Recovered Professionals

"Being recovered is when you can accept your natural body size and shape and no longer have a self-destructive relationship with food or exercise. When you are recovered, food and weight take a proper perspective in your life, and what you weigh is not more important than who you are; in fact, actual numbers are of little or no importance at all. When recovered, you will not compromise your health or betray your soul to look a certain way, wear a certain size, or reach a certain number on the scale. When you are recovered, you do not use eating disorder behaviors to deal with, distract from, or cope with other problems.” -Carolyn Costin

Why Lived Experience Matters in Our Work 

By Justyne Ortquist, LPC, Clinical Director & Anna Flores, DCN, Executive Director

As clinicians who are both fully recovered from eating disorders, we hold a deep belief that lived experience can be a powerful part of healing. Recovery taught each of us not only how to care for our own bodies and minds, but also how to sit with others in their most vulnerable moments—with empathy that comes from having been there ourselves.

At our center, we see recovery not as perfection, but as a process of returning to connection—with self, body, and life. Having walked that path, we bring to our work a sense of authenticity and hope that we believe clients can feel. We know what it’s like to face the fear of change, to wrestle with trust, and to slowly rediscover freedom around food and body.

Our personal recovery is what inspired us to dedicate our professional lives to this work. We live the medicine we offer: compassion, curiosity, honesty, and the belief that full recovery is possible for everyone. By integrating our lived experience with our clinical and nutritional expertise, we aim to create a space that is both deeply informed and profoundly human—a place where clients can feel seen, supported, and inspired to heal.