BALANCE eating disorder treatment center, New York NY

Dani was so great! The team at Balance was so incredibly patient, thorough, kind and informative. They talked me through each step of the process and made something so overwhelming and scary seem simple. I hope to be able to work with them more in the future!

Balance is an outstanding eating disorder treatment center in NYC. As a NYC physician who cares for people with eating disorders, I've had countless patients who have received evidenced-based guidance from Balance. Those patients make great progress in their recoveries thanks to the great support they receive at Balance. The staff are caring and understanding and go the extra mile. I highly recommend Balance.

Working with their billing department has been an absolute nightmare. I recommend looking elsewhere at all costs. I seriously regret receiving treatment here.

I am a psychologist in private practice specializing in eating disorders for over 20 years. I have been working with Melainie Rogers and Balance for many years, entrusting her and her team to offer excellent treatment at all levels of care. In my experience sharing clients with Balance, the staff at Balance has been very professional and has shown excellent judgment in assessing our mutual clients' needs. They have demonstrated compassion with clients and expertise in eating disorder treatment. I have the utmost confidence in referring clients to Balance.

I have known and referred individuals to the Balance Center for over 6 years. As a professional in the eating disorder community there is no place in the greater NYC area that I have trusted more. Melanie runs her business like a family with the care, attention and integrity that we should expect, but don't always encounter, everywhere.

My experience at balance wasn’t good for my recovery. There were elements that felt unprofessional (e.g, unplanned group sessions or missed case management and nutritional sessions). In hindsight, I wish I looked at the specifics of the client reviews more closely because they mirror my experience. Reviews from providers and current employees are less helpful and somewhat misleading.

The payment/insurance/reimbursement situation will traumatize you to an extent that undoes all of their treatment efforts. You’ll likely be so broke and distrustful of the system after being here that you won’t ever return to treatment (my girl is now stuck in quasi-recovery to avoid treatment again) which is probably why they are able to consider themselves to be so “effective”. Please take the influx of positive reviews by BALANCE STAFF MEMBERS and their friends for the enormous red flag it is.

Did not receive the quality of care I was expecting based on what I was told during the intake process. I think, if cost of care is not a concern, then this could be a program worth considering. There were still some tough elements for me. The pre and post processing at meals was a lot and I wish some of the clinical requirements like group and case management sessions were better run. Largely, it felt somewhat transactional when it came to the pressure to sign on and then extend my treatment.

Working with BALANCE for the majority of my 15 year career, I can attest to the integrity of its programs. The "BALANCE eating disorder treatment" way is especially useful if you're looking for a nutrition-focused, intuitive, and mindful method to recalibrate your relationship with food, and therefore, your body. Melainie and her team are well-known in the field for approaching each client with individuality and empathy.

Stepping into a higher level of care for one's physical and mental health is never an easy choice- and one that will be filled with many hurdles and obstacles along the way. I refer to BALANCE because I believe their approach works, their providers are compassionate, and the impact of their treatment has been long-lasting for my clients.

The team at balance is so devoted to helping all of their clients and giving client centered care! Balance is a safe place for clients to be vulnerable and work through their traumas and get to the root of their eating disorder.

Balance is one of the best facilities for the treatment of eating disorders. As a pioneer in the field, I have watched Balance grow over the years and am consistently impressed with the quality of treatment- and the staff expertise and engagement with patients. So many of my patients are on their way to full recovery as a result of their time at Balance. Yes, Balance is thoughtful about whom they work with- they are committed to make sure they can reach and treat the people they accept into the program. Balance remains my top choice in New York for a higher level of care treatment of eating disorders.

When I need to refer my clients for more intensive eating disorder treatment Balance is always our first call. The team there demonstrates a consistently high level of care and a commitment to Client wellbeing. I particularly appreciate their collaborative approach, keeping me as the outpatient dietitian up to date and informed of my clients progress. Without hesitation I highly recommend Balance.

The team at BALANCE provided me an invaluable experience that showed me a life beyond eating disorders. I've worked with the team at BALANCE for 5+ years in different levels of care, and am so grateful for the treatment + clinicians, as well as the community I gained along the way. Getting help for an eating disorder is a scary reality to have to come to terms with, and I am lucky to have found such a supportive center to go through my recovery journey with. Thank you BALANCE for all of the critical work you do - your impact is immeasurable.

I am a Psychotherapist who treats eating disorders. When my clients need a higher level of care on an outpatient level Balance is the first program I refer to. I have known the owner Melainie Rogers since the program began. I have watched them grow! In my opinion they are one of the best programs that I have worked with. Their level of care, the staff, and their program has helped so many other of my clients! I would highly recommend them to anyone, client or therapist looking for an outpatient program.

