Your questions, answered.
Thinking about becoming a recovery coach? Find answers here to the questions people ask us the most. And if something you're wondering about isn't here, please reach out — all of us at CCI can help.
General Questions
The basics — timing, format, exams, and what makes this training different.
How long will the program take to complete?
There's no single answer, and that's by design. You can start any time and move at your own pace — people come to this with different lives and schedules, and all of that is welcome. The course was designed to be easily completed in 12 months, but we give an automatic six-month extension if requested, giving you 18 months in all. Only one further extension is granted after that, for an additional cost.
Supervision begins once you've finished the coursework. You'll respond to real scenarios, meet with clients, and record sessions so we can give you important feedback. Plan at least two months for supervision — some have needed more, some less. We suggest you explore where you'll get your clients for supervision right away, as this is the hard part for many students.
Is the course all online?
Yes — the whole course is online, so you can take it from anywhere in the world. If you'd like to see the learning platform before you decide, take a quick look here.
Can I enroll any time?
You can. Enrollment is open year-round — there's no deadline, no "term," no waiting for the right semester. You begin when you're ready and work at your own pace, with that one important deadline of finishing within 18 months.
I'm already a CEDS, CEDRD, or CEDCAT. What more would this give me?
Those are wonderful credentials, but they weren't built for the work coaches actually do. Coaching is hands-on and lives in the everyday moments — the meal, the grocery store, the hard hour after eating at a challenging restaurant or after a difficult session. Our program gives you a different kind of training entirely: based on exposure and response prevention, practical, real-world, and focused on walking beside someone as they face their fears and heal.
I'm already an LMFT, MSW, RD, or similar. How could this help me?
Anyone who wants to work more skillfully with people who have eating disorders can gain something here. Many of us earn our credentials without ever getting much specific training in eating disorders — especially in the real-life skills work that recovery so often turns on.
I designed this course to teach exactly that: how to help someone change behavior and rebuild the everyday parts of living that an eating disorder steals — eating at a restaurant, grocery shopping, buying new clothes, going to the gym. These are where so much real healing happens.
Is there an exam I have to pass?
Yes. There's a quiz for each module and a final exam, and they're there for good reason — this is important work, and we want you to feel genuinely ready. The final exam shows whether you understand and can use the CCI philosophy and coaching strategies, stay clearly within your scope, and have truly taken the learning at CCI to heart. We administer the exam ourselves at the Institute; it isn't a state or national board exam, and it isn't timed.
Will the certificate be recognized in my state or province?
Your certificate tells people — clients, families, employers — that you've completed serious, rigorous training as an eating disorder recovery coach. Official recognition of coaching education varies a great deal from place to place, and eating disorder coaching is still a young, growing field. Most people who know Carolyn respect the CCI training and logo, so use it on your marketing material.
We're pioneers in this work, and you can be one too. Do look into any rules where you live — but a certification from The Carolyn Costin Institute, carrying my name and my decades in this work, means something. The one thing we ask of every coach is to stay in your lane: assist the licensed professionals on the team, and respect your place in the overall landscape of eating disorder care. Be careful never to let anyone think you're a replacement for a licensed clinician — unless you actually hold those credentials too.
What's the requirement for recovered coaches?
If you're recovered yourself, we ask that you meet our definition of "Recovered," and that you've been recovered for at least two years before you begin the course. Your own recovery is a gift you'll bring to this work — we just want it to be standing on solid ground first.
How do I earn my supervision hours?
Before you're certified, you'll complete at least 10 supervision credit hours. Unlike a lot of programs that charge separately for supervision, ours is already built into your tuition — no surprise bill at the end. Here's how it works:
- Before seeing clients, you'll start by writing responses to real client statements and scenarios, and get feedback.
- Ideally you'll work with 3 clients, seeing each 3 or 4 times, for a total of about 10 hours.
- On rare occasions, Carolyn will ask for more supervision hours before your certification.
- You'll send your recorded sessions through the Signal app for feedback from Carolyn — and sometimes another CCI-approved supervisor.
- At any time, you can contact us with questions or concerns about your clients.
- There may also be office-hours sessions for you to attend.
How do I find clients for my supervision sessions?
Some students already have a way to get clients through various avenues and connections — but many are unsure where to find them. You should start working on a plan right away. Knowing how to find clients matters now, and it'll be necessary when you're certified and building your coaching business. We do offer some suggestions, so if you reach module 10 or 11 and still haven't figured out where to get clients, let us know and we'll try to help — but this is your responsibility.
Honest, fair pricing.
We feel our price is fair, considering our extensive course, Carolyn's time with every student, and the fact that she takes no salary at all. We also offer payment plans, group discounts, and occasional scholarships — money should never be the only thing in your way.
How much does the program cost?
