 minutes generally.
• Describe the average day:
6 am wake up for weights/temp (orthostatic vitals done for everyone on rounds days, typically Mondays and Thursdays)
8-8:30 is breakfast
9:00-9:15 is treatment planning (morning check-in/goals group, where afternoon snack cards are handed out)
9:45-10 is morning snack (only for some people)
10:15-11 is a group
11:05-11:50 is another group
12:00-12:30 is lunch (or 12-1 if you’re in caf)
1-2 is a group, therapy group
M-F2-2:45 is another group
2:45-3 is snack (for everyone)
3-4 is another group
4-5:30 is free time
5:30-6 is dinner
6:15-6:30 is post-meal (evening version of check-in/goals group, where evening snack cards are handed out)
7-8:30 is visiting hours
8:30-8:45 is evening snack
9:00-9:15 is wrap up (end of day group)
9:30 onwards can chill or go to bed
• Meals did not involve a ton of variety; breakfasts involve a dairy and are usually cereal or toast, a fruit or fruit juice, and some protein and/or fat exchanges. (Also one cup of coffee per day, which can be caffeinated.) Lunches have a sandwich, chips or a dessert, and a fruit or fruit juice most typically. Dinners are an entree, so a bit more exchanges than lunch, and another starch or beverage, most typically. Examples of dinners are chicken and rice with vegetables in various sauces, paneer or tofu curries, pasta dishes, pizza or a sub sandwich, tacos, etc.
• Lots of American foods are served, with the menu cycle being three weeks long. Takeout is twice a week, Wednesdays and Sundays, and is usually Italian, Greek, Thai, Chinese, or Indian.
• Supplements are calorie-based and individualized based on one’s dietary needs. Ensure Plus is the most common supplement for not completing, but diabetics get Glucerna, and they’ve had Ripple and Ensure Clear for patients when Ensure Plus isn’t possible due to allergies, etc.
• If you don’t finish a meal, you are given the replacement for what you didn’t complete. You are required to sit with it for 15 minutes, with staff encouraging you to complete it. If there’s a pattern of supplementing, and you don’t have ARFID, you may be put on a contract that specifies guidelines for your behavior, but staff tends to be pretty reasonable if it’s occasional and more of a one-off thing.
• You can definitely be vegetarian, but probably not vegan. You are allowed several dislikes.
• What privileges are allowed? Peer tables, portioning, takeout, unsupervised bathrooms (still supervised regardless within 1 hour after meals and 30 min after snack), walks (staff-led, peer, independent), outings, passes, independent meals and snacks where you can eat alone on the unitIt doesn’t really work on a level system, beyond the fact that being on peer tables is a main requisite for portioning, caf, outings, passes, etc.
• How do you earn privileges? Completing fluids, meals and snacks (supplementing counts towards completion towards my knowledge), decreasing table behaviors, not compensating, going to groups and sessions, restoring weight if needed. If your weight drops or stays stagnant and the goal is restoration, you’ll get an increase to your meal plan but no privileges are taken away.
• What sort of groups do they have? CBT, ACT, DBT, ambivalence and motivation/relapse prevention, art therapy, process group (it’s called therapy group here), coping with trauma (for individuals with a trauma history), bridge to campus (for anyone in an educational institution—undergrad, grad school, looking to go back to school, etc), baking group, contracts (a weekly group where you share goals with staff and peers and get feedback from there), music and poetry, perfectionism, body image
• My favorite group at Klarman was ACT, because I find that framework helpful and I’m pretty familiar with CBT and DBT already.
• Klarman is somewhat trauma-informed; they try to individualize care, but it is challenging if you struggle more with externalizing behaviors like self-harm. Also, staff don’t let the milieu know when someone who’s gone (due to being stepped up or discharged) is safe, which is pretty jarring imo.
• What I liked the most was that the floor staff, Community Residential Counselors or CRCs for short, are really genuine and empathetic, and they are typically in grad school in a related field. They really do care and will work with you more so than in other programs I’ve been in. Also, individual therapy sessions 3x week were super helpful in my experience, as well as really doing more work that’s underlying the disordered thoughts and behaviors. As a Type 1 diabetic, too, they let me use my pump because I have no history of insulin restriction, which was really beneficial for my recovery, and I appreciated that flexibility.
• What did you like the least? The census being 20 people is too high and can feel chaotic at times, especially when everyone is in the dining room at breakfast. Also, because the age range is 18-28, typically, people can be at very different stages of their lives and recovery. As someone in my mid-20s, most of the milieu is rather young right now (average age like 19.5) and that can be a bit challenging as well.
• I would recommend Klarman as a whole.
• What level of activity or exercise was allowed? 20-30 minute walks 4x week once approved, and a walk cannot be on the same day as a pass.
• Weekends are pretty chill, a lot of knitting/crocheting, reading, watching TV or movies, just kinda chatting. Most people have passes, which can range from like 3 hours to about 12 hours per day.
• Weights are done blind but you can do weight exposures with your team. The goal is maintenance once one is 2 lb into their goal range, and they typically have you stay about 2 weeks when you’re in goal range to ensure that the transition is going smoothly.
• Typically people restore/gain about 2-3 pounds per week.
• They say the average length of stay is 6-8 weeks, but it’s really closer to around 3 months, I would say.
• Visiting hours are 7-8:30 each evening, and additionally 1-2:30 on weekends.
• You can use your phone, tablet/Kindle, and/or computer whenever not in groups or at meals/snacks.
• For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go on outings/passes? There is one outing each weekend for individuals who are on peer tables and caf, but not everyone who is eligible goes each weekend (due to staffing issues and also prioritizing people who haven’t been on as many outings typically). Once you’re pass-eligible, you can request as many passes as you want and your team will approve or decline them depending on their clinical rationale and how things are going with you.
• They do have PHP, only as a step down for patients who have completed res, and that typical length of stay is about two weeks.
• In terms of aftercare and setting up an outpatient treatment team, I already had an outpatient treatment team and so did not need help with that, but it seems like they do help with that if needed.
• Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country? I’m from out of state, Midwest-ish, but most people by far have been from Massachusetts or occasionally nearby states. The discharge planning process in terms of a timeframe is really only brought up about 4 weeks into one’s stay, and teams tend to hold off on giving a specific date until the end of one’s stay, which can make logistics for discharge challenging.
• If applicable: How is the program responding to COVID? All staff wear masks and as of right now, masks are not required for patients but are highly encouraged, and I’m pretty sure being vaccinated is required.
• If you don’t have a car, getting around can be a bit challenging, though you are allowed to go on pass with peers and you can also request the McLean shuttle service to take you to the public transit stop in Belmont, from which you could go into Boston, Cambridge, etc. I took an Uber to Klarman initially and will Uber back to the airport when discharging. The towels to use for the shower are pretty small, so if you are fat and/or just prefer non-scratchy towels, I’d highly recommend bringing your own towel. Also, there are only four bathrooms (each has a shower, toilet, sink, and some sort of rack or shelf) for the entire milieu, with one washer and dryer for the whole unit, and there are sign up sheets to help with scheduling and ensuring everyone gets some time. Bathrooms are unlocked overnight but locked during the day, and rooms are locked during the hour after meals and 30 min after snacks.
• If you have any other questions, let me know!
Thank you thank you thank you! And super glad that/proud of you for finding a program that would allow you to use your pump! Would you recommend this program in general for T1D people? If so I’ll add them to our list of programs and can mention Klarman as an option to people who ask what the options are for someone who is diabetic. Would you say just for people who haven’t had insulin restriction as a symptom or both for people who have and haven’t?
❤️
I would recommend this program; there was another T1D who I overlapped with briefly who had struggled with insulin restriction. I don’t know what those protocols are like, beyond needing to use pens instead of a pump, but the other patient felt that Klarman has been helpful, at least at the end of her stay as a whole.
In the past Klarman had other diabetic patients as well (at least as of the last several years) which I find comforting; the nursing staff have also been great about getting my blood sugar and insulin logs for meals and snacks and sending them to my endocrinologist weekly. One of the RDs is a Type 1 diabetic herself, and she’s the dietitian who sees any/all diabetic patients Klarman has. In my opinion, she has a pretty “normal”/good relationship with food (she eats with patients in the cafeteria several days per week) and it was helpful at times for me to touch base with her about like … carb counting for desserts or different foods, treating lows appropriately both on and off the unit, adjusting insulin while restoring weight, etc. beyond all the more typical RD session stuff.
hey would you mind answering a couple questions? i was wondering
1. is there time to do online work/school?
2. do people frequently have morning snack or is that more uncommon?
3. how long does it typically take to start getting passes?
4. are there maintenance meal plans/what do they do if you come in not having much to gain?
let me know if you have any additional questions!
thank you so much for your response!! i really appreciate it.
i realized i did have a couple other questions so thank you!
1. what are peer tables?
2. do you do menu planning or get to know the meals in advance or is it just like show up and see what’s there?
thank you!!
*TW: tubes*
I just remembered I have another question, do they allow tube feeding for medically necessary reasons?? I have a surgical feeding tube and am currently primarily tube fed at the moment (for gastroparesis). I would like to work on increasing oral intake but my tube IS a medically needed device.
Hi! I know Klarman accepts Medicare but they say you have to pay for housing then in that case. Does anyone know the cost or if there’s ANY type of assistance. Or even if I could be billed after the fact on some sort of payment plan. I wasn’t super recovery focused when I spoke to them last so didn’t do the digging. I’m interested in knowing now though. I’d love to not go back to Roger’s lol. TIA!
They told me that the amount is based on your income
I called Klarman and got some good info. She said they do still sometimes make exceptions to the upper age range. They told me that for Medicare they bill it as PHP and then you have to pay the difference in what she called a “night fee” which is based on your income. However she could not give me an estimate of what that fee would be. She also told me that there is a specific minimum ideal body weight percentage for the program.
apparently a new director of the program took over and completely redid everything over the summer. I’m bulimic who is Tw borderline underweight End Tw and they denied me the 2 times i applied while INPATIENT at Walden because i was using bulimic behaviors. They apparently only want people who are 100% treatment compliant now and already in recovery. Not sure what the point of resi is if you won’t take patients who are medically stable but still using behaviors. Isn’t that like the whole point of treatment? Idk it rubbed me the wrong way.
Honestly the program has been that way towards individuals with bulimia since earlier 2000s. I tried res there and was expected to enter behavior free and never struggle.
How strict have they been with the upper age limit recently (past year or so)? I’m 32 and have Medicare, so I have really limited options. I just know I would find it really hurtful to call and be told I’m too old to be worth helping so I was hoping someone here would have recent info
I’m like 95% sure they only take Medicaid, the mass general Brigham aco plan. That’s what i was told and switched my plan to go they but they keep denying me because of ed behaviors
They have a soft upper limit at 28, but will admit people in their early 30s depending on the census and situation. It helps if you have an outpatient provider advocating for you. If they aren’t able to admit you, it’s not because you aren’t worthy of help (though I hear you saying that it feels that way). It is because McLean is a research institution and that unit is designed to measure treatment outcomes in a specific group of people. I wish they could take everyone, but I especially hope they (or another program that’s an excellent fit) will take you! Best of luck.
