Recovery from an eating disorder doesn’t have to mean putting your life on hold. At Friendly Recovery Center in Tustin, we offer structured outpatient programs that provide the clinical support you need while allowing you to maintain your work, school, and family responsibilities.
Our outpatient eating disorder treatment programs serve adults throughout Orange County who are ready to heal their relationship with food and their body—without the disruption of residential care. Whether you’re struggling with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, or another food-related condition, our clinical team is here to guide you toward lasting recovery.
Many people delay eating disorder treatment because they assume recovery requires weeks or months away from their daily lives. Outpatient care offers a different path—one where healing happens alongside the routines, relationships, and responsibilities that matter to you.
Here’s why outpatient treatment is often the ideal choice for eating disorder recovery:
Real-World Practice from Day One
Unlike residential settings where meals are fully controlled, outpatient treatment lets you practice new skills in your actual environment. You’ll learn to navigate grocery stores, family dinners, work lunches, and social events with therapeutic support—building confidence that transfers directly to life after treatment.
Maintain Your Stability
Stepping away from work, school, or caregiving responsibilities isn’t always possible—or advisable. Our flexible scheduling allows you to continue meeting your obligations while receiving comprehensive clinical care. Many of our clients find that maintaining structure actually supports their recovery.
Sustainable Skill Building
The coping strategies and meal patterns you develop in outpatient treatment are the same ones you’ll use for the rest of your life. There’s no jarring transition from a controlled environment back to “normal life”—you’re building recovery in real time. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, outpatient care is appropriate for individuals who are medically stable and can maintain safety between sessions.
Ideal Step-Down Support
If you’re transitioning from residential or inpatient care, outpatient treatment provides the continued structure and support you need to maintain progress. Stepping down gradually—rather than stopping treatment entirely—significantly reduces relapse risk.
Family Integration
Eating disorders affect entire families. Our outpatient model allows loved ones to participate in family therapy sessions without the logistical challenges of visiting a residential facility. This involvement often accelerates healing for everyone.
We offer three levels of outpatient care, each designed to meet you where you are in your recovery journey. Your treatment team will recommend the appropriate level based on your symptoms, medical stability, and life circumstances—and adjust as you progress.
Our PHP program provides the highest level of outpatient support for eating disorders, offering structured care five to six hours per day, five days per week. You’ll return home each evening while receiving intensive clinical attention during the day.
What PHP includes:
Best for: Individuals stepping down from residential treatment, those needing medical stabilization, or anyone requiring intensive daily support to interrupt eating disorder behaviors.
Our IOP for eating disorders offers three hours of programming per day, three to five days per week. This level allows most clients to continue working or attending school while receiving meaningful clinical support.
What IOP includes:
Best for: Individuals with moderate symptoms who can maintain safety between sessions, those transitioning from PHP, or clients balancing treatment with work or school.
Our standard outpatient services provide one to two sessions per week for individuals who need ongoing support but have established stable eating patterns and coping skills.
What OP includes:
Best for: Long-term recovery maintenance, individuals with early-stage concerns, or those who have completed higher levels of care.
Feature | PHP | IOP | OP |
Hours/Day | 5-6 hours | 3 hours | 1-2 hours |
Days/Week | 5 days | 3-5 days | 1-2 days |
Meals Included | Yes (lunch + snacks) | Snack only | No |
Work/School Compatible | Limited | Yes | Yes |
Medical Monitoring | Daily | Weekly | As needed |
Understanding what treatment looks like can ease anxiety about getting started. While every person’s journey is unique, here’s what you can typically expect when you join our outpatient eating disorder program:
Comprehensive Assessment
Your treatment begins with a thorough evaluation by our clinical team. We’ll assess your eating disorder symptoms, medical status, mental health history, and life circumstances to develop a personalized treatment plan and recommend the appropriate level of care.
Individual Therapy
You’ll work one-on-one with a therapist trained in eating disorder treatment. Sessions typically incorporate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and trauma-informed approaches—all evidence-based methods shown to support lasting recovery.
Group Therapy
Our group therapy sessions connect you with others who understand what you’re going through. Groups focus on skill-building, processing difficult emotions, body image work, and mutual support. Many clients find group therapy to be the most transformative part of their treatment.
Nutritional Counseling
Our registered dietitians specialize in eating disorder recovery. They’ll work with you on meal planning, challenging food fears, rebuilding hunger and fullness cues, and developing a peaceful relationship with eating—without rigid diets or calorie counting.
Supervised Meals (PHP)
In our PHP program, you’ll eat meals and snacks with clinical support. This isn’t about surveillance—it’s about practicing eating in a safe environment where you can process emotions, challenge eating disorder thoughts in real time, and receive immediate support.
Psychiatric Care
When appropriate, our psychiatric providers offer medication management for co-occurring conditions like depression, anxiety, or OCD that often accompany eating disorders. Medication is never the sole treatment but can support your therapeutic work.
Family Involvement
With your permission, we’ll include family members or partners in your treatment. Family sessions help loved ones understand eating disorders, learn how to support recovery, and heal relationships that may have been strained.
If your relationship with food, exercise, or your body is causing distress or interfering with your life, treatment can help you break free. Many people living with eating disorders struggle in silence, unsure if their symptoms are “serious enough” to seek support, but you don’t need to wait until things get worse.
