Mirasol had a residential house for adults and a residential house for adolescents. They also had PHP, IOP and Transitional Living. Any reviews? Please post in comments below. You can check out the FAQ and Guidelines for suggested questions. Thank you!
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One more recent update is that Mirasol is currently open and in good standing. A current and/or more recent review would be greatly appreciated!
Via their website, Mirasol is indeed still closed and has been since 2021. They claim that the website is still up for information, but the center is definitely closed.
I heard it was open again. Does anyone have a toll free number or email or website to reach them?
Thank you.
Is Mirasol open?
If so has anyone been there since their closing?
I just did a Google map search and it listed Mirasol as ‘permanently closed’.
when were you there?
how often do you meet with the medical doctor, your individual therapist, the nutritionist?
what therapies do they use most (DBT, CBT, IFS, EMDR, nature therapy, massage, acupuncture, reiki….?)
what types of groups were there?
was it all group based/ any individual sessions? do they involve family?
what were meals like..
what kind of food/brands?
how was it served (serve yourself buffet style, plated for you)
was there a chef? like some places you make your own breakfast and snacks and then a chef does lunch and dinner
how were the meals decided
exchange system used?
did they supplement?
is there a level system?
did you feel like you were treated well/listened to?
is there phone/computer rules?
did a lot of people come from different states?
php housing available? prices? laundry?
Thank God this place is now CLOSED. I can’t tell you how traumatic it was to be kicked out into the street – with no discharge plan – after being forced to stay there for 5 months in 2016. Former Director D**** deserves to be in jail. So glad this place finally closed after stealing thousands from their patients. Hopefully, more consequences are in store for her and the entire company since their bankruptcy.
Mirasol stole $40,000 from my parents and refuse to pay it back, despite this being illegal. The program director had just switched when I was there in 2018. She had just been hired to be the trauma therapist, and then the previous director (who was great) left suddenly, and this trauma therapist became the director. Everything was hectic there. Every meal encouraged orthorexic behaviors. There was an option to eat one tiny piece of chocolate three times a week after dinner. But otherwise everything was quinoa, kale, beans, and everything hard to digest. I have stomach issues so this was a huge issue. They didn’t monitor bathrooms very well, so while you were supposed to stay in a room for 1 hour after snacks and 2 hours after meals, everyone got away with purging. They allowed patients who were dangers to themselves come to the program, rather than sending them to a higher level of care where they could get real help. There were a few staff who were gems, true pure healers, but the 4 months I was there, it was not worth losing 40k.
Mirasol stole $40,000 from my parents and refuse to pay it back, despite this being illegal. The program director had just switched when I was there in 2018. She had just been hired to be the trauma therapist, and then the previous director (who was great) left suddenly, and this trauma therapist became the director. Everything was hectic there. Every meal encouraged orthorexic behaviors. There was an option to eat one tiny piece of chocolate three times a week after dinner. But otherwise everything was quinoa, kale, beans, and everything hard to digest. I have stomach issues so this was a huge issue. They didn’t monitor bathrooms very well, so while you were supposed to stay in a room for 1 hour after snacks and 2 hours after meals, everyone got away with purging. They allowed patients who were dangers to themselves come to the program, rather than sending them to a higher level of care where they could get real help. There were a few staff who were gems, true pure healers, but the 4 months I was there, it was not worth losing 40k.
Would love a review within the past year! I know that basically the whole staff is new and the director was recently replaced. What is Jeanna Rust’s role? Is the philosophy still the same under new director?. also how does meal time work- type of food available? exchanges? timing? supplements? i need weight gain/residential.
curious about any updates in the last year or 2? may be heading here soon
Looking for a recent, comprehensive review of residential. Please please please! Thanks 🙂
Marisol’s treatment center is a complete SHAME. It has significantly hurt me, even traumatized me. I am discharged after 4 weeks of complete false trust and hope.
As someone who has dealt with significant trauma, trust and security does not come easily. After being assured over and over again,i was in good hands and i was safe at marisol, as soon as i showed any signs of struggle (with eating and self harm thoughts), something they claim to be experts in treating,( and the reason i came in the first place) i was sent to a psychiatric hospital for a week, kicked to the curb and discharged.
I am in total shock and completely disheartened.
Marisol is unable and UNWILLING to deal with patients who portray any struggle or challenge in their recovery process….aka any and everyone seeking help in dealing with mental health.
I came to Marisol in despair, literally dying for help. After a few weeks of treatment and extreme hesitation and fear i began opening painful emotional wounds in hope of healing.
I am now left with even more pain and hopelessness.
This place is horrible. You are treated like a 10 year old ad disrespected by all the staff. The communication between staff is horrible and you have to repeat yourself telling all staff on your team the same thing because they don’t talk within themselves about your goals and treatment plan. They violated my rights, confidentiality and threatened me multiple times. You have no say in your treatment plan. Most things on the website do not match what actually happens there. The house is dirty and dust everywhere not like pictures on the website. They are low staff and have to call in agency nursing often. The CA’s are young and do not know what they are doing nor how to help someone with an ED that is struggling.