Just wanted to share that they take MassHealth for residential treatment! The specific MassHealth plan is the Mass General Brigham ACO. It provides FULL coverage for the residential program, zero copay or fees. It’s literally free. This insurance plan also provides coverage for most of Massachusetts. This is a huge win and just wanted to share. I’m currently in the admissions process and will be going tentatively, just waiting for paperwork and the prior authorization for insurance.
Is Klarman a good program for someone who’s overweight with BN? Or is Klarman mostly for people with AN-R and wouldn’t be a good fit for someone who’s in a larger body with BN?
The majority of people there with me appeared to fit the stereotypical AN-R mold in terms of appearance, and though there were always several people in larger bodies as well, it wasn’t an even split.
Has anyone gotten ECT while at Klarman (is it an option?)? Are they good at supporting comorbidities and autism and trauma etc?
Multiple people were getting ECT at Klarman when I was there, though that was probably about 5 years ago now. Don’t know how they are with autism but I wouldn’t say especially good with trauma (though I do think individual clinicians had a better grasp and would try to customize a trauma informed program for you if possible).
when i was there last year multiple people were doing ect and tms. idk how they are with autism but they’ve gotten pretty good at arfid and i know symptoms can overlap there. id also say that though they’re not a trauma program by any means (no IFS or EMDR or anything), they seem trauma informed. most of the crcs were decent at helping me with flashbacks and my team was very open to talking about and working through trauma based issues i was having. for another patient, l they brought in a trauma therapist to do trauma specific therapy with her. they also had a trauma group once a week but idk if that’s still happening.
would you mind leaving a recent review? just a few questions if you don’t care!
are there individual rooms?
what is the phone policy?
how does meal planning work (exchange or plate by plate?)?
can you be vegan?
coffee and herbal tea allowed?
thanks 🙂
there are 2 singles, and you’d have to request being placed in one during your intake.
you can have phones at all times except in groups and at meals.
you cant be vegan.
coffee is allowed with breakfast and tea is allowed with breakfast and eve snack.
does anyone have a recent review?
How strict are they on the under 28 guidelines? When do they allow people older (I’m 30)
I think you’d be fine! They let me admit when I was two years over the age limit, so I think you should reach out to them 🙂
On Klarman’s website, it says they treat patients up to 28. Does anyone know if they ever make exceptions? I’m not much older than the age cap.
Yes, they do! I’ve seen them take clients up to early 30s, at least when I was there last winter, and I think that’s still true.
They do, I went there when I was over the age limit.
They would make an exception (up to 30), but only if you’ve been there before
Any recent reviews of Klarman? Could someone do the full review format by any chance? Do they still have the 0.5 lbs a day plan?
The review pinned to the top of the page is super recent!
Dose anyone know if this residential takes 16 or 17 still?
Does anyone know if McClean allows patients to stay on stimulants?
If you’re on Medicare and go to Klarman do they bill it as inpatient, or is it something else? Is it more like a typical residential or inpatient in terms of rules, acuity of the average patient, etc? I’m in inpatient now and am curious if it would be worth looking into stepping down to Klarman as they told me it’s the only residential that takes Medicare or if I might as well just stay longer at my current center. Also, I’m older than 26, do they often make exceptions to the age cap? I’ve heard they have in the past but idk if it’s currently easy to get.
Not sure about Medicare. The age range right now is officially 18-28 but they have a bit of leeway in terms of the age parameters, in my experience, in terms of being in one’s late 20s/early 30s.
I don’t understand why several programs not located in children’s hospitals have these random upper age caps that they make exceptions to on a regular basis… tbh it seems like they’re trying to filter out SEED patients without saying they do. Do you happen to know what Klarman’s rationale for their policy is?
That’s a good question. Klarman does focus specifically on young adults; family therapy is required, and groups are somewhat tailored to the emerging-adult age range. Beyond that, though, I’m not super sure.
Also, it’s a residential level of care; it’s not a locked unit, staff are pretty chill, it can be higher acuity but typically they step people up to the STU (short term unit) at McLean across the street if safety is an immediate concern or things like that
Hi,
I am currently struggling with Atypical Anorexia with a Binge Component, and I am currently seeking residential treatment- preferrably in MA, but I’m open to going to any state.
Does anyone have any reccomendations as far as which programs are relatively weight-inclusive and/or might have more larger-bodied patients than a typical mileu? I’m asking because I have been in treatment before and patients who were underweight were treated very differently than patients who were not.
I’m considering the Klarman center at McClean hospital and wondering how it compares to Walden in this regard?
If anyone has any info I’d greatly appreciate it!
I haven’t been to Walden so I can’t speak to that, but when I was at Klarman, there were always several clients in larger bodies. The majority of people there were definitely in thin bodies (some extremely so) which could be difficult, but there were definitely people there in larger bodies as well though I was there about 5 years ago so things may have changed since then. I personally felt like those who were underweight were treated the same as those in larger bodies but wasn’t either underweight or in a larger body so others who identify as being in those categories may say otherwise. On the whole I felt like Klarman was pretty standardized which was frustrating when things weren’t individualized more but also meant that treatment was similar across the board.
Hi! I’m currently at Klarman, and though I haven’t been to Walden, I can speak to current experiences here. From what I can tell, patients in larger bodies are treated pretty similarly to patients in smaller bodies, in terms of length of stay, adequate meal plans, etc. Klarman tries to individualize care quite a bit and focuses more on doing the underlying work while in res than other places I’ve been to—individual therapy is 3 45-minute sessions per week, and family therapy (can be with chosen family) is regular as well. From what I’ve heard, Walden’s culture is more negative and hostile towards individuals in larger bodies, though that may have changed in recent months.
Can you do a full review if you have time? I know electronic time is limited.
I went to Klarman when in a larger body for bulimia, and was one of two people out of 25 non underweight anorexics. I was not treated the same. I was constantly accused by staff and patients of not trying hard enough and accused of behaviors I didn’t do. I never earned any privileges while people who were sneaking contraband and stealing and other things had privileges. Patients were not supportive to my having Bulimia as opposed to anorexia. I was ostracized and excluded by the other patients. I felt unworthy, undeserving, and wished I had AN the whole time I was there. I left AMA because it was such an unsupportive and terrible experience.
personally, I’d never recommend Klarman to anyone unless they were an underweight anorexic. Also keep in mind, Klarman takes involuntary adolescents, which greatly effects the Milieu. It can be very negative and plenty of people there do not want to recover. They are forced by their parents and cycle through the program multiple times a year. I found hearing all that and people discussing how many admissions they had and that they were sicker than you to be not conducive to my recovery. That’s just me.
Sadly, I find this to be true for many programs, and I’ve read similar sentiments of Klarman in the past. The ED Hierarchy is detrimentally tragic, and keeps so many people from accessing care—whether that be the patient’s choice, or insurance.
For those who struggle with behaviors outside of an AN-R diagnosis, the above mentioned is also very true for Veritas. (Just a word of caution if people are looking at multiple programs.)
Hi,
This is very helpful information.
If you don’t mind, how recently were you there? I’m considering admitting, and want to know if these conditions are still the case
I was there 15 years ago. The ages they accept are different now. Maybe there are some newer reviews. It’s still in the same locked building, with a high census for the space available. Idk what has changed, but if you want a residential program versus a program that is called residential that treats you as inpatient…if you have other choices I’d recommend picking a true residential. Or go and see how it is like I did, then if you don’t like it have a alternate in mind, AMA, and admit somewhere else.
if you go here, buy a burner phone and transfer your number to it before admitting if you want to use a phone during your stay. 26 people share 2 landline phones there. Very often a few people completely monopolize them. It can be several days until you get a turn for a 5 minute call in the hallway with a line of people behind you listening in and asking you to hurry up.
also know that if you’re on weight restoration and don’t gain a certain amount each day, you lose your shower, are on couch rest, then a wheelchair, etc until you’re back on track. It’s both a weekly weight restoration goal, but it’s not good enough to gain it within the week. They require it to be evenly each day throughout the week and if your body doesn’t do that, then you are punished.
The other thing I can tell you about weight restoration at Klarman versus the typical residential is it’s 2x as fast, which can be a relapse trigger for some people because there is zero time to adjust to the change. This program moves at an inpatient WR speed and has zero medical care available, so you must be completely medically stable to attend. They only have psychiatric doctors because it’s a freestanding psychiatric hospital. If you think you’d need tube feeding, that isn’t available at Klarman either. After 3 refusals, you’re discharged. For up to 3, they will do a drop/pull for what you refused.
As of recent, Klarman only accepts ages 18-28. So only voluntary adults. I have never attended their program but I’m looking into it for the coming months. Would love to hear more about people’s recent experiences.
I’ve written reviews/answered questions here in the past so I’m not going to re-do them (they’re probably pretty far down by now so you may need to scroll a bit), but I will say that if the above info was true 15 years ago, it was mostly not still accurate as of 5 years ago when I was last there. 5 years ago the building was not locked, you did not need to buy a “burner phone” and could use your regular cellphone every day, and if you lost weight/didn’t gain the expected amount from one day to the next, the only consequence would be that if you had an off-site pass scheduled, it would usually be revoked. You could still shower and do all other normal activities. You also could get off bathroom observations within a few weeks and stay off them the rest of your time there unless that privilege was revoked. There was room time every afternoon/evening and even earlier on weekends, and people could spread out throughout the building instead of just staying in the main day room (though that is usually where groups took place). I hope this helps. Klarman definitely had its flaws and it wasn’t perfect, but it was better than most other centers I went to.
Thanks for sharing updated information. It doesn’t sound nearly are cruel and punitive as it used to be.
Any recent reviews??
Also, Is this program actually residential or is it inpatient or are there both? the fact that its in a hospital seems more inpatient. Thank you!
Can’t give you a recent review (haven’t been in years) but they are definitely residential. The hospital that they are part of is a psychiatric hospital, so they’re not equipped to handle medical complications.
It’s residential that feels like inpatient.
Was last there about 6 years ago so not recent, but it’s residential but with a lot of inpatient characteristics and it’s on a psychiatric campus (so if you get sent to another unit while you’re there like for substance use or suicidality, you’ll be on an inpatient unit so keep that in mind). The way an RC described the program to me when I was there is that “it’s inpatient-lite” and I thought that was accurate.
It’s called residential, though it has heavy inpatient vibes. You don’t get off bathroom obs here, you’ll never do meal prep, it can take a very long time to get walk group privilege. There are no peer or solo walks. You’ll never be able to access your bedroom from as soon as you’re ready in the morning until bedtime, it’s locked. I asked to get a pencil to use for group once, and couldn’t because it was in the bedroom.
