Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Lee.
Hi Sarah, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My story began long before I ever imagined becoming a Certified Eating Disorder Recovery Coach. I spent the early part, almost two decades, of my career in the corporate financial services world, all while secretly struggling throughout my 20s with bulimia. On the outside I seemed to be overachieving and climbing a corporate ladder, but behind closed doors I was struggling mentally and emotionally.
It was not until I began experiencing health concerns and consequences that I finally surrendered to recovery. That season changed me in every possible way. After ten years of freedom from disordered behaviors, my career and life took a significant turn when I felt called to help other girls and women gain the same freedom I found and knew was possible.
In 2016, I opened my private practice with a simple hope. I wanted to create the kind of support that walks alongside someone in daily life, not just in a therapy room, a place where women of all ages could feel understood, encouraged, and never alone in their healing. Over the years I earned four specialized coaching certifications, including training through the Carolyn Costin Institute, and eventually my work grew into a full client practice and the privilege of mentoring newer coaches who are stepping into this field.
Today I work with girls, teens, and women around the world through a combination of virtual coaching and local in person support. My approach blends professional training with lived experience, a relational style of coaching, and for those who desire it, a faith based perspective. I believe recovery from an eating disorder is absolutely possible and that every individual deserves a safe and compassionate place to discover that truth for themselves.
Looking back, I never set out to build a business. I simply followed the call to help others find the same freedom I found. The work has grown far beyond what I expected, but the heart behind it has remained the same. Helping someone reclaim their life will always be my greatest honor.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has definitely not been smooth, although every part of it has shaped the coach I am today. When I first started my private practice, eating disorder recovery coaching was still relatively unknown. Many people did not understand what coaching was or how it fit into a treatment team, so a large part of those early years involved educating families, providers, and the community about the role of a coach. It took time, patience, and a lot of trust building to establish myself in a field that was still growing.
There were also seasons where I carried the weight of this work very heavily. Walking closely with clients who are suffering is meaningful work, but it can also be emotionally demanding. I had to learn how to care for my own wellbeing, create healthy boundaries, and stay grounded so that I could continue showing up fully for the women and girls who rely on me.
Starting a business from the ground up came with its own set of struggles too. I had no background in entrepreneurship, so everything from managing a sustainable scheduling to branding to building a website was learned through trial and error. There were slow seasons, moments of doubt, and times when I questioned if I was doing enough or making a difference.
But each challenge strengthened my conviction that this is exactly where I am meant to be. The struggles pushed me to grow, to stay humble, and to depend on God in deeper ways. And they made every client breakthrough, every moment of healing, and every life reclaimed feel all the more meaningful.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
My practice is dedicated to supporting girls, teens, and women who are navigating the complicated and often painful world of eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image struggles. As a Certified Eating Disorder Recovery Coach, I walk closely with my clients, and even families, in the day to day moments where recovery actually happens.
I offer both in person support for clients who live locally in the Dallas area and telehealth services for clients around the world. Recovery unfolds both inside and outside of sessions, so my approach includes scheduled sessions along with in between text support. This allows clients to reach out in the moments when they need encouragement, accountability, or help working through difficult thoughts, emotions, and eating disorder urges.
Depending on each client’s needs, support can include meal coaching, grocery shopping, exposure work, emotional processing, daily check ins and even sometimes help with building a therapeutic team or navigating a higher level of care.
My work is known for being highly relational, compassionate, and accessible. I meet clients where they are in recovery and offer consistent support that fits into daily life. Many clients share that they feel safe with me in a way they have never felt before, because they know I have walked a similar path and will never judge them for their thoughts, fears, or setbacks.
What sets my practice apart is the level of presence and partnership I offer. I stay closely connected with my clients and walk with them as they rebuild a healthier relationship with food, their body, and themselves. I also collaborate with therapists, dietitians, and physicians to help families create a strong outpatient team when needed.
Brand wise, I am most proud of the message that runs through everything I do. Recovery is possible, support exists, and no one has to face this alone. I am proud that I consistently show up as myself and trust that those I am meant to serve will find me. My hope is always to create a safe, encouraging, and deeply human space where healing can take root and grow.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I define success in many different ways, because recovery does not look the same for everyone. My hope is always full recovery, but depending on where I join someone’s journey, the milestones and victories can look very different. Success might be weight restoration or a menstrual cycle returning. It might be going a full month without purging or eating breakfast after years of restriction. It can be the courage to take the first bite of a feared food, or the moment a client tells me she is ready to fight for her life while I sit beside her in a hospital room.
Success can also be emotional and relational. It might look like someone learning to rest without guilt, or rediscovering movement in a joyful and healthy way. Sometimes it is a mom hugging me with tears in her eyes and telling me I am an answer to prayers. Sometimes it is a young woman deciding she is finally ready to start dating because she no longer feels defined by her body. And sometimes success looks like a client asking me about God for the first time, wondering if faith could be a source of comfort or strength in her healing.
Success is found in the small, steady steps as much as the big breakthroughs. It is watching someone reclaim pieces of themselves they thought were lost forever. It is witnessing hope return. And ultimately, success is seeing a person move toward a life that feels freer, fuller, and more aligned with who they were created to be.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sarahleerecovery.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahleerecovery/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahleerecovery
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-lee-cciedc-69b79b298
Image Credits
Allison Amores Photography
