Ai Pono Treatment Center — Local services in Maui

I (and as I've now learned years later, many others as well) had a horrific experience at Ai Pono Maui. To this day I am working with skilled therapists to try to heal the trauma I experienced with the therapists and treatment at this eating disorder center.

I could write a book here- and I practically have already in journal entries- but I will try to say in short. The therapists here shameful- dismissing or minimizing any story I shared with them, kept me from progressing in the program because I "wasn't authentic", and only let me progress when I stopped sharing in the group all together. I will add that before I came, I never shared much of any of my "story", and I hoped I was arriving to a safe space to share- but I was consistently either put down or completely ignored in the groups (also in the privates). Other patients and even nurses shared their disbelief of the treatment toward me.

I had a trauma therapist in the beginning, but after about a month of working with her, they fired her because she was too expensive (she shared with me). They asked if there was anything they could do to support me after this shocking revelation- I asked just to make a phone call- and they denied it.

As well most everything that was written on the website was removed from the treatment plan- daily walks to the beach, group sessions (therapists no-showed and quit constantly, many times there being no groups at all), and an intuitive approaches to eating (everything weighed and measured for 6 months).

Moreso, I came in overweight and for the treatment of emotional eating (with a history of restricting) and slowly my plan became reduced to such a small portion that even (Again...) the nurses commented that it was shocking. I left the treatment center underweight for my body type and with even more eating issues/anxieties (obsessive, restrictive, told not to drop the planning) that I am stil working on recovering today.

I was told if I try to leave their meal plan I will un-do all my self-work.

I will also add that I was assured (3 times) the treatment was approved as covered from my insurance (as I told them many times I am without any family support and could not afford it otherwise), and yet after 1 week was told my insurance made a mistake (in the end it was Ai Pono Maui who made the mistake) and that I would either need to pay $10,000 for the week I was there or file a lawsuit (which they assured me I would most likely win so not to worry).

They also said this condition- that if I chose the latter option, that I must stay until they approve me to leave the program. (In other words, me leaving on any personal conditions would void the case with the indication that treatment was not necessary).

So I stayed, in hopes of this trial case, and in hopes of getting good treatment and trying to understand their only feedback of how I was "playing the victim role" and "not authentic" (which other friends/therapists find absurd and not-fitting to me).

I stayed until they approved me "well enough" to leave their IN PATIENT FACILITY- SIX MONTHS. Six horrible months.

I had no history of self harm, never was bulimic. Only had severe food traumas as a child (mother restricted food from me), and emotional over eating as an older adult (I can to Ai Pono at age 24).

I have so many stories of how terrible this place was for me and other patients as well. This was now 7 years ago and it still upsets me. And my friend at the time, whom I spoke to at evenings every night when I was there, was so upset by the experience he became an eating disorder therapist himself- and still meets people who talk of the horrible treatment at Ai Pono TODAY.

Oh, and the court case? The lawyers I spoke to said there was never a case. That the treatment was so terrible that the insurance would Never cover it, and that there is so little evidence of anything happening there, that nothing could be proven.That I was better off not putting myself through more emotional and financial stress with filing an lawsuit and to try and first heal from...

I want to begin by saying that I do not believe this is a bad place in any way. In fact, this has been the most helpful place I’ve ever experienced. The staff here are among the kindest, most supportive people I’ve met. They were always willing to help, no matter the situation. I truly believe my experience does not reflect the staff as a whole.

Today, I was administratively discharged. While I won’t go into all the details due to the ongoing investigation, I need to express that I was deeply hurt by how one individual handled the situation. My concern lies not with the staff who work directly with residents—they were amazing—but with the higher-ups, particularly the director, Tina.

I take full responsibility for my actions and acknowledge that there were aspects of the situation I could have handled better. However, I was told that my discharge stemmed from an “accusation” rather than the actual facts of the situation, which made me feel that the staff member’s negligence wasn’t adequately considered in the decision-making process. This left me feeling like the situation was handled unfairly.

I’m not angry with the staff member whose actions contributed to the situation. I genuinely believe they acted with the best of intentions, even though there was miscommunication and misunderstandings. But during this ordeal, I was in shock and panic, and Tina’s response was completely unempathetic. She accused me of being untruthful, gave conflicting information to my parents, and took a very black-and-white approach to a situation that was far more complex. Her handling felt disorganized and dismissive, and I felt abandoned by leadership when I needed clarity, empathy, and support the most.

One of the most disappointing aspects of this experience was the lack of transitional support. The higher-ups offered no assistance during my transition out of the program, leaving me feeling unsupported and unsure of what to do next. This program should have had a clear plan in place to help residents transition out in such difficult situations, but unfortunately, that was not the case.