If feeling trapped or stuck is a big trigger for you, I would not recommend this program at all. They have a screened in porch, and no one is ever able to use that. It’s much more like a locked inpatient in that until or if you get walk group and cafeteria group, you will be in one room with 25 other clients all day everyday and never see sunlight. Could be a month straight of that. I also wouldn’t recommend this place if you get overstimulated and need quieter time. There is zero unless you’re sleeping. I was less motivated to recover once I admitted here than before I got there. I AMA’ed and went to an actual residential with 1/3 as many clients where AN-R was not a majority diagnosis nor was there an ED hierarchy or involuntary clients.
If you want to be prepared for real life after treatment, choose a different program that builds in portioning, restaurant outing, and other things that it can be helpful to have extra support to practice rebuilding your skills, so you’re a bit more comfortable once you leave residential. At Klarman, you stay in the building for on average 4-8 weeks and that is determined by your diagnosis and if you need to weight restore or not. At many residentials, your history, behaviors, other mental health issues are taken into account and length of stay is not determined that way. If you don’t have AN-R and need a lot of weight restoration, 4 or 6 weeks max residential then maybe a week of 12 hour PHP. There’s no IOP at Klarman. PHP is the same as residential just you don’t stay overnight, so unlike most PHPs where the groups are different, more is expected from you with putting your meal or snacks together…PHP is the same groups with residential clients and getting meal trays served to you some days and a couple days going through the cafeteria and picking food, but not portioning. Basically, this program will not prepare you to stay in recovery long term. You will need to find a good IOP and outpatient team.
Any recent reviews of their residential program?
I am trying to choose between here, CEDC, and Walden.
Thanks!
I’ve only been to residential at Klarman, however from what I’ve read here, Klarman’s residential sounds strictest. CEDC and Walden allow going outside and passes much sooner. CEDC and Walden also have more stepdown care like less than 12 hour 7 day PHP, and bringing your own food, and exposure meals (takeout or something). Klarman does not do anything to help transition you to real world.
I’ve also only been to Klarman of the 3 but others I was there with spoke poorly of CEDC and really terribly about Walden (this was the Alcott unit before they moved to the new Dedham location though), so I felt lucky to be at Klarman in comparison.
do people still have to go through res to do PHP here? Or can someone just go to PHP without res first? Have Medicare,
doesn’t cover res and docs recommend PHP only.
Not sure if you are open to res or not, but my guess is that Klarman would recommend you for res in this situation. When I was there a few years ago, you still had to do res in order to do php, but the head doctor there (who I really liked) was a MAGICIAN at getting insurance to cover people at the e higher level of care for extended periods of time. Good luck!
Medicare doesn’t cover res, so no.
*this discussion was cross-posted by admin from laureate’s review page
My daughter is on an up to two month wait list for Laureate. However, she has an immediate opportunity for Timberline. I’m torn because of the bad reviews I’ve read here about TK and she has also found a lot online about it being a large program with girl drama, etc. She was in 2 months of residential at CFD Plano then 5 weeks PHP where she fought them about ingredients, labels, etc. this they recommended she go to another residential. She tried on her own and lost more weight at home. So, should I wait for Laureate to open a spot or take a risk with TK? I’m losing my sanity in all of this and just want the best care for her. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
I would recommend laureate over TK. However, if another ip opens before laureate and it has good reviews I would go with that one. Laureate is more trusted than TK but I was also horrifically emotionally abused by the current psychiatrist at laureate so much so that I had to leave. Even though I was medically unstable she told me I didn’t deserve to be inpatient and that I was doing everything just for attention. I’ve heard good things about Klarman for inpatient and Rogers.
I would avoid Klarman unless you’re sending an adolescent who needs treatment and does not want it. Klarman takes involuntary adolescents. It is not a recovery-minded atmosphere. They have an aggressive refeeding program with punitive measures whenever someone is following their meal plan, etc and doesn’t make the mandatory amount of wt gain per day…It’s a revolving door type of program. A handful of the adolescents in the program when I had been there were on a 2nd or 3rd admit for that year, and bragged about how many times they’d been to that particular unit (5-6 not uncommon). If you want to get better for good, have groups where people participate and discuss potentially sticking with recovery, DO NOT CONSIDER KLARMAN. Girls in this program discuss in the common area that they have no intention of trying to stay well after Res and can’t wait to be released and relapse.
I’ve had better experiences in general adolescent psych IP on a room based protocol. For ED, this is the worst place I’ve ever been. Also, if you have anything co-occurring, expect to need to earn the right to treatment for it through abstinence from ED and weight gain on a daily schedule, not
Weekly, which is not realistic. Doesn’t work for certain issues that require simultaneous treatment.
Adolescents and adults in the program are held to different standards. If you’re an adult, be prepared to do the program perfectly and be told to focus on your recovery anytime you think you have something valuable to add. Adolescents get a lot more leeway in not following rules to the point of HIPPA violations, breaking and entering in buildings on the campus when on walk group…the response in community meeting is focus on your recovery, not we can see how you’d feel unsafe when others bring cameras into the unit (against the rules) and take photos of you without your permission. Adol girls in walk group have broken into bldgs on McLean campus and stolen old patient records. They read them aloud in their bedrooms. I brought this up in community meeting as it’s not only criminal activity, but is a treatment issue…I did not feel safe to participate with these privacy breaches constantly occurring and me (adult) being told a 15 or 17 year old doesn’t know any better, to drop it, and that I need to try harder. Guaranteed had I been the one doing any of that, I would have faced serious consequences: legal, and likely thrown out of the program.
If you don’t have any other options and can handle an environment where almost no one is interested in recovery and almost no one participates in groups…as much as I dislike the word and feel it’s overused, Klarman is a toxic environment, and for most is not conducive to long-term recovery. I know a few adolescents who jump started their recovery in this program of the 25-30 when I was there.
Also, would not consider this program if you are not local to the area. Most ppl are. The unit is tiny for 25 ppl. If you aren’t local, you won’t go outside for 6 weeks probably, then a couple walks a week. Some people have 2-3 roommates, most doubles. It’s very crowded. Ppl on the floor for groups bc the group rooms are not big enough. They don’t have enough chairs. All the people who are local get passes to leave to do their laundry at home, spend time with their friends and family every weekend if approved. It sucked being stuck RTU and not allowed on a screened in porch or to sit in front in the bldg. the grounds are nice, not sure why the staff keeps people inside for weeks or months straight…it’s not healthy. It’s another reason I couldn’t tolerate this program. I felt like a prisoner.
Also, if you have BN, BED, AFRID, atypical AN…It is extremely weight focused and really only deals with AN. Because I didn’t need to gain weight, it seemed they were not equip to help me since achieving BN abstinence required addressing trauma for me. Klarman is NOT trauma-informed.
If you struggle with substance abuse, they will allow you one group a day on a different unit. I’d only recommend this program to a severely underweight teen with a substance abuse issue. You will not receive help for OCD, trauma, anxiety, or anything else available on the McLean campus until you complete the ED program. For some people, this is why it doesn’t work.
On the whole, I’d agree with this assessment of Klarman. My experience wasn’t as negative as anon above, but it was definitely a revolving-door facility for most people, the unit was way too small for the amount of people they accept, and witnessed a lot of questionable practices by the residential counselors and nurses. Also agreed that not trauma-informed. Wouldn’t recommend it to other adults unless your only choices are Klarman and Walden (in that case, I’d say to choose Klarman though).
Why would you recommend Klarman over Walden for an adult?
What are options on primary Medicare with secondary MassHealth for a female only environment that addresses trauma in an adult only program?
Seems like none, as CEDC and Monte Nido do not take those insurances. Medicare doesn’t cover residential,(Walden), and IP at Walden is not only adult female. Are Walden programs single gender?
Has anyone had luck getting a single case agreement for Laurel Hill or CEDC with Medicare primary and MassHealth secondary insurance for any level of care?
These are great questions, thank you Anon!
I’ve never been to Walden, but at least half a dozen of the individuals I was at Klarman with had been to both and when they told me about the environment, protocols, and staff interactions they had at Walden, I honestly couldn’t believe Walden was still open and operating because it sounded horrifically abusive. That’s why I’d recommend Klarman over Walden.
That’s unfortunate as I’m in my mid 30s, so too old for Klarman. I tried it for BN caused by trauma at age 21, and had to transfer to an RTC that addressed trauma more intensely at the same time. I really struggled with being one of the oldest people there, and one of 3 people dealing with BN/binge behavior.
During my time (late 2007) there, AN patients were favored. When I struggled, I was told I wasn’t trying hard enough, to focus on my recovery, etc. Since most of the patients couldn’t relate to what I was going through and I wasn’t allowed to say why I was having a hard time, it was seen as unwillingness. I was told I had to earn the right to get trauma counseling and could not discuss that until achieving abstinence and leaving Klarman. That is why I failed their program.
Hopefully, Klarman doesn’t operate that way now as many people with ED behavior struggle due to traumas and should not be pushed to continue relying on unhealthy coping like dissociation, isolating from the community during treatment, and avoidance coping because the message from providers is if you aren’t abstinent from behavior you don’t deserve to discuss what contributes to having ED behavior. It was extremely invalidating and made me feel worthless and undeserving like had I had AN at the time with the same background that maybe I would have received trauma services.
Thankfully, the other program was more receptive to the connection between needing to work through trauma to achieve recovery. It was more comfortable for me as they did not take preteens or teenagers, and had much more of a mix of people dealing with a variety of EDs without comparing them or giving more/less treatment based of a particular diagnosis.
I was there way back in June 2007 until August 2007. It was exactly the same as you describe now.
I was 23 and came from Canada. Most the girls didn’t want to be there and were 13-16 on average. Few were 17-23. I was there fighting for my life.
The amount of food I had to eat at one point was ****. I wasn’t allowed to walk around on days I didn’t gain weight and rarely could do my own laundry. My clothes didn’t fit, so I had to order stuff online which was too big even when I left. I had no idea what size I was. It was embarrassing.
It was a joke to me with how the program was run. Staff shortages, inconsistent rules, and barely any time outside for two months. Some of the groups were just repeats and useless.
I had trauma issues and saw a trauma therapist who came to the unit but was waiting to see if I could participate in a different trauma group in another program but left once I reached their goal weight. I pretty much just needed help to gain weight and get back to eating after seven years of the ED and knew the trauma issues was what needed the most help.
But the stories of other girls. One snuck in the side door with the help of another girl and brought in a bunch of candy and possibly cigarettes and alcohol. She was there just a few days and left. Another ran away. I overheard her plan on the phone and told staff, but they waited until she was gone then searched for her in the unit. She didn’t want to be there.
My first roommate told me it was like summer camp and would **** in front of me in the room or on the front lawn in the morning. She didn’t get stopped the first time I told staff. Meanwhile, I wasn’t even allowed on walk group.
