"A special place"

My son has struggled with depression and anxiety since middle school. Although he saw a psychiatrist and a therapist, he went down a path that ended in addiction to Xanax, and other drugs. We knew he was in trouble but it became increasingly clear that his life was out of control in October of 2016.

I researched treatment centers specializing in dual diagnosis for days. After seeing Paradigm’s website, I quickly compared all others to theirs. This is what I wanted for my son. The trick was getting him to agree to go. He was a senior in high school but was 18. Call it define intervention. He quickly agreed that he needed help. It certainly did not hurt that Paradigm was in California near the beach! (We live in Chicago).

From the moment he arrived, we knew he was in good hands. The staff at Paradigm is outstanding! He quickly bonded with Eric, his main therapist. Eric guided him and encouraged him to be honest with himself. The group therapy was invaluable. Meeting peers with similar issues and holding each other accountable in a respectful and honest way really helped my son with his self -advocacy.

The family therapy on Saturdays was unbelievably healing and educational for us. Even though it was a challenge to fly to California on the weekends, this program proved to be what healed us as a family. Our family therapist, Brian, went above and beyond to accommodate our phone sessions. He was insightful, kind, and professional. Paradigm certainly knows how to hire therapists who relate and bond with the young clientele as well as the families.

I can’t say enough about the professional and extensive staff. Marcus, Theresa, Dustin, Brian, Dr. O, Eric, chef Cynthia and many others. They all played a part in healing my son.

The wide variety of modalities that Paradigm uses for healing are impressive. A client will find something that resonates with them. I never thought my son would practice, let alone like, yoga. He loved the meditation, equine therapy, and trips to the beach. The staff understands the importance of the mind/body connection. All of this helped him on his healing journey.

If you have a child that is in trouble with substances or struggles with mental health issues, Paradigm is a place to highly consider. My son changed in the 35 days he was there. He was able to graduate high school a semester early and has moved to California to go to Community College. He is doing well and is motivated to stay sober. He will use the tools he learned at Paradigm for the rest of his life.

Thanks to everyone at Paradigm. Thank you for giving us our son back.

"Saved our son's life ... and our family"

We lost one of our younger sons to suicide, which nearly destroyed his twin brother and the rest of our family. Sadly, over the next two years, each therapist we tried made matters considerably worse, to the point where we almost lost our surviving twin twice. We then discovered Paradigm Malibu. The loving, compassionate and knowledgeable staff took in our shattered son and began the nearly impossible process of helping him want to live again. They helped him learn to face the loss of his twin brother and begin the painfully difficult process of rebuilding his new identity - a process only made possible through the incredible support of the staff AND the other clients who learn to trust and support each other without judgement. The Paradigm team extended the same love, support and education to our family, and we are now all back together, finally moving forward again with hope. There is no doubt that Paradigm saved our son and our family - and we are eternally grateful.

"This place saved my son!!"

It's the one program that allowed my child to continue his school work. The parent weekend involvement/training changed all of our lives. The place is beautiful, the staff highly qualified and always available to help. It's been almost a year since my child left and he still calls occasionally for guidance. I could not ask for more.

"I believe there is NO better place to send your kids for Support & Care."

What I love about Paradigm...Someone is ALWAYS available to answer & asset with any questions. Therapist are some of the best in the business & genuinely love their jobs & the teens they work with. The food is so good & healthy. My son learned a lot about taking care of his body is many ways & it has all stuck with him. Jaden eats really healthy. I absolutely recommend attending the Saturday Family Group, Saturdays at paradigm taught me a lot, not only about the dynamics of our family but about myself & how I can help to make our family better & understand this generation of kids that we are raising.

"Huge help in our journey"

Our son spent six weeks living and learning at Paradigm in Malibu. He struggles with depression and anxiety and it got to the point where he needed to spend some time in a focused in patient program to help him work on himself.
After much research, we settled on Paradigm and it was the right decision to make. The facilities are amazing and the staff incredibly caring, wonderful professionals. Our son made a lot of progress while he was there, with the help of Dustin, Jay, Markus, Andy and the rest of fantastic team. The work continues now that he's home again but Paradigm has helped us tremendously on our journey to wellness. I would recommend this program for any young person who is looking for an in-patient facility.

"A Life-changing and Life-saving Experience"

It's been three months since my 17-year-old son returned to us from his 30-day stay at Paradigm Malibu and, I can honestly say, I have never seen him happier, more optimistic, or more excited about his future. This program not only saved my son's life, it provided him a means by which to heal, as well as an array of tools for dealing with his anxiety and depression. Too, and just as importantly, it taught my husband and me how to be better parents to our teenager; how to more effectively communicate with him; and how to let him be responsible for his own happiness. Like so many other deeply grateful parents, I can't say enough about the team of therapists whose expertise, kindness, compassion and dedication drew my son out of his dark depression, challenged him to challenge himself, re-instilled in him the will to live, and brought the beautiful smile back to his face. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

"Positive life changing experience! It was a wow!"

The team, knowledge, protocols and community at Paradigm gave us hope when we didn't think it was possible! Our 16-year has been struggling with anxiety and severe depression and seemed stuck. We felt we had no where else to go. After 40 days, I feel like we've gotten our daughter back! Its been an amazing experience. She now has tools, perspective, improved self love and a resilience we haven't seen in two years. We have much work to do going forward but I can't express how appreciative we are to have her back, and an opportunity for the future she deserves.

"Life altering positive experience"

Paradigm helped bring our son back. Our son suffered from depression and anxiety which severely increased after he lost his grandmother. As parents, we didn't know how else to help him. We were under a physician and therapist's care but it wasn't enough. I reached out to Jeremy several times with many questions regarding insurance, the types of therapy offered, typical days, etc. He always responded in a timely manner. He also referred me to another family so that I could ask them questions. Within a few days we visited Paradigm and our son stayed.

Leaving our son in Malibu was the hardest thing we've ever had to do, but it was the best decision we ever made! Jay and Steve helped him feel right at home which put our minds at ease. The staff was extremely communicative and we could call anytime. There were therapists on site 24 hours a day who were available to speak with the youth at any time.

The daily art, music, equine therapy, paddle boarding, surfing and physical exercise provided several tools to help work through his depression and anxiety. Healthy nutrition also played a large part in feeling better. Not only did he obtain excellent skills, he also developed bonds with others that could relate. Markus, Dustin, and Erin were instrumental in daily individual and weekly family therapy sessions via skype. We always looked forward to Saturdays which consisted of parent sessions, group sessions and seeing the progress that our son was making. Let's not forget the outstanding food at lunchtime!

Our son stayed at Paradigm for 60 days. Although there were tough discussions during our family sessions the end result was worth it. There have been ups and downs since he's been home but we are all more equipped as a family to deal with them. We've remained in contact with therapists, families, and friends that we made. Markus, Erin, Ariel, Jessica, and Dustin helped with the transition home...the care didn't stop at 60 days. The IOP (Intensive Outpatient Program) that our son attended at home was just "ok". There were several times that he picked up the phone to speak with the therapists at Paradigm for extra support. We continue to visit on Saturdays when we can. The door is always open at Paradigm and we are truly grateful.

"Family life changer"

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.

"I could not have picked a better place for my son to receive treatment."

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.