Testimonials
What Our Alumni, Their Family Members, and Clinical Partners Are Saying
Alumni
Family Members
Alumni
“What can I say except WOW! Aster Springs is LGBTQ+ friendly. As a nonbinary AFAB person, they still accepted me into their residential program. They also accepted someone who’s trans. My preferred name and pronouns were ALWAYS respected.
Here, I was seen as a person- not my eating disorder. This isn’t a locked “facility”. I had the freedom to go outside and move around the house. I never once felt trapped behind locked doors, simply because that wasn’t the case. This has, by far, been the best treatment center I’ve ever been to. Aster Springs is the top and leading ED center in the Richmond area. They also provide PHP housing to those who need or want it. 10/10 would recommend.
The food is also of the highest quality. Chefs Joe and Aja turned foods I previously hated the taste of, into something magical. That takes some serious skill. The menu also is also creative and approachable. Aster Springs’ residential program immediately set me up for the real world. They don’t hide nutrition information on food and drinks. We had access to facility phones, computers, and tablets. I was expected to make my bed and do chores.
The staff at Aster Springs are also incredibly aware and experienced in working with eating disorders. My favorite RCSs are Jess, Jasmine, Emma, Nia, Liz, and Tawana. They all bring their own fun to mealtimes and also provide a (metaphorical) shoulder to cry on when things get tough. The nursing staff is incredibly friendly. Susan is such a sweetheart. She’s literally the human version of a golden retriever – so wholesome. Other nurses such as Lisa, Rika, Betty, Jessica, Lemettris, and Stephanie (NP) will also work incredibly hard to get you the meds you need.
Chrissy (VP) is frequently at programming, which pleasantly surprised me. I’ve never met VPs of the other treatment centers I’ve been to. It’s meaningful and exciting when people like her participate in the frontline treatment process. Melanie (Executive Director) is empathetic, honest, and wise. She’s a true professional that also has a fun side. She literally “packed” herself inside a human-sized Amazon box just to make the patients laugh! Absolutely unreal.
Dieticians Emily and Stephanie go out of their way to make the nourishing aspects of treatment less hard. Their therapeutic approach to nutrition is something I feel is needed in all eating disorder treatment settings. Therapist Megan is such a down to earth human. Even in my most difficult sessions, she’s always managed to get a laugh out of me. I was able to connect with her in a way I never anticipated, which allowed me to put my guard down and helped me feel truly understood.
Helen (Client Advocate) passionately works above and beyond in her role. As the only Black patient in residential and PHP, it was comforting to see that she was able to make Black ED literature available for reading. Helen has worked overtime getting me just about everything I needed while at Aster Springs. She will seriously go to bat for you. When there was a glitch in my treatment, she made tons of phone calls until it was resolved. When I had bad days, she would help guide me back to a solutions-focused approach instead of a deficit approach. Working with Helen has been such a blast. She 10000% deserves a raise. She leaves no stone uncovered when working with patients. Helen also gives the warmest hugs. I will definitely miss them.
Jon is the face of Aster Springs. More than likely, he’s the first person you’ll meet upon admitting to residential and the last person you’ll see when discharging or stepping down to a lower level of care. He has such a cool and calm vibe that helps relieve some of the anxiety around being in treatment. He also is super creative and engaging when running some of the PHP groups. Psychiatrists Dr. Scales and Dr. Hart are incredibly thorough in their sessions. Not once have I ever felt rushed to “get in and out”. They truly care about meeting your needs.
There are so many others who’ve gone unnamed due to character limits. To all the staff, thank you for being in my life.” – Grateful Aster Springs Alumnus
Here, I was seen as a person- not my eating disorder. This isn’t a locked “facility”. I had the freedom to go outside and move around the house. I never once felt trapped behind locked doors, simply because that wasn’t the case. This has, by far, been the best treatment center I’ve ever been to. Aster Springs is the top and leading ED center in the Richmond area. They also provide PHP housing to those who need or want it. 10/10 would recommend.
The food is also of the highest quality. Chefs Joe and Aja turned foods I previously hated the taste of, into something magical. That takes some serious skill. The menu also is also creative and approachable. Aster Springs’ residential program immediately set me up for the real world. They don’t hide nutrition information on food and drinks. We had access to facility phones, computers, and tablets. I was expected to make my bed and do chores.
The staff at Aster Springs are also incredibly aware and experienced in working with eating disorders. My favorite RCSs are Jess, Jasmine, Emma, Nia, Liz, and Tawana. They all bring their own fun to mealtimes and also provide a (metaphorical) shoulder to cry on when things get tough. The nursing staff is incredibly friendly. Susan is such a sweetheart. She’s literally the human version of a golden retriever – so wholesome. Other nurses such as Lisa, Rika, Betty, Jessica, Lemettris, and Stephanie (NP) will also work incredibly hard to get you the meds you need.