It did ultimately save my life, but not because of the program itself. I easily could have gained the weight and started eating again if I would have had that support at home. The ‘therapy’ was a joke. The only useful group was CBT.
Going there overall was where I learned to be assertive finally though, so that was one positive.
I’ve been in recovery since June 2007.
I think I remember you from then!
I’m glad you’re in recovery. Sorry your experience wasn’t more supportive. I can relate…I attended in Nov 2007 for less than 2 weeks before transferring to a trauma based ED RTC in a different state. I was also one of the oldest people there, and nodded at everything you wrote.
If Klarman improved only 1 thing, they could have people sit on the screened in porch and take groups to sit on the beautiful lawn McLean has. Sun and being outside is really important for healing. That building is so cramped and overcrowded. It would have made a big difference to have some groups outside. That’s one of many reasons I transferred. In a voluntary program, no one who is safe and participating should need to wait to earn walk group to see sunlight. That isn’t at all motivating or good for depression.
Hi! Do you mind me asking what trauma based ED RTC you went to that you found helpful? I’m looking for a ED RTC that’s good with complex trauma and have been having tons of difficulty finding one. I also am in a larger body and have BN, and have found ED programs where everyone is very thin with AN-R extremely triggering and not very helpful for my BN, and I also have often had the experience of all the patients with AN-R excluding me due to me being overweight and struggling with BN, and have experienced a lot of fatphobia and stigma and judgement in programs that were designed with only AN-R patients in mind
It doesn’t exist anymore.
Thanks for letting me know!
*cross-posted by admin from client general forum*
I’m really torn on Klarman at McLean. I was able to get positives from my time there and was in a “good enough” place for a year or so after I discharged, and I appreciated that I was able to stay there for months without feeling rushed and truly got to a healthy weight. I loved the psychiatrist there (I think she’s still in charge as the medical director), and while she was blunt/straightforward, I also found her compassionate and helpful and if I could work with her outpatient, I would. My experience with the clinicians was largely positive as well: my individual therapist was good (not great), but many of the therapists who did groups were great. I loved that Klarman also offered art therapy a few times a week, and I was able to do some exposure work with someone who also worked at the OCD institute which was very beneficial for me. Another great thing was that after enough time there, you got to go to the cafeteria for lunch during the weekdays, which was really helpful in terms of practicing portioning and trying a variety of foods. I had some dietary restrictions that they were able to work with me on, but the nutritionists there were like a revolving door; at least three came and left during my time there (so within a few months). I’d really caution people on the nurses and direct care staff here though. I witnessed and experienced a lot of power-tripping things with them, as at times it was really heartbreaking to see not only how they treated me, but also the other clients. Nothing that crossed the line into abuse (except possibly being made to drink milk that had clearly gone bad from the taste/smell and made several of us sick, but because the date was not yet “bad,” the diet tech insisted we had to drink it…. And refused to try it herself when we told her that it was rotten), but definitely things that still haunt me years later and prevent me from considering it as I seek residential treatment again now. I was there with several others who were able to get ECT for severe depression so if you’re interested in that, it might be a good option, but otherwise I didn’t find them to be particularly helpful with co-occurring disorders (specifically trauma/PTSD). Others there who had previously been to Walden told me that Klarman was a lot better than Walden, so that might be something else to keep in mind if you’re looking local.
How long did it take to get to art group? I left within 2 weeks and attended a different program. While I was at Klarman I never had went to the art room once despite advocating for it. Staff said there wasn’t room for all clients to participate, so I guess some people never got a turn. Was it a privilege that was earned like walk group and cafeteria group?
In the program I transferred to, I saw an art therapist individually, and we had art therapy group 2x a week. Art therapy really helped me. My therapist there gave me assignments in my treatment contract with art options if I didn’t complete the written form. I’d encourage anyone who has trouble engaging or writing to try expressive therapies, or ask your therapist if they can write down the answers to what they ask and set small goals to write more as you go. Putting words on paper made it more real and was scary. I imagine other people here have experiences like this. Sorry for sharing this tangent. I’m really lonely today.
Hey anon, when I was there, you didn’t need to earn art. They had at least three art therapy groups per week, and you could request weekly individual art therapy (in addition to the groups) via a purple sheet which several of us did and for me personally, that was the most helpful part of the program. I know the art therapist who was there when I was has left full time (though I did hear that she was doing occasional ACT groups on the unit, as that was another of her specialties). Where did you transfer to that had the emphasis on art therapy? I ask because that’s the kind of program I’d also look for in future treatment programs.
I can’t speak to how the STL programs run now, but I was at Castlewood St. Louis for around 6 months after Klarman back in 2007-2008. There was art therapy, psychodrama, and dance movement therapy. The two main groups were Core and ED, which involved expressive writing assignments that clients shared. Sometimes I used art instead of writing for those. ED group was 2x a week led by a therapist and a dietitian. Core was more days a week than that and led by multiple therapists. They also had groups like relapse prevention, sexual healing (therapist sent you, not everyone went), CBT only 1x week, DBT 1x week, and a group called gender, identity, and relationships (or something like that). There were probably more groups, but about 40 hours of group therapy weekly in RTC.
I really appreciated not having tons of worksheets or lecture groups as a person who had been in treatment before and not improved doing that. When autonomy is removed on RTC, I felt treated as much like a young adult as possible when I was responsible to take notes in group, to ask staff for help, to learn to get support from peers, and to figure out which tools of the many we were learning were best for me. It was a very recovery focused environment with a really supportive group of people when I was there in the St Louis program and later in the Birmingham program. The staff in Birmingham PHP actually discharged one client (recommended a higher level of care) because the person wasn’t able to engage/focus on recovery and it was harming the community and causing a lot of negativity, etc.
Some people had individual DBT, or individual art therapy, or really any of the group offerings might be an individual offering depending on a person’s need and progress or lack of progress. I had both individual art and DBT at different points during my stay. This was before Castlewood ownership changed and name was changed to Alsana. There’s a lot of controversy about this center, however I would not have healed from BN caused by trauma without this program that took a long term individualized approach.
I found ACT helpful at Alsana PHP and IOP (not recent, back in 2014). I often have trouble in programming because I get worse with CBT and don’t find DBT helpful for AN. It did help when I had BN. Most programs use a lot of CBT and DBT. Fewer are using ACT, motivational therapies, or RO-DBT. I’ve never tried RO-DBT, but it sounds helpful.
More recently, Alsana offers online support groups (free), a chat line if you need support in the moment around behaviors (free), so those might be ways to check your comfort level with them. If you think you’re struggling with your ED at any point, you could get an assessment from them. That’s another way to see how you feel about their clinicians and ask questions about the services. I know they have many more locations than when I went, and also offer virtual PHP and IOP, which many people find really helpful to lessening ED symptoms without leaving home. Thanks for asking. I hope some of this is helpful.
[pre-Covid]
Overall:
Klarman at McLean Hospital in Massachusetts was… unique. It’s a hard program, therapists and staff are rather strict. But, even with the strictness, they are hands-down the best at their job. Klarman is a world-renowned treatment program with expert staff, a challenging but successful program, and also some wierd claims to fame (Sylvia Plath went there! It’s the hospital Girl, Interrupted takes place in! But don’t worry, unlike in the movie, the ED patients have their own unit.) And the campus/ building you’re in is GORGEOUS, all North East opulence.
Groups
The groups are really engaging and helpful, again due to the fact that you’re working with world-class clinicians- most PhD’s, most having experience working and learning in Ivy League universities, all experts in their field. They’re really good with comorbidities- I actually ended up spending some time on the Trauma and Dissociative program when they realized I had DID, and that, too, was more helpful than anywhere I’ve ever been. They also have amazing treatment for co-occurring disorders, including different trauma disorders, different OCD’s, phobias, psychotic/schizotypal disorders, substance abuse disorders, etc.
Food:
The food wasn’t great while I was there because the chef had just quit, but I’ve heard it’s usually quite good.
Do you get to know your weight?:
They work towards weight neutrality- knowing your weight, accepting it and detaching emotions from it. This definitely set me up to be in a better position than anywhere else ever had.
Age Range:
SO their TECHNICAL criteria says only up to 27. But I was there with folks in their 30’s and 40’s so I think it’s pretty loose!
Privileges:
You have a good amount of freedom if your’re medically stable and moving in a positive, recovery-oriented direction. You also have a lot more freedoms, walking around the campus (it’s a part of a larger hospital, which is literally a world-class mental health center)
Passes/Outings:
Going on outings both alone and with other patients, etc. There is also a meal outing at least once a week, and you can do snack passes with family or friends.
Meetings with individual providers:
My therapist there got further with me than any therapist had previously, including figuring out and diagnosing my dissociative disorder. They brought in specialists from the OCD program to work with me as well as diagnosing and treating a pretty rare trauma disorder.
Would you recommend?
ABSOLUTELY. They’re literally amazing, I got so much help there. TBH their program was good enough that, if I hadn’t discharged to a unavoidable really bad home situation. I probably wouldn’t have ever needed treatment again. They gave the most tools, the most insight, the best care.
Do you mean the Hill Center?
I’m interested in the Women’s day treatment program. I know it’s not an ED program, but believe it would help with ED indirectly.
If anyone has experience with McLean’s trauma treatment, please share a review of how it works. I hope to be referred soon, and am very nervous for reasons I’m sure anyone who visits this site to consider treatment understands.
I had a different experience than this anon with McLean and trauma. I know they’re supposed to be experts, but I think it must be selective programs, because Klarman did not address trauma at all. My primary issues are trauma and dissociation, and while Klarman was helpful in terms of getting me eating again and gaining weight, my trauma was not treated. I’m local to the area and have looked into the Hill Center a few times at the behest of my team, but didn’t have a great experience with admissions. They said they couldn’t take me if I was struggling with an ed, even though by then I was at a healthy weight and doing okay with my meal plan, and my ed is how I cope with trauma so it made sense to my team that I try to do trauma treatment. Also keep in mind that they are short term and focus on symptom stabilization (those were their phrases). If you do pursue treatment there, good luck and let us know how it goes!
It might not be a fit as I’m not weight restored, yet have GI conditions that I’m working through with a GI provider who said I’m not ready to see a dietitian yet. Having GI stuff means a particular diet that ED programs don’t respect.
I called McLean recently about trauma treatment and was floored when they said the trauma IP is mixed gender. I wouldn’t be able to handle that. The Hill Center no longer has women’s residential, just day treatment. Sounds like I’d be rejected anyway. Frustrating as trauma issues prevent me from going anywhere without a family member due to fear.
I was at Klarman back in 2007 for BN related to my traumas and similar to what you’re saying, the providers said they would only address trauma once I achieved BN recovery, which I made no improvement on at Klarman because it was caused by trauma, so I went elsewhere.
