The Food Addiction Institute is pleased to highlight an exciting and deeply aligned partnership between Bright Line Eating (BLE) and Milestones in Recovery, two organizations at the forefront of food addiction and eating disorder treatment. As of March 1, 2026, this collaboration creates a seamless continuum of care—bridging intensive, trauma-informed residential treatment with structured, long-term recovery support. The Food Addiction Institute is privileged to have both Dr. Thompson and Dr. Lerner serving on its Board.
At the heart of this partnership is a shared philosophy: that food addiction is real, recovery is possible, and sustained healing requires both clinical care and ongoing community. Milestones in Recovery provides an immersive, in-person treatment experience for individuals facing complex, co-occurring conditions, including food addiction, eating disorders, depression, and anxiety. Their program offers individualized, trauma-informed therapy, nutritional support, and daily group and individual counseling within a compassionate, structured environment.
“Many individuals struggling with food addiction and eating disorders need a higher level of care at certain points in their recovery,” says Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson, founder of Bright Line Eating. “This partnership with Milestones allows us to support our community members who would benefit from residential treatment—while ensuring they return to a strong, structured, and loving recovery framework through Bright Line Eating.”
Equally important, this partnership addresses a longstanding gap in the treatment landscape: what happens after residential care. Bright Line Eating offers a robust, evidence-based aftercare pathway, including Boot Camp and the Bright Lifers program—providing ongoing accountability, peer support, and a clearly defined food plan centered on eliminating sugar and flour, and weighing and measuring meals.
“For lasting recovery, treatment cannot end at discharge,” says Dr. Marty Lerner, founder of Milestones in Recovery. “Our collaboration with Bright Line Eating ensures that our patients leave with a powerful, structured aftercare solution—one that reinforces the work done in treatment and supports long-term recovery”.
This integrated model reflects a deep alignment between the two organizations. Both emphasize abstinence from ultra-processed foods, compassionate and non-judgmental support, and the importance of addressing underlying emotional and psychological drivers—including trauma. Since exploring this partnership, both teams report a strong and growing sense of mutual respect and shared mission.
Notably, all patients entering Milestones will now transition into Bright Line Eating’s Boot Camp and continue into the Bright Lifers program upon discharge—creating a clear and supported path from intensive treatment to lifelong recovery.
This collaboration also expands access. Milestones accepts insurance, making high-level care more attainable for individuals with complex diagnoses, while Bright Line Eating provides an established, global recovery community built over more than a decade.
Together, Bright Line Eating and Milestones in Recovery are setting a new standard: a fully integrated, compassionate, and effective continuum of care for individuals seeking freedom from food addiction.