The full program is $7,200 USD. If paying all at once isn't right for you, there's a payment plan — each of the 12 modules for $600, with a one-time $500 administrative fee:
- Payment 1: $1,100 (admin fee plus your first module)
- Payments 2–12: $600 each
How does the cost compare to other programs?
We worked hard to make our price affordable and fair. There really is no other eating disorder recovery coaching program like CCI, so we have nothing to compare it to directly. If you wanted to compare it to recognized life-coaching programs in the US, those range from roughly $5,000 to $15,000 — and none of them train you to work with eating disorders. You can probably find programs that certify people after a few hours of videos or a few weeks of learning, but to be a truly trained eating disorder coach who can build a successful practice, that kind of training simply isn't enough.
The cost covers everything — the full program, the online tools, all materials, the exams, and your supervision. No hidden fees. When you train here, you're learning from a licensed therapist, nationally and internationally recognized as an eating disorder expert, with almost five decades treating eating disorders, several published books, and Approved CE Provider status with CAMFT (#134625) and NBCC (ACEP No. 6849).
What if I can't afford the full tuition?
If the calling is there but the full amount upfront isn't, please don't let that turn you away. We offer financial aid in the form of a payment plan, and you can choose it right when you enroll.
Are there discounts for groups?
Yes — if you're coming as a group, the more of you there are, the more you'll save:
- 5–10 students: 15% off
- 11–25 students: 20% off
- 26 or more students: 25% off
From here, the road is yours.
What comes next — your title, finding work, and how coaching is being received.
Am I guaranteed a job once I'm certified?
We can't promise you a job — no training institution can. But this training prepares you well, and coaching continues to take on a bigger role in recovery. Your CCI certification shows you've been trained by an organization increasingly referred to as the gold standard for eating disorder coach training. The CCI certification logo means you have the understanding and skills to walk beside someone with an eating disorder and help them make the changes that recovery asks of them.
From there the path is yours — your own practice, a coaching organization, or perhaps a treatment center. If you choose your own practice, you'll need a marketing strategy, a website, a Facebook page, perhaps an Instagram account, and your own materials carrying the CCI logo — and you'll go and meet the professionals and others invested in eating disorder care, and let them know about your services.
What will I be called once I finish?
You'll be a Certified Eating Disorder Recovery Coach from The Carolyn Costin Institute — formally, a Certified CCI Eating Disorder Coach (CCI-EDC). To stay certified, you'll do continuing education with us every two years. And if you're recovered yourself, there's a special training module just for you.
Will treatment centers send me clients?
They can be worth approaching — people so often need an extra hand moving between levels of care, and that's exactly where a coach helps. The most welcoming, in my experience, are day treatment and Intensive Outpatient programs, where people frequently need meal support and a steadying presence outside program hours. We're also working, increasingly, to partner with residential programs so our interns can support clients in the transition as they step down to lower levels of care.
Will CCI help connect me with clients?
Once you're certified, you'll be listed right here on our website, with materials and the CCI logo for your professional use. Sometimes we get inquiries and may include your name in a list of appropriate referrals. But like becoming a therapist, a dietitian, or anyone in private practice, once school is finished you build your own practice — easy for some, harder for others. We try to help where we can — but much of it will be up to you.
Does CCI hire coaches?
We train coaches, but we don't hire them. Once you're certified, you're free to build your own practice or work with another organization — the road from here is yours. A handful of eating disorder coaching organizations have taken special interest in our coaches, and have hired them. You can ask about this as you get closer to the end of the course.
Modeling a freely lived relationship with food.
What modeling a free, healthy relationship with food really asks of a coach.
What does CCI expect of coaches around food and eating?
Modeling a healthy, easy, free relationship with food is one of the most important things a coach brings. As a coach, you'll need to be ready to eat freely — even more freely than "recovered" usually asks of a person. You might eat late at night, have fries you didn't plan on, share pizza and dessert, or sit with a client for breakfast in the early hours.
For our recovered coaches, I call this being "Recovered Plus." A couple of real examples:
- Dave works until 9 p.m. and needs a coach who'll have dinner with him afterward.
- Julie has never once eaten a donut without purging — she needs to do it several times to build a new pattern, and as her coach, you're the one helping her, again and again, without purging.
What if I have food allergies or sensitivities?
We understand completely, and we have clear guidelines woven into the meal coaching training. If you eat gluten-free or vegetarian, the idea is simply to keep that from interfering with being a good role model — and to bring up your limitations only when necessary. Order the pizza with gluten-free dough if you need to, or a cheese pizza if you're vegetarian — what the person watches for is whether you'll eat it freely.
It's never about pretending. It's about not letting an eating disorder fix onto your limitations, or use them as permission for restrictive rules of its own. Order around what you truly can't eat, still share enough "fear foods," and gently keep your own restrictions in the background. It's a small kindness that protects their healing.