Dear N/A,
Are you sure you were a client at Mirasol? Because this really doesn’t sound like a typical Mirasol client experience. For one thing, respect for the individual is one of the hallmarks of Mirasol’s approach —meeting people where they are, and focusing on skill-building in a supportive environment rather than suppression of symptoms. As a small program — with a 3:1 staff:client ratio and no more than 10 beds at any residence, Mirasol has fewer communication barriers you might find in a larger medical-model program. You have made some very serious charges regarding violations of your rights and confidentiality. Did you contact our offices with specifics so that we can investigate further? Those kinds of issues would be very surprising, since all Mirasol staff from the managers to the maintenance staff receive extensive training in protecting clients’ rights and confidentiality. If you really were a Mirasol client, I hope you stayed long enough to get past the anger many people feel when they are asked to confront their eating disorders, so that you could benefit from Mirasol’s integrative, person-centered approach. And wherever you are now, I hope you have found the help that you need and that you are well on your path to recovery.
How often does someone see their individual therapist?
Do you have a roommate?
How individualized is weight gain?
What happens if you don’t complete 100% of your meal?
Can you have smaller meals and more snacks?
From Mirasol:
We have a residential program, a partial hospitalization program, and an intensive outpatient program. I assume that you are asking for information regarding our residential program, so that is what I’m going to give you.
1. Our clients see their Primary Therapist twice a week, unless they are needing something specific that cannot wait.
They also see secondary specialty therapists on an individual basis once a week depending on their individual needs. We have art therapy, EMDR, polarity, spirituality, exercise consult and body integration.
2. We have five bedrooms. All bedrooms have two beds.
3. There are many factors that go into figuring out what someone’s goal weight range will be. Weight ranges are set on an individual basis.
4. If you do not complete a meal you will be offered and encouraged to have a meal supplement in the form of an ensure. If you refuse the ensure you will not be allowed to participate in the next exercise modality.
5. All meal plans are created with the client and dietician. All meal plans are made to support the clients individual dietary needs.
6. All treatment plans are made with both the client and the primary therapist. The treatment plan will reflect each clients individual stated goals that they come up with.
7. All clients are approved for 45 minutes of phone time to have over Saturday and Sunday. Clients may use that time to talk on the phone or to use their email. Primary therapists can approve additional phone time on an as needed basis.
Has anyone been here recently that has a review please?
I was there in 2011 and again in 2015. I love Mirasol as far as treatment but I think the business side of it is lacking. If you have an abundance of $$ I recommend going.
Could someone who has been there recently please do a recent & full review???? I would really appreciate it!!! Thanks!!
TERRIBLE
Where else have you went for treatment? I have been to Castlewood and am looking into ERC-Denver, McCallum Place-St. Louis, or Marisol. I like the holistic approach at Marisol.
Concerned about this recent newsletter stating that Mirasol does not believe in Family Based Treatment and considers parental control over eating undesirable . What is the rationale for Mirasol given that FBT is currently the only treatment found effective in the literature and in practice . How does Mirasol justify its choice to disregard based treatment and what is the scientific rationale for Mirasol’s preferred treatment regimen? Thanks.
Thanks for your information and concern. There has been a post by Mirasol on their professional page.
Mirasol’s reply
Family therapy is an important component of Mirasol’s residential eating disorder treatment program, but we don’t use the Maudsley Method. Individuals with eating disorders struggle with feelings of shame, guilt, body dissatisfaction and a lack of control. The eating disorder may be an attempt to regain control and cope with these intense emotions. Imposing greater parental control over eating is not the best approach for a child who already feels powerless to take her place at the table. At the core of Mirasol’s treatment philosophy is a profound respect for the individual, for the choices we make and for the connections we forge with ourselves and others. Through peer encouragement and cognitive and emotional restructuring, we help our clients learn to self-regulate, manage their emotions and care for themselves. Our goal is to provide all our clients with the skills and tools they need to live successfully in the world, not just for a few months or years, after treatment, but for the rest of their lives.
