Dr. Angela Sarah Guarda, MD

Dr. Guarda became my doctor three years ago ; she has saved my life. I have had a lifelong struggle with anorexia and did not make any progress toward recovery until I met her. I would highly recommend, anyone struggling with an eating disorder, to seek help from her.

Dr. Guarda became my doctor 3 years ago; she has saved my life. I have had a lifelong struggle with anorexia and did not make any progress toward recovery until I met her. I would highly recommend, anyone struggling with an eating disorder, to seek help from her.

I have nothing but good things to say about Dr. Guarda. I was under her care for 7 weeks in 2019. The eating disorder program is structured and disciplined. Rehab is never a pleasant experience. However, as each day went by, I found my thinking and approach to food improved to a healthier space. Also, I found Dr. Guarda to be compassionate and reassuring. She gave me hope that my mood disorder would get better.

Stunningly cold and insensitive psychiatrist. Her eating disorders program is run like an old fashioned psych ward where patients are treated as inferior people due to their struggles. In Dr. Guarda's eyes, everything is chalked up to "your eating disorder" and nothing you can say will ever be taken seriously. She expects patients to demonstrate flexibility to overcome eating disorders, but she and her program are incredibly inflexible. She cannot tell the difference between low motivation to recover and a lack of insight/judgment. It is alarming that someone with such little empathy or compassion became a psychiatrist, let alone is running an eating disorders program. She may be knowledgable about the medical complications of eating disorders but has no concern for the emotional side to eating disorders. I would never recommend her or her program to anyone, unless the only thing you are looking to gain from the program is a lot of weight.

Dr. Guarda is head of the Eating Disorder Program (inpatient & outpatient) at John's Hopkins. The program, under her direction, is one of the best in the country. Although it may take months to get an appointment with her, it is well worth the wait! I went through the program with ARFID (avoidance restrictive food intake disorder) after years of chronic GI malfunction. It is a rigorous program, but rehabilitated my body and my GI system. Others may criticize that she does not listen, but she cares about getting you well and preventing relapse. She is not willing to compromise with your eating disorder behaviors. The program is centered around breaking ANY and EVERY eating disorder behavior. Group therapy is the focus of the program. You did not work one-on-one with a psychiatrist, you attend group therapy to discuss your treatment with your peers.

Condescending and insensitive

For the past 25 years I have struggled with anorexia. I began having seizures which lead me to a Hopkin's neurologist, Dr. Peter Kaplan. He thankfully referred me to Dr. Guarda. She and her program were able to help me. I will be forever grateful to her for saving my life.

Let me start by saying that Dr. Guarda is easily one of the top clinicians I have ever dealt with, in any field. I was a patient on the Johns Hopkins Eating Disorders unit roughly 7 1/2 years ago (hospitalized for anorexia). While attending on the unit, Dr. Guarda is definitely tough. But that's the nature of what she has to deal with: patients with eating disorders often need strict guidelines and structure in order to get well. The program Dr. Guarda runs is considered to be one of the best in the nation -- it is not easy but patients get well.Alongside the toughness though is an extremely compassionate human being who deeply cares about her patients outcomes. I am still in touch with her all these years later and she is genuinely happy when good things come my way. That's a good doctor -- someone who looked after me when I was deathly ill and still cares about me now that I am well.I would recommend Dr. Guarda very highly to anyone who is struggling with an eating disorder. I've… been through a lot of doctors and she is the best of the lot. This is an extremely tough field and you need someone sharp like Dr. Guarda to help you navigate it. She is awesome and I owe her and her team my life.