Valenta was recommended to us for our daughter who struggles with OCD and anxiety. She started the program early in 2021 so everything was done virtually - even virtually the program was very effective and efficient. I never had any concerns about privacy or care because of the virtual platform. The program itself is exceptional and was well suited to our situation. Our daughter is thriving! And it wasn’t just her that benefited. We all learned how to help her and learned tools and coping skills that she can use for the rest of her life. My advice to parents is to lean in to the program and trust the process. Let go of everything you think you know and be open to learning and listening - both to the staff and your child. I am so grateful to Valenta and the wonderful staff for coming to us at just the right time when we really needed the support.

DO NOT go here. If I could give them 0 stars, I would. I was a patient here several years ago when I was 16, and had a horrible experience. Sylvia was super passive aggressive. They do not have a good system for making girls eat their meals. Dr.Mar forces EVERY client to go through EMDR even if they do not think they have trauma. Dr. Mar is also known to be verbally inappropriate towards certain others. When I was kicked out of the program I was told I would either discharge or graduate in two weeks, either way I was getting discharged. I relapsed less than 2 months after I left. I am now recovered from my eating disorder but no thanks to them. Go to Center for Discovery if you want a better treatment experience for your child or yourself.

If I could give Valenta more stars I would. I can honestly say if it weren’t for Valenta and their exceptional treatment with eating disorders, I wouldn’t be alive today. They 100% saved my life. The staff is incredible and takes the time to understand each individual patient. If you’re looking to seek help for you’re eating disorder I would highly recommend this facility. I’ve been graduated from the program for 8 months, and with the aftercare that they hold and their assistance with setting up an aftercare team, they set the patient up for success when they are ready to leave treatment.

This place is awesome they helped me for three months and helped me with anything I needed. Even though I didn’t really seek for motivation in my recovery I still felt that support and care for me while really struggling with Anarexia. This place was literally a life saver. Without them I would either be dead or still struggling. So I want to thank Dr. Mar, Sydnee, Annique and everyone else who works there. I’m sorry for the people who didn’t like this place but I definitely loved it and would recommend it.

I will try to keep this short! My daughter was at Valenta for 3 1/2 months after being hospitalized for 6wks. In that 3 1/2 months she was supposed to be getting the therapy she needed. They would force these kids to eat a certain amount of food and tell them “I don’t care if you throw up everyday! You will finish this”! This is an eating disorder clinic!!! Who says that?!? Also, the dr told my daughter she is eating as much as a teenage boy!!! Again, this is an eating disorder clinic! Who says that?!? After being discharged, they did not get her with the right professional as promised! And now my daughter is slowly relapsing! And all she hears is the things these therapists and dr Would say to her... that isn’t helping obviously! There is much more to say about these people and their program but this review would be a book!Do not allow these people to care for your kids!!! It only makes things worse!!!!

There are no words to express the gratitude I feel for Dr. Mar and the staff at Valenta. I highly recommend anyone who is struggling with an eating disorder to seek help here. I was a patient there about 12 years ago and the experience completely changed my life. I spent about three months in the partial hospitalization program, where not only did I develop a positive mindset toward and relationship with food, but I also learned why my emotions and traumatic past experiences were manifesting as an eating disorder, how to identify and express my feelings in a healthy way, how to trust myself, how to set healthy boundaries with others, became more in tune with myself through meditation and yoga, and so much more. The tools I learned in Valenta so long ago are something I still utilize to this day. If you or someone you know are struggling with an eating disorder please contact the staff at Valenta for an assessment.

Do not send anyone here . absolutely horrible . docter mar is far more interested in his curiosity about eating disorders than helping patients recover . he is very passive aggressive agreed by patients parents and family . he has said inappropriate words from my experience here . Staff can not and will not agree no matter how you explain yourself about him . they discharged me for a far inappropriate reason . Michele is by far the worst therapist there and she is in no way helpful. she is extremely rude and other patients have said she gave me dirty glances when i spoke . do not go here, if needing treatment i highly recomend UCSD eating disorder treatment . There concepts are horrible . do not waste time or money here, was not helpful at all, staff don’t listen . Lastly, Mar has broken patient confidentiality when i discharged . tells peers inappropriate words about me . do not go here, horrible program -

Alot of people say bad things about the staff but dr.mar and Gina helped me so much w my eating disorder. I ended up w a suicide attempt discharging for a higher level of care, but I doubt if I stayed I wouldnt have relapsed again

I wish I could give them zero stars. Worst place I’ve gone to get help. They only care to make $ off patients. and they don’t help you. They BS me for 2months and throw me out to no support! Also worst therapist I had so far. Did not help me for nothing not even my trauma or my everyday struggles. And she claim w her “23yrs of experience” knew everything. My old therapist who only had 13yrs of experience help me more than she ever did. The only person I felt that cared for the patients was dietician Marissa.

I would not recommend Valenta to anyone. I waited 18 years to seek help for an eating disorder. I left Valenta far worse than I had entered. I felt that I was purposely triggered at times by Dr. Mar and his way of using EMDR to treat trauma was baffling. One time he left me alone staring into a light for almost 2 hours trying to desensitize me to it. He said he “forgot,” I was there. On Fridays sometimes he would throw out triggering comments such as, “what if your mom died,” right when I was supposed to be leaving for the weekend. Some of the abuse stories that were talked about in groups should have been reported to authorities. I felt that he treated me like I was an experiment. He had me on 7 different medications at one point which caused akasthisia. He then put me on meds to counteract it that caused my heart rate to drop to 38 for a few months. I was never informed just how dangerous that was.In order to see my medical records I had to have input from an attorney and submit a letter to receive them. They were incomplete when I was finally allowed to pick them up. My notes were not all accurate. I did report to the medical board but I did not report everything I wished I had. It has taken me years to work through the trauma I experienced at Valenta. If you need treatment I would suggest looking elsewhere. Don’t waste your time.

I spent approximately six months at Valenta in 2016, and have found myself healthier for it. The staff was incredibly supportive and caring, and would frequently make themselves available outside of program hours. They provided me with a wealth of tools to handle anxiety, depression, anger, flashbacks, and eating disorder triggers. Un like other therapists I had seen prior, Shannan worked with me on the multifaceted nature of my eating disorder; together we utilized cognitive behavioral therapt, dialectical behavioral therapy, emdr, and various forms of resourcing in order to challenge long standing misconceptions that fed my disorder. With the help of my dietician Amanda, I learned how to properly meal plan, cook, and (to some degree) eat. Meals were always delicious and the variety ensured that the food didnt become monotonous. I also commend the psychiatrist Dr. Mar who worked in tandem with my treatment team, and went beyond the perscription of medication. Because of my time at Valenta I can say that I am in my second year of recovery. The center helped me find the strength to save myself, and I would highly recommend it.

Should be looked into by authorities .