Everything the first person said is still accurate. I was in their residential February-May 2012, and was one of the first to do their Transitional Living Center and IOP May-August 2012. I went back to residential October-December 2012 and their TLC but PHP then step down to IOP. I had the best therapist I’ve ever had there and met THE most caring people I’ve ever met at a treatment center. The food tastes amazing and is organic, local, very healthy and cooked by a chef on staff. You can ask to help in the kitchen to get more comfortable with food. Its definitely the most individualized program I’ve been to with Acupuncture, EEG Neurofeedback, Polarity (AH-mazing), individual therapy multiple times a week, nutrition appointments, psychiatry EMDR/trauma therapy, and naturopathic appointments as well. They take you out to dinner on Wednesdays as a challenge. They don’t typically do Ensures and they make their own secret recipe shakes, which I’ve heard are pretty good. I would say weight gain is pretty standard, but they aren’t quick to force you into anything. Like the previous poster said there is a lot of personal responsibility. The location is amazing. They take you to the gym twice a week. You’re allowed electronics with a pass from your therapist. It was extremely helpful to do the step down program to have the continuity and the TLC is really great at doing what its supposed to do–help you transition. The PHP was completely new the second time I went we were actually the first cohort to do it so they really had to work out a lot of kinks. I honestly have never felt so comfortable anywhere in my entire life, sick or healthy. Their approach is very holistic and whole body/mind focused. You even do this trapeze-dance thing that sounds lame but is actually pretty cool. The aftercare therapist does a lot of groups with you while in residential and also runs a community group. She does follow-up for a year as they promise and she’s a seriously amazing person. Although I’m not in recovery currently I had my longest stint in recovery following the full residential–>PHP–>IOP step-down process. Of all the places I’ve been they have the highest cohort of people in recovery that I’ve kept in touch with or kept up to date with. They also have a wider range of EDs and body types which I appreciated. You also spend a lot of time with the staff as they eat with you (therapists, nutritionists, Counselors Assistants, etc) and you get to know them on a personal basis. I am constantly recommending this to anyone who is looking into pursuing treatment. After paying my deductible my insurance BCBS paid in full both times for residential and PHP/IOP. I had to pay rent in the TLC, but it was SUPER cheap especially given the amount of support they provide while you stay there. It really changed my life for the better, permanently.
The best program i have attended and was worth the money! I would highly recommend it, a holistic, real life experience and helping to empower you, real empowerment. I’m sorry to see it is closed, they were truly caring when i was there in 2015 and made the biggest impact on my recovery. I feel blessed and grateful to have been part of their clientele.
Any recent reviews? Do they allow electronics?
There have been some concerns about Mirasol’s financial situation. Please see their comment in the Professional Forum and post any more questions if need be. Thanks.
Okay, if you struggle with orthorexia or exercise problems, DO NOT GO HERE. they fuel orthorexia. everything is either all natural or organic and freshly made. i get that that is good sometimes, but moderation is KEY. it was safe for a lot of girls simply for that reason. homemade blueberry cookies are a lot safer than oreos for some girls. i didn’t see the challenge in that. and also, frozen yogurt was the challenge dessert out. that is SUCH a safe option for so many disordered people, whereas ice cream probably would have been more of a challenge. also their exercise..is the GYM. so disordered in my opinion. a lot of girls i was there with thought the same thing. exercise should be fun and such…and the gym is none of that. if you don’t have to associate yourself with the gym, then don’t. with exercise too, maybe tx centers i went to in the past didn’t allow full on cardio. maybe walks and yoga, but NOTHING like 45 min cardio AT A GYM. it’s especially harmful for girls who have osteopenia/osteoperosis because running on a treadmill can be so taxing on your bones.
your voice does not get heard here. so many girls tried to say what they needed. so many unethical things happened and people spoke up about them, and weren’t taken seriously. many staff SHOULD not be there because of things they have done and said…and yet they are still there. BLOWS MY MIND. all they do is tell you are angry or that it’s your eating disorder talking. and for some reason, they think EVERYTHING relates back to childhood, which is not true. some things are just wrong and should not be tolerated.
their residential was pretty good, but i don’t recommend staying for a long period of time. their PHP was a mess. DO NOT GO FOR PHP. it’s new and it’s so disorganized and more harmful than helpful. i’ve been to plenty of day/php programs and they were amazing and really advanced me in my recovery. not Mirasol PHP. schedule changes all of the time. so much down time. there were days we even ran out of food. YOU’RE AN ED PROGRAM. HOW CAN YOU RUN OUT OF FOOD. people would ask for stuff like nature valley bars or nut butters, and they wouldn’t get them, but would buy organic pepper. like really?
and God forbid you struggle, you get threatened to get kicked out…if not actually kicked out. it’s so messed up.
there were about 3-4 clinicians there that were amazing and the only thing that made Mirasol good and kept me there for the time I was there. other than that, I would not recommend this program to anybody, ever. I’d recommend the specific clinicians there though.
i really think people need to know truly what Mirasol is about. their intake coordinators lie about what you do there. they sell the program instead of being realistic.
if you can go somewhere else, i suggest you do that. they just feed a lot into your disorder and blame everything on past or childhood and it’s so wrong. really look into other places before you go.
Why would the PHP not give you nut butters or nature valley bars? And also how do the intake coordinators lie? What things do they tend to lie about? And last question 🙂 what in their philosophy behind only organic and natural food? Do they talk about orthorexia at all or do they not believe that’s a real eating disorder?