Chrissy (VP) is frequently at programming, which pleasantly surprised me. I’ve never met VPs of the other treatment centers I’ve been to. It’s meaningful and exciting when people like her participate in the frontline treatment process. Melanie (Executive Director) is empathetic, honest, and wise. She’s a true professional that also has a fun side. She literally “packed” herself inside a human-sized Amazon box just to make the patients laugh! Absolutely unreal.
Dieticians Emily and Stephanie go out of their way to make the nourishing aspects of treatment less hard. Their therapeutic approach to nutrition is something I feel is needed in all eating disorder treatment settings. Therapist Megan is such a down to earth human. Even in my most difficult sessions, she’s always managed to get a laugh out of me. I was able to connect with her in a way I never anticipated, which allowed me to put my guard down and helped me feel truly understood.
Helen (Client Advocate) passionately works above and beyond in her role. As the only Black patient in residential and PHP, it was comforting to see that she was able to make Black ED literature available for reading. Helen has worked overtime getting me just about everything I needed while at Aster Springs. She will seriously go to bat for you. When there was a glitch in my treatment, she made tons of phone calls until it was resolved. When I had bad days, she would help guide me back to a solutions-focused approach instead of a deficit approach. Working with Helen has been such a blast. She 10000% deserves a raise. She leaves no stone uncovered when working with patients. Helen also gives the warmest hugs. I will definitely miss them.
Jon is the face of Aster Springs. More than likely, he’s the first person you’ll meet upon admitting to residential and the last person you’ll see when discharging or stepping down to a lower level of care. He has such a cool and calm vibe that helps relieve some of the anxiety around being in treatment. He also is super creative and engaging when running some of the PHP groups. Psychiatrists Dr. Scales and Dr. Hart are incredibly thorough in their sessions. Not once have I ever felt rushed to “get in and out”. They truly care about meeting your needs.
There are so many others who’ve gone unnamed due to character limits. To all the staff, thank you for being in my life.” – Grateful Aster Springs Alumnus
“The care I received at Aster Springs was amazing! I felt supported at every stage of treatment and the staff always met me where I was at in my recovery. During my treatment there I was treated with dignity and respect. The staff helped me to distinguish the eating disorder voice from my own which has been instrumental as I move forward towards recovery. I grew to truly trust the staff which helped me to move past the roadblocks I hit at different phases of my journey. I cannot say enough about how amazing the treatment at Aster Springs was!” – Grateful Aster Springs Alumnus
“Aster Springs has been the best inpatient care I’ve ever received. My first day was difficult but the staff made sure to make me feel as comfortable as I could be. The STAFF! Amazing! They were so amazing and helped so much during stressful meals. Helen was a huge supporter, along with all the RCS’. The staff made ALL the difference. The care was individualized (TRULY), which made such a huge difference. I’ve never been more comfortable leaving an inpatient center. I could not recommend Aster Springs enough!” – Grateful Aster Springs Alumnus
“Aster Springs has helped me fight 20 years worth of behaviors. I have left this facility with more skills than I have had my entire life. I bonded with the staff and was treated with the utmost respect every day, all day. I am genuinely going to miss the people who have provided me with care. I felt like family more than I felt like a patient. I will have these people in my heart for the rest of my life. It was worth every tear, every hard moment. I am a new, happy person. The staff is AMAZING, the home is AMAZING, everything about the program is wonderful.” – Grateful Aster Springs Alumnus
“Everything about this entire experience was transformative and healing, from the first day admissions process to the last day of treatment I felt well cared for, and well informed on the details of my plan and treatment process. I couldn’t have felt safer and more cared for anywhere else thanks to the most amazing and caring staff, cooks, nursing, and treatment teamwork. Thank you so very much for allowing me to see the potential in myself that I just couldn’t see at the begin when coming into your beautiful, amazing walls.” – Grateful Aster Springs Alumnus
“Aster Springs saved my life. Melanie and Helen were the most loving and dedicated people I’ve ever seen in an eating disorder treatment facility. Chef Joe accommodated for all my allergies and made the kitchen fun. So appreciative of all the staff and would highly recommend!” – Grateful Aster Springs Alumnus
“Aster Springs has been a place of immense healing for me. I entered treatment terrified and hopeless, but the care, compassion, and knowledge of the staff here left me feeling hopeful for the future and for my continued recovery. The staff here truly care for who you are as an individual. They know how to sit with you in your struggle and celebrate with you in your victories. I am confident that this place is changing lives every single day, and I am blessed to have received care here.” – Grateful Aster Springs Alumnus
“Having been to several treatment centers for my eating disorder, Aster Springs provided an incomparable program to others. From the first moment of walking in the door, the staff expressed genuine care for me and other clients. This continued to hold true throughout my months of treatment. The recovery care team offered support all hours of the day and being the individuals you spend the most time with, made sure you felt worthy. Outside of scheduled therapy and dietitian sessions, treatment team members took extra time to check-in with me and others without hesitation. Just as no two people are the same, each treatment plan was created on an individual basis to ensure the most healing recovery journey. With organized groups, the information and recovery tools shared were superior to those to other treatment centers. The low client-to-staff ratio allowed me to feel more than just an eating disorder as staff took time to learn about me as an individual.
