Our life-affirming philosophy is based on almost three decades of success helping individuals of all ages overcome eating, exercise, and body image disorders. We understand that disordered symptoms reveal the fundamental aspects of our life that need attention and can act as an unerring guide to lasting recovery. We have witnessed the incredible opportunities for personal growth and fulfillment offered by our psychological struggles. We help clients achieve what may at first seem impossible to imagine – a life of inner peace, wholeness, and happiness.

The Central Coast Treatment Center teaches what our culture disregards – an understanding of the authentic inner Self. The issues underlying disordered eating stem from an alienated relationship to the Self. We provide powerful and refreshing insight into the nature of the true Self and the body we inhabit.

Our philosophy transcends the negative messages that normally surround disordered eating. We don’t teach clients how to ‘stop’ their disordered eating. We help them uncover goals and desires that are so much more compelling and engaging than their eating disordered system. Our clients achieve true recovery by discovering an inspiring and exciting way of life to replace the obsessive, entrapping eating disorder thoughts and behaviors. Our talented and highly trained team understands the devastating effects that eating, exercise, and body image disorders have on our clients’ lives.

We are aware of the confusing and often contradictory information about health and nutrition circulating through our society. Our nutritionists provide a strong foundation in the physiological basis of weight loss, weight gain, metabolism repair, organ healing, and energy production. We understand that it takes time to relearn how to eat, how to approach physical activity, and embrace the purity of our physical body.

We help our clients access the wisdom and guidance of the Self to create an inner world in which authenticity reigns and self-worth comes from simple acts of “being” instead of external achievements.

Cathy Meyer-Uyehara, FACHE, NHA

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

As Chief Executive Officer of Central Coast Treatment Center, Cathy brings over forty years of experience within the acute and post-acute healthcare continuum. Cathy is both personally and professional driven to provide a safe and supportive care setting for individuals struggling with eating disorders as well as their family members and caregivers. 

Cathy is equally as passionate about leadership and as a qualifed life coach supports our team members to  realize their fullest potentials and professional aspirations.

Kylie Schwartz

director of operations

Kylie graduated from California Polytechnic State University of San Luis Obispo in 2014 with her Bachelor’s degree in Applied Nutrition.  Unsure of how she wanted to use her degree after college, Kylie honed in on a long-standing personal interest in the eating disorder field and found herself as a Dietetic Assistant with Central Coast Treatment Center in August of 2017.  Now recovered from her own experience with an eating disorder, Kylie is able to empathetically relate and better understand clients as they embark on their own journey to recovery.  As the Business Operations Manager, Kylie balances all aspects of intake coordination, admissions, staff & client orientations and insurance related items for the Central Coast Treatment Center.  In her free time, Kylie enjoys reading, traveling and practicing yoga.

Katie Boucher, LMFT

clinical Director
License #119173

Katie received her MA in Counseling Psychology, at Argosy University in the San Diego area. Her clinical experience includes specializing at Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital, Eating Disorder Partial-Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program during completion of her graduate degree. She was able to gain experience in a Residential Treatment setting, working at our sister site ‘Ai Pono Maui prior to licensure additionally.

Katie has been working for Central Coast Treatment Center since 2016, performing an array of duties that have provided her with a thorough understanding of the inside out of the program, including: planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and contributing to various developmental needs which arise. She is deeply passionate about the work we do and values the distinct role CCTC has in the community, being the only PHP/IOP treatment center for eating disorders in the area.

She has worked with individuals from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds diagnosed with Feeding and Eating Disorders, as well as other co-morbid disorders (including: Mood Disorders, Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders, Personality Disorders, and Anxiety Disorders). Her training in evidence-based practices (including: CBT, DBT, Interpersonal Therapy, and Mindfulness) has provided her the opportunity to gain proficiency in a variety of skills/tools and therapeutic interventions, which she focuses on currently at Central Coast Treatment Center running groups utilizing these skills and adding art therapy to both groups and individual treatment.

Katie received her BA in Arts/Art Studies after discovering a love for the field at an early age, attending oil painting classes weekly since age ten. She added a minor in social change to her degree, and has completed her 200-Hour Wellness, Social Emotional Learning, and Yoga Teacher Training that is trauma and inclusive informed. Having fully recovered from her own eating disorder, which increased in severity during her early college years away from home, Katie is able to deeply empathize with our clients and inspire hope for change.

Her approach is dynamic, collaborative, and eclectic, blending experiential methods with traditional talk therapy in order to design the most beneficial strategy for each individual. She works to assist our clients in developing more compassionate ways of relating to the Self to facilitate lasting change and growth in recovery.

Emily Elrod-Black, MA, APCC

Associate Program Therapist, AMFT#12004

Emily provides body centered psychotherapy for the treatment of eating disorders. At the Central Coast Treatment Center, Emily combines a blend of Gestalt, CBT, existential, and mindfulness-based interventions in group work and individual counseling. Emily is also a trained PACT couples therapist, and in her work, she supports people in healing from early childhood trauma and relationship issues. As someone who has gone through the recovery journey herself, Emily brings a high degree of empathy, experience, and compassion to her work at Central Coast. 

