Paradigm TreatmentReviews of paradigmmalibu.com

Paradigm was a wonderful choice for our daughter/family because it worked at the root of her/our problems. They continually told us that her behavior (outburst, failing school, isolation, food and withdrawal) was just a symptom of a deeper problem. While we didn't believe it at first, after about three weeks we began to hear and see what were the real issues. I believe this was due to the 24/7 constant staff making her responsible for her actions. Paradigm works with the whole person; from food, exercise, group therapy as well as individual therapy. Our daughter was provided with constant healthy nutrition, which I believe is so important to mental health. They showed her the benefits of all different kinds of exercise i.e, yoga, hiking, health club and many other types of group exercise. We thought that the group therapy was a key part of her success as you are hearing others stories and not just focusing on your own also, it was benificial for her to hear her peers perspective of her problems. I really felt confident with the care because when my daughters old habits started to show up again they were right on top of it by making her responsible for her actions. While we were concerned about having our daughter in Malibu (we are from Minnesota) they assured us she was safe and well cared for (as did she). We saw our daughter each week as one of us parents would fly to California each week for family day. It was very trying to be gone from home, work and our other children each week. But after all was said and done it was worth it to be with her every week working on establishing new skills. Paradigm was beautiful, clean and caring. I would highly recommend Paridigm to anybody looking to make a positive change in their child's behavior.

After a year of unpredictable ups and downs, regular therapy, out patient treatment, home schooling, trying everything possible to help my son, researching, calling and visiting numerous residential treatment centers, I visited Paradigm and found our solution. During admissions, Jeremy Manne responded all to of my questions honestly and fully. He and Cole Rucker met with my son and also with my family. They answered our questions and made our son feel like he was choosing the right thing for himself, they were empathetic and helpful... he immediately trusted Paradigm. We were guided together as a family through admissions where we felt safe, respected and heard. The team at Paradigm is nothing short of amazing. They work diligently together to create an open, safe, honest space for the adolescents, siblings and parents to begin to rebuild their relationship with themselves and each other after the traumas of drug abuse, depression, anxiety, eating disorders and more. My son had severe drug issues with depression and anxiety. The team at Paradigm helped my son to tap into and process emotions and past trauma that were causing him to stop living his life. They gave him the tools to cope. In short, Paradigm gave my son back his life. It was challenging, my son was challenging and it was everything we needed. We also know this is going to be an ongoing process and we have a lot more work to do and will have more challenges, however, we all feel more prepared that we will respond in a way that is supportive and solution oriented for all of us. The therapy for my son was non-stop, from surfing early morning, to the gym, to ropes courses, equine therapy, drama therapy, group therapy, family therapy, individual therapy, group family therapy! There was a perfect amount of fun and challenge... All of it so extremely helpful for my son and for our family. Paradigm is dedicated to each child and their individual needs, their approach is a perfect combination of clinical and holistic therapies... and they work. Through this time we, as a family, have gained a lifetime of tools necessary for a successful, supportive and communicative family dynamic. We continue to go to Paradigm on weekends for Family Group sessions where we continue to process, learn and grow (and eat the amazing food). One of the most important things for me was that my son have good organic, healthy food, as food absolutely contributes to a healthier detox and a better emotional state... Paradigm provides world class food with world class chefs.. (Thank you Erik and Brandon). We feel we have an extended family with Paradigm. My son is now continuing to do great work in a therapeutic boarding school that he has chosen and is living his life again. He is happy, having fun, enjoying school and learning, excelling in new interests while also continuing to do the many things he loves to do, while getting the help he needs. He is continuing to use the tools he learned at Paradigm. He gained so much from his many role models at Paradigm... patience, listening, empathy, compassion, honor, truth, humor, courage, challenge, non-judgement, being ok with failure, self love, learning not to give up, the feeling of success. Thank you Markus, Steve, Dr. Luzano, Andy, Dustin, Derek, Sam, Mia, Erin, Liz, Hunter, Julie, Bijana, Jay, Eder, Caroline, Lou, Jerri Anna, Kathie, Jeff and any of you I have not yet met. Each of you have all helped us immensely in some way as a family through one of the most difficult times of our lives. You made it easier, you made it fun and when things were really going down, you were there for us immediately. I learned to trust all of you and your highly educated recommendations. I am sure we were challenging and I thank you so much for putting up with us! I have an amazing relationship with my son and my family and I owe that to Paradigm. I am grateful beyond words.

