Sustain Your Recovery with Ongoing Support
Expert coaching to support nutrition goals and build lasting recovery skills
THE SERVICE
What is Recovery Coaching?
Recovery coaching provides specialized one-on-one support for individuals working toward and maintaining eating disorder recovery in everyday life.
Through meal and snack support, coping strategy development, and flexible availability during challenging moments, recovery coaching addresses the day-to-day realities of building and sustaining progress.
We sit with you during meals to model normalized eating behaviors while providing redirection, support, distraction, and encouragement as needed. Recovery is not a straight line, and the transition from structured treatment to independent living often brings unexpected challenges that deserve expert guidance.
OUR PROCESS
What to Expect with Recovery Coaching
Assessment
We evaluate where you are in your recovery journey and identify vulnerabilities that need targeted support.
Hands-On Meal Support
We provide real-time guidance during meals and snacks, modeling normalized eating behaviors and helping you work through challenging moments and achieve nutritional adequacy.
Strategy Development
We build personalized coping skills and action plans for managing triggers, setbacks, and high-risk situations.
Ongoing Support
We remain accessible for support during vulnerable moments, whether that’s pre-meal check-ins or virtual meal sessions when you’re struggling.
OUR APPROACH TO RECOVERY COACHING
Recovery coaching can be impactful at various stages of eating disorder recovery.
Whether you are in the initial phases of treatment where more structure is warranted or whether you are further along in maintaining your recovery, our specialized recovery coaching provides essential support and often relieves significant pressure on the individual and family to ensure progress. In earlier phases of treatment, recovery coaching serves to ensure nutritional adequacy, model normal eating, and build essential tools and skills necessary for eventual food freedom. For families with a child or adolescent struggling with disordered eating, recovery coaching can relieve tremendous pressure off of parents who have multiple obligations and may not be able to supervise each of their child’s meals or snacks.
In later phases of recovery, different skills are required than during the initial phases of treatment. Our approach combines evidence-based relapse prevention strategies with practical, real-world meal support. We focus on building resilience, identifying early warning signs, and developing personalized action plans for vulnerable moments.
Recovery coaching emphasizes skill-building over rule-following, helping you respond flexibly to challenges rather than rigidly adhering to protocols. We collaborate closely with your nutritionist and treatment team, providing day-to-day support and reporting observed behaviors and meal completion patterns. We tailor our approach to your individual needs and personality, meeting you where you are physically, whether that’s at home, school, the office, or other settings.
We emphasize partnership and teamwork throughout the recovery process, working together toward your goals rather than dictating from a position of authority.
Goals of Recovery Coaching:
- Maintain recovery gains achieved in higher levels of care
- Develop effective strategies for managing triggers and high-risk situations
- Build confidence in independent eating and normalized meal behaviors
- Address emerging challenges before they escalate
- Strengthen skills for emotional regulation without eating disorder behaviors
- Navigate life transitions and stressors while protecting recovery
- Establish sustainable meal planning and preparation routines
- Create personalized coping strategies for vulnerable moments
- Reduce reliance on structured treatment while maintaining accountability
If recovery coaching sounds like a useful service, we’re here to talk.
Your care team
Who offers recovery coaching
Susanna Brass is the practice’s Recovery Coach. She is introduced, with her full background, on our team page. In specific instances, members of our clinical RD team also provide recovery coaching. You can meet them here. Recovery coaching is offered both virtually and in person, depending on your location.
Appleman Nutrition is founded and directed by Rebecca Appleman, RD. She connects with each new client to understand their needs and determine best next steps as well as scheduling.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked Questions
How does recovery coaching complement eating disorder treatment?
Recovery coaching happens with a trained recovery coach or registered dietitian who works in conjunction with the treatment team and in accordance with your treatment plan to meet targeted meal and snack goals in a real-world setting. Recovery coaches provide invaluable support at various stages of eating disorder treatment, whether you require more structure and accountability in the beginning phases of your recovery or whether you have long-established recovery skills and need support to maintain and build on your recovery progress.
What does meal support actually involve?
Meal support includes sitting with you during meals and snacks (in person or virtually), modeling normalized eating behaviors, providing encouragement and redirection as needed, and helping you work through challenging moments in real time.
Where does recovery coaching take place?
Recovery coaching can take place in various settings, including your home, school, office, or other environments where you need support navigating meals and recovery challenges.
How does recovery coaching work with my nutritionist?
Recovery coaching complements nutrition counseling by providing day-to-day implementation support. We collaborate with your nutritionist, reporting meal completion and behaviors while helping you apply the strategies you develop in nutrition sessions.
What if I need support outside of scheduled sessions?
We make ourselves available for support during vulnerable moments, whether that’s a pre-meal conversation, help with meal planning, or a virtual meal session when you’re struggling.
Do I need to have completed a treatment program first?
No. Recovery coaching can be integrated at any point in the recovery process. Upon intake, we assess whether this level of support matches your current needs.
What if I experience a setback?
Setbacks are common in recovery. We help you identify early warning signs, develop response strategies in the moment, and determine when you might need additional support or a temporary increase in care level.
How long will I need recovery coaching?
Duration varies by individual. We focus on building skills and confidence that reduce your need for external support over time, working toward a point where you can maintain recovery independently.
READY TO TALK
Build Lasting Recovery Skills
Eating disorder recovery is hard work. Let us help you build your skills and maintain your progress.
Insight from the practice
Occasional information and updates on nutrition and wellness from the Appleman Nutrition team.
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