If I could give zero stars, I would. After a good experience in 2020, I returned to Balance for treatment in 2022 after stepping down from residential treatment. I deeply regret this decision and would strongly encourage others to look elsewhere when choosing where to begin and/or continue their recovery journey. Balance advertises themselves as a premiere eating disorder treatment center via their Instagram, website, live webinars, and discovery/assessment calls, but the experience that myself and other clients had while there does not support this. They charge a $350 assessment fee prior to admitting, which should have been the first red flag, but the beautiful picture they paint of recovery and their programming can be persuasive in a time of extreme vulnerability and a desire to recover. Over my five weeks there, I had more than one week where I did not receive the guaranteed case management/dietitian sessions. Groups were often scattered and without any clear purpose. Staff was disorganized, lacked experience, and were difficult to reach. Support came primarily from other clients rather than staff. There were multiple emails left unanswered and rarely any follow-ups when staff promised to do so. Case managers frequently asked to meet outside of program hours without regard for client's schedules. Sessions rarely started on time and were not consistent from week to week. Case management and dietitian sessions rarely, if ever, were in person. My case manager connected with me on the required meal logging app one day prior to discharge and was minimally involved in my treatment. Eating disorder treatment is not cheap; however, for the price Balance charges, the quality of care is severely lacking. Staff members make empty promises not only in regards to the treatment itself but also as it relates to insurance coverage/reimbursement. Dealing with Balance after my discharge to get documents to send to my insurance company was a constant headache that has taken months to complete and is still ongoing. Reimbursement checks were sent to Balance rather than the client, which also extended an already traumatic treatment experience. They use a third party company to submit claims, which was frankly a waste of time and money. I’m currently in the process of submitting a second appeal to insurance due to the fact that claims were submitted incorrectly by them. I have reached out to Balance and have heard nothing back from them other than an out of office reply stating that their billing person no longer works there. Treatment at Balance felt transactional, and the only real urgency I received was when payments to them were involved. Any agency I tried to have in the treatment I was paying for was met with opposition. Clients are required to pay a minimum of 4 weeks up front. As I entered the last week of treatment and was not spoken to about extending, I logged into the case management session the day before my discharge and was laughed at by my case manager, who then used our session time to contact my dietitian, laughed again, and said, “Yeah, she doesn’t think that’s a good idea either. ” I was then made to feel that if I discharged it would be letting my eating disorder win. I was told to extend for an extra week at a cost of $6250 to get an appropriate step down plan in place. After agreeing to do so, I wasn’t spoken to again about a step down until the Monday before my Wednesday discharge and was left to figure out a step down mostly on my own. On a call with the owner, Melainie Rogers, after my discharge to discuss my concerns, I was asked if I would be as upset as I was “if I had received more money from insurance. ” A comment I am still deeply saddened and offended by. Quality of care provided in 2022 was a complete 180 in the wrong direction from 2020. Seven months after my discharge, and I am still attempting to heal, not just from my eating disorder, but from the traumatizing treatment experience I had at Balance. This place should not be in business. They are negatively affecting people’s recoveries and lives.

Not surprised to see other negative reviews. It’s a bummer because they have the potential to do so much good, but they missed the mark for me.

Balance is good for some, bad for others. It’s a one size fits all solution for a disorder that is nuanced. I felt like I was in rehabilitation for a broken hand when I had a broken leg.

Don’t go here if your eating issues stem from trauma. They don’t treat PTSD and being at balance can be destructive if you are a victim of abuse. They offer minimal 1 on 1 therapy (less than an hour a week) and most of their therapists and dieticians have only been practicing for 1-2 years.

Dieticians and therapists are programmed to not believe you unless what you’re saying fits their model. As someone with PTSD, coming out of an abusive relationship, this was triggering.

If you’re considering Balance and you are undernourished (from restriction or purging), I’d recommend it. Otherwise, I’d look at options that will treat your specific needs. Even if it feels dramatic, you’re better off in treatment specifically for the root cause of your emotional instability. EDs are usually a symptom of something else, and Balance doesn’t do a great job of treating the something else.

This does NOT mean, don’t get treatment. Taking medical leave and going to daily therapy was an invaluable and necessary experience for me.

Lastly, Balance is only for people with unlimited disposable income. I spent $24k and haven’t gotten a single dollar back from my insurance company, though I’ve been trying for months. There are many other options for ED treatment that are covered by insurance + where the program takes care of that for you. At Balance you have to deal with insurance yourself or pay even more money to Balance to have them handle it/deal directly with the insurance company. At a time when I should have been focused on recovery, I was constantly stressed about the insurance situation.

This is not meant to be an attack on anyone at Balance. I know the staff is doing their best. I wrote this review because, when I was trying to decide where to go, I wish I’d been able to read more about my options.

If I could do it all again I would have tried to go to Gaudiani Clinic, which seems to have a more scientific, tailored approach. I would have found the best possible care, regardless of the state where it was located (I over indexed on staying in nyc). I would have looked for a place that dealt with trauma. I would have also prioritized ease of insurance coverage.

Balance's PHP was detrimental to my recovery. As a woman in her 30s attempting to advocate for her treatment, I felt dehumanized and ultimately taken advantage of at a time when I felt most vulnerable.

The dietetics approach was more regimented than I was led to believe though I asserted that I was interested in an intuitive eating model. The emphasis on food categories for all meals and snacks was more akin to an exchange system and supplements were required if meals weren't completed. Additionally, clients were not allowed water between meals and snacks. After successfully completing a residential program where I was given more trust and agency over my intake and behavior, the Balance PHP made me feel like I had taken several steps back (e.g, being required to count aloud while in the bathroom).

After two weeks of treatment with Balance, I determined that the program was not a fit for the above reasons and asked to be released from my contract so that I could move to another treatment program and my request was met with significant opposition. In a vulnerable attempt to advocate for my treatment, I was accused of not making a recovery-oriented decision. I felt obligated to complete the remainder of my contract so that I could be reimbursed by my insurance company. The cost of the program was $6,250 per week and unfortunately I was not in a position to pay out of pocket with no potential for reimbursement.

While I do believe the team at Balance had great intentions, my treatment felt like a profit-driven one size fits all approach and I regret signing on to their program.