Making the daunting decisions of where to get help for your loved one is a very tall mountain of considerations. After screening the hundreds of available resources.... 98% of them are eliminated. The remaining possibilities: phone interviews, accessible in distance or communications with the treatment center and your child. Is it even possible to be involved in your child/ family's healing? The few possible options upon touring the facility was the real eye opener! Everything looked good on the website....the phone interview was good, and even hopeful.....Not!! Finally !!! The one center, Paradigm Malibu has the most comprehensive treatments available. Ranging from traditional to alternatives that have proven success. Combining the individual, family, and group sessions daily is hard work for the adolescent. The reward is unbelievable for your child! A real honest sense of a calmer understanding of themselves. A maturity happens....and even smiles, hugs and laughter come with renewed confidence for them. I am so grateful for their expertise and passion for what they do for their clients..... The child that I once knew has returned, better, stronger, and willing to be happy!! Thank you so much Paradigm Malibu!! EWS

Words are not enough to express how grateful I am for the help our family received at Paradigm Malibu. Our 16 year-old daughter spent 6 weeks at Escondido House in 2014 for depression and self-harm. In 2015, when she was 17, she spent 10 more weeks at Cliffside. Before Paradigm, we were afraid for her safety and mystified as to why she was so miserable. We were desperate to find help. I had researched many places that claimed to offer treatment for her issues, only to find them disappointing, clueless or downright scary. When I finally called Paradigm Malibu, I heaved a sigh of relief when the person I spoke to (Jeremy Manne) was intelligent, knowledgeable, empathetic and HELPFUL. Over the course of several days, I had many lengthy phone conversations with Paradigm Malibu about my daughter, their program and whether or not it might be a good fit for her. I never felt rushed or pressured. I truly had the sense that everyone at Paradigm actually wanted to help us. Once we decided to admit her, our daughter most definitely did NOT want to go. Paradigm coached us during that difficult time, helping to make the process as smooth and painless as possible. When she finally began her stay at Escondido House, we were relieved to find that the program was, as we had hoped, stellar. Our daughter quickly settled in. She slowly began to get better. I really can’t say enough about the quality of the therapy and the caliber of the therapists at Paradigm Malibu. Every single person on our daughter’s team was brilliant, compassionate and highly, highly skilled. I am particularly grateful to Dustin Wagner who was her primary therapist during her first stay and our family therapist during her second stay. He had an amazing ability to identify, articulate and focus on difficult issues without alienating anyone. Thank you, Dustin – we love you! Thank you also to Dr. Nalin, Cole Rucker, Dr. Luzano, Steve, Shannon, Cindy, Jay, Kelani and Jerri Anna. Thank you to EVERYONE who was on our daughter’s team - all were spectacular, all were an integral part of our family’s healing process. Paradigm Malibu was not a quick fix for us. We brought our daughter in to be “fixed,” but we realized pretty quickly that her problems had a great deal to do with larger family issues. Fortunately, the therapy at Paradigm focused on the issues underlying her depression as they related to our family as a whole. We began to learn how to communicate with each other. We began to heal. Our daughter improved greatly during her first stay at Paradigm. Unfortunately, we were unable to find a good local therapy team when she returned home. Without sufficient follow up support, the pressures of high school and our unresolved family issues took her to a very bad place again. During her second stay at Paradigm, I think we tried much harder as a family to work through our issues and we also made sure that she had a solid therapy follow up plan in place before her discharge. Since she left Cliffside, we have all continued to use the tools that we learned at Paradigm Malibu to the best of our ability. As a result, although there have been some bumps along the way, both our daughter and our family as a whole are TRULY better. Looking back, it’s hard to believe that things were ever as bad as they were in 2014. Thank you Paradigm. Thank you for giving us our daughter back. Thank you for healing our family.

