Recovery, guided by a steady light.
You are more than your struggle. You are our NorthStar.
HealNourishEmpower
NorthStar Healing Center offers compassionate, evidence-based eating disorder treatment in Ontario, California and the surrounding Inland Empire, through structured day programming and flexible outpatient care, so you can do the work of recovery with a team beside you.
Confidential. Compassionate. Specialized in eating disorder care.
Help. Healing. Hope.
Wherever you are on your journey, there is a way forward, and a team ready to walk it with you.
Understanding eating disorders
More common than you think
Eating disorders don't discriminate. They affect people of all genders, ages, backgrounds, and body sizes. Knowing the truth, and the signs, is where support begins.
The truth
- Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses, not a choice or a phase.
- Early support and evidence-based treatment can save lives.
- Recovery is possible, and you don't have to do it alone.
- Your worth is not measured by your body.
Signs to look for
- Preoccupation with food, weight, or body image
- Skipping meals or restrictive eating
- Binge eating or loss of control around food
- Withdrawal, anxiety, or mood changes
- Excessive exercise or body checking
This isn't a diagnostic checklist. If some of these feel familiar for you or someone you love, reaching out is a good next step.
What we treat
Specialized care for the full range of eating concerns
We provide treatment for eating disorders and the experiences that so often travel with them, including anxiety, depression, and trauma.
Anorexia nervosa
Restriction, fear around eating, and a relationship with food that has narrowed life. We help widen it again, gently and safely.
Bulimia nervosa
Cycles of bingeing and compensatory behaviors. Care focused on interrupting the cycle and rebuilding trust with your body.
Binge eating disorder
Episodes of eating that feel out of control and the shame that follows. Support without judgment, centered on understanding rather than willpower.
ARFID
Avoidant or restrictive eating driven by sensory experience, fear, or low interest, rather than body image. Patient, individualized care.
OSFED & disordered eating
Patterns that don't fit one tidy label but still cause real distress. You don't have to be "sick enough" to deserve support.
Body image & co-occurring concerns
Body image distress alongside anxiety, depression, OCD, or trauma. We treat the whole person, not a single symptom.
Our team
The people who care about getting this right
NorthStar's founders, clinical leadership, and psychiatric providers bring decades of combined experience in eating disorder treatment and behavioral healthcare, united by a commitment to compassionate, individualized care.
Dr. Laura A. Fierro, PhD, LMFT
Chief Clinical Officer
Dr. Fierro founded NorthStar as a place dedicated to healing, growth, and empowerment. She earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute and has taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels across Southern California. With more than 32 years of experience, she is an expert in trauma-informed care and crisis and harm reduction, and has helped develop programs throughout Los Angeles and Orange County.
Melanya Hovhannisyan
Cofounder
Melanya leads behavioral health operations with deep experience in program development, compliance, quality improvement, and staff support. She is committed to building collaborative teams and making services accessible, effective, and person-centered. Driven by a belief in the power of people and purpose, she advocates for equitable care and works to reduce stigma so individuals and families feel supported and hopeful.
Eric Chaghouri, MD
Psychiatrist
Dr. Chaghouri brings a decade of work alongside behavioral health organizations committed to improving patient care. He provides integrated psychiatry and addiction medicine services along with medical director leadership, guided by the belief that psychiatric care should be more than provider coverage: collaborative, responsive, and fully integrated into the treatment team.
Levels of care
Two programs, one continuum of support
Recovery isn't one-size-fits-all. We help individuals and families across Ontario and the Inland Empire find the right level of structure now, and step down as you grow steadier.
PHP: Day Treatment
Our most structured level of outpatient care. PHP offers focused, full-day support for those who need consistent clinical attention while still returning home in the evenings.
- Structured daytime programming with supported meals
- Individual, group, and family therapy
- Nutrition support and medical monitoring
- Psychiatric care and care coordination
IOP: Flexible Care
A step down from PHP, or a starting point for those who need meaningful support that fits around work, school, and family. IOP keeps recovery moving while you re-engage with daily life.
- Several sessions per week, mornings or evenings
- Group therapy and skills building
- Individual therapy and dietitian support
- A bridge back to independent, lasting recovery
Our approach
Whole-person, evidence-based, and genuinely collaborative
Healing happens in relationship. Your care is built and delivered by a multidisciplinary team that meets regularly around your goals, so therapy, nutrition, and medical care all move in the same direction.
- Multidisciplinary team. Therapists, dietitians, and medical and psychiatric providers working as one.
- Evidence-based therapies. Approaches such as CBT-E, DBT, ACT, and family-based support, matched to you.
- Trauma-informed & inclusive. Care that honors your history, identity, and lived experience.
- Family included. Education and support for the people who love you and want to help.
Getting started
Reaching out is the first step
It's normal to feel nervous about making the call. Here's what the path into care looks like.
Reach out
Call us or send a message. A real person will answer your questions and help you feel oriented.
Brief consultation
A short, confidential conversation to understand what you're going through and what you need.
Assessment & insurance
A clinical assessment and a benefits check, so you know your options and what care will look like.
Begin care
We welcome you into the program that fits, with a team and a plan built around you.
We work with many major insurance plans. Contact us and we'll help verify your benefits.
Verify benefits & reach outYou don't have to figure this out alone.
Whether you're seeking help for yourself or someone you love, we're here to listen and help you find the way forward.