Despite everything, I cannot emphasize enough how incredible the rest of the staff were. They felt more like a family than an organization. For example, one staff member sat with me helping me make goodbye bracelets, providing emotional support during such a vulnerable moment. Another helped me pack up my things, offering both physical and emotional assistance. These acts of kindness meant the world to me.

Luana, the head nurse, I will always love her she’s —straightforward, professional, and always there when I needed support. Jesse, despite some misunderstandings, showed me compassion and understanding. Alexis, Emma, Lauren, and so many others consistently went ABOVE and BEYOND to offer me both emotional and physical support. The impact these staff members had on me is beyond words. They made me feel seen, heard, and truly cared for, and that support has been life-changing. Their empathy and kindness will always remain in my heart.

Throughout my time here, I have grown and healed significantly, thanks to the amazing staff. My discharge doesn’t change the fact that this program is full of caring, capable people who genuinely want to help others. Unfortunately, one person’s actions overshadowed the incredible work done by everyone else here.

The way the leadership handled this incident, combined with the lack of support during my transition, is an issue that needs to be addressed. I’m currently working on connecting with a therapist, since the higher-ups didn’t offer me support in transitioning out of the program. But despite this, I’m incredibly grateful to the staff who stood by me and helped me through this difficult time. This program is extraordinary, and the people here are truly life-changing. I just hope that this experience can lead to positive changes, in leadership, so that future residents can receive the same level of care from leadership that I received from the all of the amazing staff and people who never gave up on me...

I want to start by saying I had an amazing, healing and transformative experience at Ai Pono. If you are feeling deterred by the negative reviews, please consider the following:

Always take negative reviews for ANY treatment center with a big grain of salt. I've been there and I can tell you that in my first several days and weeks, I would have said some pretty nasty things about Ai Pono too.

I was in recovery. I was uncomfortable. I had to eat food I didn't want to. I hated it. If I was leaving a review based on their ability to let me continue my eating disorder behavior, my review would be highly negative. KEEP IN MIND: RECOVERY IS DIFFICULT. The experience of recovery at first generally isn't good - there are growing pains - and sometimes people write negative reviews based on those initial experiences.

It’s pretty clear in reading the more negative reviews most were all written by the same person or group of people in regards to one individual’s stay. Before I would take those reviews to heart I would urge you to make room for the idea that maybe that person wasn’t ready for treatment or recovery. Sometimes people aren’t - and that’s ok.

Any review left by someone's friend should immediately be questioned. That person wasn't there and they don't know the details. They only know what has been said by the patient who may have been struggling in the same way I, and many people, do in initial recovery.

I was very very happy with everything Ai Pono did to work with my insurance and fight on my behalf for almost 60 days in treatment.

In my third week of residence, I started to untangle my eating disorder thoughts and emotions with my recovery minded self. I started to grow. I started to realize the potential for recovery and getting my life back - and I did.

At the end of the day, if negative reviews are keeping you on the fence, call Ai Pono and ask for clarification. THAT'S WHAT I DID. I almost didn't go because of negative reviews - but I called the program and got the reassurance that I needed to make that decision - I'm SO glad I did!

REVIEW:

I went to Ai Pono at the end of 2018 for my eating disorder. Going to Ai Pono was the best thing I could have done.

I am now in advanced recovery and have my life back. Going to treatment won't cure you - there is still work to do when you leave - but kick starting my recovery by going to Ai Pono was just what I needed.

It was challenging in a good way that I needed. I loved all the staff. I loved all the nurses. I am no longer controlled by my ed thanks to the caring staff at Ai Pono. I learned a lot from all the awesome groups. The groups are facilitated by therapists AND techs and I found all the groups helpful. The snack and lunch outs were challenging but thanks to them I can now eat out anywhere I want and no longer fear going to restaurants with friends and family.

I loved my therapist. I loved the treatment modality being based on Anita’s book Eating In The Light Of The Moon. I had many, many breakthroughs at Ai Pono.

The environment was comfortable. I was there over the holidays and it felt like home. The staff would sometimes bring In their dogs and pets and that was always fun. The admissions team and Tina really works hard on your behalf to make sure you get the most time from your insurance. I stayed in the cabin when I transferred to a lower level of care and that was comfortable and I felt safe.

So glad I went to Ai Pono. Life is better now that I can eat pizza 🍕

For more information about my personal healing journey and life after recovery, I'm on instagram @desiree.mcgunagle - I welcome any questions about Ai Pono...