Paradigm is the third treatment program that we placed our daughter in. We had been told time and again that she had ADD, needed related medications and that we needed to be tougher on her. Paradigm was the first program that did extensive psychological testing and helped our daughter identify and deal with a serious trauma that we had been unaware of as a family. She came home to us happy, healthy and free of the need for any medication. Our daughter's time at Paradigm was the first step for our entire family to heal. We are so deeply grateful to Dustin, Jay, Mia, Steve and the many caring people there who continue to be an important part of our lives. It is hard to express how much gratitude we have for them and for Paradigm as a place of healing.

I was on my way out, lost and alone. I was numb. I had no desire to stop using drugs and nothing was going to change my mind. I was trapped with no way out. I was convinced that Paradigm, my fourth treatment facility, was going to be just like all of the others. Prior to coming to Paradigm I was in a hospital-like treatment facility for a little over two months and I had already made up my mind that Paradigm was going to be the same thing. The locked doors, the bars on the windows, the arcane rules dictating my every move, the staff who really didn’t care about me, and the kids who were going to judge me the second I walked through the door. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Instead, I was met with sincere kindness from every person I encountered. The doors were not locked and there were no bars on the windows. The other kids were genuine and immediately welcomed me into their home. Paradigm created a safe and caring environment where I could express myself without being judged. Paradigm created the type of environment that was going to help me recover. It took a while and a lot of patience and support from the staff, but I was finally able to escape the pain that had been eating away at me little by little. I started to feel again. I cried for the first time in years. I was finally honest with myself and in turn I was able to be open and honest with my family about everything. Paradigm helped me see that my life had meaning and that I was not worthless. Paradigm is responsible for the fact that I am here today, 8 years clean, getting my Master of Social Work. Paradigm helped me combat my addictions, cope with the trauma I had experienced, and put an end to my self-destructive behavior. Paradigm helped me escape from the pain and tear down the walls that I had encapsulated myself within. Paradigm not only saved my life, but it also helped me find myself.

When my parents first told me that they were thinking of sending me to a residential treatment center, I was incredibly upset. I said over and over that I didn't need it, and that I could overcome my depression and anxiety on my own. My parents both insisted that the place they had found, Paradigm Malibu, would be beneficial for me. To be completely honest I didn't believe them, but I made the final decision to give it a shot despite my doubts. And when I came out of Paradigm almost two months later, I realized that both of our expectations were wrong. Paradigm had been beyond beneficial for me. Being an east-coast girl, I was terrified to travel all the way out to California and leave behind my family and friends. The thought of living in a new place for an extended period of time where I didn’t know anyone scared me. However, when I first walked through the doors of the Meadows house and was greeted enthusiastically by both staff and clients alike, I was reassured that all would be ok. I was in a safe and loving environment where I could be authentic and share my struggles without feeling like I would be judged. I’m not saying that my stay was easy and happy and positive every single day, because it wasn’t. For the first time I had to face the things I was going through, not avoid them, and it was extremely hard. But for once, I wasn’t stuffing my feelings. I was able to talk to the therapists, clinical assistants, and other clients about what I was going through without worrying about what they would think of me. Paradigm helped me so much, and I will be forever grateful for the time I spent there.

I don't know who will see this, but I just thought I'd put it out into the world that Paradigm Malibu changed my life forever. Long story short, I had nothing but anger inside me when I got there, and putting the rest of the world to the side for a while and being present with people I grew to love helped me gain my sense of self back. I'm forever grateful for the people of Paradigm.