Anon, have you looked into River Oaks? It’s an inpatient treatment center that has a trauma program, an ED program, and an ED/trauma program. It’s in Louisiana, but they take both Medicare and Medicaid and I believe they do SCAs! I don’t know much about what it is like now, but a friend of mine went there in 2017 and had a very good experience. She said it was extremely intense, but worth it. She struggled a lot in traditional ED treatment because of how intense her trauma symptoms were, and how intertwined her ED was with her trauma.
I haven’t as I can’t afford travel and haven’t eaten in front of non-family in years. I was looking for a single gender trauma program in Greater Boston, so I could continue eating at home with family before and after programming.
That makes perfect sense. On a personal note, I have PTSD and have had to deal with longterm trauma-induced agoraphobia that required treatment, so I feel for you very deeply. The “great irony” (as I sometimes darkly refer to it) of treatment for trauma/agoraphobia being that in order to actually get to the treatment program, you have to do that one thing you cannot (which is the reason why you need treatment in the first place!). I know I have research somewhere into trauma programs in the Greater Boston area. I will look for it. One trick I found in looking for trauma programs in general is to do searches for both OCD treatment and trauma treatment. Sometimes further places that treat trauma and trauma symptoms will show up when you search that way.
The best trauma ip that I’ve been to was also mixed gender which also floored me but I was surprised at how that wasn’t a problem when I was there. They were focused on safety and symptom stabilization but were incredibly helpful, and it was Sheppard Pratt’s trauma disorders unit. I know they also do Ed treatment but that wasn’t what I was there for so I don’t know anything about the Ed program there.
trauma trigger warning!!!
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Had I not been sexually assaulted by a patient assigned to give me a tour in a residential program before, I’d be more open-minded, however that combined with how the place blamed me, including name calling and drugging me up so I wouldn’t report it to the police or tell my parents…I simply have zero trust in treatment centers to do the right thing, and live in fear that it would happen again.
It’s prevented me from getting help or disclosing everything for fear the same thing would happen again. As a result I’m afraid of men to the point I can’t leave my home without a family member, can hardly breathe if near a man and begin sweating excessively, abhor medication, and lost trust in psychiatry and everything. The facility used excessive medication to silence me. It’s chemical restraint, a form of institutional abuse.
Are Klarman and Walden the same?
Nope, Klarman EDC is the eating disorder program at McLean Hospital in Boston, which is a extremely highly ranked psychiatric teaching hospital that is part of Harvard University and first opened in the early 1800’s. Klarman only treats women ages 16 up through around 40 (while they say they only treat ages 16-26, that’s incorrect as they also can treat people in their late 20’s, 30’s and sometimes 40’s). Walden EDC is part of Walden Behavioral, which first opened in early 2000’s as a psychiatric/behavioral health treatment program that could provide the full continuum of care from inpatient to outpatient for all ages and genders. It did also start in Boston but now has locations in a few states, while Klarman still is only located in Boston.
Klarman saved my life.
My time at Klarman started off as being the hardest and most grueling time of my life. As weeks went on, it became the best thing that I’ve ever, ever done for myself. I felt like I was “blooming” when I left treatment. The amount of therapy they provide is unmatched—this isn’t a program where you just go in and eat. You have to dig deep. Klarman knows what they are doing. If you want to recover, you need to give up complete control and trust in their process. I think the center has changed dramatically compared to what it was years ago.
I will say that some clinicians at Klarman are better than others. I was super lucky to get a great team. Klarman even set me up with a session with one of the world’s leading trauma experts; you are only going to get that kind of care at McLean. Some other girls weren’t as happy with their providers during their stay. But for me, I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. I owe this center my life.
i was here from JAnuary-March 2018. I ended up signing myself out in march because i hated the program. They are SO strict on weight gain and you don’t get to do literally anything if you don’t meet their weight gain criteria of .5 lb/day. they put such a focus on numbers. i did not like my family therapist and my main therapist was an intern. the meal plans were not individualized at all, they had set meal plans they you would be put on based on your weight/need for weight gain.
for food, they give you menus with 2 options for breakfast lunch and dinner and you pick between them. doesn’t matter if you don’t like the options.
a lot of people got away with behaviors and it was extremely triggering. staff did nothing about it. one girl climbed out of her window at 4 am to go for a run and staff never had a clue.
would not recommend thats for sure
Any recent reviews? I was there in 2011 and hated it but I heard they changed management and things are different now.
I was also there in 2011. I sincerely hope that this place has made drastic changes since then. I’ve been to many treatment centers and and I remember pretty much everything about them all — but the Klarman center? I literally don’t remember my therapist’s name, that was how often we met (I don’t think she knew my name either). There were two bathrooms for >20 girls, with 2-3 staff. There was so much seniority — people who had been there the longest took claim over certain resources (aka tv). If you were on weight gain and you didn’t gain the amount of weight to the ounce that you were supposed to (even though you were supervised 24/7), you had to sit in a wheel chair all day and lose privileges (going to the cafeteria, going on a pass, etc.)
Level of care: Res & short-term 12-hour PHP
When were you there: Late 2014
Describe the average day: 6 am weights & vitals; bathrooms unlocked for showers
8-8:30 breakfast
8:30 treatment planning (check in, set goals for the day)
9:30-10:30 group
10:30-11:30 group or free time, depending on the day
12-12:30 lunch
1-2 group
2-2:45 group
2:45-3 snack
3-5 two groups
5:30-6 dinner
6 post-meal (check-in, plans for the night)
6:30-8:30 visiting hours
8:30-8:45 snack
What were meals like? You sit at a staff-supervised table until you have been at Klarman for a week and have been consistently completing meals and not needing to be redirected; at that point you can apply for peer-supervised where you eat meals without a staff. Snacks are mixed. Once you have been on peer-supervised tables for a while and are doing well, you can join “cafe group” and go to the hospital cafeteria for lunch instead (which is a lot less scary and a lot more tasty than it sounds, plus the environment is just much more relaxed and enjoyable).
What sorts of food were available or served? Everything was cooked by a (very sweet) cook right in the kitchen adjacent to the dining room. Meals are on a four-week rotation. Breakfast is pretty standard stuff like cereal and milk, Eggo waffles, pancakes, scrambled/hard-boiled eggs, fruit, turkey sausage, yogurt, oatmeal, etc. (the only thing I thought was kind of weird was that they never offered toast). Lunch was pretty standard – a sandwich or wrap, the occasional salad. Dinner was varied – they served things like spaghetti alfredo, vegetarian/beef chili, spinach quiche, gnocchi, veggie burgers, quesadillas, stir-fries, chicken teriyaki, chickpea curry, etc. Every other week you do take-out, which can be from places such as Panera, a thai food restaurant, a pizza place, a sub place, etc., and on the weeks in between you do cooking group, which can be making breakfast for dinner or having a “Mediterranean inspired” meal for example. There is also “salad night” once every four weeks where patients have salad as their meal and portion out all the components themselves.
*I know before I left last time (in December 2014) the head dietitian had been planning to implement a new set of menus and add some new meals to the rotation, so I’m not sure what’s changed since I left
Did they supplement? How did that system work? If you don’t complete your meal, you are expected to supplement. I believe their policy when I was that if you finished over half of your meal, you were given Ensure in an equivalent caloric amount to what you didn’t complete; and if you did not finish at least half your meal, you were expected to supplement for the entire thing. Refusing supplements too many times, especially if you are underweight, would result in them having a doctor come in, insert an NG tube, supplement that way and remove it after. So if you are someone who is not committed to completion, don’t come here because that tube going in and out isn’t good for anyone’s esophagus. Obviously since this is not a hospital they can’t force you to be tubed, but if you refuse both Ensure and the tube repeatedly, they will send you inpatient somewhere else.
What privileges are allowed? Like I stated above, if you are compliant you can apply for privileges peer-supervised tables and cafe group. Once you have cafe group, you can apply for walk group (although if you are on weight-gain protocol they will make you wait until you are fairly close to your weight range for that one, so it can take a while), passes, and fitness center (the hospital gym). I know that recently they also started allowing patients to have their phones during the day (it used to be that people would bring tracfones because they didn’t allow phones with cameras).
Does it work on a level system? No
What sort of groups do they have? CBT twice a week, ACT once a week, LOTS of DBT, Body Image, Art Therapy multiple times a week, Anger Management, Perfectionism, Family Issues, Nutrition twice a week, etc.
What was your favorite group? I loved art therapy once I allowed myself to open up to it, and the therapist who led CBT made that group really worth going to (although his strong personality does rub people the wrong way sometimes). Some Body Image groups were really helpful too, even if they were uncomfortable.
What did you like the most? My therapist, the fact that they offer individual art therapy, the cook and being allowed to help her out in the kitchen
What did you like the least? The way everything was dependent on a strict weight-gain protocol if you come in underweight. Passes, walks, and cafe group all get pulled if you don’t meet “projection,” aka your projected weight gain of .5 lbs every day. So you can be doing absolutely everything you need to, be completely sedentary and on the highest meal plan, and still not be allowed to access the privileges you have worked for. I understand their philosophy that rapid weight gain is more beneficial to recovery than a slower rate, but it often just felt like the emphasis that the eating disorder puts on weight was being reinforced.
Would you recommend this program? Overall, yes. There are aspects of it that really frustrated me, but it still got me to a good place in recovery and was beneficial in many ways.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed? 20 minute walks three times a week or a ½ hour at the fitness center (if you are approved for those privileges)
What did people do on weekends? There were some groups but they were very low-key. Most people had visitors (there are extended visiting hours on Saturdays) or went on passes, if they were eligible. Those who stayed at Klarman usually watched movies or TV or played games
Do you get to know your weight? Depends on your dietitian and whether they think it would be more harmful or helpful
How fast is the weight gain process? 3.5 lbs/week, and they are strict about it
What was the average length of stay? I’d say the average is maybe a little over 2 months, including 2-3 weeks of PHP, but there are some people who stay much longer or much shorter (although usually someone would only stay much shorter if their insurance cut)
What was the average age range? They only take ages 17-27 (although they do sometimes make exceptions)
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an OP treatment team? Well the program includes a 12-hour PHP that almost everyone steps down to and does for about two or three weeks; and the treatment teams at Klarman are very good about helping set up aftercare plans and contacting IOP centers or outpatient teams.
I know this is super late, but in case you’re still wondering (or anyone else is) – yes, you can have an iPhone
Can you have your iPhone? I’ve seen people post pictures from there. Also is there usually a long wait list? And can you sign yourself out AMA if you’re an adult?
Has anyone been to klarman as a diabulumia patient?
I would not recommend this place to anyone. Maybe as a last resort. There is a place called Monte Nido. The staff will care about you. Klarman is all about the almighty dollar.
Can you explain more about what exactly you didn’t like about it or in what way you experienced it as being all about the money? Monte Nido seems like a great program but unfortunately they are also extremely expensive (much more so than many other residential programs in the area) and for that reason insurance doesn’t always cover the full price, or at least mine doesn’t.