Outpatient eating disorder treatment is effective for many people, but it’s not appropriate for everyone. The Academy for Eating Disorders recommends matching treatment intensity to symptom severity and medical needs.
Outpatient treatment may be appropriate if you:
A higher level of care may be recommended if you:
Not sure which level is right for you? That’s okay. Our clinical team will conduct a thorough assessment and recommend the appropriate level of care. We’ll never place you in a program that doesn’t match your needs.
Our outpatient programs serve adults with all types of eating disorders. While each condition has unique features, our treatment approach addresses the underlying psychological, emotional, and behavioral patterns that maintain disordered eating. Learn more about our comprehensive approach to eating disorders treatment.
Anorexia Nervosa — For medically stable clients, outpatient treatment supports weight restoration through structured meal plans, body image therapy, and addressing the fears and beliefs driving restriction.
Bulimia Nervosa — Treatment focuses on interrupting binge-purge cycles, normalizing eating patterns, developing healthier coping mechanisms, and healing the shame that often accompanies this disorder.
Binge Eating Disorder — We help you identify emotional triggers, break the diet-binge cycle, and build a sustainable relationship with food that isn’t driven by rules or restriction.
ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) — Our sensory-sensitive approach gradually expands your food repertoire through careful exposure work, addressing the anxiety and aversions that limit eating.
OSFED (Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder) — Including atypical anorexia, purging disorder, and night eating syndrome. Your suffering is valid regardless of whether symptoms fit neatly into a diagnostic category.
Co-Occurring Conditions — Many people with eating disorders also experience anxiety, depression, OCD, or trauma. Our dual diagnosis approach treats the whole person, addressing all conditions simultaneously for better outcomes.
Orange County has many mental health providers, but few specialize in eating disorders at the outpatient level. At Friendly Recovery, eating disorder treatment isn’t a side offering—it’s a core part of who we are. Meet our clinical team to learn about their specialized training and approach.
What sets us apart:
Most major insurance plans cover outpatient eating disorder treatment. The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act requires insurers to cover mental health conditions—including eating disorders—at the same level as physical health conditions.
We accept most PPO insurance plans including Aetna, Cigna, Health Net, and many others. Our admissions team will verify your benefits and explain any out-of-pocket costs before you begin treatment.
Taking the first step toward eating disorder recovery takes courage—and you don’t have to figure it out alone. Our admissions team is available to answer your questions, discuss your situation, and help you determine whether outpatient treatment is the right fit.
Whether you’re ready to start treatment or just want to learn more about your options, we’re here to help. All calls are confidential.
Shahana Ham, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Southern California. She specializes in client-centered care for individuals facing mental health and substance use challenges, fostering a supportive environment for healing and growth.
Treatment hours vary by program level. Our Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) involves 25-30 hours per week (5-6 hours daily, 5 days). Intensive Outpatient (IOP) requires 9-15 hours weekly (3 hours daily, 3-5 days). Standard outpatient is 1-2 hours per week. Your clinical team will recommend the level that matches your current needs and adjust as you progress.
Yes—this is one of the primary benefits of outpatient care. Our IOP program offers morning and evening sessions specifically designed for working professionals and students. PHP requires more significant time commitment, but many clients maintain part-time work or reduced course loads. We'll work with you to find a schedule that supports both recovery and your other responsibilities.
Residential treatment provides 24/7 care in a live-in facility, with all meals supervised and constant clinical support. Outpatient treatment allows you to live at home and attend scheduled treatment sessions. Residential is typically recommended for medical instability, severe symptoms, or unsafe home environments. Outpatient works well for medically stable individuals who can maintain safety between sessions and have support at home. Many people step down from residential to outpatient as they progress.
Our PHP program includes supervised lunch and snacks as part of treatment—eating with clinical support is a core therapeutic component. IOP programs may include a supervised snack depending on session timing. Standard outpatient does not include meals. Regardless of program level, you'll work closely with our dietitians on meal planning and nutrition rehabilitation for meals eaten outside of treatment.
Treatment duration depends on individual factors including symptom severity, how long you've struggled with the eating disorder, co-occurring conditions, and your progress. Many clients spend 8-12 weeks in PHP or IOP before stepping down to less intensive care. Standard outpatient may continue for months or years as maintenance. Recovery isn't linear—your treatment team will adjust the timeline based on your needs rather than arbitrary deadlines.
Recovery doesn't end when formal treatment concludes. Before discharge, you'll develop a comprehensive relapse prevention plan with your treatment team. Many clients step down to weekly therapy or monthly check-ins. We also offer alumni support and can reconnect you with higher levels of care if needed. The skills and insights you develop in treatment stay with you—the goal is to equip you for independent recovery while knowing support is available if you need it.
Yes. Your treatment records are protected by HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and applicable state laws. We will not share information about your treatment with employers, schools, or family members without your explicit written consent. Insurance companies receive only the minimum information necessary for claims processing. Your privacy is fundamental to creating a safe therapeutic environment.
Ready to start your journey towards recovery and stability? Contact Friendly Recovery Center today and let us help you improve your mental health and wellness.
Our experienced team provides expert IOP, PHP, and outpatient care for individuals in Orange County. We deliver personalized counseling, group therapy, and holistic treatments in a supportive environment designed to improve your life.
Our team is ready to help—call us now!
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