Aster Springs exhibited a healing and hopeful environment for recovery, each day reminding me to never give up. My family and I will forever be grateful for Aster Springs. – Grateful Aster Springs Alumnus
Aster Springs exhibited a healing and hopeful environment for recovery, each day reminding me to never give up. My family and I will forever be grateful for Aster Springs. – Grateful Aster Springs Alumnus
“I’ve never felt more secure leaving a treatment center than while discharging from Aster Springs. The staff made me feel seen while going through recovery. I had a voice in how treatment looked and felt comfortable communicating to my treatment team. As I leave Aster Springs, I now know how to navigate my ED and will be constantly looking back at all the wonderful advice given to me by staff (who are some of the best people I’ve ever met).” – Grateful Aster Springs Alumnus
Aster Springs has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me. This was my first ever treatment experience, and I am leaving more than satisfied with the care that I received. Every single staff member is extremely talented at what they do, and make the environment so incredibly comfortable for the clients. The struggles that I had coming into Aster Springs were significant, but my journey here has helped tremendously. I truly mean it when I say the staff here is AMAZING, and some of the most genuinely caring people that I have ever met. Thank you to everyone who made my experience so positive, and I am confident in saying that I am leaving here with all of the tools that I could possibly need to succeed.” – Grateful Aster Springs Alumnus
“Everything from original intake to the treatment and care was more than I could have imagined. I am truly blessed to have been a client at Aster Springs. My stay there has changed my life. I am excited to begin to live the life I was meant to live. I will be forever grateful to each and every member of the Aster Springs team who helped me on my journey to recovery. They will always hold a very dear place in my heart. Thank you, thank you everyone.” – Grateful Aster Springs Alumnus
“From the initial phone call to the last day, I was there I felt Aster Springs was an incredible, life altering experience. Kelsey, the intake coordinator, was so warm and welcoming on the phone and in her emails. She made me feel so important and I could tell she truly cared. Jon was the first person I met to welcome me into the residence and was very thorough with the admissions process. Elizabeth was the nurse who did the initial vitals and made me feel very comfortable as I was settling in. During my stay I met so many wonderful nurses and could tell they loved what they did. The house smelled incredible with Chef Joe and Chef Asia’s cooking. I was exposed to a variety of foods and learned how to make several meals and snacks for my family. Therapy was never successful for me in the past and Hannah has changed my whole outlook on how I view therapy. I now understand how valuable it can be. She is incredibly talented! Via was not “my” therapist but she always made me feel important and made time to meet with me if I needed a check in. The Recovery Care Specialists were all wonderful in their own ways. Nia is so amazing and insightful. She’s great at reading the clients and she’s there when they need to talk. Kaylee is sweet and always tries her best to make everyone feel like she’s there if you need her. The dieticians, Emily, Caroline, and Stephanie are all so talented and patient. The knowledge they shared on nutrition, diet culture, and ways to challenge my ED were keys to my recovery. Aster Springs made me feel like I was getting individualized treatment and it was exactly what I needed to overcome 30 years of an ED. I am so thankful for this opportunity and wish there were more places like this for all ages. I feel confident with what I learned during my time at Aster Springs that I can live the rest of my life free from my ED.” – Grateful Aster Springs Alumnus
“I don’t think there are words to express my gratitude for Aster Springs. I showed up thinking this would be another facility to add to my list of recovery attempts. At first, I fought the process, but the encouraging, caring, and loving staff challenged me until I actually wanted freedom for myself. I was treated with respect and given so much support. Aster Springs is an amazing place for the journey to freedom from ED.” – Grateful Aster Springs Alumnus
“Aster Springs was a vital and amazing step in my healing process. I have only positive things to say! My struggles inside the walls were met with nothing but compassion, kindness, and the absolute best care I’ve ever received. From the executive director to the dietitians, the therapists, the nursing staff, the recovery care specialists, the chef, the milieu manager, and the higher ups… they ALL exemplify the qualities that should be present in every treatment center. From my first day to my last, I felt so cared for by the staff not as a patient, but as a person, and that meant more than I could ever express in words. I will forever be grateful for my time here. Aster Springs, THANK YOU!” – Grateful Aster Springs Alumnus
Family Members
“I’m writing this review as the parent of a client. I’m very pleased with the treatment that my daughter received while she was a resident, as well as a participant in PHP and IOP. She completed the program and has made significant progress. Throughout the entire process, she felt safe, valued and is in a great position to use the tools that she has learned from the staff in her day-to-day life. I want to say thank you to the entire staff for helping her in this journey.” – Grateful Parent of an Aster Springs Alumnus