It sounds as if you have been in treatment before, But the negativity, I am wondering if you found fault in the other centers as well? If one is seeking negativity they will surely find it. If find a perfect anything you are over looking something, this is not a perfect world. Often a world were many people will easily write what they dislike and few will share the positives.
If you read about the center they tell you straight up how it works. Would you rather be at a place where there feed you processed food on a tray?
Food is like medication, it can healing or harmful. That’s why they use wholeness foods, it’s all about the healing process.
The gym exercising? Some of us may have exercised in excess, personally I have a degree in Physical Education and I was among this group. In a gym 45 mins. is nothing to one who who never has enough. There are gyms outside recovery and in treatment it is great to learn how to manage ones compulsive behavior before you returning to life as life.
I do hope you find what it takes for your personal recovery. Personal recovery is the key word. What works for one may not work for another.
Finding who you are on the inside and not to living disconnected and superficial. I am so grateful for these people who are commitment to helping others find there life again
Gratefully in recovery and wellness always,
KH
**Edited for names, per guidelines**
It sounds like nothing has changed at Mirasol. I went here in 2001 for 5 months and the place was a mess. High staff turnover back then and the drama with the staff was ridiculous. **Edited for names** Family program was “mandatory” but I only had one person in my family and they could not afford to fly out and stay in a hotel for nearly a week and take unpaid time off work. They really cater to people with money and have no clue about dealing with regular, working class folks. They tried to tell my Mom that she was not supporting my recovery because she could not afford to be there. There was no Skype back then, so we could not do anything but phone sessions. Family week without anyone there was horrible and they forced me to go and sit there and watch everyone else have families show up. I thought that was extremely cruel and of course they defended their decision. The same food back then, everything organic and their idea of a food challenge was putting out a bowl of chips during dinner for the 4th of July. Fortunately I did not have to gain much weight because I would have been there forever if I did on their meal plan. Their extremely “healthy nutrition” looked very much like diet food to me. They would tell us to write what we wanted on a list on the fridge, and then not buy it and give us excuses like “that has too much sugar” or “that is not organic” and they decided to remove coffee and caffeine entirely part way through my stay. The modalities were the same 16 years ago with very little variance from what I’m seeing people write recently. The schedule looks exactly the same and so are those blasted “nutter butter balls”. By the way, when you go home and try and make those “nutter butter balls” you’ll spend $50 on 3 different jars of organic nut butter, never mind the cost of the protein powder. Seriously, in total with protein powder it cost me $75 to make them and while there were quite a few and I froze a bunch, that’s ridiculous. Very little of their meal plan was applicable to real life and it was also extremely expensive to try and mimic at home. When I expressed those concerns in treatment they gave me some speech about my commitment to recovery. No, actually, it’s called having a regular paying job and living on your own, not returning to my rich Mommy & Daddy like many of the other girls there. Unfortunately the treatment I had here did not stand the test of time and I relapsed severely less than a year out. They claimed I would receive 1 year of “aftercare” by phone but it never happened. No one ever called me. When I emailed and called to follow up about it, I was told that the aftercare person was “no longer working there” and they would let me know when they had someone else in that position. What good was that to me to talk to a total stranger about my aftercare? They never followed up anyway. I could not afford to continue the “modalities” when I went home as they were extremely expensive as regular person trying to book weekly appointments, work and take care of myself. They were really not very realistic about the real world and I got the impression they were accustomed to dealing with wealthy people who could go home and re-create a similar schedule and eat their type of health nut food. I don’t know if organics on the east coast are just that much more expensive but we don’t have Trader Joe’s which was news to the staff at Mirasol. It’s like these people live in a bubble and don’t get how life works outside of Tucson. We don’t have lemon and avocados growing in our backyards here in Massachusetts. When I took my Mirasol meal plan to my nutritionist at the hospital, she calculated the calories and was appalled at how low they were and could not believe that this was coming from an ED treatment center. She basically re-did my entire meal plan and that was stressful since I had eaten “their way” for 5 months. When I relapsed I went to a different treatment center that was less posh, more traditional and served regular food on trays like a hospital but it was not bad food at all. They were much more attentive and aware of ED tricks at mealtimes and did not indulge any ED talk or behavior. “x” (edited for names) tells everyone she will deal with problems and will feed you a good line, but it is not actually true. She is really good at turning your own words around and twisting what you say to manipulate things in her favor. Anyway, I did inform them of my relapse and of course they said they would welcome me back. The fight for insurance back then was ridiculous and what we had to do to pay for my time there was extremely difficult. NO way was I returning to that s$%t show just to come home and relapse again. I’m confused about these glowing reviews they claim they get from some accreditor telling them they are “light years ahead” of any other treatment center. They should really do some long term research with ALL clients, not just cherry pick the ones they know have done well. No one has ever followed up with me to see how I’ve done long term and my address has not changed once since I went there, neither has my phone number or my Mom’s info. I find that interesting that they claim they have