therapist advice

Clinical Therapist Advice – Work With a Team Before Going Solo

  I started my career as a therapist in the Intern Program at Sanford Behavioral Health in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was called “Sanford House” in early 2018, and we were managing outpatient addiction treatment in the carriage house at Sanford House at Cherry Street for Women. I was fortunate enough to shadow an amazing […]

Bulimia Nervosa – Breaking the Binge Purge Cycle

  Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by patterns of consuming a large amount of food in a short amount of time (bingeing) and eliminating calories consumed (purging). The most common compensatory behavior is vomiting. Other compensatory behaviors are using laxatives or diuretics, excessive exercise; extreme fasting; and manipulating insulin or other medications. Someone […]

clinical kitchen

Michigan Autumn is Good for Your Mental Health

  I was speaking to a colleague of mine yesterday. She asked if I had any ideas for inspirational thoughts on the monitors at Sanford West Behavioral Health Campus. As the Sanford Marketing Director, my answer to questions of this sort is always, “Yes.” I had been thinking about the mental health benefits of a […]

Michigan autumn mental health

The Safety Team are Sanford Ambassadors – Limelight Interview

  Sanford West Behavioral Health Campus is the newest treatment facility under the Sanford Behavioral Health umbrella. After a yearlong renovation, Sanford West is open for business! Located 12 minutes from downtown Grand Rapids, in Marne, Michigan, and situated on 18 acres, Sanford West enhances and compliments the existing services at Sanford Behavioral Health. The […]

Matt VanLiere

Fox 17 Interview – Sanford West Behavioral Health Campus

  Thank you to Fox 17 and reporter Marisa Oberle for taking the time to visit Sanford West Behavioral Health Campus. Sanford West, the newest addition to Sanford Behavioral Health’s facilities, is well positioned to treat high acuity patients with an integrated approach to addiction, eating disorders, mental health and medical conditions. All of Sanford’s programs are backed by a multidisciplinary team of medical and […]

sanford west drone with logo

Can Exercise and Healthy Eating Go Too Far?

  Today on the podcast we talk to Sanford Behavioral Health’s  Gail Hall, LMSW, DCSW, CEDS-S about orthorexia and other eating disorders. Gail, who has been treating eating disorders for over 30 years, says exercise and healthy eating can present a problem when the individual becomes obsessed with eating clean. Also, the compulsion to exercise […]

girl running

Ask Rae: How to Choose an Addiction Treatment Center?

Dear Rae: My wife’s addiction and mental health issues have gotten out of hand. It is impacting our quality of life, and our children’s lives. But I am overwhelmed by the options for treatment. How do I find the best addiction treatment center for her? And how do I know what she needs? Also, we […]

Rae Green

Who Needs Botox? 4 Reasons Sober is Beautiful Inside and Out

  I work for Sanford Behavioral Health in Grand Rapids. Michigan, and my job gives me a bird’s eye overview of our patients in recovery. I don’t see them every day, which means I am privy to the cumulative effect recovery can have on a person’s overall look. And what a difference even a week […]

In-Network with Physicians Health Plan – Eating Disorders Full Continuum

  [Grand Rapids, Michigan 06/20/22] – Sanford Behavioral Health provides a full continuum of care for eating disorders. This includes residential, partial hospitalization (PHP), intensive outpatient (IOP) and outpatient services. We are proud to announce we are now in-network with Physicians Health Plan for eating disorder treatment. With this new partnership, Sanford is able to […]

clinical kitchen

The Rise of Orthorexia – Healthy Eating on Steroids

  Orthorexia is a variation of anorexia nervosa which presents as an obsessional desire to eat only “healthy” or “clean” foods and a preoccupation with exercise. Although the initial presentation may be different from traditional anorexia, the core issue – an unhealthy fear of weight gain – is the same.   “Adolescents are a nutritionally […]

veggies