Hannah Wright, MA, APCC

Associate Program Therapist, AMFT#144771

Hannah Wright is an associate therapist who completed her MA in Clinical Mental Health at Palo Alto University. Hannah spent 10 years as a horseback riding instructor where she found her love for working with people. Hannah has a background in CBT, DBT, and mindfulness based interventions. Hannah has past experience working with OCD, depression, and anxiety related disorders. In Hannah‘s free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking, and riding horses. 

Emily Stingl, RD

Lead Dietitian, central coast treatment center and ‘ai Pono hawaii

Emily was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her combination of interests in psychology and nutrition resulted in a desire to work with individuals with Eating Disorders. This passion led her to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Dietetics from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point.

After graduation, Emily completed her Dietetic Internship at Florida Hospital Orlando, where she later joined the staff of nearly 30 clinical Registered Dietitians.  Here, Emily developed a strong foundation in clinical nutrition but never lost sight of her original goal.  In January of 2019, Emily moved to the Central Coast and joined the team at Central Coast Treatment Center a few months later. Emily has since relocated to the East Coast and now provides nutrition therapy via Telehealth.

When not at work, you can find Emily curled up on the couch with a book and her (too big to be a lap-dog) lap-dog, Diggs, or in the kitchen trying out her favorite Indian recipes.  She also enjoys yoga, kayaking, camping, and exploring the great outdoors.

Keely O’Keefe, MS, RD

Registered Dietitian

Keely is a Registered Dietitian who completed her undergraduate and graduate nutrition coursework at Virginia Tech. After graduation, she completed her Dietetic Internship at the University of New Hampshire. Keely loves the outdoors and wanted to explore the west coast, so she moved to Redding, CA in 2019 and worked as a clinical dietitian at Mercy Medical Center Redding, a level II trauma center. Keely loved gaining clinical nutrition knowledge, being a vital member of an interdisciplinary team, and working with a variety of complex patients in both the inpatient and outpatient setting through this position.  

After three years of hospital work, Keely wanted to take her career in a new direction. Her own recovery from disordered eating in her childhood, teenage years, and early adult life was a big motivator to start working in the field of eating disorders. Keely is passionate about helping people recover from their own eating disorders with compassion, empathy, and a bit of humor. 

In her free time, Keely loves backpacking, puzzles, mountain biking, reading, trail running, and spending time with partner and her cat, Pepita. 

Hannah Callen

Nutrition Assistant

Hannah is a fourth-year nutrition student at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has always enjoyed cooking and loves to try new recipes. She found her passion for nutrition during high school when she started learning more about how much food impacts our overall health. Coming to college, she has continued her passion for cooking and nutrition. She loves to make meals for her friends to bring everyone together. She believes that food is a powerful way to foster a sense of community while also making ourselves feel good. 

After graduating, Hannah is taking a gap year to travel. After this, Hannah plans to apply to graduate school and a dietetic internship to become a Registered Dietitian. Hannah enjoys yoga/pilates classes, going on fun adventures with her friends, and trying out new hobbies like ceramics and watercolor painting.

Madison Stringfellow

Nutrition Assistant

Madison is currently a third-year student in the Applied Nutrition program at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. From a young age, she has always loved cooking and baking. Since coming to college she has found a passion for the importance of a healthy relationship with food and overall nutritional health. She hopes to share that love through this role at Central Coast.

After graduating, Madison plans to attend graduate school and complete a dietetic internship to become a Registered Dietitian. Once becoming a Registered Dietitian she hopes to work in the eating disorder field. In her free time, she enjoys yoga classes, hiking, going to the beach and spending time with friends and family. You can also find her in the library studying! 

Caitlyn Lew

Nutrition Assistant

Caitlyn is a fourth-year Nutrition student at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Growing up, she always loved to try new foods and treasured time spent cooking in the kitchen with her loved ones. Caitlyn loves that food is a very big communal activity that can bring people together. Because food is such a large part of her life, Caitlyn is passionate about helping others find that balance of enjoying good food and developing a healthy relationship with it.

After graduating, Caitlyn hopes to pursue graduate school and a dietetic internship to become a registered dietitian. As a woman of color, Caitlyn would love to be a part of diversifying and serving the evolving Nutrition community. In her free time, Caitlyn loves to go to the beach, explore SLO, spend time with friends and family, and try new recipes and restaurants. 

Rebecca Grim, RN, CCRN

Registered Nurse

Rebecca received her Registered Nursing degree from Cuesta College and is an AACN-certified critical care RN with more than 10 years experience in intensive care nursing. As a nurse with her own eating disorder and recovery background, Rebecca has always harbored a personal dream of helping people who struggle with eating disorders. When she learned that Central Coast Treatment Center was operating in her local community Rebecca was so excited - both that her community has such an incredibly valuable, comprehensive, desperately needed program operating in its midst, but also at the prospect that she might be able meaningfully integrate her medical knowledge and nursing skills with understanding and compassion to offer healing, recovery and a path to thriving for those who struggle with eating disorders.

Since joining the Central Coast Treatment Center team, Rebecca has been expanding her research and working knowledge of eating disorder medical complications and treatment to provide the best possible care. It is a humbling honor for her to be able to provide weekly nursing assessments for CCTC clients and to coordinate with our physician and amazing team of professionals, but most of all to witness so many beautiful souls open up, little by little, and bloom right before her eyes.