great recovery rates yet I’ve never been given a questionnaire or asked any questions about my recovery by anyone from Mirasol. I have not done well long term and this line about everyone being able to live a life free of their ED is a crock to me. I worked just as hard as everyone else there yet nothing about my “treatment” stuck long term. This “tapping” EFT stuff has not helped me and they said I would get EMDR but I never did. That was “cutting edge” back then but I never had any. When I explained the “tapping” thing to my therapist at home they were very perplexed and advised I not continue if it was not helpful as they had never heard of it. What they told me I was getting before I went and what I got when I arrived was very different. I had 1 individual therapy session a week which was not enough, but was promised 3 sessions a week before I went. Weekends were horrible and long and boring and we were left to do nothing except an outing Sunday afternoon that we paid for. There are only so many “homework assignments” you can do on a weekend. I was really expecting to read reviews that were much different than my experience and am really surprised at how little has changed here over the years. If I go to treatment again, I will be asking a lot of questions before I just hand myself over to a place and trust them to know better than I do. I’m honestly surprised this place is still open given the issues they’ve had over the years. Everyone needs to choose wisely when they are vulnerable and in need of inpatient care. There are a lot of great places that may not be in the desert or using “alternative treatments” but they have stood the test of time. I think I’ll stick with those places if I do this again. What these places don’t understand is how hard it is for us to keep going back to treatment and failing over and over again. Is it really us or is it them? If this is a chronic, life long condition fine, but just be honest about it don’t let me think I can recover 100% when that doesn’t seem to be the case. I’m looking at TK if I can find the strength to try again. I think they have a solid program and people from there seem to do well long term.
Please take this view with an open mind due to the fact that this review is from 2001 and may not accurately portray new and current treatment plans.
Mirasol is money hungry. You better watch out because they will take your money without even giving you treatment. They are unprofessional and should be shut down. Please find a treatment facility that cares for you, like Monte Nido, for example.
While some mirasol staff were compassionate, knowledgeable, and competent, others were the absolute definition of a$$holes. I witnessed many, many awful things here. As long as mirasol is under the regime of its [current] director, I unfortunately would NOT recommend it as it has left some emotional scars. It’s truly a shame because Mirasol does offer some neat alternative approaches to recovery; however, several staff members are so ignorant and full of themselves that they create a hostile environment for those around them. Any time I tried to speak up about things, I was silenced. If you go here, be prepared to feel like your voice doesn’t matter. I wish I could give a better recommendation because I know that even CONSIDERING going to treatment is a huge step that deserves praise; it is scary reading all these reviews of different places.So if you are reading this, good luck on your journey! I would only suggest choosing mirasol if it is your absolute only option, or if you are a person with tough skin. Otherwise, I would NOT recommend this place unless you want to feel like you don’t matter.
I would like to second what melissa stated. The lack of follow up, ie, returned calls, communication and financial irresponsibility is HUGE. While Mirasol offers many extras in the area of integrated medicine, they sorely lack in areas that are just as crucial. While I would not go so far as to bash Mirasol…( treatment staff are dedicated and caring, and many have been helped there). .in my opinion, Mirasol and staff are never going to be able to truly excel at their jobs with so much disorganization from the top. When I was inquiring about Mirasol for my loved one, I sure got phone calls back. Immediate calls, immediate responses. We were told information about the program and things to expect that turned out to be completely false once client was there… from how re feeding is accomplished, to daily activities. By phone, It was all explained in a very sugary-sweet, lovey-dovey way, appealing to anyone who is vulnerable and desperate. When my loved one arrived and realized that all she was told would happen was false…it actually caused her to distrust staff even more than she normally would as an Ed sufferer. In treatment and in recovery, honesty is vital…dishonesty from the start and from the top defeats the entire process. It’s expected from the clients, but it’s not practiced from the mouths of those treating.
The financial issues there are many and dealing with them was the must frustrating thing I’ve ever had to deal with from any treatment center…and there had been many prior. There is one lone co-owner who handles every single financial issue. One. Person. He is often confused about whose chart he is looking at, has called me when he meant to call another family, and when monies are due, he calls to ask for payment…no billing, no receipts, just a guy on the phone saying….”guess you know why I am calling”. And that is how we were notified of payment due. He failed to submit treatment days in a timely fashion which has caused us to now have to battle insurance to recoup a large sum we paid out of pocket. The stories go on…and it is sad. After recovering from bankruptcy in 2011, you would think Mirasol and co-owner. Would be more hands on and doing all they can to build this program up. Instead, they hire MCs from Craig’s list, chefs come and go, and the house is in disarray. This place has potential, but I could never recommend it in it’s current state. I feel for the passionate and dedicated treatment staff, they must always feel like their hands are tied.
How does Mirasol determine weight goals?
I highly recommend Mirasol, you do have to be medically stable to go there.
The setting is not like a hospital more home setting. They don’t lock the doors on you, you are treated with respect.They combination natural holistic healing with traditional therapies. You work along with your dietitian to learn how eat again, with healthy foods. The staff is very caring.
