Center for Discovery Thousand Oaks

It's been 6 months since I left CFD Thousand Oaks and all I can say is how grateful I am to have had the opportunity to learn and grow here. I was a little hesitant after reading the reviews yet im glad I did not let that stop me from going. I was in the program here for a little over 3 months and thanks to the staff and my amazing therapist Stephanie, I was not only able to overcome my eating disorder but also discover more about myself! The program is very clear and straightforward about what to expect and how the day by day is handled. They even give you a booklet for the duration of your stay to use on the daily. The operations manager, Makayla, made me feel more comfortable my first week there and is so sweet. She really went above and beyond for the patients my entire stay. Erin, the Nurse Admin, would take time to teach and explain why physical symptoms would arise and even gave classes on how our bodies are impacted by eating disorders. The nurses and diet technicians really heard and understood my neurodivergent needs too! I feel like the approach to meals and food were very gentle even if the intergration process felt overwheming at times. I am grateful to my dietician Kylie, for being supportive and understanding when it came to eating. I learned how to eat alongside my sensitivies/sensory needs and not against it! At the end I felt well equipped to grocery shop for myself and maintain my newly developed eating habits. Some general counselors were amazing, others disappointed me. I want to say thank you to Kevin for being a shoulder to lean on and Gerald for the wonderful morning walks and enthusiasm. Juliet, who made the weekends bearable and Zaida who puts her whole heart into her work. The program on paper seemed easy for me. In reality, this was probably one of the hardest things I have ever done. I had to face myself. All my trauma, doubts, beliefs, and values. Things I believed to be true my whole life and having to accept that it was making me sick. I cried a lot, i laughed and smiled a lot too. I was angry, definitely wanted to leave at times, had panic attacks, felt like my world was ending, disagreed with staff, heck even screamed/sobbed and it was all worth it. I always felt supported, even in the most difficult of moments. I was heard and accepted here. At times, the groups felt redundant or i felt like I had too much free time. I later realized the more I worked the program the more I learned and even helped my peers by just participating in discussions. I also learned a lot from other women opening up in the groups and created bonds that exceed my time there. The group "Life Worth Living" was probably my favorite and still helps me to this day. Thank you therapist Bernice for hosting that group. I love how the program is structured to slowly give more agency and even deal with triggers/situations in a more controlled setting. Having therapy multiple times a week helped me process these exposures. Being able to see a physician and psychiatrist weekly were also very helpful to my recovery. I was helped in creating an exit plan for when I stepped down from residential and had a safety plan created in the event I needed extra support. I left with hope and excitement for what was in store next for me! Now there have been ups and downs. Recovery isnt linear nor pefect. At times, I continue to struggle with intrusive thoughts and the urge to use maldaptive coping skills. Despite that, I am able to use what skills ive learned at CFD Thousand Oaks and continue building my life worth living ❤️ Thank you Danisha, Cas, Stephanie, Bernice, Juliet, Kevin, Rob, Makayla, and Erin!!!

I didn’t think I would get to the place that I did in recovery until I came to this program. Staff is amazing and truly cares about patients. I felt welcomed and comforted from the moment I walked in the door

The therapists are incredible, my peers were like family