This is in response to Pammellaaaaa who asked (on the consumer reviews page):
“Can someone please write a review/daily schedule/ if what McLean hospital Klarman eating disorder center is like? How many people? Weight gain expection? Length of stay? Monitoring? anything? Please”
So to answer your first questions:
The daily schedule is: 6am weights/vitals (every day if you are on weight gain protocol, M/W/F if you are on maintenance), 8-8:30am breakfast, 9am Treatment Planning group, 10am group, 11am either group or free time depending on the day, 12-12:30pm lunch, 1pm group, 2pm group, 2:45-3pm snack, 3pm group, 4pm group, 5-5:30 free time, 5:30-6 dinner, 6ish Post-meal group, 7-8:30 visiting hours, 8:30-8:45 evening snack, 8:45 wrap-up group, then meds/showers/whatever until 11 on weeknights and midnight on weekends.
Groups include CBT, all the different types of DBT (mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance), ACT, body image, art therapy, group therapy, etc. Treatment Planning, Post-meal, and wrap-up are the only groups that are held every day. They are basically a quick group check-in on feelings, body sensations, urges, and goals for the day.
There are 20 people on res max (and it’s usually full) and 4-5 or so on partial (the most I’ve seen on partial is 8, and that seemed like a LOT).
The weight gain expectation (if that is part of your treatment) is 0.5 lb/day and they are really strict about it. If you don’t meet weight gain expectations even just from one day to the next you can lose privileges such as passes, walk group, and going to caf for lunch. If there’s one thing I really don’t like about the program, it’s how much depends on this exact rate of weight gain.
The length of stay is typically 6-8 weeks, I would say. If you have a lot of weight to gain, plan on a longer stay. They WILL keep you until you are in your range and have been maintaining for a little while. They really work hard to keep people until they are truly ready to leave, no matter how long it takes. Some people stay 4-5 months, some even longer than that.
I’m not really sure what you mean by “monitoring”… there are always staff members around (supposed to be 4 on every shift, but the unit is often short-staffed and there are sometimes only 3 or occasionally even just 2) keeping an eye on us. Your first week there, and longer if necessary, you’re on “staff supervised tables” (so eat meals at a table with a staff member, as opposed to “peer supervised tables,” which is the next step) and bathroom supervision (you have to keep the door cracked and count/talk/sing/hum while you’re in the bathroom as well as show a staff member before you flush).
Overall I think Klarman is a really good program and I would definitely recommend it. It’s not perfect and there are parts about it that I really hate but there are also many positives. Personally, I benefited a lot from being able to stay in res until I was in my range because I have a really hard time gaining weight in a less intensive setting. I also really connected with my therapist and LOVED that there was so much art therapy.
Let me know if you have any more specific questions! I’ve been at Klarman pretty much 8 out of the past 12 months so I know the program pretty well.
Thank you so much for responding to my comment. I’m being admitted hopefully the first week in December. Im really nervous. I’m in my 20s, I’m scared I’ll be the oldest one there. Do they combine the partial program and residential during the day? I’ll be in the residential part. You have been there recently? Does the staff and therapist seem caring like they really do want to help? Also how is it for vegetarians there? I’m a vegetarian. Do they go on outgoings, like food challenges? I’ve been to place where they’ve done that in the past. I was wondering if that was the case. Also they don’t threaten the feeding tube or anything like that do they? The meals are okay? I’m just slightly freaking out. Also do you know of things you can and can’t bring? They have emailed the packing list. I assume they will MONDAY decemver 1, that’s when I’m supposed to call to see if there is a bed available for that week.
No problem! Don’t worry about being the oldest one, usually most of the girls there are in there early to mid twenties, with a few teenagers and a few in their later 20’s. Residential and partial are combined. Klarman’s partial program is pretty much the same as being on residential, except you have night snack & sleep at home and are allowed to take days off. So there’s not really much of a separation between the women on partial and those in residential.
The therapists all seem incredibly caring and invested in their patients’ best interests, and for the most part the same if true for the rest of the staff. Just like anywhere else, there are a few counselors who just seem like they’re just there to get some experience and move on to bigger and better things, but there are also many others who are really helpful and genuine.
There are definitely always at least a few vegetarians at Klarman, and there is always at least one vegetarian option at every meal. Sometimes it kind of sucks because you’ll only have one option and if it’s something you don’t like, you’re sort of stuck with it anyways.
Once a week the people who are on “caf group” (allowed to go to McLean’s cafeteria for lunch instead of staying on the unit) go on an outing to a restaurant that they select from a list of “approved outings.” You probably won’t go on it for at least your first few weeks there because they like to wait until someone has had a little experience on caf group and seems ready for the challenge. Also, every two weeks we have takeout night, which everyone on the unit is expected to participate in. We’ve done thai food, panera, subs, pizza, etc.
The meals overall are okay. I mean they’re all prepared by a cook who has to make things for 20+ girls pretty much on her own so it’s not exactly gourmet dining, but there’s good variety. I definitely have my favorites (the vegetarian chili is delicious!).
They’ll only threaten the tube if you’re at a low weight and consistently non-compliant. Klarman is not somewhere to go if you need tube-feeding… if you end up needing it more than a couple times (or refusing when they deem it necessary) they’ll send you inpatient somewhere else.
They probably covered most of the things you can and can’t bring in the packing list. I would definitely recommend bringing your own pillow and bedding if you are able to because the ones they provide you with are the uncomfortable hospital ones.
Good luck! I’m happy I could help.
Hi!
I would like to know how they fix the weight range. What is the BMI they want us to reach?
Thank you!
Can anyone give a recent review on Klarman please?
Does anyone know if Klarman tubes? And how often/under which circumstances?
Klarman tubes if you consistently refuse your meals but they don’t leave it in. They put you in the nursing room and put it in and take it out. If you keep on refusing your meals or to replace they’ll send you to a higher level of care (usually Alcott at Walden). If you need a tube Klarman is not the place to be.
Level of care: Resi, PHP (Keep in mind that PHP is 12 hours)
When were you there: Dec 2010-March 2011, July-Aug 2011, Feb-March 2012, Aug-Sept 2012, Dec 2012-Jan 2013
Describe the average day: Wake up at 6 to pee/take weights and vitals. Breakfast at 8, Lunch at 12, Snack at 245, Dinner at 530, Snack II at 830 (I think?). Lights out at 11. A lot of sitting around. If the CRCs aren’t motivated it can be pretty boring; weekends were torture sometimes because of this. Cellphones in the evening and during visiting hours on the weekends but it has to be a cellphone without camera/internet access.
What were meals like? Freshly prepared. 4 meal cycles.
What sorts of food were available or served? A variety of foods, not just “healthy” ED foods. Patients were encouraged to challenge themselves. Allergies/intolerances are accomodated (as long as they are documented/verifed by a medical professional). Although it kind of sucked because sometimes both meal options had ingredients that I couldn’t eat :-/
Did they supplement? How did that system work? Enlive/ensure and the amount depended on whether or not you were on weight gain. The person supervising could be ridiculous though; one girl had to replace for not finishing like 2 pretzels.
What privileges are allowed? Unsupervised bathroom, passes, unsupervised tables, cafeteria, walks on the campus, fitness center, mindful eating (you get to eat a bit more/less. Only for people who are weight-restored. The idea is to eat intuitively, but I did see this privilege abused at times).
Does it work on a level system? Kind of? I know they attempted to formally introduce a levels system but it was confusing and I think they just went back to the old system IIRC.
What sort of groups do they have? Groups included: therapy group, anger management, trauma, ambivalence and motivation, nutrition, body image
What was your favorite group? Body image was the most useful
What did you like the most? Mxxx is the most amazing, kind, patient staff member. He really made that place bearable. The clinicians are great. The director is very dedicated to the patients. They WILL get on the phone and literally fight your insurance for hours.
What did you like the least? Some of the younger CRCs could be a bit bratty and enforce rules unequally depending on their mood. Some of the patients were catty (but that tends to happen anywhere). CRCs were not well trained in recognizing and addressing PTSD symptoms. I wish that there was more opportunities to self-portion and prepare food. The program is skewed towards high schoolers in some ways (probably a vestige of the old age range). I also wish that there had been more outings that focused on different meals besides lunch. I know in the past they used to do different outings (movies, for example) but not anymore for some reasons.
Would you recommend this program? Only if you are truly ready to recover. Other patients don’t like it when people don’t follow the program and if you’re struggling they can make it difficult for you.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed? Fitness center, and walks around campus.
What did people do on weekends? Sleep, read, watch movies, talent shows, crafts, visit with family. The CRCs tend to facilitate groups in a perfunctory manner on the weekends.
Do you get to know your weight? Depends on whether or not your team thinks you can handle that information and it depends on where you are in the treatment process.
How fast is the weight gain process? .5 pounds per day. If you don’t gain on schedule your meal plan is increased. Sometimes privileges are taken away if staff suspect that you’re manipulating treatment.
What was the average length of stay? Depends on insurance and individual needs. Some people stay in resi for only a week or so and do partial. Some people stay there for years!
What was the average age range? Used to be 13-23, now 16-26
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an OP treatment team? Yes, you have to have an outpatient team set up before you discharge.
I have heard it’s changed here since i went, however, I can say that their system of reward/punishment is very counterproductive and not helpful. Particularly since you can’t always help it if you’re gaining or not, I was following my meal plan every step, yet failed to make the necessary .5 lb per day rule and was punished by being put on chair rest. For me, that just made me resentful and i was upset i was being punished for something i couldn’t control. Furthermore, they DID make me gain at an unhealthily fast pace, and i gained about 20 lbs in 3 weeks. Which made me freak out when i got out. Also, the meal plans felt more like you were bingeing they were much too big, and i left actually bingeing whereas i’d NEVER struggled wtih that before. I was discharged essentially right when i reached my weight, so i really didn’t have time to adjust or get used to a normal meal plan, and was so used to the huge one they had me on. Last but not least, staff were rude and had their favorites, and it felt like high school all over again with cliques of patients and the “popular ones”. I left worse than i went in, even going in with an “I want to do this” attitude. IDK might be helpful to some. But being an adult, i found it to be TOO restrictive, whereas i didn’t learn anything, and just felt like a prisoner.