You do yoga, biofeedback, neurofeedback, body image work, group and individual work. One of the best things is that they have a year follow up program to help you stay in recovery when you return home. I think going into a recovery treatment program is the best way to get on the right track. Six weeks can save years of therapist or even save you from death. Being a bulimic who didn’t need weight restoration — I was given a meal plan that has the right amount of food so I didn’t gain weight, they do not fatten people up.
It’s smaller that many others-a more personal type recovery.
Price wise they all cost a lot, I found at Mirasol the cost somewhat cheaper than many others. It’s a wonderful caring place for recovery.
Eta you can post in the professional forum and jeanne will get right back to you, she is great!
Eating disorders take many lives, it’s a spiraling downward staircase and I am glad I didn’t die. Recovery was and is what I was willing to do to live life well.
In wellness,
Kathy
Posted for Anonymous:
So, here it is. I’m not sure what changes have been made, since after I left they became a level 1 care facility and moved into a different house, but I think they changed back again to the model I experienced.
When were you there: August 2009-January 2010
Describe the average day: Wake up around 7:00, breakfast, primary group, snack, modalities, lunch, modalities, snack, modalities, dinner, group, snack, bed.
Every other treatment center I’ve been to has been primarily focused on group therapy, which is different than at Mirasol. Other than the morning and evening groups, you spend your day in individually scheduled “appointments.” Most days you are fully booked, but sometimes during modalities you’ll have free time during which you can do assignments, nap, read, chill outside, or talk to an RC. Modalities included individual therapy, EEG/biofeedback, nutrition appointments, acupuncture, spirituality/reiki, polarity, and a psychiatrist appointment. They were mandatory and it was your responsibility to show up on time, which was nice. While you pretty much had to go, it felt like you had some autonomy in your day and personal accountability.
What were meals like? Three meals, three snacks, served buffet style but staff watched carefully to make sure you go appropriate amounts. They go by exchanges, and you have a meal card that delineates what you should have at each meal. Things certainly feel in the “healthy” vein with lots of salads, always a vegetarian/vegan option, organic food, etc. We sat at the table with staff, who ate with us, and rated our anxiety and hunger, and then started in. The first five minutes of lunch and dinner started with “mindfulness” in which we were silent and expected to focus on the process of the meal. Sometimes staff was oblivious to food hiding and behaviors, but clients usually looked out for/at one another, and in the end a lot of things were caught–but there was more freedom than any other treatment center I’ve been at. Another point is they have unlimited fluids there–given the desert setting it makes sense–but some people drank a loooot of tea and huge cups of water at each meal, which was a bit odd.
What sorts of food were available or served?
Breakfast: oatmeal, bread, organic cereal like Kashi and Puffins, organic plain and vanilla yogurt, soy/dairy/almond milk, nut butters, flax oil (weird!), granola, fruit
Snacks: most people had a protein and carb exchange at each snack. Again it was buffet style, and carb options included a bounty of fruit (which everyone always chose) or ak-mak crackers or like rice cakes. Proteins were nuts, nut-butters, string cheese, “nutter balls,” or yogurt.
Lunch/dinner: on a four week rotating menu. There was always a vegetarian/vegan option. Thursdays were sandwich days, once a month we had microwave meals (but organic, so still “healthy”), Friday nights we helped in the kitchen and got to collaborate on the meal with the chef. We sometimes had things like pizza (but on whole-wheat crust) or lasagna, but mostly it was things like sauteed tofu, brown rice, quinoa, grilled veggies, salads, etc. They do a lot of ethnic foods and for the most part everything tasted wonderful. However, the focus on health was really a bit much. One girl wanted fruited yogurt for snack (rather than plain or vanilla) but was told no because it had too much sugar. Another tried to order pesto pasta on a meal outing but was denied because it had too much fat. There were a lot of mixed messages, which in some ways was good because they took your diagnosis into consideration when working with you, but bad because it created hostility between clients really criminalized some foods. Plus, you can’t preach that all foods are healthy in moderation, and then not let people eat them! Plus, having sugar-free popsicles or unsweetend Almond Breeze (the 40 calorie kind) at an ED facility seemed weird.
Did they supplement? How did that system work? You could have shakes added to snacks if you weren’t gaining properly. They were pretty good–made from a secret recipe (in the open kitchen, lol) of like yogurt, fruit, protein powder, and flax oil. They are obsessed with flax oil! If you didn’t finish a meal there were no consequences other than having to talk to staff about it. If you continued not eating or losing weight, they’d keep upping your meal plan and then ask you to leave. You have to have a bmi of 15 to be in the program, so if you go below that you automatically are discharged anyway.
What privileges are allowed? No locked bathrooms, Friday night outings to gelato or frozen yogurt if you’d like, freedom to walk around the property, swim in the pool. There’s no TV unless you have a group in which the therapist wants to play a video or something. Cell phones are locked up and you have 30 minutes a week to use them. No computer unless you have a pass from your therapist. No newspaper. They want you very much in a bubble.
