"The "Best Investment for Your Child's Health.""

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

"Paradigm Malibu saved our daughter and our family."

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 Restored 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.

"Paradigm Changed My Life"

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.

"Helped me so much"

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.

"Thank you."

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.

"Lasting changes"

When I first went into Paradigm, I believed that showing emotion was a sign of weakness, but quickly learned that it is truly a sign of courage and strength. I was extremely lucky to have Rob, Jay, Jess, Shannon, and Jeff's help. Their advice and kind words have stuck with me for over two years already. Paradigm helped me make changes in my life and break several bad habits. These changes have stuck and will continue to stick for the rest of my life. The Paradigm staff is fantastic, kind, funny, and overall a group of sincerely caring people who are more than willing to listen to your life story, and offer advice if you want it.

The help the staff and other teens provide will help you create a more healthy and stable lifestyle.

"Paradigm Saved My Life"

Paradigm honestly helped me so much. I was sent there to work on issues with depression and anxiety and because I was suicidal. At first I didn't know what to work on or to think because there was so much going on in my head but the therapists never gave up on me, no matter how many times I fought the treatment. I wasn't willing to put in the work for the first month I was there, but throughout the next month and a half I explored traumas and family issues I didn't realize existed. The therapists really care about the clients and actually want to get to know us and help us. It really is a family. The therapists aren't just therapists, they're there throughout the day and we get to have fun with them. The clinical assistants are really helpful too. Everyone at Paradigm is there to help the clients. The staff really put a lot into helping us get better. I got close with almost every therapist there and even played guitar with Steve (Hi Steve I miss you and your John Mayer obsession) which helped me clear my mind a lot. I gave up a lot to spend my summer at Paradigm but I wouldn't change anything about my summer. I was there June - August 2015 and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I got to work with Dustin, Shannon, Steve, Erin, and a lot of other people who made my experience what it was.

"Decent treatment, but too much teen drama."

I was lucky to work with Rob and Shannon on my personal family problems. Unfortunately, the patients (for lack of a better term) there typically didn't want to work, and therefore caused a slightly awkward and hostile environment. The teen drama definitely hindered my treatment

"THANK YOU PARADIGM!"

My experience at Paradigm Malibu was life-changing. I went from December of 2014 to February of 2015. As much as I was initially opposed to treatment, getting away from my family, my home, my friends, and seeking help at Paradigm was ultimately the best possible decision I could've made. I went to treatment for drug and alcohol addiction, depression, anxiety, and PTSD. My life was perpetually chaos, and I was slowly killing myself. When I first got to Paradigm, I was welcomed by staff and other clients and could immediately sense the feeling of comfort and family in the house (Cliffside). While it took me time to adjust being away from home, once I opened my mind to change, and became willing to do the work, my life shifted. Paradigm never gave up on me. Being an addict, I was constantly attempting to self-destruct, but they never gave up on me. They believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. I did a lot of self-discovery work in treatment. A lot of my problems were rooted in my lack of sense of self - I didn't know who I was without the drugs, the alcohol, all of the numbing, all the masks. I discovered who I truly was, and learned to love myself and respect myself for who I am. Not until I was completely lost did I find myself, and Paradigm was the perfect for me to find myself. There was always someone to talk to, and the community at Paradigm is really a family. You get to know everyone on such a deep level, and you create the most genuine connections, which I found to be the best part. I made some of the most incredible friendships with not only the other kids but the staff too. Going to Paradigm introduced me to so many people I am so eternally grateful to have be apart of my life today. Paradigm is why I am sober. Today, I am proud to say I am 9 months sober, and I couldn't have come this far without the help I got in treatment. Paradigm marked the beginning of my recovery, my new journey, my new life. I learned so much about myself, about addiction, mental illness, and recovery in general. I gained so much perspective and learned how to have a grateful outlook on life. Paradigm saved me and changed my life. I will only ever talk in the highest regard of it, and even a year after going, I miss it so much! I always look forward to visiting, and know I will always be welcome there, which is a great feeling. Paradigm is an incredible facility and an incredible place. If it can get me sober, and change my life, it can change yours too.