When were you there: July-August 2013
How many patients on average? The maximum is about 20 patients – it was always close to full when I was there
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined? No, only females
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc? Medical doctor when you first arrive, psychiatrist twice a week, therapist 3 times a week, nutritionist 1-2 times a week
What is the staff ratio to patients? Generally 4-5 CRCs (community residence counselors) during the day/evening shifts, plus clinicians
What sort of therapies are used? (DBT, CBT, EMDR) etc? DBT, CBT, ACT
Describe the average day: 6 – wake up, urine sample, weights, vitals (once in your range you only do this MWF; every day while on weight gain). You can shower or go back to sleep until breakfast (bathrooms unlocked in the mornings). 8-8:30 – breakfast. 8:30 –thought record, treatment planning. 9-12: two groups (usually one of these is Academics, where you can work on schoolwork or aftercare planning). 12-12:30 – lunch. 12:30 – thought record. 1-2:45 – 2 more groups. 2:45-3 – snack. 3-5 – 2 more groups. 5-5:30 – quiet time. 5:30-6 – dinner. 6 – post-meal. 7-8:30 – visiting hours, cell phone time. 8:30-8:45 – snack. 8:45—wrap-up. 10—lights out.
What were meals like? When you come in, you sit at the staff supervised table, and you stay there until you’re completing consistently and not using behaviors. The other tables are “peer-supervised†(no staff). Food is already plated when you come in, and you find the plate with your menu next to it. Meals are half an hour, snacks are 15 minutes. General talk is allowed (nothing triggering, obviously) and sometimes we listened to the radio or played word games.
What sorts of food were available or served? Food was generally pretty good, but it got repetitive – there are 4 cycles of meals, so once you’ve been there a while, you’ve had everything. You fill out menus 2 weeks in advance, and you can’t change them once you turn them in, unless you have a meal plan change. There are generally 2 options for entrees/sandwiches, and a few more for breakfast. Once you get to a certain level of privileges, you can go to the hospital cafeteria for lunch on weekdays with the other patients and staff, where you can pick your own food and there’s more variety. On Wednesdays, we have either take-out or a cooking activity.
How did the meal plans work? Everyone starts off on MP2, unless they’re afraid of refeeding syndrome, in which case they put you on MP1 (which is really small). The meal plans go all the way up to 5, but you can also have things like MP 3.5 (3 for meals, 4 for snacks). Once you’re in your range, they try to move you down to a maintenance plan before you leave.
Did they supplement? How did that system work? When you arrive, you have a 24-hour grace period where you don’t have to supplement (unless you’re a re-admit). After that, you’re supplemented with Ensure. If you complete less than 50% of the meal, you have to replace for the entire meal, but if you complete more than half, you only replace the percentage that you didn’t complete. You have 15 minutes to drink the replacement, and you have to sit with it for the whole time. If you refuse multiple times, you’re offered a tube feed (I never saw anyone get one, though).
What is the policy of not complying with meals? You lose privileges like caf, passes, and walk group for 24 hours. At the end of my stay, they started enforcing a rule that you were put on 24-hour bathroom supervision and staff-supervised tables, but that had never been enforced before while I was there.
Are you able to be a vegetarian? Yes – if both entrees are non-vegetarian, they’ll include a vegetarian option (but you can’t choose that if you’re not vegetarian). I’m not a vegetarian so I can’t comment on the food, but it seemed like a lot of tofu.
What privileges are allowed? Getting off bathroom/shower supervision (bathrooms are still locked, but you don’t have to count), walk group, cafeteria, passes, weekend outings, peer-supervised tables, kitchen group (helping make dinner).
Does it work on a level system? No
How do you earn privileges? For the earlier ones, you have to be completing and not using behaviors consistently. For passes/outings/walk group, you have to be somewhat near your weight range (I think it’s about 80% weight-restored). You apply for privileges Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and your team decides on them in rounds. Apparently there used to be a yoga group you could apply for, but not anymore.
What sort of groups do they have? DBT (mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, intrapersonal effectiveness), CBT, ACT, anger management, body image, perfectionism, art therapy, relaxation, therapy group, wellness, nutrition, addictions, transitions, ambivalence/motivation, relapse prevention. The trauma group leader left recently and no one replaced her, which a lot of people were upset about.
What was your favorite group? Art therapy, CBT, perfectionism
What did you like the most? CRCs were always available to support you (you were assigned a “staff talk†for the day and for the evening, who you could go to and talk things over)
What did you like the least? Many of the groups were repetitive – we went over the 3 types of anger every single week in anger management. Also, 6 groups per day was kind of overwhelming – by the last one everyone was burnt out.
Would you recommend this program? Yes, absolutely. It gives you enough time to interrupt behaviors, get weight-restored, and also it gives you the tools to work on how to effectively handle real life.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed? Just walk group. Yoga group was no longer a thing, as I said earlier, and “fitness center†was on the request form, but no one ever got to do that – not sure why.
What did people do on weekends? Weekends are very low key – there’s usually about 2 groups, but sometimes we could convince the CRCs to let us do “group bonding†(aka watching a movie together) instead. Lots of downtime, unless you had visitors. Once you get outings and passes though, there was more to do. (Outings were every Saturday, always to an approved restaurant).
Do you get to know your weight? Only if you asked your nutritionist and made a good case for it. I chose not to.
How fast is the weight gain process? It differs for everyone – the usual is half a pound per day. Staying on “projection†means keeping up with the weight gain requirement – if you don’t keep up, you get on warning and then chair rest, and usually a meal plan increase. After a while you can be “reset†if you’re super behind projection, so you can get back on track.
What was the average length of stay? 6-8 weeks.
What was the average age range? Only 16-26 are admitted. Most while I was there were around 19-20. (There is some flexibility – one patient was 27).
How do visits/phone calls work? Visiting hours are 7-8:30 every day except Sunday, and also 1-2:30 on Saturday and Sunday. Cell phones are only allowed during certain times at night (and you have to have a trac phone, no cameras allowed). There is a unit phone, but there are so many people that it’s hard to have a long conversation.
Are you able to go out on passes? Yes, once you get that privilege. Passes can be taken alone, with family/friends, or with other patients. Patients under 18 can only go with family. You can usually take 1 pass during the week and 2 during the weekend.
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an OP treatment team? You can do the partial program if you live nearby, but it’s easy – you come from 7 AM to 7 PM, so you’re barely spending time at home, although you do get days off. They make sure you have aftercare set up before you discharge.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country? There were many people from out of state, but no one from out of the country.
Has anyone been there since they increased the age range from 22 to 26? If so ( especially those between 22-26), how was it? We’re they flexible to meet the needs of an adult? What did you do during the scheduled homework time? Did you room with someone close to your age? Would you recommend it?
I am desperately trying to go someplace other than Walden (been there many times and think they are greedy, lying, and cruel). I can’t fathom the idea of being there. It makes me physically ill.
Anyway, any information would be helpful.
Klarman Eating Disorder Center did not help me, but that is for two reasons. First of all, I was unwilling to be helped but more importantly… second of all, they did not go about it in a way that I found productive. Being sent there by my parents meant that I fought at each step. Their system of punishment & rewards is not helpful and instead is counterproductive! Furthermore, treatment did not centre around the core of my illness: my emotions and instead was catered around re-feeding. Whilst this is also important, long term recovery is IMPOSSIBLE unless one understands what triggers the ED. The staff are impatient and rude (excluding some caring people), especially the awful team of nurses that constantly have attitude. They are being paid to be there, therefore they should do their job without showing grief when somebody does not listen.
Would it be possible for someone to answer a few of my questions? Thanks!
how fast is the expected weight gain?
do they start the mealplans smaller and gradually increase?
do they want you to stay there (either res or php) until you are fully weight restored?
can you be vegetarian?
do you have roommates?
do they push meds?
thanks!
Wt. gain is 3.5 lbs per week. This is a very strict protocol. If you are on a weight gaining plan and you don’t meet the 1/2 lb a day they put you on chair rest. If you don’t meet your weekly goal, you lose priviledges. There are only two single rooms, so most likely would have one roommate. There are a couple of triple rooms also. Everyone sees the psychiatrist. I don’t know if everyone takes meds. Weight restoration is fast here the recommended stay they say generally is 4-8 weeks for residential and shorter or longer depending on the individual. PHP is 7am-7pm and you stay in a hotel. How long you stay depends a lot on insurance. My insurance only covered one week residential. I left in less than two weeks and found a program that was more suitable for my needs/age. You can be vegetarian, the options on trays are limited. I was never on Cafe group so I don’t know what its like to be vegetarian and go to the Cafeteria for lunch…they may have more options, however you always have trays for dinner your whole stay in residential and partial. They do start the meal plan smaller and increase it. The plans are challenging and weight gain is done through a mix of food and supplements. I never saw tube feeding used for any reason when I was there. They will ask people to leave for non-compliance.
Can anyone tell me what the meal plans are like? I’ve been at Walden a few times before and was wondering how it is compared to there. I’m on an exchange base meal plan which I really like.
Klarman also has exchange meal plans. When you first get admitted you meal plan for the next 3 weeks. After that you meal plan once a week. The meal plans are very challenging there. There’s meal plan 1, meal plan 2, meal plan 3, meal plan 4 and meal plan 5. Some patients have meal plan 2 1/2 or meal plan 3 1/2. Most patients start at meal plan 2 which gives you a lot of choices at breakfast. All patients don’t have a morning snack unless they really want one and think it is needed. Everyone has to have a dessert with their lunch. Examples of desserts include 4 oreo cookies, 4 chips o-hoy cookies, animal crackers, nilla wafers. You get a choice of two desserts for each lunch. Patients on meal plans 3, 4, 5 and in between need a “c” option or a weight gain supplement with their lunch. “c” options are Carnation instant breakfast (CIB), 1 clif bar, 2 Nature Valley Crunchy granola bars, ensure pudding, 4 ounces of ensure complete, 6 oz of enlive. If a meal isn’t completed within a certain amount of time, ensure is given. Depending on your meal plan and/or needs depends on how much time you get for a meal or snack. Everyone is required to have an afternoon snack and an evening snack. Most people get 30 minutes for meals and 15 minutes for snacks which is what most treatment places give. Jamie, the nutritionist loves mexican foods and poptarts so there is a lot of those on the meal plans. One poptart is considered 2 starches and 1 fat. All dinners entrees are served hot. You are given a choice of 2 dinner entrees for each dinner. For afternoon snacks you are called into the kitchen/ dining room and have a display of all the snack choices and you choose choose it then and there. For afternoon snack you need 1, 2, or 3 items depending on your meal plan. A lot of patients get a fruit or chobani yogurt if they need 1 thing. For evening snack you are given a choice of at least 3 things and have to get water or tea with your snack. Depending on your meal plan you may need to have a “dairy” with your evening snack depending on your meal plan. A “dairy” is 8 oz of milk (usually whole milk), 1 yoplait yogurt, 1 chobani yogurt, or cottage cheese. There’s a Cafe group of patients who earned the privilege to eat lunch at the Cafe everyday. You can apply to be included in that group if you’re complying with the rules and have already gotten onto peer supervised tables which is another privilege.
i was at Klarman from Aug. -Oct. 2012. My experience was not stellar.
the bad:
The building is very old, and some of the rooms are tiny. My first roommate also struggled with substance abuse, and within a week of my arrival she had been discharged because she brought in alcohol and shared with another patient. My second roommate came a few weeks later, and made me very anxious because she was always staring at me and got sick in our room several times. Nothing like waking up to the sound of wretching a few feet from your head…
For a week, there was no hot water so all the patients had to a.) forgo hygiene or b.)endure showers in 50 degree water. And since all the meals were prepared in the building’s kitchen by the CRCs and dietician, we had to use plastic and styrofoam because the dishwasher broke at the same time. One day the toilets wouldnt even flush!!