Does it work on a level system? No. You have pretty much full privileges from the get-go. If you need more support they’ll offer it, and you can always ask for more help. The kitchen is open (they lock two cabinets, but there are three stocked fridges and a huge pantry of dry goods you walk through to get to the group room) and while you’re not allowed in there without staff, there’s nothing stopping you. And there’s a huge open yard in the back to…hold yourself accountable in (haha.) The program really focuses on personal responsibility.
What sort of groups do they have? Primary process, some psychodrama if people want, sexuality, spirituality. There are less focus groups and more an interest in what people needed at the time, which was great.
What was your favorite group? Kim, who does spirituality, was amazing. We played board games, watched a PBS special by Loretta LaRoche about having fun in life, and just learned how to be positive and take joy in ourselves. Kim has been there forever, and she’s really a source of wisdom, compassion, and kindness.
What did you like the most? When I succeeded, it was on me, because I chose not to purge or whatever. I also liked having fewer groups because I’ve just had so many in my life that they get redundant. Sunday outings were fun and we were treated like adults. The staff was very loving and kind. The food tasted lovely.
What did you like the least? I personally, and probably many others, needed more help than the program offered. I hid a lot of food, went on long walks around the neighborhood, hoarded food to B/P on, and just did other totally ED behaviors that went unnoticed. I should have told on myself, but I didn’t and it went on for a long time. I actually continually asked to leave saying the program wasn’t working, but the clinical director really held the reins and argued that I should stay. I should have been moved to a higher level of care, but that was never offered. For a while there were only 2 of us in the program, which is rough in groups and made me feel like a lot of the time they were desperate for money and would keep me there just for that, and take other inappropriate clients (like someone who was later taken away by the sheriff.)
Would you recommend this program? If you need a PHP level of care, sure. If you’re very motivated for recovery and can ask for help, okay. But I hope the nutrition philosophy has been tweaked. It apparently was a lot more orthorexic in years past and when I was there was far more useful than it had been, but I hope they’ve moved to decrease the focus on natural/organic/healthy/vegan/gluten-free (yeah, I know) food and a more balanced diet that includes fast food, fried food, and other deliciousness.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed? Yoga two/three times a week, two gym outings once approved (you start on weights only and then can add up to half an hour of cardio), two walks. They let some pretty risky people exercise, for sure. And when I was in the transition house, two girls actually ran two miles to the gym, worked out for over an hour, and then ran back–which is crazy! They got in trouble, but still were allowed to go to the gym every day independently even when it seemed clear they “needed” to go a little too much.
What did people do on weekends?
Talk on the phone, go on an outing Sunday afternoon. Sleep. Read. Not a whole heck of a lot.
Do you get to know your weight? Nope. They will tell you when you’re in your range but you have to trust them. Although I got it out of the nutritionist occasionally.
How fast is the weight gain process? No clue. I’m not sure if anyone actually gains weight there, to be honest.
What was the average length of stay? 30 days to 3 months.
What was the average age range? All over the map, but it’s 18+ and most people fall into the typical early-twenties group, although we had some clients in their late 30s and 40s, which was nice.
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an OP treatment team? yes. And Ann, their aftercare lady, will talk on the phone with you for a year.
How many IP beds? How many patients in PHP or IOP? About 10 in the residential house, and 6 in TLC, which I don’t know whether or not even exists any more.
I was in Mirasol from April 2, 2012 -June 8, 2012, Mirasol saved my life. I am a women who is 47 years old and I was ready to recover.. I felt the admission staff were very personal and perfessional. I went there with reservations, and it took me around two weeks to wake up and start working. The therapy there is much better then I ever expected. You stay busy mostly all day long with modalites. Mirasol works to recover you spiritually, emotionally and physically. They teach you healthy excersize with healthy eatihg. I was an extremely rigid eater and had a very difficult time with of most of my meals most of my stay, if not all of my stay. The staff were very patient and compassionate with me. I learned to love myself and my body. I felt the facility was very clean and the staff very organized. I felt the groups were very helpful and my therapist (Maja) was very perfessional and very understanding. She gave you her undivided attention. The owner was very helpful with the financial aspect and even gave me an extra week and a half because of a stressful situation at home. The chefs were very firm but also very understanding and had great personalites. Mindfulness and tapping are two of the coping skills i Use daily. These coping skills keep me grounded. I absolutely loved having the acupuncture ad other groups Grace (whom i tried to expain (manipulate)why i couldn’t eat certain foods (this didnt work to well) but she was very perfessional and patient. I loved all the staff and I mean everyone. There was a consistancy with the program in which I thought was important for me. I am finallly in recovery and I have my life back 🙂 I am forever grateful to the entire staff at Mirasol. I havent thanked Jand mnfor all they offered me during groups and were patient with me during circuit training and yoga… Diane for being there when we needed to talk without being judged. All the nursing staff were very perfessional and patient with me. I can’t thank Mirasol enough the only thing that was a downfall was they wouldn’t let me sunbath because of my Irish skin..I even set a presidence of no sunbathing between the hours of 10-3. At least I left my mark there,,,I will visit Tucson again but today it won’t be for treatment but for enjoyment thanks to Mirasol… I am sure I forgot alot of people but that dosen’t mean i am not grateful for all of you…
Mary,
I wondered if you went there bc you were anorexic or bulimic or both? I have suffered for a long time too and been to many bad places and kick out of some. DO they tell you where they are setting your goal wt. and do you have any say in it? How do they help you maintain once you get there? Did they let you know your wt. in the end? How did they help you eat if you did not eat everything? how did they help with the guilt feelings and anxiety? Ive always counted calories and dont do well with exchanges think they are off? Are they pretty accurate with portion sizes? If its family style how do you know if your taking the right amount too little or too much? How do they judge that? How fast is wt. gain? Do they set high end goal wts? How did they help you be less rigid and how did they help you break negative mind set?