During the last few weeks of my stay, there were a TON of admissions, and the staff wasn’t ready to handle the influx, especially since the majority of the new patients were NOT willing to comply and would simply sit back at meals, either staring at those of us who WERE attempting to eat, or just closing their eyes and chatting amiably with the staff.
the good:
the program is very structured, and the meals provide the challenges that people who are TRULY COMMITTED to recovery need to combat the ED voice. The staff are great, and there is always someone to talk to when you need it… sometimes help seems a little TOO readily available. The food is very high quality and (mostly) tasty. Integrity and accountability are tantamount. You can go outside, and the campus is beautiful. The whole program always patients to progress towards a “real life” type setting, instead of some centers’ very institutional approach.
My verdict: the experience really depends on what is going on at the time you are admitted/ there. If you are willing to do whatever it takes to get better, Klarman will help. But if you want to hang on to the ED or aren’t ready for recovery, dont bother. It would be a waste of time and you will just contribute to any negativity in the environment.
My prayers are with all of you seeking help in the journey to freedom. be strong!
Since you were there recently, can you do a full review, please? You mentioned people who wouldn’t comply. They take involuntary admissions, right? Did they tube people who kept not complying? You said they made it more and more “real world”. How so? I didn’t realize they had any step down like PHP or IOP.
I can answer these questions for you. They do take involuntary admission….since they take kids under 18. They do tube, but its not what you think. If your under a certian % and dont comply, they will tube you, put the ensure in the tube, and take it out. It all happens in a matter of 20 min. After they have to do this 3 times, they send you somewhere else. (word to the wise, This type of tubing policy HURTS worse than any other tube Ive ever had) Also they have a PHP program, basically the same as res. but you go home after dinner i believe, and come back for breakfast.
Hello, can anyone tell me if phones and computers are allowed here?
Phones are allowed (when I was there your cell phone couldn’t have a camera, so pick up a cheap one; but that rule might have changed). They have computers with internet available for patient use outside of grroups and in free time
Karen – I will answer your questions. My daughter is the 16 yr old who wrote the 1st review, she was there Jan 2012 residential 4 weeks and then insurance paid for 1 more week as partial. At this point, she has slipped and needs to go back. What’s holding her back is that she can’t exercise there but as we all know that is part of the ED problem. She is very willing to go to their partial program which is also excellent (7am-7pm) but she does need residential. The “exercise” there consists of group walks and yoga on Sat. My daughter went in being a vegetarian but again, as we all know that too can be ED-related as a way to restrict foods. Anyway, with the amazing nutritionist she came out being ok with eating turkey and chicken again. But if you are truly a strict vegetarian, my daughter says you can be but not as many food choices. But the nutritionist make’s the best tofu lasagna, , humous, and gnochi dishes, that we actually asked for the recipes.
Can you be vegetarian? How are they about exercise? I am an athlete, and want to get back to that.
I will leave a review on Klarman later because I have been their several times, but can you change the name to McLean?
Pre-2012 Reviews
Hi, I am 16 yrs old and have an ED (mostly bulimic) for over 2 yrs. I spent 5 weeks at Long Island Jewish day program and I finally accepted that I needed residential help and just got out of Klarman, I was there 4 weeks residential and 1 week partial (7AM to 7PM).
I strongly recommend Klarman because it has best groups with an amazing staff, especially Mark for CBC, Sarah for body image and Jamie the nutritionist, Laura for art , Bo and Mike M, the CRC (community residential counselors),and Donna, my family therapist. . Jamie is tough sh*t and she likes to challenge you but she knows her stuff.
There are 10 double bedrooms, 1 single room, and 2 triple rooms. You are given a roommate based on your age. There is a dresser and closet and bed for each patient. There are 2 TV rooms, 1 multi-purpose group room and a kitchen and dining room. There is a small academic room with 4 computers. You can have a cell phone at night but only one without a camera. There are also pay phones. There is a washer and dryer in the basement.
One of the reasons I picked this place because it doesn’t look like a hospital but a college campus. The bedrooms are like dorm rooms. Outside the building is a porch and gazebo and if you are 18 you can sit in the gazebo.
When you first get there, you have no privileges meaning you can’t use the bathroom or shower without supervision – you have to count or hum while staff was outside. Bedrooms are locked after all meals for 1 hr and ½ hr after afternoon and evening snack.
Most of the food is amazing because it is prepared right in the kitchen. Also, patients >18 yrs old and have earned the privilege help Jamie make the food I tried food here that I would have never tried before and really enjoyed it – veggie nuggets, gnocchi, humus, quesadilla, Mexican dishes, etc. At dinner, you can even have soda sometimes. Wednesday nights they have take-out food from restaurants like Panera Bread. and Chinese.
I was not in Klarman to gain weight and I always was and remained on the lower end of the range that was set for me. In the 5 weeks I was there, I remained the same weight and that was fine. The 1st week you are weighed everyday, after that 3x a week and vitals and you cannot see your weight. Based on your ED and weight determines the quantity of food you are given.
After the 1st week, you can apply for privileges, the first one is unsupervised bathroom and showers and unsupervised meals (you are then on peer supervision). The 2nd week I got onto cafeteria, meaning, everyday for lunch you walk to another building to a cafeteria and can order anything – pizza, burgers, deli, hot food, wraps. The 3rd week, I got onto walk group – 30 min walk around the grounds 1-2x a week or yoga. Yoga teacher is very enthusiastic and I enjoyed it. The 4th week I was able to apply for passes – your family can take you out for a few hours. Also another privilege is on Saturdays for lunch, you get to go on an outing to a restaurant but for my turn, it snowed so we couldn’t go.
Therapy:
1x a week with your assigned psychiatrist for like 15 min. She was nice but a bit overwhelming and interrogating but knows her stuff.
2-3x a week you meet with an individual therapist for 1 hr which was good and she was nice and helpful.
1x a week I met with the family therapist for ½ hr and the next day we would have a telephone conference with my parents for about an hour .
The day pretty much follows the schedule posted on their website with many group therapy sessions. . Except on the week-ends there is more down time and less groups than listed on the schedule. My favorite groups were CBT, wellness, nutrition, and art. .
There were only 2 staff members I did not like.
When you check –in you get a binder of rules. Everyday you are given worksheets and these go into the binder. You also work on a recovery workbook.
The age group is 13-22 however the time I was there, especially the beg. weeks, about half were 18-22. Most stay 4-8 weeks but some 3-6 months and some were there before or at other residential facilities. I found a lot of the girls to be bit*chy and not supportive with lots of drama. For me, that was the worst part of this place. The last weeks I was there, I bonded with a couple of girls so it’s all a matter of luck as to the group you are with.
In summary, this facility is the best and I’m glad I went here because it will help me live a normal life. I would have liked to stay longer but my insurance only paid for 4 weeks residential and 1 week partial.
Hey I hope I’m not answering too late. I was there july-sept2011
They force you to do things even if your eighteen. Its not as bad as being under age because you can go outside, get 18+ walk group ( where you can leave Klarman for 30 minutes and walk around the grounds) but other then that they will force you. Although no one really follows chair rest too much. Some patients however got so pissed when you didn’t do chair rest. I don’t know it was just bad. Chair rest needs to be abolished… its a ridiculous that they use it as a punishment but of course you can have stuff to do while you are sitting. To be honest at the end I got really antsy and would run around the place and never actually got in too much trouble, although they I managed to hardly be seen by staff. The schedule is flexible and completely inflexible depending on who’s on staff. But you can always go sit at the front of the building near the nurses station, especially if your feeling anxious. However, if you are chronically doing that they will threaten to take away somes of your rights.. especially if you’ve moved up and earned things like passes. Bedrooms are not locked all day but they encourage you to stay out of them during groups and really just through out the entire day. They are locked one hour after meals and a half an hour after snacks.As for privacy I’m pretty sure you can go in your room, I saw a lot of other people do that. Or sit outside, their is a veranda thing that you can sit in. Personally the first two weeks I was there I couldn’t get over how depressing it was. I don’t know, sofas are ripped and the paint is horrible. I was expecting something different from McClean. However, it is soooooo much better then regular inpatient hospital and no hospital food. I’m likely to sound harsh right now about the place but if you really want to get better it can be helpful. I was doing well for a little while after getting out. They really do treat you like a child though even if your no longer one. I’d go somewhere else if you can.
I was there from July- September 2011 and some of the things person said are not true. You can go to caf at 80% of your weight not 75%. I’ve personally never seen anyone have to be on bed rest and have not heard of them implementing bed rest. Wheelchair is there however it is rest is rare. You have to not meet projection for quite a while or have really horrible physiological health.
Projection is quite a lot per day but it’s not as horrible as I thought it was going to be. First of all when I came I was put on meal plan 1, which is very small. For example lunch would consist of half a peanut sandwich and two oreos. Most people do not get put on 1 but if they fear refeeding syndrome that person will be put on it. Meal plan 2 is just double that and that’s what most people start out on. It really doesn’t get that horrible until meal plan 4 & 5. The food isn’t that bad and snacks can have good options over 75% of the time. Its not gourmet obviously but the dinners are much better then inpatient food or food I had at renfrew. There was only one meal I could say was just horrid but it only happened like every 6 weeks. They had lots of variety at snacks and pretty good breakfasts. I wasn’t allowed to go to caf for quite a while even though I had been compliant and lunches became very reptive. Once I got to caf lunch was really good. Caf is a really good challenge and also as a bonus tastes pretty good.
I think the nutrition aspect of the program is the best part of the program as a whole. and the nutritionist really is amazing. She was my favorite staff besides a couple of CRCs. It was impossible to not like her or to feel angry at her. She really knows her shit but isn’t arrogant and cold like other ones I’ve come across. The groups aren’t that good but some i liked. Mark’s cbt groups are really good. Beware DBT. They overload you with it there. It is stressed far too much in my opinion and they groups are unhelpful and tedious. People liked art. I liked education a lot because you could just read or use the computer if you were not in high school. Also if you have a drug problem you can go to procter (the residential drug rehab at McLean) and go to a group a day there and have a cigarette if you smoke. The no smoking rule at Klarman is annoying but I found there are lots of ways to get around it and usually not get caught. The amount of girls differs, at one point there was 26 girls in total (including partial) and another time only 13 or 14. It just depends on when you are there.
The program has some definite flaws but if you put into it you can definitely get something out of it. If anyone has any questions feel free to ask.