ananoumous1
You’ll be working closely with your nutritionist. Learning how to determine portion size so you’ll be able to feed yourself when you are out of treatment. You might struggle in the beginning but after a while most are able to easily follow their meal plan. This is an opportunity to learn to eat in a normal healthy way. I’d love to help you figure the food thing out. What do you need?
Something to thing about, have you ever had a nutritionist that’s been helpful? What was helpful? As far as guilt feelings and anxiety there are many ways to deal with those feelings. A few of those ways are biofeedback, neurofeedback, body image work, group and individual work.
Wishing you well,
Kathy
kathy, I d really like to talk to you further possibly by email and then I can give you my cell. Im seriously thinking of going there if I get a scholarship otherwise Im desperate bc everyone has given up on me including myself. Its a long story. I need to figure out a way to help myself and change my negative mindset and guilt. And find purpose in life . Please if you would post a way for me to contact you I would really appreciate it and give you my personal info that way inorder to contact. me. If not I will consider posting email first. Alittle leary of putting it on a wev site. Thank you for reaching out to me.
ananomous1
contact the admin if you would like to exchange privately
You can e-mail me at khodem@juno.com
If you will leave a subject matter like “Mirasol”
So I will not delete it thinking its junk mail.
Warmly,
Kathy
kathy , if you dont feel comfortable giving me your email first I understand , I will send you mine but please let me know either way . Thanks . anonomous1
if you would like to exchange emails privately, you can contact me to do so
Dear anonymous…to much thinking on your part. I was ready to surrender and do what I needed to do ..yes they were patient but in the bend I needed to just have faith it would be ok an it was.. I am happy and free today..good luck
when were you there melissa? was it helpful? whats the day like? do you get to do fun outings and do you do meal/snack outings?
I want to thank you for your review. This way I can make the changes in the program that are necessary. We are starting our PHP program now — quite a structured program with all of the Mirasol elements. The dietitian is new (at least 4 years ago) and is the first dietitian that all of the clients like. The menu is much more normal — and that is basically what we strive for — to teach people how to eat normally! We have two people now at night for supervision. A nurse and a counseling assistant. The staff (because we have more of them because of 24-hour nursing) is much more observant. I appreciate the heads up about the hiding food. We have added more room searches. Usually for cell phones, but we also find food occasionally. I’ll ask them to tighten this up. 2009-2010 were dreadful years for Mirasol, but we’ve opened new programs, adult and adolescent IOP, and residential adolescent treatment. We meeting people’s needs in a much more specific way than we did when you were in treatment.
Again, thanks!!
Hi Jeanne, What do you mean by “more normal food” exactly? What made it so it wasn’t normal before?
Mirasol is pretty good once you get past the admission staff. They are rude, unfeeling, and lack follow-up–not an attribute one looks for when considering an eating disorder treatment facility. The admissions staff makes the prospective client feel as if they are an inconveince tries to pull the wool over the client’s eyes in regards to the financial aspect. They basically lie, claiming more money is due up front than what the insurance company actually requires.
Once admitted, the therapists and chefs are amazing. The food is healthy, as much organic as possible and beautifully prepared. Everything is served buffet-style and the client serves herself based on the exchange system and is individulized with the dietician.
The facility itself could be a little cleaner, upscale. The house staff is severely disorganized and lacking in sufficient communication. A lot of the groups are repetitive so it feels like your going around in cirlces, doing/listening to much of the same information all day long.
Overall, it’s not a BAD experience. If the therapists and chefs could be taken elswhere, they could start their own facility!
Hey Melissa,
I talked to them to find out what happened. I was told one of the admissions staff was someone who was ill. Jeanne the owner said please call her — 520-425-1522. I believe she wants everything to be the best it can be.